I admit I’m more than a little smitten with Osa
WB
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Monday, April 06, 2026, 19:48 (75 days ago)
Johnson. Long past about a decade before I even existed. What an adventurous lady. I like to research the photos for insights on firearms used on their expeditions. It seems in the 1920’s sporterized Springfields, and the Winchester 1895 were popular. The large bore British double made an appearance in deliberate Elephant territory. But I did see one taken with the 1895, presumably a .405? They did show a SRC version that had to be .30 Govt. or perhaps .30-06. I read Osa had a pet .276 Rifle (7x57).
In this beguiling photo she is 25 yrs. old. Her husband, Martin, was dispatched in a plane wreck in the states in 1937. She never had children. He was notably older than she as well.
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702291469d46bfa9668b.jpg)
I couldn’t identify this firearm.
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702315069d46c9664eb4.jpg)
The big gun, can’t remember if it was a .450 or 470 NE, not much difference in use. Saw a film where she shot a rhino with it!
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702330269d46cde7b86e.jpg)
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702345469d46d4eb25da.jpg)
Sporter made later trips, a high end ‘03 Springfield.
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702353269d46d742d6e7.jpg)
I particularly liked this photo. Reminded me of Jim! When you pull off a shot like that it’s time to put the guns up and sit around the fire to bask in the uncommon display of skill er luck!
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702452369d46fc3c5fee.jpg)
She sure was a pistol! I need to hit that museum in OK, do an overnighter!
![[image]](images/uploaded/2026040702464469d47014ed81a.jpg)
Its in KS, not OK...
WB
[subject]
Monday, April 06, 2026, 20:37 (75 days ago) @ WB
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maybe you were married in another lifetime
james
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Monday, April 06, 2026, 21:11 (74 days ago) @ WB
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It seems she preferred old, bald, rich men! I’m out.
WB
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Tuesday, April 07, 2026, 06:13 (74 days ago) @ james
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Most women prefer old, bald and rich men.
Gary Reeder
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 19:42 (73 days ago) @ WB
How many of those 3 categories are you in?
I aspire to at least make the first category!
WB
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 21:18 (72 days ago) @ Gary Reeder
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In one of the pics of her on here (I can't find it now) she
Gary Reeder
[subject]
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 21:57 (72 days ago) @ WB
is doing some gunsmithing on a fellows rifle. Maybe installing a scope or adjusting iron sights. I can't seem to find the pic now.
There is one more reason to be WB's smitten. A pretty lady that can work on guns.
It is 9 threads down from here, mentions "old Winchesters"
Gary Reeder
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 22:15 (72 days ago) @ Gary Reeder
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Her hubby must really like the 1895 Winchester. He
Gary Reeder
[subject]
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 22:18 (72 days ago) @ Gary Reeder
has just about worn all the finish off the action.
From 1900-1930 the 1895 was popular with explorers
WB
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Friday, April 10, 2026, 06:39 (71 days ago) @ Gary Reeder
Looking them over they are pretty simplified with the box internal magazine. The .30-06 would shoot far and was powerful in its day. I think Martin Johnson did indeed use his a bunch, the .405. He took several elephants and a couple rhino I saw. At about 8 lbs. and no worry with optics, it’s a pretty slick handy package. Why some have 27”+ barrels I’ll never know.
Down the street the LGS has a .30-40 for sale. Couple extra holes, re-blued, longer barrel. Plus they want $1550. It’s a $1000 gun at best. But I finger it every time I’m there.
I think people thought
IC
[subject]
Friday, April 10, 2026, 08:15 (71 days ago) @ WB
you needed the long barrel for velocity. Many old shotguns had 30 inch barrels.
Good point! Lots of M12's and DB shotguns 30"
WB
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Friday, April 10, 2026, 11:06 (71 days ago) @ IC
The 1895 I'm looking at, I think has a 27", barrel. On that platform it feels particularly long. It's light and lively, sleek, but it's as long as a 870 30". I'd love to test it. I bet the .30-40 Govt., even limited to 45k psi, is close to a shorter barrel .30-06.
The front sight ramp is a part of the barrel. I think a sin to bob off to suit. Even trying to use period Marble's replacements. I might look for one with a period peep sight, I can do so much better with them. But in my soul, I know I'm going to get one some day. Intriguing designed guns with so much history. What a joy to ponder.
Mine has the long barrel.
IC
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Friday, April 10, 2026, 12:20 (71 days ago) @ WB
I don't know if I will cut it or not. It might hurt resale ( I have my WB hat on now) if I decided to sell it.
