Harvey Milk

Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be selected to public office in California, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Politics and gay activism were not his early interests; he was not open about his homosexuality and did not join in civic matters until around age 40, after his experiences in the counterculture of the 1960s.

Milk moved from New York City to settle in San Francisco in 1972 among a migration of gay men to the Castro District. He took advantage of the rising political and economic power of the neighborhood to promote his interests, and ran unsuccessfully for political office three times. His theatrical campaigns earned him growing popularity, and Milk won a seat as a city supervisor in 1977, part of the broader social changes the city was experiencing.

Milk served 11 months in office and was liable for passing a stringent gay rights ordinance for the city. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, another city supervisor who had freshly resigned but wanted his job back. Milk's election was made possible by and was a key part of a shift in San Francisco politics. The assassinations and the ensuing events were the result of enduring ideological conflicts in the city.

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Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights group. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States, and he has become a human rights King is recognized as a martyr by two Christian churches. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights protester early in his career.

He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and recognized himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history. In 1964, King became the youngest person to get the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.

By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending scarcity and the Vietnam War, both from a religious perspective. King was assassinate on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was recognized as a U.S. national holiday in 1986.

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Wright brothers

The Wright brothers, Orville (August 19, 1871 – January 30, 1948) and Wilbur (April 16, 1867 – May 30, 1912), were two Americans who are usually credited with inventing and building the world's first winning airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903.

In the two years afterward, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first sensible fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly trial aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible.The brothers' primary breakthrough was their invention of three-axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium.

This method became ordinary and remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft of all kinds. From the beginning of their aeronautical work, the Wright brothers focused on unlocking the secrets of control to overcome "the flying problem", rather than developing more powerful engines as some other experimenters did.

Their careful wind tunnel tests shaped better aeronautical data than any before, enabling them to design and build wings and propellers more effective than any before. Their U.S. patent 821,393 claims the creation of a system of aerodynamic control that manipulates a flying machine's surfaces.

They gain the mechanical skills necessary for their success by working for years in their shop with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and other machinery. Their work with bicycles in particular partial their belief that an unstable vehicle like a flying machine could be prohibited and balanced with practice.

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Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States from 1969–1974 and was also the 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961). Nixon was the only President to resign the office and also the only person to be chosen twice to both the Presidency and the Vice Presidency.

Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California, USA. After completing his scholar work at Whittier College, he graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1937 and returned to California to practice law in La Habra. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the United States Navy, serving in the Pacific theater, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant leader during World War II.

He was selected in 1946 as a Republican to the House of Representatives representing California's 12th Congressional district, and in 1950 to the United States Senate. He was selected to be the running mate of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Republican Party candidate, in the 1952 Presidential election, becoming one of the youngest Vice Presidents in history.

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Marilyn Monroe - Actress

Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson, but baptized Norma Jeane Baker, was an American actress, singer and model. After spend much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early film appearances were minor, but her performances in The tarmac Jungle and All About Eve were seriously acclaimed. In a few years, Monroe reached stardom and was cast as the foremost lady in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like It Hot.

The typecasting of Monroe's "dumb blonde" persona limited her career forecast, so she broadened her range. She studied at the Actors Studio and shaped Marilyn Monroe Productions. Her dramatic presentation in Bus Stop was hailed by critics, and she won a Golden Globe Award for Some Like it Hot.

The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a standing for being unreliable and difficult to work with. The situation of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. Though officially secret as a "probable suicide," the possibility of an accidental overdose, as well as the possibility of homicide, have not been ruled out. In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth most female star of all time by the American Film Institute.

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Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his murder in April 1865. He successfully led his country through its most internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. Before his election in 1860 as the first Republican president, Lincoln had been a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and twice an unsuccessful applicant for election to the U.S. Senate.

As an outspoken opponent of the growth of slavery in the United States, Lincoln won the Republican Party nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year. His tenure in office was engaged primarily with the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted in the removal of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

Six days after the large-scale surrender of partner forces under General Robert E. Lee, Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated. Lincoln had closely supervised the winning war effort, especially the selection of top generals, including Ulysses S. Grant. Historians have concluded that he handled the factions of the Republican Party well, bringing leaders of each faction into his cabinet and forcing them to assist.

