ordnanceguy

Fart: You have gotten a lot of good info here from experienced Reising shooters. I will tell you that I have never regretted buying my M50. It has always shot well and been dependable. Shooting your new gun first before making any changes is the way to go. You will find that a lot of guys who have never owned or even fired a Reising are "experts" on the subject. I can't tell you how many guys have told me about what a lousy design it is and how the Marines dumped them all in the Matanikau River, blah blah blah. Most of these armchair experts are easily silenced with the question "OK, but have you ever shot one yourself?" A few will start backtracking while sputtering something about "Yeah, well I read about them somewhere and the article said they stink...." You will draw your own conclusions and I suspect that you will find, as most of here have, that the Reising is a neat gun with a lot of history and is fun to shoot. That's a great combination. Good luck. Charlie

Yup, it's gonna happen. The October 2021 shoot will be the last dance. Very sad news. Watching the night shoot of the belt fed guns with tracers was unforgettable. Charlie

Keith: That is a great looking display. I would like to have seen that one in person. Nice job! Regards, Charlie

ThompsonLover: Glad to see that waiting brought you a very fine M50. You will be proud to own it for years to come. Welcome to the club. Regards, Charlie

My advice would be to keep looking for the right gun and not be too concerned with the price. Money comes and goes but having a correct, original and well functioning Reising is something you will be happy about for years to come. I have owned my Model 50 for about 9 years. It is WW2 USGI and looks and runs like a champ. Never had an issue with it. I have heard all the stories and read all the posts about complaints of malfunctions, parts breakage, "The Marines dumped them all into the Matanikau River...", blah blah blah, and wonder what the fuss is all about. I have not had a moment of regret on the decision to buy my Reising. Go for it. You will be glad you did. Regards, Charlie

I did not have a pic handy of the M-1 Mount for the M-8 Signal Pistol. I swiped this one off of Flare Guns Sales to give the OP a view of what the mount looks like. In my experience these are pretty darn scarce. Here is what it looks like mounted in the aircraft. I hope that is helpful to you. Regards, Charlie

Hi Ron: I can't answer your question on a "known Tenn. State Police" Model 50. However, I ran across this image some time ago posted for sale on Ebay. (It is still for sale there.) The caption indicates that a "civilian volunteer force" in Tennessee was "issuing" Model 50 submachine guns. The image has the seller's watermark on it but the original would not have it. Perhaps this was one of the TSP guns you were asking about. Regards, Charlie

Gentlemen: From Small Arms Review/Chipotle Publishing and prolific author-researcher Frank Iannamico comes this new work. It promises to be the most comprehensive book ever written on the Model 76. The book is due out in November. Priced at $49.95. The 268 page book will cover the following topics: * Smith & Wesson Light Rifle Model of 1940 * Smith & Wesson Model of 1945 Carbine * Smith & Wesson Model 76 Submachine Gun * History and Manufacturing * Caseless Ammunition Program * M/45 Swedish K Submachine Gun * MK 760 Submachine Gun * MK 760 Semiautomatic Carbines and Pistols * Global Arms 76A1 * Burgess SW76 Submachine Gun * Omega Arms SW 760 * Special Weapons SW 760 * Magazines, Parts and Accessories * Trubleshooting * Disassembly-Assembly and Maintenance Just in time for the Holidays. Finally, there's something you really want for Christmas. I already have my name in for a copy. Regards, Charlie

Yeah, I'd replace the parts too, but getting my pal to do that sort of thing is a very slow process. It took me years of cajoling just to get him to fix it. He is concerned hardly at all with the fine points like "correct" parts but is really pleased that it is back in functioning condition. The bad guy who lost possession of this gun was a third rate, two-bit punk and certainly nobody famous, except maybe in his own mind. This was in the early 1960s. Charlie

On the bottom of the receiver just forward of where the magazine inserts. Charlie

