The Winchester .30-30 Cartridge Still Chugs Along After 125 Years

Above, Winchester .30-30 cartridges. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The big spike in sales of firearms and ammunition has been big news for the past several months, much to the chagrin of liberals. Gun owners and new gun owners are far less likely to vote for a political party who is out to threaten Second Amendment gun rights.

While this news has been out there, one article caught my attention.

Last year, I bought a pre-1964 Winchester Model 94 that is chambered in .30-30 ammunition. What caught my eye is that the .30-30 Winchester cartridge is still popular (it is the fourth biggest centerfire ammunition seller) despite it being a 125-year-old cartridge.

Above, purchasing my Winchester 94 at Ron Peterson Firearms in Albuquerque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Clarion Ledger reported:

Many rifle cartridges come and go. What's all the rage one day can easily fade away as it falls into disfavor among hunters. But one that has withstood the test of time and done so with more success than almost all of them is the humble .30-30 Winchester. 

Originally named the .30 Winchester Centerfire, the .30-30 was among the first cartridges utilizing smokeless gunpowder. It was introduced by Winchester in 1895 in its Model 94 lever action rifle which was the product of famed gun designer John Browning. Shooting a 160-grain jacketed bullet at almost 2,000 feet per second, it was a speed demon at the time. 

However, in coming decades, the little .30-30's performance would be eclipsed by popular calibers such as the .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, .270 Winchester and too many others to count, but the .30-30 kept chugging along. 

According to Winchester, the light, fast-handling Model 94 has sold more than 7 million copies and when sales of other rifles chambered in .30-30 are thrown in, it is one of the most successful cartridges ever.

To read more, go here.

Man Breaks Silence of Alien Abduction 45 Years Ago

Above, the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It seems that more and more people are coming forth with their stories of UFO and alien encounters.

The latest is from a man who, 45 years ago, was abducted with a friend in Mississippi by aliens.

According to the Clarion Ledger:

On October 11, 1973, Calvin Parker, Jr and Charles Hickson reported being abducted by aliens in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Decades later, in a rare interview with the Associated Press, Parker breaks his silence and stands by his story. (Oct. 11) AP 

It was an event he has been reluctant to speak about, yet it shaped much of his life. 

Calvin Parker, now of Moss Point, along with friend Charles Hickson, claimed they were abducted by aliens while fishing on the Pascagoula River and now Parker has written a book he hopes will set the record straight. 

"Pascagoula — The Closest Encounter, My Story" was recently published. It contains the first full account of the event given by Parker along with how it affected his life. It includes photos, documents and newspaper articles written through the years. It also marks the first time a transcription of a hypnosis session with Parker has been published. 

Parker hopes it will clear the air.

To read more, go here.

Elvis At 1971 Outstanding Young Men of America Ceremony

Above, Elvis Presley and White House Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler (right) at the ceremony.

In January 1971, Elvis Presley was named one of the ten Outstanding Young Men of America at a ceremony in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Clarion Ledger has some interesting trivia tidbits about that ceremony.

They wrote:

Martha Carr wanted to meet Elvis Presley. 

So she and a few friends from Jackson traveled to Memphis on Jan. 18, 1971, to the Jaycees’ 10 Outstanding Young Men of America ceremony — now known as the 10 Outstanding Young Americans. 

Elvis was the final recipient that evening at the old Ellis Auditorium. 

The suit he wore and the trophy he received that night are on display at Graceland. 

And the man who presented Elvis his award, George H. W. Bush, became America’s 41st president 18 years later.

To read more, including more tidbits of trivia, go here.