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The Screendoor Underhammer, or Why Gun Control Will Never Work.

Well, you can take my glasses ‘cause now I’ve seen everything!

Recently I received an e-mail from one of our readers with the title, “Why gun control will never work.”
I'll tell you right now that this one gets the ribbon for Yankee ingenuity and uniqueness - and it's an Underhammer!

Our reader said he had found these pics on a shooting forum but couldn’t remember which one. I wish we knew because I would really like to tip my hat to the maker of this ingeniously simple muzzleloading underhammer gun and give him/them the credit due.

This underhammer is so simple that it could have been made from nothing more than an old screen door and a piece of pipe. Apparently, it's an “assault rifle” because it is marked “Yooper Assault Rifle” on the right side of the stock.

The photos are pretty self explanatory so I won’t distract you from your boyish excitement and enthusiasm over this neat little zip gun with my editorializing. However, if, by chance there is something that you might have a question about, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail and together we'll probably figure it out.

Remember that clicking on the photos will enlarge them. Then click the Back button on your browser to return to the text.

BTW, if anyone does know the source of these pics, please let me know so we can give credit where credit is due.

PS Note: the mystery about the name, Yooper, has been solved by a reader in the Comment below.
PPS: Apparently the Yooper is the creation of Fuzzbean and featured on the Home Gunsmith Forum, the link to which is posted in the Comment section below, thanks to another Anonymous reader. 

I know I said I wouldn't editorialize this thing, but I just gotta say that I really love that trigger!

It just doesn't get any simpler than this, guys.

Enjoy and dream!

Cheers!
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The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty , officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World, dedicated on October 28, 1886, is a monument commemorating the centenary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American rebellion. It represents a woman wearing a stola, a radiant crown and sandals, trample a broken chain, transport a torch in her raised right hand.

Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and recurring Americans traveling by ship. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the figure and obtained a U.S. patent for its structure. Maurice Koechlin chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower engineered the interior structure. The pedestal was intended by architect Richard Morris Hunt. Eugene Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the option of copper in the statue's construction, and for the adoption of the repousse technique, where a malleable metal is hammer on the reverse side.


The statue is made of a covering of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf. It stands atop a rectangular stonework base with a foundation in the shape of an irregular eleven-pointed star. The statue is 151 ft (46 m) tall, but with the base and foundation, it is 305 ft (93 m) tall.The Statue of Liberty is one of the most familiar symbols in the world. For many years it was one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants and guests after ocean voyages from around the world.

White House

The White House is the official house and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was planned by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical style. It has been the residence of each U.S. President since John Adams. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he extended the building outward, creating two colonnades that were meant to conceal stables and storage.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroy the interior and charring a lot of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost instantly, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed house in October 1817. Construction nonstop with the addition of the South Portico in 1824 and the North in 1829. Because of crowding within the executive house itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had nearly all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.

Eight years later, President William Howard Taft extended the West Wing and created the first Oval Office which was eventually moved as the section was expanded. The third-floor attic was changed to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing was used as a reception area for social events; Jefferson's colonnades linked the new wings. East Wing alterations were finished in 1946, creating additional office space. By 1948, the house's load-bearing external walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure.

Second World War

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global military clash lasting from 1939 to 1945 which involved most of the world's nations, including all of the huge powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel mobilised.

In a state of "total war," the major participants placed their complete economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the difference between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant action against civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it was the deadliest clash in history. The war is generally accepted to have begun on 1 September 1939, with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and following declarations of war on Germany by France and most of the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth.

China and Japan were already at war by this date, whereas other countries that were not initially involved joined the war later in answer to events such as the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the Japanese attacks on the U.S. Pacific navy at Pearl Harbor and on British overseas colonies, which triggered declarations of war on Japan by the United States, the British Commonwealth, and the Netherlands. The war ended with the whole victory of the Allies over Germany and Japan in 1945.

First World War

World War I was a military clash centered on Europe that began in the summer of 1914. The hostility ended in late 1918 in western Europe and by 1922 in eastern Europe. This clash involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers. More than 70 million military workers, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the major wars in history. More than 15 million people were killed, creation it also one of the deadliest conflicts in history.

