by Alan Brooks
Pistol duels have largely gone out of style in the United States. The modern version of “Sir, I demand satisfaction!” is now “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” And that’s probably for the best. By the end of the 19th century, advances in firearms technology had made pistol duels unsporting. Machined, multi-shot guns with rifled barrels and reliable cartridges meant that both parties in a duel stood a good chance of dying. During the heyday of duels in the United States (the 18th and early 19th centuries) dueling pistols were handmade and generally smoothbore, single-shot, black powder, flint-lock devices that were “sporting” at the typical 30-40 foot distance at which most duels were fought . . .
Often, the duelers didn’t even fire their pistols at each other. A shot into the air or the ground frequently sufficed to show that both parties had the courage to duel…but also the good sense not to. This may have been what Alexander Hamilton expected to happen when he fought his infamous and fatal duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.
Some accounts say that Hamilton fired into the trees behind Burr who misinterpreted the gesture and killed Hamilton. The pistols Hamilton used (which actually belonged to his brother-in-law) seem to support this hypothesis. They were made by a British gunsmith named Robert Wogdon and they were rigged.
The triggers were fairly heavy, but pushing the trigger forward before firing (setting it) reduced the pull to only a few ounces. Hamilton knew this and told his second that he didn’t plan to use the secret advantage that fateful day. Other dueling pistols of the period were designed to be either more or less accurate depending on the vindictiveness and/or sanity of the owners. Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson, one of the most famous and prolific duelists of the 19th century, (which was largely a result of him marrying another man’s wife) owned several sets of dueling pistols of varying styles and calibers that he used in his many duels (in which he was only shot twice).
Today it’s hard to imagine anyone crazy enough to duel with modern pistols. GLOCK 17s at 10 paces would likely be suicide for both parties and, with modern manufacturing techniques and powders, even flintlock pistols today are quite accurate and reliable, if a bit expensive.
I think there’s something to be said for dueling. In a way it’s civilized, contained violence. Fatal, yes, but both participants knew that going into it.
Think of it this way: if two parties hate each other so severely that they want to kill one another would you rather them get into a gunfight on the street or meet at field of honour and settle their dispute in a controlled way?
Agreed. Dueling should be legal. If both parties agree, let them settle it on the field of honor. I like the idea of saber duels though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Hn5JTzw0k
Great scene from an underrated movie. Love the sheer ferocity of that fight. And that’s Superman as the son.
wouldnt that make a super polite society?, if they had to stick a sword in their opponent..
I still appreciate Oregon’s Fisticuffs laws. Fist fighting is permitted, and ends when one person is on the ground, until they stand back up, or agree to end the fight.
I agree Michael B.
The option to Duel it out I think would make the two parties question the seriousness of their issue.. Is it worth putting your life on the line to make your point??. also, I believe that bringing it back would curb the general rudeness and contempt that people have for each other. A person would certainly hold their tongue, rude opinion, and insults if it meant they had to back it all up..on the other end, some people will never learn how to be polite, and it’s better for society to have the means to cull them from the herd.
Given the effectiveness of modern pistols, it would also be a good way of cleaning dirt out the gene pool.
I feel like it could have a comeback after the zombie apocalypse
zombies are so last year.
Amen!
Yeah, but this years trend of arctic white furniture dose not lend its self to apocalyptic scenarios.
At least in those good ole days, guys settled their differences fair and square and to the point. Way more honorable than the cowardly behaviors and tactics used today.
When I am offended, I always prefer to get satisfaction with a small sword. Forget all that Glock 17 nonsense, unsporting if you ask me.
http://nihonzashi.com/
At first I thought that dueling going out of fashion was a good thing, but then I read, “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” Perhaps I should reevaluate my initial reaction.
Swords. That’s the answer. Duel to first blood, the (even more) old-fashioned way.
I’ve said this before and I will say it again, in this country is used be legal and perfectly acceptable to duel to the death over feeling insulted or dishonored.
Now, there are laws that mandate that you attempt to flee before defending yourself against unprovoked attack, even in your own home.
