# More gun related trivia.............



## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

O.K. I pretty well struck out with trivia questions on the General Semi-Auto forum, so will try here:

Anybody know the handgun carried by Gen. Jonathan Wainwright in WW II, and its story?

Bob Wright


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

I have no idea??? Guess a Colt 1911/45.


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

I'll qualify this by saying this appeared in a magazine article some years ago, and is the best I remember it:

After MacArthur was evacuated, General Jonathan Wainwright was left in command of the Phillippine Command. They held out as best as they could but were soon forced to surrender to the Japanese. Prior to his surrender, Gen. Wainwright hid his Colt Single Action revolver (I don't know the caliber) in a hollowed out tree. Wainwright was taken prisoner and moved to several prisons over the years. When Japan surrendered, Wainwright was brought to Tokyo to be present on the USS Missouri at the formal surrender. Afterwards, he was taken to the Phillippines to accept the Japanese commander's surrender. While there, he went to the tree where he had hidden his Colt. Much to his surprise, it was still there.

I've told this from memory, nor did I check the facts at the time I read the story. The fact that is a total falsehood exists.

Bob Wright


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

*gun question for you*

what is truely a gun?


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

tony pasley said:


> what is truely a gun?


Depends upon whose definition you are using. In the Army, a gun is a crew served weapon. They fall into various categories such as howitizer, mortar, rifle, anti-tank gun, etc. (The terms with which I am familar may be antiquated.) Mortars were guns having low chamber pressures and firing at relatively short ranges and high angles of departure. Howitizers fired higher pressure ammunition at longer ranges with high angles of departure. Guns, or more correctly rifles, fired high pressure ammunition at very flat trajectories and usually very high velocities. Individual weapons are collectively referred to a small arms.

To the general public, a gun is any firearm. And, even in some cases, anything that looks like a firearm or shoots out a projectile.

Bob Wright


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

clue it's about the barrel


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

Well, yeah, anything that projects something out of a tube is usually considered a gun, with the possible exception of toothpaste.

But there are caulking guns, grease guns, paint spray guns, glue guns, and now seldom seen, riveting guns.

Wow! When's the last time you saw a riveting gun? Actually, a hammer. Seems like the last use of hot driven rivets I know of was in railroad work. But, I stray from the topic.

Please elucidate.

Bob Wright


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

guns are smooth bore


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

That depends on whose definition. Military usage, crew served guns include machine guns, anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns, field guns such as the old 155mm "Long Tom" of my service era, were all rifled bore. The 76mm and 90mm tank guns on the M41 Bulldog and M47 Patton tanks were all rifled. The 60mm and 81mm mortars were smoothbore, while that beautiful 4.2" mortar was rifled.

In Army parlance, a gun was a crew served weapon. The Naval Ordnance used the term "gun" and "rifle" interchangably. Army practice was usually to designate size by bore diameter in milimeters or inches, as the "155mm Gun" or the "8 inch howitizer", the latter usually assigned to Corps Artillery. Naval practice used the diameter in inches and barrel length in calibers. The guns of the USS Missouri were designated "16" x 50 caliber Rifles." This meant 16inch bore by 800 inches in length (16" x 50=800", or 66'-4" in length.)

Secondary Naval guns were the 5"/38s used on destroyers and 5"/50s used on battleships and heavy cruisers.

Bob Wright


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