The war is also known as the First World War, the large War, the World War, and the War to End All Wars. The assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, is seen as the instant trigger of the war, though long-term causes, such as imperialistic foreign policies of the great powers of Europe such as the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, the British Empire, France, and Italy played a major role.

Ferdinand's killing at the hands of a Yugoslav nationalist resulted in Habsburg ultimatum against the Kingdom of Serbia. Several alliances that had been formed over the past decades were invoked, so within weeks the major powers were at war; as all had colonies, the clash soon spread around the world. The clash opened with the German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and France; the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia and a Russian attack against Prussia.

A New Raptors Season Just Around The Corner

So like with many of you, the new Raptors season doesn't begin for me until draft night. Regardless if we have a pick or not, the NBA really doesn't seem all that real to me until we get the commissioner up on that stage and announcing names left and right.

Draft Night. There's nothing like it.

It only seemed like yesterday that Raptors Nation was caught up in a buzz of hysteria, wondering and/or debating as to who the Raps would pick up at the 9th slot. As we all now know, we ended up taking DeMar DeRozan. Though we still may not know how that pick will turn out, it was the build up to that pick that made last year's draft night so memorable.

Little did we know, but it turns out this year's draft will far eclipse the excitement and importance of last year's version. Raptors Nation realizes we're at a crossroads here. With Chris Bosh likely hitting free agency, a new era in Raptors basketball is likely to occur. What we end up doing with our 13th pick will have a huge impact on what kind of team we'll be looking at for the next 3-5 years.

So with everyone having their own opinions on who we should take, I'll hit you with the three players I feel like would be awesome additions to the Raptors.

With the 13th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select...

Cole Aldrich


.
Okay, I'll just get it out of the way since I know some of you are thinking it. But no, he's not comparable to Hoffa. Whether it's on the message boards or during discussions with my friends, Rafael Araujo's name always comes up when Aldrich is being discussed. But truth be told, they're nothing alike.

This guy is a legit NBA center. Listed at 6'11, Cole has all the tools needed to survive in the league. He proved to the entire nation during his time at Kansas that he can be that guy that holds the paint down. He plays with a high motor, is an excellent rebounder, and blocking shots is a specialty of his - something we Raps fans aren't accustomed to hearing.

On top of that, he's a smart kid. He was named the Academic All-American of the year, which shows that he puts in the work needed to be successful both on the court, and in the classroom. I get it - he's not the sexy pick. He's not overly athletic. He has one of the ugliest looking shots I've ever seen. Nor will he ever probably be a 20 point scorer. But you can guarantee that he'll be a very solid rotational player who will put up 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks throughout his career. Think of a Kendrick Perkins or a Sammy D. These are the kind of players you need to be successful in the NBA.


Paul George



Check it. This guy doesn't even have his own Wiki page yet. But you can bet by now, every single team in the lottery knows who Paul George is. He's got the height (6'8) and length of a SF, and the shooting ability of a SG. Combined with the ability to jump out of the gym with the simplest of ease, and you've got a very intriguing prospect. Just imagine him running down the court with the Young Gunz?

The best part is that he's actually already quite familiar with one of the members - DeMar DeRozan. Having been quoted from his twitter feed of loving the idea of playing with DeMar, a duo of DeRozan and Geroge would be the closest we could get to duplicating the Vince/Tracy duo next season.

The only drawback is that he did play for Fresno State, and no offense to them, but the competition Paul played against was obviously inferior to that of Division 1 teams. With that said, I do like his height, length, and the ability to shoot the long ball; especially if he's going to be playing with DeMar and Sonny. Hopefully he improves his handles, because we still lack that wing who can create.

Avery Bradley



Let's put it this way.

Worst Case Scenario: Juan Dixon

Best Case Scenario: Russel Westbrook

Avery Bradley represents the current NBA fad - the lightning quick and super athletic scoring combo guard. Think Derrick Rose, Russel Westbrook, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings. The NBA is starting to see an influx of players who are too undersized to truly play the 2 spot, so are placed at the 1 to reek havoc. They're basically point guards who are given the green light to shoot the ball, and can take over at any point of the game. A pass first point guard? Pssh. Who needs that anymore? That's why John Wall is going #1. Teams want their PG to be amazingly athletic and have the ability to score the ball.