Oh, how far we have fallen from the days when your manhood and self dignity were more important than your life.
This falls into the “I could care less what happens to Maryland or people that work for the Baltimore Sun” category.
Should be used instead of electoral college. at least the prez would have 1 good trait. A better/faster shot.
Unicorns, unicorns, unicorns!
Must be nice to be a libral. Nobody is responsible for their actions, nobody is responsible for their own protection, everyone simply needs to be in touch with their feelings.
OMG! I read that and laughed out loud! I don’t think you could top that for sheer stupidity if you worked on it for a week! Then, maybe if you got an infinite number of monkeys typing on an infinite number of typewriters….
Lady, I have thought about it long and deeply, and I know myself pretty well…I choose to refuse to be a victim and to use my gun to facilitate that personal commitment if ever threatened with personal violence against myself and/or my family.
So thanks for your suggestion! It worked great for me! Now, go out and find a junkie, career criminal, serial killer or some other such “unenlightened” person and try to convince him/her of your POV. Be sure to wear jewelery, carry a bunch of cash and credit cards and act like a know-it-all, better than thou, condescending, intellectual Liberal. Let us know how that worked for you. We’d love to know.
YES!!!!! You win the internets for today!
I looked at her picture, and I immediately though “self important condescending liberal about to bash gun ownership in the absence of any sort of factual experience.” Then I though, don’t judge, man. After reading her statements, my original thought stands.
That shawl & blouse give her an Emily Litella look. The dark background evokes living alone in seclusion like Emily Dickinson. The smile looks forced & self conscious. Earrings look like running lights.
A woman trapped in the prison of her worldview. No bars needed on the windows. Sad.
I was fortunate enough to be sworn in to a local position in Kentucky under the following oath. I believe it’s been changed now:
“I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth, and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as I continue a citizen thereof, and that I will faithfully execute, to the best of my ability, the office of board member of the Architectural Review Board according to law, and I do further solemnly swear that since the adoption of the present Constitution, I, being a citizen of this State, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this State nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God.”
I would say dueling would be a good way to settle a difference. As I recall the choice of weapons was up to the person being challenged. A good duelist tried to make the other guy challenge so they could pick a weapon they we better with, such as swords. The hardest part would be sticking to the spot after you make your attempt and the other guy was still standing.
Also lots of the old time duelers where lawyers. Also most dueling pistol where single shot even into the advent of revolvers. I think the current crop of printed pistols would make for a good choice in dueling pistols.
Oh, and women have always been more vicious fighters than men. Kind of like a cat that way.
An idiot.
Even if he was already armed, going into an unknown situation, with an unknown number of actors, whose armed status is also unknown, is plainly stupid.
To do so with the hopes of making it to your gun, which is locked in a safe, opening the safe, retrieving your gat and then subduing the unknown number of possibly armed assailants is unimaginably hopeful.
By which I mean unimaginably brainless.
EDIT: And NC is a generally free state, why the hell wasn’t he carrying when out and about at 3AM?
Last week when Sean Hannity and Andrew Cuomo were getting pissy with each other, I kind of wished it would come back in style.
http://www.returnofkings.com/26763/girls-with-short-hair-are-damaged
Iraqveteran8888 is my favorite. Other goods ones I’ve seen mainejunker (who appears may have renamed his channel, lots of neat ammo test vids), faliaphotography (great women’s resource), carnik con, funker530/tactical, taofledermaus, hickok45 (of course!), colion noir, amidst the noise, ammo smith reloading, shooting the bull 410. I’m sure there are many other
Snort, snicker.
I lol’d.
nice
Clever Tom, Those damn golfing assassins :).
If I had a nickel for every time a professional assassin walked up alone to me when I’m with a group of friends…
🙂 🙂
I don’t get it. Please explain.
Yes, this presents gun owners and enthusiasts in a positive light.
::rolls eyes::
Bahdum tish….
…crass.
Yeah, but I still laughed.