This guy has a set but they are not mint. Not mine and I don't know the seller: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/302263-m1-thompson-stock-grip/ Regards, Charlie

Gentlemen: This gun had been busted and out of action for about 30+ years. Yeah, I know, that's crazy but the owner, a buddy of mine, had other things to shoot and never made it a priority to get it back in action. One of the other guns we regularly shot was a M1928A1 that is in beautiful shape. My pal was finally persuaded, over the course of years, to get this one fixed and make it the shooter, and thus allow the M1928A1 to ease into semi-retirement. This one is a bit of a pooch, and purists will no doubt be offended. However, it has the tax stamp. It now runs beautifully. We put about 200 rounds through it on New Year's Day without a single failure. This gun has a lot of miles on it. Many, many years ago it had been used in a crime. When the owner at the time no longer had a need for it it was recovered. The former owner, a real mastermind, had chosen to remove almost every marking on it. It has, of course, been refinished and rather poorly at that. And no, my pal had nothing to do with any of that. It was registered in the 1968 amnesty. Since the serial had been removed it had a 4-digit IRS serial number affixed to it. Yeah, I know, it's appearance and mods will make the purists want to puke. Nonetheless, it is still a functioning, NFA tax-paid weapon that can be shot without worrying about scratching it. It is indeed ugly but it has been returned to life and my pal is very pleased. We are now planning our next trip to the range. Regards, Charlie

Here are Peggy Cummings and John Dall in their roles in Gun Crazy. I am not positive but it looks to me as if she has a Colt Official Police while Dall has a nickel S&W Military & Police. This was Cummings best remembered role, although at the time the film did not achieve much renown. Indeed, the contemporary reviewer in the NY Times called it "humdrum pulp fiction." Today, it enjoys cult status among some. The theatrical poster. Regards, Charlie

Don't kid yourself. While the French Army had a miserable record in 1940, later on the Free French forces and the FFI/Resistance compiled a brilliant and heroic record in WW2. Some reading on the subject will give one a new appreciation for the courage of the French men and women who resisted and fought against the Nazi oppressors in WW2. And this guy is one of them, a Free French Commando seen in Amfreville, Normandy shortly after D-Day. You might recognize his weapon. He is a member of the unit that came to be known as the Keiffer Commandos, named after its commander Philippe Keiffer who joined the French military at age 40 on the day the War started. Kieffer eventually formed the first French Naval Commando unit and underwent British Commando training in Scotland which was notoriously harsh. The French Commandos were later integrated into the British No. 4 Commando, part of the 1st Special Service Brigade under Brigadier Lord Lovat. On D-Day this bunch of Frenchmen landed at Sword Beach and suffered 114 casualties, of which 21 were KIA. Keiffer was wounded twice, but went on to lead the unit into Paris at its liberation. His 18 year old son had stayed in France, joined the Resistance and was killed in battle against the Germans. Keiffer was a very tough and committed soldier, and the unit he led in battle was equally tough and very effective. The same could be said of most of those serving in the Free French forces and the FFI/Resistance. To say otherwise is to defame the memories of brave men and women who were and to this day are our Allies. Regards, Charlie

Ian McCollum of the Forgotten Weapons site had a post and video today on the Model 60. It focused on an example that is coming up for auction at RIA. He gives a nice summary of the weapon. It can be found here: https://www.forgottenweapons.com/reising-model-60-a-wartime-semiauto-carbine/ Regards, Charlie

I guess so, Kevin. Or maybe he just did not have the good fortune that I did. A good friend gave me that book for Christmas and I have enjoyed owning it ever since. Recommended for those with an interest in Hemingway or guns or both. Charlie

Thanks for the tip, Dave. I don't get a hard copy of the Blue Press but found that is freely available online. The March 2017 issue can be downloaded here: https://www.dillonprecision.com/articles.html The Reising article is found on pages 44-45. Not much in the way of new info here but worth having for those completists among us. Regards, Charlie

