Randall, at 13:25 on May 19 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

BG> Whether or not you believe that Oswald killed Kennedy, the
BG> Warren Commission proved beyond any doubt that it was possible for
BG> Oswald to chamber and fire three rounds in five seconds, ALL with
BG> extreme accuracy, from his prehistoric Mannlicher Carcano rifle.

RL> And that is not allowing for the 50% misfires from these old beasts
RL> either!! Not a rifle to rely on IME.

The rifles were fine, but some ex-military ammo certainly left a bit to be
desired.  However, quite a few people make 6.5mm rounds, and I'd hazard a
guess that Oswald would have relied on these instead.

RL> Reminds me of when I was talking to a New York cop in the Police Club
RL> here once (they were over on some exchange promo) and he was saying all
RL> the cops pissed off their .38 pistols as, and I quote, "you can't stop a
RL> 6'4" nigger if he's doped up and violent, with a pop gun like a
.38."

Yep, quite right.  This is one of the reasons that many Qld coppers carry
.357 revolvers, even though that round is strictly prohibited in the police
service. Because the .357 will also chamber and fire .38 special rounds,
they load their guns with hot .357s in case they have to face an armed crim
(I'd do the same), and reload their guns with the required number of both
spent and unused .38 rounds, so that nobody officially knows that the crim
was hit with a .357. 

BG>> That actually varies with the terrain. In scrubby country
BG>> where visibility is somewhat limited (say 50m or less), a 12g pump
BG>> shotgun is the preferred choice (and is what I once specifically
RL>                 ^^^^^^^^^
RL> And sanest IMO.

True, particularly if visibility is limited.

BG>> use on pigs), although the professionals out around St George and
BG>> Goondiwindi seem to prefer 7.62mm SLRs or the Ruger .44 magnums
BG>> (some prefer this calibre as they can use the same cartridges in
BG>> both their rifles and revolvers). It's definitely a regional thing
BG>> though.

RL> Used to hunt them on foot with a mate with a .44 Magnum Winchester
RL> lever. Bloody good punch out to ~100yards, then a rapid fall away.

Yeah, they're an excellent pig rifle.  My Winchester was an old 1892
.44/40, but I used to reload my old shells to .44 magnum specs.  Quite
nice, but not a patch on the .444 Marlin I once fired (it put me flat on my
arse).

BG> Might have been an old Webley, but they were generally .45 calibre.

RL> Unwieldy old cannons, too.

You're not wrong.  Single-action, and incredibly hard to cock too.

BL>> I stayed well out of it! I reckoned the shooters and their dogs
BL>> were more dangerous than the pigs. No one had a shotgun, but they had
BL>> everything else. It was a funny weekend.

BG> Sounds hilarious. :)

RL> Makes you wish you were there, doesn't it!! :-)

In a word, no.  :)

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 3.20