The Satuit Nimrod

We had a good turnout on a very warm, bright and sunny day for the Pumpkin Drop on Saturday, October 28th. Four large pumpkins were hoisted on high by Dave Glancy, and, on command, released to let gravity do its work. The pumpkins hit the ground with a very satisfying WHUMP! Mayhem then ensued as the kids ran in to grab candy.

More images can be viewed and downloaded from here.

A dive into vintage firearms and ammunition catalogs brings us the origins of products still popular — and the failings of many that have stumbled at market. Thumbing through the pages of a renowned firearms catalog from 1934, I found Lugers chambered in 7.65 and 9mm. Yes, the prices drew tears! The text confirmed that since the turn of the 20th century, the Luger had been accepted by military units around the world and was also popular with motorcycle policemen facing automobile bandits. By the standards of that day, the 9mm was a powerful round indeed!

A 1934 Peters ammo roster listed the 9mm with 125-grain FMJ and HP bullets. From 4” barrels they clocked 1,030 fps, packed 300 ft-lbs of energy. The 7.65 (.30) Luger sent 93-grain bullets at 1,173 fps from 4½” barrels, with 284 ft-lbs. The 9mm was just getting traction; the 7.65 would fade. 

The Germans were on the ball before the world caught fire in 1914. In 1893 they’d trotted out the 7×57 rifle cartridge, in1905 the 8×57 JS and 9.3×62. All are still commercially loaded, still popular. But no rifle round from the Old Country can match the success of the pistol cartridge Georg Luger produced in 1902 by necking his 7.65mm case to accept 9mm bullets.

Chambered in the Luger pistol of that year, it was adopted by the German navy in 1904, by the German Army in 1908. Soon it caught the attention of other nations. When NATO was formed in the 1950s, the 9mm Luger round became the standard sidearm cartridge for all NATO members — except the U.S. Not until 1985 would our armed forces break off their long romance with the .45 ACP to take up the 9mm. Since then “the nine” has served, in uniform and out, in sub-machineguns as well as pistols, among elite military units worldwide. Russia came late to the party. Not 20 years ago, the 9mm Luger (or 9mm Parabellum or 9×19) became the first Russian military cartridge designed out of country. Read the entire article here.