During the Cold War, East and West both trained combat divers to sneak into enemy harbors, spy on warships and stick mines on them. In 1956, when a Soviet warship visited Britain, a British diver working for MI6 swam under it to spy. He was never seen alive again. Stopping divers like him was theContinue reading “The secret guns East and West built for underwater gunfights.”
Category Archives: Thoughts
Neil Sbardella Custom 1911
1911_purview There are parts assemblers, gunsmiths, and gun builders. Neil Sbardella (Sbardella Arms) out of West Haven VT is the latter. He’s a serious machinist operating out of a serious machine shop in the Green Mountain State. He is literally building 1911s out blocks of steel. They feel like a singular piece of iron andContinue reading “Neil Sbardella Custom 1911”
Deadbeat at Dawn
My review of a low budget 1980s indie masterpiece originally posted at Last Movie Outpost
Non-traditional Unertl Mounting
One of the guys in the Unertl group really wanted to mount his Unertl to a little rimfire sporter. God and he only knows why.. Sometimes we get.. ideas.. Anyway, I will quote him below. “I wanted to mount my Untertl Vulture 10X to my minty Remington 513S without drilling and tapping the gun. ThisContinue reading “Non-traditional Unertl Mounting”
The .220 Russian
The 220 Russian isn’t heard of much anymore because it gave birth to something that took the case and turned it into something so good.
Casey Ridgeway Custom Colt
1911_purview Colt 70 series in .45 ACP by Casey Ridgeway (Deviant Precision) out of San Antonio Texas. Casey is a tool and die maker by training, and that should be clear to anyone looking at the fine detail work on this pistol. The fit, finish and function are executed with surgical precision, the Kart barrelContinue reading “Casey Ridgeway Custom Colt”
Gover “Wayne” Lawhorne Custom Commander
1911_purview Colt 80 series commander in .45 ACP by Virginia pistolsmith Gover “Wayne” Lawhorne. Wayne spent nearly three decades working as a gunsmith in the Roanoke, Virginia area and was a longtime member of the Roanoke Rifle and Revolver Club. He was an accomplished shooter and apparently one hell of a storyteller. He passed awayContinue reading “Gover “Wayne” Lawhorne Custom Commander”
Victor Tibbets Custom Colt
1911_purview Colt 70 series in .45 ACP, built in 2003 by master pistolsmith Victor “Vic” Tibbets. Vic spent his early career at Wilson Combat, honing his craft alongside some of the finest pistolsmiths in the country before striking out on his own. It was during that relatively brief period of independence that he built thisContinue reading “Victor Tibbets Custom Colt”
Dave Stagg Custom 1991
1911_purview Colt 80 series in .45 ACP by Dave Stagg (DSCP) out of Port Byron IL. This gun features hard fit Kart barrel and bushing, flawless Single checkering fore and aft, blended beaver tail, and beautiful dehorning…all cloaked in a gorgeous brushed flats with matte rounds stainless finish. Dave is one of those unsung heroesContinue reading “Dave Stagg Custom 1991”
Richard Stoddard Custom Colt
1911_purview This 1911 was built by Colt Custom Shop pistolsmith Richard Stoddard as his personal carry pistol. For me, it’s like finding a painting that Picasso painted for his own living room. After Stoddard’s passing in 2018, the pistol was acquired from his estate with documentation showing that he had purchased the base gun fromContinue reading “Richard Stoddard Custom Colt”
