I am just leafing through Capstick's book THE LAST IVORY HUNTER.

And came across something I find rather strange.

Wall's tracker asked if he could borrow a rifle as he as going to the river to fish, and was scared of crocs.

Wally's answer was "....take the 9.3 Mauser. There are four shots in the magazine and one more in the chamber. Go ahead and take the rifle, but cuidado! Just watch out!"

How come Wally kept a rifle in camp with a chambered round?

Sounds rather strange to me.

Where and when was the camp? What or who could have jumped them, and armed with what?

If I knew that gun-toting marauding locals could be crashing the wedding, I'd keep my rifle full to the brim, which means one up the spout on top of a full magazine.

I have actually the whole book before.

There is no indication at all that they might be under any sort of danger from anyone.

That is why I thought this was very strange.

If I am in lion country and sleeping in a tent, I always have a loaded rifle next to the bed.

465H&H

I doubt its any more than Capstick using his rather wild imagination and filling up page space with ink.

I was hunting in the Yukon and picked up a rifle that was sitting in the corner of the cabin. As I always do when I pick up a gun I check the chamber, sure enough there was a round up the pipe. I said to my guide "Hey, there was a round chambered in this gun" my guides response was " It doesn't do any good if it's not loaded".

Just a guess, but the title of the book is the "Last Ivory Hunter" translated poacher. If one was poaching, I suspect their rifles would be loaded at all times.

Not Africa, but anytime I have a gun within reaching distance, it is loaded.

What is the first rule of Gun Safety, Treat EVERY Gun As If It Is LOADED.

Another rule I live by, if a gun is not yours, do not pick it up without getting permission from the owner.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Just a guess, but the title of the book is the "Last Ivory Hunter" translated poacher. If one was poaching, I suspect their rifles would be loaded at all times.

He wasn't poaching.

Apparently all was legal.

Like CHC said
Treat every gun as loaded, period

I stand corrected Saeed. I've been in places where poachers were commanplace and it was advised to keep a rifle loaded and next to you at all times. Assumed Ivory hunters, even if they were not poachers, would do the same.

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:
I doubt its any more than Capstick using his rather wild imagination and filling up page space with ink.

Doesn't Crapstick also claim that Wally bluffed down 200 armed poachers almost single-handedly?

...of course if the 200 armed poachers had happened to call Wallys bluff,
I very much doubt a mauser with 4 down + 1, would have really solved Wallys problem!....

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I am just leafing through Capstick's book THE LAST IVORY HUNTER.

And came across something I find rather strange.

Wall's tracker asked if he could borrow a rifle as he as going to the river to fish, and was scared of crocs.

Wally's answer was "....take the 9.3 Mauser. There are four shots in the magazine and one more in the chamber. Go ahead and take the rifle, but cuidado! Just watch out!"

How come Wally kept a rifle in camp with a chambered round?

Sounds rather strange to me.

Saeed, the passage being in a book written, or re-written by others, the sentence could have just been Wally telling his tracker how he was loading it for him so he would have one in the chamber in case he saw a crock getting close.

However, many of the old timers simply did not agree with all the safety rules we live by today.
....................................................................

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:
I doubt its any more than Capstick using his rather wild imagination and filling up page space with ink.

,,,,Or could have just been a quote from Wally!
....................................................................

If I remember right Saeed, That guy or the rifle never came back.

He was just telling the guy how many the rifle held once it was loaded. I would have phrased it the same way - but in context it wouldn't necessarily mean the rifle is loaded right now.

I didn't actually care for that book, was a bit disappointed by it. Never bothered to reread it.

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
If I am in lion country and sleeping in a tent, I always have a loaded rifle next to the bed.

465H&H

Agree, an unloaded rifle is just a stick ... I always have a 45 "cocked and locked" on my bedroom dresser.

Slept with my double .475 every night in the tent as we would find leopard tracks between the tents every morning. A female. She strayed into my tent one night but she got tired of my shit. Left me without even a kiss.


Dutch

Was he an American? I think some Americans are happy to keep chambered guns at home. I visited a friend in the US a few years ago & he had a new purpose built gun room with hundreds of guns. Some of them were loaded with a round in the chamber, but not cocked.

Here in NZ that is illegal. If a Firearms officer were to inspect me and found a loader gun at home (even in the locked safe) I could get into trouble & lose my license. I am required by law to store my guns and ammo in separate locked areas. They even suggest removing the bolt.

You gotta be kidding
Firearm officer?
Cold day in hell
You people allow that in NZ?

Nakihunter,

I live in north Texas and have a gun in every room of my house, my shop, my truck, my wife's truck, and usually on me and in my wife's purse. I'm not paranoid, but I was a police officer for 3 decades and know how quickly stuff can go bad.

The scenario you present for your country is what our country is trying to become. I pray it never does.

My family once had an exchange student from Germany come spend a year with us. On her third day here, I took her to a gun show in Fort Worth and she was scared to death walking by the tables. By the time the year was up and she was leaving, she became a decent clay shooter and loved to go to the range!

JDS

Keeping a loaded (chambered) weapon within the confines of one's home is a personal choice and I guess subject to the firearms laws of that country.

Dunno what the laws are in America but they do seem pretty much relaxed compared to some paranoid anti-gun countries.

