New Nimrods arriving

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Aircrew in the Middle East in the 50s had to carry sidearms plus 6 rounds. My firearms skills were more throwing than firing, so I took 'someone's' advice that I leave the first chamber empty i.e. TWO pulls to fire. Did so for nearly two years before another 'someone' pointed out that we were issued with Colts OR Smith & Wessons … they rotate in opposite directions! Probably wouldn't have mattered anyway – the ammo was issued from stock manufactured decades earlier and on the first range sessions I needed 11 'pulls' to get the first shot away!! Throwing would have been a good move!

rgds

Bill

[davebParticipant @daveb17630]

Posted by Robert Atkinson 2 on 06/02/2020 07:30:50:

Thread drift alert

What probability did you put on getting shot with a six shot revolver an one round? If it was 6 to 1 against you were wrong. With a conventional revolver, 1 round loaded and held upright the odds of the round being under the hammer when the trigger is pulled are much less than 6 to 1 This is because the single round unbalances the chamber and it will naturally tend to stop at the bottom.

Robert G8RPI.

If the cylinder spun freely you would be correct but the HAND (the pawl or lever which rotates the cylinder) drags on the ratchet so I would not depend on the loaded chamber being at the bottom

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Posted by Robert Atkinson 2 on 06/02/2020 07:30:50:

Thread drift alert

What probability did you put on getting shot with a six shot revolver an one round? If it was 6 to 1 against you were wrong. With a conventional revolver, 1 round loaded and held upright the odds of the round being under the hammer when the trigger is pulled are much less than 6 to 1 This is because the single round unbalances the chamber and it will naturally tend to stop at the bottom.

Robert G8RPI.

Was it The Deerhunter?

They point the gun at the floor so the chamber spins on its axis

Edited By Ady1 on 06/02/2020 15:44:10

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

Posted by Ady1 on 06/02/2020 00:41:51:

My grannys brother was on bombers from 1939 to 1945

I did the probabilities once

It was like playing russian roulette 36 times in a row

He was the only guy left in his squadron at the end of the war

Never said a word about it, ever

My father was a torpedo bomber pilot which could be mentioned in the same sentence as kamikaze, he survived the whole war. Luckily he was posted to Ceylon in early 1942 which was fairly quiet due to the threat from Japan not really materialising as the Americans kept them busy in the Pacific.

Mike

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Cornish Jack on 06/02/2020 12:42:46:

Aircrew in the Middle East in the 50s had to carry sidearms plus 6 rounds.

…

Throwing would have been a good move!

rgds

Bill

A friend worked in a MoD office in Gibraltar with an excellent high-level view of the straits. Though doing ordinary admin work, the office came with a an ancient tripod mounted brass telescope through which staff logged passing shipping, especially names. At the end of the day the log was loaded into a heavy leather briefcase and handcuffed to whomever had drawn the short-straw for delivering it. The volunteer courier was also required to sport an enormous Victorian Webley revolver, for which there was no ammunition, holster, or training. Apparently this routine started before WW1 when the office was a Naval Intelligence centre, and the gun was added to discourage spies during WW2.

I guess the telescope and civilians remained a useful double-check for other Intelligence, and no-one had bothered to review the need for handcuffs and artillery!

Dave

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

It's better to play Beerhunter than Deerhunter…

You shake up one of a six pack, shuffle them and take turns opening them by your ear…

Neil

[Author]

Posts