“Sadly, it’s happening in everywhere, in every town.” Well that’s easily falsified hyperbole (as usual)
Why are they so damned obsessed with guns?
And, no, it’s not higher education that helps you know yourself, it’s living in the real world and facing life adversities that not only does that but gives you the chances to become who you want to be.
When the army pulled out of Ciudad Juarez, the murder rate dropped from 8 per day to 1 per day. Draw your own conclusions.
I think the Jim Crow analogy is a good one. I mean, shit. Look what they’ve done in New York alone. Unless you’re wealthy and connected, you’re not going to be allowed to carry a gun, so why bother? You have to worry about magazine limits and background checks and crazy laws that seem to be evolving by the day. True, there are people still demanding their rights, but you have to wonder how many others have just given up on their 2A rights. If it was just NY, that would be dandy. Wall them off and drive around them. As it is, some others states seem to be looking at NY as the model. It’s just friggin nuts.
Can we be disarmed? We already have. When the government and gestapo police forces are allowed more powerful weapons than the voting citizen can partake in, then yes. We have already been disarmed.
“while the police and military own real assault weapons has already disarmed us.”. This is why we should not have a standing army in our midst. Armies must be formed from free citizens to wage terrible and swift war to vanquish the foe then disband to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
COMPLETE disarmament can’t be done. However, disarm the majority and demonize the minority that is left and the effect is basically the same.
“Registered with he federal government”? I expect this nonsense from the NYT, but all of us here know there is no federal firearms registry. (excluding NFA)
I received an 80% 10/22 receiver from Northwest Precision from a Rockethub project. Slow (3+ months) but it did arrive and looks great. On the other hand, I made purchases with Sierra Nevada Arms that have not materialized after 6+ months.
What – no wide-spread, massive “ghost gun” problem? I don’t believe it.
Probably because he was actually drinking….
Bad form to enter especially if you think the house may be occupied by someone who shouldn’t be there…..
I shudder when I think about the risk I took the one time I accidentally left my back door open and went in to check it out. This was before i was a fire arm owner. i was young and dumb then but I still like to think there would be some evidence that people would are inside. Noise light etc.
Yep. Yesterday I posted a short, simple question to their fb page: “Are you proposing to ban shotguns?”
They deleted my post and I can no longer post comments to their fb page.
Was that Alan from the Hangover series?
Here’s the thing:
Making firearms isn’t that difficult. Making an AR lower casting shouldn’t be difficult at all. This spring, when I get some free time, I’ll order some green sand, light up an improvised forge and knock one out, just to be able to write up an subversive pamphlet on how to do it.
The problem is, lots of people now no longer have even the most cursory mechanical knowledge that we used to be able to assume of every high school graduate.
To paraphrase Dick Cheney, lots of people no longer know what they now don’t know.
What I’d like to see someone start up is a source of cheap bolt gun receivers. All we need is a piece of round 4140 bar stock with a 0.700″ hole down the middle with the bolt races EDM’ed or broached out and you have the starting point for a Rem700 style receiver. From there on out, machining the rest of the receiver isn’t that difficult.
I’d prefer to see a Win70 receiver, but hey, that’s going to require forging, not just casting.
It is absolutly sickening to see how many people are clamoring to have their civil rights and liberties stripped away.
I own both an SR45 and a Glock 21, as a Constable I have to qualify every year. I have carried the glock for 3 years and bought the Ruger last year (2013). I also help other people to shoot and to better their skills. Since qualifying with both in October 2013 I have not carried the Glock on duty. The Ruger had a better grouping at 25 yards and was smoother when bringing back on target. I qualified after only firing 30 practice rounds a week before I had to do qualifying. releasing the safety is part of the draw and has never failed for me. I will continue to carry the Ruger over the Glock. I have allowed 7 others to fire my SR45 that carry Glocks and other manufacturers they have all agreed and liked the SR better. 4 have already bought them, 1 has it on lay-a-way and another is waiting to get his tax return to get it. I now have over 4,000 rounds through the Ruger and have not had a single problem.
