Alan Brooks writes:
Some of you may know of the stories and legends surrounding the famous “Wild West” gunfighter, lawman, and Army scout, William “Bat” Masterson. What you may not know is that in 1909 the Savage Arms Company convinced Mr. Masterson to write a guide to defensive gun use as part of a promo for their new “Savage Automatic” pistol. The pistol, while advanced for its time, was overshadowed by that other pistol that god gave to John Moses Browning in 1911. As a result, the Savage Automatic has since been relegated to dark recesses in the safes of hardcore antique-gun collectors. The book, The Tenderfoot’s Turn, was lost as well… until now. After a little sleuthing, I managed to find four copies of the book in collections around the U.S. (and one in Australia). The University of Arizona’s special collections library was kind enough to scan their copy for me and so now, for the first time in nearly one hundred years, Bat Masterson’s guide to gunfighting is once again available to the general public as a TTAG exclusive. Click here to read.
Along the same lines I’d like to point out an FBI training video from 1961, showing the state of their techniques as taught by Jelly Brice and made obsolete by Jack Weaver, Col. Cooper, Chapman, James Hogue, Thell Reed, Bob Munden and the rest of the guys at Leatherslap had rendered obsolete by 1960.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmdsZXV4Hh0
If I recall correctly, Laban Records, who worked the Comanche Pool in the old days, said he and most of the other cowboys spent more than half of their monthly pay on ammunition for practice shooting.
I am going to seriously enjoy reading this tonight.
A heartfelt thank you!
I like books almost better than firearms.
24 pages it only took a few minutes
I think I’ll read it again, then.
Thanks, RF.
Now THAT was cool!!
Many thanks Robert!! That was a wonderful read. Nice work bringing a bit of history back to life. I wonder if Tam has ever read it.
Great find, thanks!
This is awesome, thank you for sharing!
Now this is the sort of thing I’d love to have had as assigned reading (this coming from a Lit major).
A fine read, and a great find!
This is one of the big reasons I like TTAG. Thanks!
Fantastic! Thank you, Alan Brooks.
Once we’re all victims we’ll all be equal. This individual protection stuff just isn’t balanced. It’s just not fair that someone can do something to take personal responsibility and increase the odds they will be safe and may actually be made more safe because of it. Truly an injustice. New York understands. /s
I have always felt the term “assault rifle” (or assault anything) is a false term that is used by to anti-gun people to scare the general populace. Likewise for the more recent phrase “military grade.” Reality is our civilian population does not and cannot own a true assault rifle unless they have a class III license. Yes, you can buy a semi-automatic that looks like a true assault weapon, but no soldier (or terrorist) goes into a fight without full auto capability. We, the people, do not have full auto capability, but the anti-gunners use “assault rifle” to scare the general populace into thinking anyone with a gun is a one-person SWAT team. Unfortunately, “assault rifle” and “military grade” are both a big part of the left’s PR campaign to sway the public that any and all guns should be banned.
I grew up reading Tom Clancy’s books, today is a sad day. He was such an amazing author, the world will be a little more sad without him.
+1 to everyone saying Red Storm Rising is one of the greatest books ever.
Rick Rescorla, the director of security for Morgan Stanley, accurately predicted 9/11. He knew it was coming and he planned for it.
After the plane hit the first tower, MS employees successfully evacuated the second tower, which had not yet been hit. The employees gathered at their assigned assembly point. They were told by building security to go back to work. Rescorla told them not to go back in language that was direct and colorful. Minutes later, the second plane hit the second tower.
Because of Rescorla, 3000 MS employees survived 9/11. While clearing Morgan’s floors in the building, Rescorla and several members of his security team were killed when the building collapsed. They were the only MS employees who didn’t make it.
If Rescorla could figure it out, why couldn’t America’s vaunted security infrastructure on which we spend uncounted billions every year? My personal belief is that government just absolutely sucks at doing its job, that’s why.
I’ve always heard about the problem of muzzle climb with the Thompson, but that slow-mo did not seem to show any significant problem. Interesting. The “pistol” on full auto, however…looks like you’d want to start out aiming at the kneecaps.