I’m a firm believer in our rights as stated in the Second Amendment. In fact as a college student, I regularly hunted on weekends, but that was as a local who drove to school. If you asked me this question a year ago, I may have cast my lot with the other side, but the Virginia Tech incident has made things much fuzzier than before. Now, I’m afraid that college students who are target shooters or hunters should wait to go back home to practice their sport. Outside of the campus police, there really is no place on campus for a gun.
Heinous acts aside, some schools might even be chosen by students who enjoy the shooting sports, or at least partially on that basis. Schools like Virginia Tech and West Virginia University are a half-hour drive (or less) from shooting ranges and public hunting lands. It would be a shame if they weren’t allowed to enjoy the great American sport, but there really doesn’t seem to be much of a choice. Cho Seung-Hui’s crimes were carried out with a .22 caliber rifle, which is generally considered a kid’s first gun or a “plinker”. However, it’s really not all that hard to imagine what kind of damage he could have done with a hunting rifle or assault weapon.
In August of 1966, Charles Whitman climbed to the top of a tower on the University of Texas campus and killed 14 people while wounding 31 others. His weapon was a 6mm Remington hunting rifle, and the 6mm is an effective long distance killing machine. Anybody within 500 yards was effectively in Whitman’s danger zone. An entire section of the university was held hostage for a couple of hours, and if it weren’t for the heroic actions of the police, the damage this lunatic could have caused is unimaginable!
Believe it or not, there is one scenario that is even more frightening than the horrible deeds of Seung-Hui and Whitman. The idea of serial killer on a college campus isn’t really all that far fetched. John Muhammed and John Lee Malvo had the entire mid-Atlantic region on alert for 17 days in the fall of 2002. Officials wondered just who these madmen were in light of the 9/11 disaster a year earlier, and their apprehension came about as a stroke of luck. It makes one ponder the possibilities! A disturbed individual with a plan could cause untold pain for a long period of time. Even as somebody who supports our right to bear arms, I am of the opinion that there really is no place for assault rifles in our society. They are illegal as a sporting arm, and for personal protection there is nothing better than a shotgun. Muhammed’s weapon was designed with one purpose in mind: killing. It was built with a soldier in mind.
Like anything else, campus shootings really didn’t sink in the first time around. Maybe we should have had this discussion in 1966 instead. The truth is that times have changed. As a kid, I can remember other students (fifth and sixth grade) bringing guns to school for show and tell. Here in West Virginia, it didn’t even seem to be that big of a deal, but we now live in a different world. Some people no longer seem to be inclined to solve their problems with their fists or over a cup of coffee. There is only one way to prevent the Texas and Virginia Tech disasters from happening again: guns have to be banned on college campuses.
Should colleges ban firearms?
10 Unusual Firearms
MAGPUL FMG
The FMG stands for folding machine gun. What this is is basically a semi-automatic handgun (in the video below the MAGPUL representative uses a Glock) that is encased in a rectangular case about the size of a large book. This collapsible case can fit in the back of your pocket, and a small flashlight can be attached to the top of the case so it appears as if you’re just carrying a flashlight with one of those big battery packs attached. This FMG is a weapon for concealment that would draw little if any attention from anyone who happened to see the thing, that is until you swiftly unfolded it. But even then, it might not appear to be a firearm except maybe by someone who is familiar with guns and/or trained to spot them. Even though the MAGPUL FMG is technically a handgun, for handling purposes it looks as if you’d use it more like a mini-submachine gun, think Mac 10 or Mini Uzi.
As of 2008, MAGPUL was not selling their FMG, and I couldn’t find it on their Web pages. Perhaps it will be available in the future. However the Web site FullAutoClassics.com is purporting to sell a folding machine gun marketed as the UC-M21 (to my knowledge not affiliated with MAGPUL) available in 9mm, taking Uzi magazines and comes in full auto.
Interestingly enough, the Magpul FMG isn’t the first such device ever created, though it is the most recent one. Gun manufacturer ARES created one back in the early 1980s, though it was not a handgun, but more of a true mini-submachine gun, and was never sold on the market. And, of course, there’s the UC-M21 mentioned above.