I don't know where Hemingway's TSMG is either. It apparently is not in Cuba. According to Hemingway's Guns: The Sporting Arms of Ernest Hemingway the TSMG was not listed on any of Hemingway's Cuban gun permits. Quoting Hemingway the book records that in July 1948 the author mused about donating the Thompson to a museum as a relic of his wartime adventures. "It would be as valuable as one of Hawthorne's shoes or a comma left over from the works of Henry James." As far as I know the serial number of Hemingway's Thompson has never been revealed. BTW, that joint in Bimini was called The Compleat Angler, not Complete Angler. It used the archaic spelling of the word complete as used by the famous book entitled The Compleat Angler written by Izaak Walton, the English writer who died in 1683. I spent many a happy hour in The Compleat Angler years ago guzzling Kalik beers, trying to master that ring toss game after long days on the water, and debating the size of that sailfish that got away from me. It was right up there on my list of the best bars in the world. I guess Hemingway thought so, too. http://culturetripper.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Ernest_Hemingway_Aboard_the_Pilar_1935.png Regards, Charlie

I ran across this image just the other day. It is a press photo. The caption writer must have had a late evening. Here is what he/she wrote: Diver James P. Bodor, 23, finds a shotgun after he and officers dragged the bottom of the Cal-Sag canal at 107th Street and Archer Avenue looking for evidence in the Brink's Express robbery case on Aug. 5, 1949. Four men robbed the South Chicago Savings bank, located at 2959 E. 92nd Street, on June 25, 1949 and killed two Brink's Express guards, Joseph Den, 40, and Bruno Koziol, 36. The police had a confession from robber James Hoyland who fingered the other three bandits, Joseph Jakalski, Richard Tamborski, and David Edgerly. (Chicago Tribune historical photo) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/Ordnanceguy/US%20Sub%20MGs/Bank%20Robbery%20TSMG%201949_zpszoi4mba4.jpg I wonder where that M1A1 is now? Regards, Charlie

Sounds like a good project, Dave. For starters you might want to check out a 1958 Gun Digest. It would have all of the major US manufacturer's .22 rifles in one place. Easy. Can you reveal the subject of the book? I know that you have been working on the H+R M65, 165, Leatherneck, MC-58 series of guns for quite awhile. Sign me up for a copy if that is what you are writing on. Regards, Charlie

Hi Dave: Have you considered a FOIA request to the Marine Corps or the Crane Navy facility? It's sort of a blunt instrument but I was able to extract some valuable info from the Air Force using that method once. Another alternative may be the CMP. It has been able to provide letters for some guns that were sold by the DCM. If you have a Model 65 that you strongly suspect was a DCM sales gun you might try asking the CMP. I think they charge $25 for a letter, or did so the last time I made that request a few years ago. Hope that helps you. Regards, Charlie Flick

Good stuff, Dave. Thanks for putting this together. Regards, Charlie Flick

WJU: I just noticed your post. I have a spare box or two of USGI WW2 Remington Kleanbore 00 Buck in US Property marked boxes, as seen in the photo below. If you are interested in it let me know at cflick@NOSPAMseippflick.com and remove the NOSPAM reference in the address. Regards, Charlie URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Ordnanceguy/media/USGI%20Ammo/USGI%20Shotgun%20Ammo/RemingtonKleenbore12ga00Buck.jpg.html]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/Ordnanceguy/USGI%20Ammo/USGI%20Shotgun%20Ammo/RemingtonKleenbore12ga00Buck.jpg[/url]

Hi Dave: I just noticed your post here. Thanks for putting it up. From the IAA discussion you linked it appears that the Dairt ammo was of low quality. I was not previously aware of that fact. I have a box or two of this stuff around because of its Reising connection. Regards, Charlie

Great stuff, Sandman. Thanks for posting. We can never get enough of Reising stuff around here. Regards, Charlie