This is what Bradley thrives in doing. He can score the ball from anywhere on the court, has the quickness to break his man off the dribble, and the athleticism to finish at the rim. On top of that, he's been noted as perhaps the best perimeter defender in this year's draft.

So why could he potentially be at the 13th pick? Well like Aldrich (low ceiling) and George (played against weaker competition), Bradley too has his shortcomings. For one, Bradley had a very rough year while he played for the University of Texas. Being heralded as one of the top recruits in the country only a year ago, Bradley's stock has plummeted partly due to how the Longhorns put up a stinker of a season. On top of that, he was one of the worst finishers at the basket last year. You can imagine why that scares off some teams. Think of a Westbrook or Rose without the finishing ability..Yikes.

So with that all said, who do I want the most? Well I rank them like this:

1. Paul George
2. Cole Aldrich
3. Avery Bradley

With Turkoglu surely on his way out, I would love to bring in another wing who doesn't only happen to be taller than DeMar and Sonny, but also has better range. A future wing core of DeRozan-George-Weems is a nice thing to have moving forward. I also took into consideration that we could find a center through free agency or trade (Bosh for Bynum, Turk for Dalembert, etc.)

Of course, I should note that I also think out of the 3 players listed here, I think George is also the least likely to still be on the board come the 13th pick. If that happens, I hope we can take Aldrich at 13, and somehow obtain another pick in the first round, thus snagging Bradley. Picking up two players who pride themselves on the defensive end would be absolutely huge for this Raptors team.

Colonial period

After a period of exploration by people from various European countries, Spanish, Dutch, English, French, Swedish, and Portuguese settlements were conventional. Although Leif Ericson was the first European to land in North America, Christopher Columbus is credited as the first European to set foot on what would one day become US country when he came to Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493, during his second voyage.

Spanish explorers came to what is now the United States start with Christopher Columbus' second expedition, which reached Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493. The first confirmed landing in the continental US was by a Spaniard, Juan Ponce de Leon, who landed in 1513 on a luxuriant shore he christened La Florida.

Within three decades of Ponce de Leon's landing, the Spanish became the first Europeans to achieve the Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi River, the Grand Canyon and the Great Plains. In 1540, Hernando de Soto undertook an extensive investigation of the present US and, in the same year, Francisco Vazquez de Coronado led 2,000 Spaniards and Native Mexican Americans across the modern Arizona–Mexico border and travel as far as central Kansas.

History of America

The first residents of what is now the United States emigrate from Asia over 15,000 years ago by crossing Beringia into what is now present-day Alaska. Archaeological evidence of these peoples, the associates of the Native Americans, dates back to 14,000 years ago.

Christopher Columbus was the first European to land in the country of what is now the United States when he arrived in Puerto Rico in 1492. The subsequent entrance of settlers from Europe began the colonial history of the United States. The Thirteen English colonies that would become the original US states were found along the east coast start in 1607. Spain, France and Russia also founded small settlements in what would become US territory.

The population of the Thirteen Colonies grew quickly, reaching 50,000 by 1650, 250,000 by 1700, and 2.5 million by 1775. High birth rates and low death rates were increased by steady flows of immigrants from Europe and slaves from the West Indies. Occasional small-scale wars involved the French and Indians to the north, and the Spanish and Indians to the south.

For more details visit : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_history

Vitali Klitschko Sport Boxer

Vitali Klitschko

Vitali Klitschko (Ukrainian: Віта́лій Володи́мирович Кличко́, Vitaliy Klychko, IPA: [ʋiˈtɑlij klɪtʃˈkɔ]; English: /vɨˈtæli ˈklɪtʃkoʊ/; born 19 July 1971 in Belovodsk, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyrgyzstan)) is a Ukrainian professional heavyweight boxer and the current WBC world heavyweight champion. He has the highest knockout percentage (95%) of any heavyweight boxing champion in overall fights. He also holds the distinction of being a three time world heavyweight champion, having previously held the WBO and WBC titles, and has never been knocked out or knocked down in any professional boxing bout.
His younger brother, Wladimir Klitschko, is the current IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring Magazine world heavyweight champion. Vitali is the first professional boxing world champion to hold a Ph.D. (in sports science).
Vitali Klitschko has recently announced that he intends to retire from professional heavyweight boxing at the end of 2010. As a result of his success he has been awarded Germany's highest award Federal Cross of Merit.