Coilguns
Technically, coilguns aren’t firearms. There’s no fire. Without getting into a bunch of science, it’s difficult to explain how a coilgun works, but basically it’s a projectile weapon (often similar in shape and size to a handgun or small rifle) in which coils of electromagnets are used to launch a magnetic projectile.
Apparently no one has perfected a coilgun as of yet, so they’re not very common nor popular. To my knowledge, after much research, no company professionally manufacturers coilguns. Instead, most coilguns are created by hobbyists, those with a love of coilguns. If you’d like to know more, and to see a whole bunch of different designs for coilguns, check out the World’s Coilgun Arsenal.
The video below shows a weak coilgun at work and gives a little detail on how the device operates.
Miniature ring pinfire revolver
This one is an antique apparently built in London back about 1870. It’s literally a ring you wear on your finger, and it’s a miniature revolver with sevenshots. Built for the ladies, this weapon was dubbed the “Femme Fatale.” It fires .06 caliber pinfire projectiles. Comes with its own, engraved case. To be honest, I’m not sure I’d feel safe firing this thing off, especially seven times. I’d be afraid my hand would blow up. And considering this thing would have a relative distance of only … oh, a foot! … I think I’d just stick with a trusty knife if I needed a weapon at such a close range.
Neostad shotgun
Look at the image below. At first glance, it looks like a short semi-auto rifle or maybe even a paintball gun. It’s not. It’s a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun meant for law enforcement and military applications and not for sporting. Made by the Truvelo Armorycompany out of South Africa, this shotgun sports dual top mounted magazine feeds. That’s right, those big round things atop the barrel (where the pump grips can be seen) are actually removable magazines. Looks awesome, too, in my opinion.
Gyrojet weapons
A gyrojet firearms are simple to describe. They fire a miniature rocket instead of a traditional bullet. Because of the high spin rate of the projectile and the lack of recoil, modern gyrojet weapons are supposedly quite accurate.
An organization known as MB Associates originally began to develop gyrojet pistols and rifles in the 1960s, and eventually a few of these firearms were placed on the market and even tested by United States military. Probably the best known of these early gryojets was an MB Associates pistol called the Mark 1 model B, which fired a 13mm rocket projectile. As pictures below will show, there were even carbine versions made. Unfortunately the weapons never caught on for a variety of reasons, including a lack of accuracy and firepower in these early gyrojet projectiles.
Still, today, there are manufacturers and hobbyists looking at the potential of gryojet weapons. One of these modern projects can be found online as The “Deathwind” Project.
Palm Pistol
The modern Palm Pistol isn’t available for sale just yet, but Constitution Arms is gearing up to place this interesting little weapon on the market.
And what exactly is a Palm Pistol? It appears to be a single-shot firearm you trigger by pushing a button on top with your thumb. See the images below for a better idea.
This would seem to be a concealed-carry weapon, and/or perhaps a last-defense weapon.
Also, while this particular Palm Pistol is quite modern looking, the basic idea of a roundish one-shot firearm that can fit in the palm of your hand is an old idea going back at least as far as the mid-1800s. Still, the new Palm Pistol appears interesting and to be a major improvement over older, similar weapons.
The following image is of an old palm-like pistol from the 1800s. This particular version was made in France.
TKB-022
Looking like something out of an old Flash Gordon movie, the TKB-022 was an experimental Soviet assault rifle back in the 1960s. It fired a 7.62 mm round and its housing was a hard plastic, unusual for the times.
The Soviet military tested various versions of this rifle for several years, but eventually passed on the design. Why? Who knows? Perhaps the weapon was just too unusual looking for the Soviet brass. Or maybe it was because the traditional Soviet weapon of choice, the AK-47, was just too good a weapon to let drop. The answer probably lies in some secret Russian files somewhere.
COP .357 Derringer
This handgun is a four-shot derringer chambered for .357 magnums, which means it should also be able to fire .38 rounds. Manufactured by COP Inc., which no longer exists, this firearm was meant to be a concealed carry gun no bigger than many of those cheap .25 semi-autos you can find in most pawn shops.
Besides its looks, what makes this derringer unusual? For one thing, it had a floating firing pin. As you can tell in the image below, the COP has four chambers. You load each one separately. Then as you pull the trigger, the firing pin moves internally so it is over each chamber before firing. This handgun was also double action, which didn’t give it a very easy trigger pull.
