Firearms in the Life and Work of H.P. Lovecraft

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

Many years ago I wrote an article on “Lovecraft and His Guns”, outlining H.P. Lovecraft’s personal gun collection, or at least what I knew about it then. I also discussed the guns used in his stories, in “Lovecraft’s Investigators and Their Guns”. The topic continued to percolate and I recently a wrote a much longer article for Lovecraftian Proceedings, the Official Organ of the Dr. Henry Armitage Memorial Symposium, together with Dr. “Nic” Jenzen-Jones of ARES and George Colclough, who had done parallel research. We realised this after I had submitted my first article to ARMAX – The Journal of Contemporary Arms.

Our joint effort called “Firearms in the Life and Works of H.P. Lovecraft” represents the latest and most detailed research on both the guns owned by Lovecraft himself and the guns and their use in his works.

Investigator Weapons Vol.1 Back in Print

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

My book Investigator Weapons Volume 1: The 1920s and 1930s is available once more in both PDF and POD. It has been updated for use with Call of Cthulhu, Seventh Edition. While we were at it, some errors were excised and the whole thing received a new, improved layout including some new illustrations.

GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

My latest book is finally out! GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions is a supplement for GURPS Tactical Shooting and thus, the GURPS Basic Set. It provides rules, insights, and interesting tidbits for extreme environmental conditions that hamper combat and in particular combat with firearms. Whenever the shooting conditions are not ideal, really. In winter, in the jungle, in the desert, underground, by, under, or on water — even in space. Inspired by a shooting session one cold December afternoon at the Wannsee range in Berlin, coincidentally followed by a rewatching of Red Dawn, it was originally intended as a series of articles that eventually grew into a more complete offering.

The book is available via Warehouse23 and also on Amazon.

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Hugo Schmeisser’s Bergmann Submachine Guns: M.P.18,I to M.P.18,IV & the SIG Bergmann M.P.

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

My article on Hugo Schmeisser’s early submachine guns, that is the Bergmann M.P.18,I through M.P.18,IV and the SIG-Bergmann M.P., has now been published as the latest issue of ARMAX is shipping.

In this, I’m tracing the curious designation of the original pattern, the M.P.18,I, and follow the evolution of the design, debunking a number of other theories trying to explain it. I’m also tracking the production through serial numbers and try to establish that there were probably a few more of the weapons manufactured than often claimed. Check it out!

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American “Gangster Gats”: Illicit Automatic Conversions of the Winchester Model 07 Self-loading Rifle in the 1930s

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

My article on converted Winchester Model 07s used during the 1930s by the likes of the Dillinger Gang, Barker-Karpis Gang, Rettich Gang, etc, has now been published as the latest issue of ARMAX is shipping. You may remember ARMAX as the old journal published by the Winchester museum. The new ARMAX is still published by the Cody Firearms Museum, but it is a more international effort, with editors from ARES, the Royal Armouries, etc.

The converted Winchesters have interested me ever since I’ve seen two of them in the seized stash of the Dillinger Gang when they were arrested in 1934 in Tucson. Commonly called the “Lebman Carbines”, I think I have been able to establish in the article that they probably aren’t the work of Lebman. I’ve also found several more examples, and also found that criminals used a number of conversions to 9×19mm, complete with drum mags and suppressors!

ARMAX is currently also running a kickstarter to reissue the old ARMAX journals in a slightly new format (mainly colour photos).

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Investigator Weapons 3

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

My latest book Investigator Weapons 3 for use with Call of Cthulhu in the Gaslight Era is finally out!

This book covers firearms and some other weapons in the period roughly between 1870 and 1910, from derringers to machine guns. As usual you will find all the relevant Call of Cthulhu stats, but also detailed descriptions and illustrations throughout, plus hints about how to use them against Man or Mythos. There are sections on firearm law, inasfar as appropriate, on combat rules, and much, much more. Whether you investigate by Gaslight or Down Darker Trails, this book should provide you with lots of inspiration and support.