Source ; WIkipedia.com

Audley Harrison Boxer Sport

Audley Harrison

Audley Harrison (born 26 October 1971) is a British professional boxer from Northolt who fights in the heavyweight division. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney he became the first British fighter to win an Olympic gold medal in the superheavyweight division.

Harrison turned professional 2001 after signing a contract with BBC Sport. Harrison had 17 fights on the network before BBC Sport pulled all boxing from their programming. Harrison left England and went to America undefeated and continued his career.

In October 2009, he won the Prizefighter tournament. He became European heavyweight champion after knocking out Michael Sprott in April 2010.

Source : Wikipedia.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr Boxing Sport

Floyd Mayweather Jr

Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. (born Floyd Sinclair on February 24, 1977), is an "Undefeated" American professional boxer. He is the son of Floyd Mayweather, Sr.
From July 18, 2005 through June 2, 2008 he was rated by The Ring magazine as the "Number 1" pound for pound boxer in the world. Mayweather has won nine world boxing championships in five different boxing weight classes; he is the former WBC welterweight champion, a title he vacated upon his retirement. For his achievements he was named Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 1998 and 2007, Best Fighter ESPY Award 2007 and 2008, BWAA Fighter of the Year 2007 by Boxing Writers Association of America, and also ESPN.com Fighter of the year 2007.

He is the former WBC World Super Featherweight Champion, WBC World Lightweight Champion, The Ring World Lightweight Champion, WBC World Light Welterweight Champion, IBF World Welterweight Champion, The Ring World Welterweight Champion, WBC World Welterweight Champion, IBO World Welterweight Champion, IBA World Welterweight Champion. Furthermore he was also the WBC World Super Welterweight Champion, And recognised as WBC Emeritus Champion.

Mayweather is undefeated with 41 wins including 25 by knockout and is currently rated by The Ring Magazine as the number two pound-for-pound boxer in the world. And rated "Number 1" pound for pound boxer in the world by BoxRec, BBC Sports, Yahoo Sports, BoxingScene.com and The Sweet Science.com.

Floyd Mayweather was involved in the most lucrative fight ever in boxing history, The fight was with "Six Division World Champion" Oscar De La Hoya, with over $120 million in generated revenue, live gate of $19 million, beating previous record of $16 million held by Evander Holyfield vs Lennox Lewis rematch, and selling a total of 2.4 million household PPV buys. Beating the previous record of 1.99 million held by Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II.

After his win over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton he was ranked "Number 14" by Forbes Magazine as the Biggest Celebrity Paydays of 2007. He is also the co-founder of HBO 24/7, HBO alongside Floyd Mayweather produced an excellent series of countdowns previewing their big pay per view fights. These shows are 30 minute specials designed to get undecided and casual fans excited enought to pay $50 needed to watch the fight live.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr is one of two boxers ever in Compubox history to go an entire round without being hit, The other is Roy Jones, Jr.

Mayweather is widely regarded as one of the best boxers of all times. Having wins over such celebrated opponents from all over the world, Including Genaro Hernandez, Jose Luis Castillo(twice), Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.

Source : Wikipedia.com

The Zephyr is alive and well!

Contrary to viscous and nasty rumors, I am pleased to report that Pacific Rifle Company is still alive and well. A recent phone call to PRC HQ confirmed that while the old website is defunct, there is a new one in the making.

It seems that PRC owner, Bill McCart, had been struck down with some sort of persistent respiratory ailment that left him incapacitated and unable to get into his shop, or take care of other business such as keeping up the website, for quite some time. I’ve heard of this, or a similar bug, that just does not go away and bites you again just about the time you think you’re getting better.