Unfortunately for gun lovers, the COP is no longer being manufactured, so it’s not easy to find one. Still, every once in a while one will pop up at a gun show or online.
Borchardt C-93
Before the famous Luger, there was the Borchardt C-93. For all its impracticalities, this ungainly-looking sidearm was actually the first semi-automatic pistol marketed in Europe and one of the first semi-auto pistols made in any numbers throughout the world in the 1890s.
Chambered for a 7.65X25mm Borchardt cartridge, this handgun had massive recoil and just wasn’t very easy to use. All that bulk also added to difficulties of handling and storing, even simply holstering.
However, without the Borchardt there might never have been the Luger or the Mauser pistol. George Luger made a study of the Borchardt, improved upon it drastically and came up with the now famous Luger pistol. As for the Borchardt and the Mauser, the 7.65X25mm Borchardt cartridge played a big influence on the Mauser C96 pistol which fired a 7.65X25mm Mauser cartridge.
Jarre Harmonica Pistol
This oddity can bring a hefty collection at auction houses nowadays, usually at least $10,000 if the gun is in decent condition. Originally this handgun was built in the 1800s in the hopes of being one of the first multi-round weapons. It was, but it’s obvious just looking at the gun that it wasn’t very practical. The revolver stood out. Thank Sam Colt. The Jarre wasn’t the only harmonica pistol of its day, but it’s probably the best-known. It fired .38 rounds.
Related links
10 Unusual Revolvers
Fiction Writers Need to Know Their Weapons
5 Excellent Books about the History of the Old West
Firearm Cleaning and Maintenance: Making Your Firearm Investment Worth It
Firearms are one of the expensive purchases you can buy. It is necessary to give your firearm collection utmost care and maintenance to make your investment worth it. Cleaning and maintaining it is not as easy as it seems. In fact, there are proper ways on how to clean it and apply firearm coatings. Below are some tips.
The first thing to do is to disassemble the firearm properly. Be very careful in removing each part, and avoid holding the trigger as much as possible. Hold the gun in a safe position so that in case there is a bullet inside the barrel and you accidentally pulled the trigger, no one will get harmed. Read the disassembly manual in case it is your first time to clean the firearm. Double check the magazine and the barrel for bullets. After which, you may wipe the firearm with a special cloth.
Related Coverage
Firearm Repair And Restoration
Proper repair and maintenance of your gun should match the standard of quality as recommended by its manufacturer. How To Buy Firearms Online
Before you buy firearms online, there are certain decisions you will need to make. Make these decisions first, and not only will you select the right weapon for the job, you’ll select the one that’s right for you. Firearm Finishes 101
Bluing (or browning) is a modified form of rusting created under strictly controlled conditions to produce an aesthetically pleasing finish on steel. Putting Firearm Finishes On Your Gun
Firearm and gun specialties manufacturing firms have already developed a very thin, friction-reducing coating that can now be applied to any clean, pre-heated metal parts.Use a soft cloth as much as possible to prevent unwanted scratches.
Make sure that you have the right cleaning materials before you proceed. There are gun cleaning kits that you can buy in ammunition stores. It is best to use the right cleaning tools to prevent any damage. For first timers, it is better to read the manual first before cleaning the firearm. Cleaning it the wrong way might cause further accumulation of dirt, thus preventing the gun from working well.
Oil the firearm regularly. Dust and grime can weaken the performance of the gun. If there is high friction, the gun might not work properly. Aside from that, rust may build up if there is not enough oil applied.
Purchase the best quality firearm oil to retain the gun’s aesthetic value as well.
It is best to get top-notch firearms coatings and finishes for your collection. There are a lot of coatings available in the market. If you want to purchase them more conveniently, try to make an order online. Be wise in selecting coatings for your firearms. Seek assistance from professionals to select the right materials.
If you have never tried to coat guns, it is recommended to hire services for proper and safe application of coatings. You can watch how they do it so you can apply the coatings yourself next time. If you tried to coat guns by yourself without any guidance at all, the coating process might be unsuccessful. Worse, you might just ruin the appearance of the guns. There are a lot of firearm coatings services that you can find, so just be patient in your search to find the best professional to do the job.