Count me among the skeptics. If it’s only 96 grains and designed to have all the petals break off when it hits something, the only thing it’s likely to be good at is NOT penetrating barriers — just like any frangible bullet.
Still, interested to see what happens in testing. I’m willing to be proven wrong.
Velocity is like horsepower in a car or truck – too many people look only at that number as somehow indicative of “better” without regard to how that power is transferred and how it can be controlled.
I can’t claim credit for this one, but I’d like to hear your answer to it:
Explain to me how a woman who is found dead in an alley after having been sexually assaulted is preferable to a woman explaining to a police officer that she had to shoot her assailant to defend herself?
We don’t all live in gated communities, Sharon.
As long as we are talking about golf courses……………..There were two guys out for a little golfing, and up around the forth hole, they ran into a couple of gals that were fooling around, chatting with each other, not serious at all about their game.
This started to irritate the guys, and one said to the other, I’ll just go up and ask them if we can “play around” or “play through” When he got about half way to where they were, he immediately turned around and came back explaining that one of them was his wife, and the other, his mistress! Christ, he said, I didn’t even know they knew each other!
The other guy said he would go ask them, as he didn’t know them. When he got close to where the girls were standing, he also quickly turned around and came back to where his friend was. His fried asked what happened? He said “small world”
I have opened the door for you and smiled while doing it. I have walked around shopping right next to you. I have stood in line and chatted with you while waiting for my turn to pay. I carried a gun the entire time and nothing happened to you or anyone else. There are millions just like me.
Sierra Nevada Arms claims to have started shipping as yesterday. We’ll see.
It’s even worse than that. Look closely, it says ‘A-15’, not AR-15, and it comes with (and I quote) ‘2 clips’. Clips. CLIPS.
I smell a serious false flag here.
Check out the comments section of the news site. Moms Demand BS is out in force.
Safeties off, cameras off, boys… let’s go kick some ass!
Wonderful, he declared himself chancellor. I honestly thought he’d wait a year.
Great, now this stupid thing’s made the Washington Times. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/28/georgia-maker-bills-new-bullet-one-shot-manstopper/
Money quote: “The benefit of expanding bullets is that they cut down on the risk of ricocheting.”
Neither the right or the left have shown much respect for our constitution, the right to keep and bear arms obviously one of the more important ones to this readership. If you truly believe that we as citizens have a right to bear arms, that large government is bad and this current administrations love of ignoring checks and balances (which will only encourage future presidents to do the same) is detrimental to our future and freedom then you need to consider libertarian candidates in upcoming elections.
We need to get government back to the state and local level where politicians are actually held responsible by their neighbors for the actions, or inactions, they take.
The purpose of this ‘report’ is to further frighten those who do not own firearms, and those who casually do, into believing that a firearm in the home is a ticking time bomb. The leftist media will continue to openly brainwash all listeners to believe that the firearm is an object to fear and loathe, for it will unexpectedly sting like a scorpion and wreak havoc upon your innocent offspring without warning.
It’s also intended to drive a wedge in our communities by encouraging people to interrogate their neighbors about gun habits before allowing their kids to come over and play with them. The problem is that even if you are responsible and keep guns away from your kids, if you admit to having them, your neighbors are going to assume that you are one of those people who stores loaded machine guns in your kid’s crib.
The inletting appears to be good.
The oil finish on the wood doesn’t completely fill the grain. That’s disappointing.
The checkering is done by hand, but in the shot of the forearm, you can see some errors.
The nitriding finish? Really? On a $13K rifle, I can’t get slow rust blueing or fume blueing? What a bunch of lazy bums.
So I wonder if he would respond in fear to a police officer. They are, by the way, people too and are capable of turning their guns on him as well.
“Many of those guns are owned by unstable people or are owned by others in the homes of unstable people in which guns are readily available” Well at least he is admitting that politicians own guns.
I THINK LOW POWER AIR GUNS COULD BE A GOD DUELING PISTOL. BRINGS BACK THE SPOR ASPECT. LESS LKELY TO KILL YOU AS WELL.