Gangster Gats: The Battle of Barrington

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

It was just like Jimmy Cagney. I never seen nothing like it. That fellow just kept a-coming right at them two lawmen, and they must have hit him plenty, but nothing was going to stop that fellow.

– Robert Hayford, eyewitness to the “Battle of Barrington” (1934)

In late 1934, former Dillinger-Nelson Gang member Lester “Baby Face Nelson” Gillis – “Public Enemy No. 1” at the time – was finally chased down by the Division of Investigation (the future FBI) north of Chicago, in what would become the “Battle of Barrington.”

The events that unfolded that day would put any action picture to shame – oddly, they have never been properly covered on film, despite several movie dramatizations. Neither Don Siegel’s Baby Face Nelson (1957), Mervyn Leroy’s The FBI Story (1959), Scott Levy’s Baby Face Nelson (1996), or Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009) make a credible attempt at depicting what actually happened – with only Leroy even trying to stick to the most basic facts.

Continue reading “Gangster Gats: The Battle of Barrington” →

High-Tech: Converted Glock Machine Pistols

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

The Glock pistol design allows easy modification into “select fire” or “full auto only” modes. This modification can be achieved using a variety of “low tech” methods, but all rely on the disengagement of the trigger bar from the striker tail at the appropriate moment in the firing cycle.

– Steven Pavlovich, “Select Fire Device Found on Glock Firearms Seized by Western Australia Police” (2014)

 

Machine pistols – that is, selective-fire or full-automatic pistols, not submachine guns – have few real applications. Entry teams use them sometimes because they are more manoeuvrable or can be used one-handed, for example while holding an entry shield or forcing open a door. Bodyguards occasionally use them because they are easily concealed even wearing a business suit yet offer substantial firepower allowing them to disengage from an attack on their patron.

It is important to realise that machine pistol are real close-quarters weapons. Typical range is supposed to be 3 to 5 metres according to firearms instructor Timothy Mullin. For shots at longer distances, they are to be used on semiautomatic to ensure hits.

The pistol manufacturer Glock has offered a machine pistol variant based on its successful Glock 17 semiautomatic pistol since May 1987. However, the Glock 18 machine pistol (GURPS High-Tech, p. 101; Investigator Weapons 2: Modern Day, p. 63) is extremely rare, as it is only sold to government agencies, and even those have few applications for such a weapon, as outlined above.

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Continue reading “High-Tech: Converted Glock Machine Pistols” →

Ultra-Tech: TST ChemRail

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

Para uso único Asgari. [For Asgari Use Only.]

‒ User label of the TST ChemRail

Elysium (2013) is one of the more credible attempts at a cyberpunk film, even though many concepts of that genre are so 1980s. Perhaps to make up for this, the film is set in the much more distant future, the year 2154. Nevertheless it features many of the typical cyberpunk tropes, such as the juxtaposition of the sprawling masses and the filthy rich, the wonky cyber gear including datajacks and exoskeletons, the almost instantaneous computer hacking, an orbit community, etc.

And of course it has the weaponry, a mix of the antique – a katana (if that is not taken straight from Shadowrun’s street samurai then it is an incredible coincidence …), an Izhmash AKM assault rifle, and a Remington Model 870 pump-action shotgun, both with homing rounds – and the ultra-modern – Cousar Crowe storm carbines with ETC ammunition and 4Sure manportable ground-to-space multiple missile launchers.

The most fun, if not the most realistic, weapon featured in the film is the TST ChemRail Dual-Stage Linear Motor Rifle (LMR) – a variant of the portable rail gun (GURPS Ultra-Tech, p. 141).

Continue reading “Ultra-Tech: TST ChemRail” →

Tactical Shooting: The Sopranos at 20

On By Hans-Christian Vortisch

What the fuck? I got him, didn’t I? Maybe he’s stunned?

– Peter Paul “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri in The Sopranos #3.11 “Pine Barrens” (2001)

I love The Sopranos (1999-2007); it is simply one of the best telly series ever. I have already looked at a shootout in the first season. Here is another one from the third season, set 20 years ago, examined using GURPS Tactical Shooting.

Continue reading “Tactical Shooting: The Sopranos at 20” →