This thread started off without mentioning either of these scenarios unless one considers being in a bush camp in dark Africa and qualifying your tent as being on the same environmental level as a home in Auckland, Paris, Houston or wherever.

I don't.

I keep at least one rifle/shotgun with a chambered round/s in my tent ONLY when I turn in for the night, on the floor with muzzle pointing towards the front flap; always have done and will continue doing so.

I would find it strange if he did not keep a loaded rifle in camp.

My nightstand gun is in Israeli carry mode (mag loaded, empty tube). I'm single and have had some Jodi Arias types.

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
I would find it strange if he did not keep a loaded rifle in camp.

All our rifles in camp have ammo in the magazine. But, none has a chambered round.

I guess it can be chalked up to different times I suppose. Now you have me curious, I'll have to take a look at my copy.

I got the book on my ipad, and thought of going through some of it again.

I know Capstick is rather fond of Pink Gin, and I think he must have had a couple of bottles while writing this book, as quite a few things he mentioned do not seem to make sense.

I read this book twice and I didn't notice that.

Was it during the lenghty fights between Frelimo and Renamo for Mozambique take over? Then one had to be doubly careful.

quote:

All our rifles in camp have ammo in the magazine. But, none has a chambered round.

Sounds like Personal Choice/Camp Rules.

Different strokes for different folks.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
Was he an American? I think some Americans are happy to keep chambered guns at home. I visited a friend in the US a few years ago & he had a new purpose built gun room with hundreds of guns. Some of them were loaded with a round in the chamber, but not cocked.

Here in NZ that is illegal. If a Firearms officer were to inspect me and found a loader gun at home (even in the locked safe) I could get into trouble & lose my license. I am required by law to store my guns and ammo in separate locked areas. They even suggest removing the bolt.

Then when some dope kicks your door in in a home invasion you just say, "wait a bit while I open the safe and load my gun before you start shooting"!

It is a fact that when you turn your rights over completely to a government you become a subject not a citizen!

I can assure you anyone kicks my door down, or I find in my home uninvited, is going the meet a loaded 45 auto which will be unloaded in short order!

..................................................................

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
I would find it strange if he did not keep a loaded rifle in camp.

All our rifles in camp have ammo in the magazine. But, none has a chambered round.

That's our rule in general too Saeed, unless I'm in grizzly country. When I still hunt, even in deadfall laden dark timber I have a round chambered safe on. If I'm scrambling down a rock slope or it really gets thick I'll remove the round from the chamber.

Of course I generally hunt alone. When you're with company, especially family and friends, you err on the side of caution.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
I would find it strange if he did not keep a loaded rifle in camp.

All our rifles in camp have ammo in the magazine. But, none has a chambered round.

I guess there is a good thing with a hammer doublerifle. One can have cartridges in the chambers but the hammers not cocked.

Merry Christmas

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I got the book on my ipad, and thought of going through some of it again.

I know Capstick is rather fond of Pink Gin, and I think he must have had a couple of bottles while writing this book, as quite a few things he mentioned do not seem to make sense.

much of his writing is based on hunting tales he heard while working(& drinking?) as a bartender in the Duck Inn in Mauhn,Botswana
which were likely well embellished by his inebriated customers even before Capstick could add his own dressing to the story.

What also got me thinking(from 'Return to The Long Grass')...is how Gordon had 4 defective rounds in a row (hangfires and complete duds)
when trying to stop a charging lion with his .500 SxS, that Capstick had wounded with his .375 mauser...........now Thats one seriously
dud batch of .500 cal ammunition!...
with Capstick using nearly all his nine .375 rounds and the .500 SxS rounds of Gordon repeatedly failing - so making the rig effectively useless,
the ageing 80yr old gun bearer also then tried his bit with the spare .375 and missed......what a story!...

quote:

is how Gordon had 4 defective rounds in a row (hangfires and complete duds)
when trying to stop a charging lion with his .500 SxS, that Capstick had wounded with his .375 mauser...........now Thats one seriously
dud batch of .500 cal ammunition!...

I believe Gordon lives in RSA now, perhaps you could contact him and ask what happened? Or is it more fun sniping from the sidelines?

That's why I roll my own. If I have a misfire, I'll only have myself to blame.

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
That's why I roll my own. If I have a misfire, I'll only have myself to blame.

The funny part is still get people show amazement that I hunt with ammo I make myself!!

"what happens if it misfires?" is an often asked question.

"If I make it, it WILL work" I answer them.

Hand loaded ammo still relies on a factory primer. If the primer is the fault, no matter of care in assembling the rest of the round will overcome this problem. In the end, we all still use favtory ammo as the most critical component, the one that actually makes the cartridge go bang, is out of our control. We can argue whether or not we may have identified a bad batch of primers, but individual failures cannot be predicted.

Saeed,
Most definitely cartridges in the magazine. I imagine Wally was hunting during wilder times.

I would think that a PH would know the area and if a loaded gun was prudent to have around.

I know I would sleep better with a rifle at the ready when dangerous animals are around. Both two and four legged.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by SDhunter:
I would find it strange if he did not keep a loaded rifle in camp.

All our rifles in camp have ammo in the magazine. But, none has a chambered round.

And I suppose you like most of us are able to chamber a round and have the gun at shoulder in a split second.

I am always locked and loaded here on the farm. My firearms don't shoot on their own and as such, all are treated as loaded.