That thought still lingers on.In my gun shop I hear some
Gary Reeder
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Saturday, April 11, 2026, 14:12 (70 days ago) @ IC
of the older guys talk about the short barrels. I try to talk them into cutting the excess barrels off to get it down to a reasonable length. I have a chart that shows the very minimum you lose by cutting the barrel as opposed to how much you gain by choosing a moderate 22" barrel.
Remington has been one of the first to offer a shorter barreled rifle. Especially in cartridges like 7-08, 308, 7x57, and so on. I have shown many of the handgun hunters the velocities gained or lost in our 12 to 14" Encore barrels in those calibers.
A person shooting a 308 in a 16"
barrel will lose around 200 fps, and considering the factory round is 2300 fps that loss is neglible. Back when we had a couple of friends loading our custom calibers,in effect they kept charts showing how much they lost or gained by either cutting the barrels or switching to a longer barrel. The gain or loss was never more than 35 FPS per inch. And when you are considering the size of the animal and the distance of the shot, it just makes sense to cut that barrel down to a manageable length.That way you are avoiding some of the problems associated with the long thin barrels. Problems like the barrel whip and the barrel getting hot after only a couple of rounds. These 2 prblems don't normally effect a 308 barrel in a Remington 700 that is cut back from 20" to 16" and shows a loss of only 250 FPS. That is nothing. If I sight in my encore up here at 8000 feet at maximum and I drive down to the Arizona/Mexico border at zero elevation and at 110 degrees my cartridge is now 5 or 6 degrees over max due to the heat.
The same holds true if I go to Alabama for a hog hunt and I have my pistol sighted in at 50 yards and my load is max for 70 degrees up here at 8000 feet, now due to the heat and thickness of the air around me in southern Alabama plus my barrel is hot to the touch, I am several degrees over max and my load will be bouncing all over the place.
Several years ago I hunted hogs in southern Arizona. I had my 30 GNR sighted in up here in the snow and at zero degrees. The air was clean and clear so no problem with that but a lot of problem with my shots being taken at 110 degrees and heavy, humid air. My first hint was my brass was hard to extract and some primers were pierced. Needless to say I didn't get my Javelina as I wasn't sure where my round was going to hit. If I wounded the animal and he got off in the cactis I would probably never find it. After I got back up here to the snow and clean air and zero temp I checked my load and my 30 GNR was extremely accurate, just like before.
The fellow I was hunting with never got his Javelina either. When we hiked back to his truck I noticed his box of factory 308 ammo was sitting up on his dash in the sun.He mentioned his gun wasn't as accurate as before. I started to tell him leaving that box of ammo in the sun in a closed up truck with the temp probably hitting 135 to 140 degrees surely could't help his accuracy but suprisingly I kept my big mouth shut.
So accuracy has a lot depending on the range and length of the shot and the temp of the air around where you are hunting,and yes, somewhat upon the length of barrel.
Great post.
ORG
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Sunday, April 12, 2026, 08:36 (69 days ago) @ Gary Reeder
It answers a lot of questions. 
Thank you kind sir
Gary Reeder
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Monday, April 13, 2026, 18:13 (68 days ago) @ ORG
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That full face shot is spectacular.
ORG
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 07:06 (73 days ago) @ WB
She was a genuine naturally good-looking girl!

As a phhotograph it is really a good one.
WB
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 07:55 (73 days ago) @ ORG
Even if you didn't know there was a history to that face. It captures a natural beauty with vibrancy and hope in the eyes. A lifetime lies ahead, uncertain, but you can see the excitement of life.
They made some of the first geographical documentaries, boated planes around to fly and use filming, made "talkies" showing worlds most folks would never otherwise4 see. Could you imagine being a little boy in the 1930's and paying a nickel to watch one of their movies on your monthly trip to "town". What wonder it must have instilled in the young mind. Certainly I'm not the first smitten with that plucky little 5 ft. gun toting, smiling, wonder. She outlived two husbands and passed in 1953, 36 years after that photo was taken, at the age of 59.
In that shot where she is standing in the mud with a
Gary Reeder
[subject]
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 19:46 (73 days ago) @ WB
double rifle, it sure looks like there is a Croc just behind her in the water.
In the full face shot she could pass for a double of Karen
Gary Reeder
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 19:48 (73 days ago) @ WB
Carpenter.
I’ll be, I can see that. I really liked her, talented!
WB
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 20:34 (73 days ago) @ Gary Reeder
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Yeah we ,lost a good one when she died.
Gary Reeder
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 21:45 (72 days ago) @ WB
The station I worked for was hard core rock and we very seldon played any Carpenters music, but at the end of a rough day I was known to throw a carpenters CD on.
Most of us would hesitate to sit on a pissed off croc
Gary Reeder
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Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 21:52 (72 days ago) @ WB
And he is really in a bad mood after probably a larger croc bit half of his tail off.