Thankfully, it seems that the bug has finally left town and Bill has been back to work. He claims that he is caught up on his backlog of orders and is now ready to take and fill new orders for his famous Zephyr rifles. He said that he is still offering the 20-bore (.62) standard Zephyr, the Alaskan 12-bore (.72), and the 8-bore (.82) African. He also hinted at a .50 caliber offering designed specifically for long bullets - that is, not patched round balls which have been standard fare from PRC for nearly 15 years.

For more information about the rifles that put Genuine Forsyth Rifling on the map, the Zephyr, check out the new PRC site at: www.pacificriflecompany.blogspot.com. Bill reminds that the site is still under construction, so if you have questions that aren’t answered on the site, e-mail him at: pacificriflecompany@gmail.com or give him a call at: (503) 476-4609.

For you purveyors of esoteric knowledge, here’s a bit of Zephyr trivia.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that the Zephyr is the first production percussion rifle in history to offer Forsyth rifling. Now there is a tidbit to share that is sure to add a bit of excitement to your next party.

.

Nicastro Target Rifle

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, although, at times many of us know that necessity is just simply a mother. There's nothing poetic about it. Especially if you can’t accomplish the invention aspect of it. It seems that once a good idea takes hold it will nag and frustrate the mind until it is finally realized – or until you've gotten a frontal lobotomy to be free of it.

One of our faithful readers, Peter Nicastro, wanted an underhammer target rifle but faced the financial challenge to fill the need. However, his resourcefulness and craftsmanship has resulted in a successful transformation that resulted in a very racy underhammer that I’m sure you will find interesting as well as inspiring.

Understand that Mr. Nicastro began this endeavor at the age of 72, which is testament to the fact that a vision empowered by pure determination knows no limitations, as Mr. Nicastro’s photos and comments explain.

My Custom Underhammer

By Peter Nicastro

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning…


At age 72 I got to thinking about taking up an activity I would enjoy. The idea of taking up target shooting came to mind and after some thought I said to myself, “Hey, why not?” At the time I no longer owned any firearms.

My muzzleloading interest all began back in the early sixties (1960’s). I had a percussion single shot pistol and a Bob Tingle Hawken rifle. Dixie Gunworks was then the place where you could get what you needed.


Well, at 72 it was my thought that I would get back into shooting muzzleloaders. So the hunt began for my first purchase. I picked up a copy of the Blue Book of Modern Blackpowder Firearms (available from www.dixiegunworks.com ) and there it was on the front cover – the Feinwerkbau Billinghurst Underhammer Pistol.

I had to have it.


The pistol was of the highest quality and has given me many 5-shot groups that would fit under a quarter at 25 yards from a benchrest. After about a year of working with the pistol I decided that I had to have a rifle of the same quality, but everything of the same quality was way out of my price range.


That's when the idea hit me to make a rifle/pistol combo with the Feinwerkbau pistol action.


Have you ever heard the expression, "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."?


The first thing I had to do was to make a model of the stock. I chose to make it out of balsa wood that had been soaked in Future Floor Wax, which made the wood much harder. When it was finished drying, I sent it off to Pecatonica River Long Rifle Supply, www.longrifles-pr.com, to be carved from a nice blank of curly maple. They also supplied a matching forearm blank. I added all the burl accents.

 Clicking on the photos will enlarge them. 

Clicking the Back button to return you to the text.

I had to make the rifle breechplug longer to go deeper into the barrel, so I also had to make an extended hammer. This also required that I change the pin location in the hammer to get more striking force in the hammer. I also exchanged the #10 nipple that came with the pistol for a #11 nipple.

 
I order a 30” X 1” .36 caliber Match Grade barrel from Rice Barrels, www.ricebarrels.com, and added the Schoyen palm rest from CPA, www.singleshotrifles.com, for offhand shooting.

The scope that is mounted on the rifle for now is just for working up the best loads. I will shoot the rifle competitively with metallic sights.

All photos copyright by Peter Nicastro

Our thanks to Mr. Nicastro for sharing his rifle with us. I do hope that more of you readers will share your underhammer rifles and experiences with us. The rifles don’t have to be as exotic as Mr. Nicastro’s for our readers to have interest. If they work for you, tell us about it. If they don't work for you, tell us about it. That’s what this blog is all about – underhammer shooters sharing with other underhammer shooters.

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