-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team -
HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
we are now using a backup solution
Down Memory Lane
master brummie
Ah, the Johnny Seven O.M.A. (One Man Army).
So called as it had 7 weapons…
Johnny Seven OMA - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
My friend had one but his Mom & Dad hated us playing in the house with it!
I had a full sized Table Tennis table which would fill my Mom & Dad’s living room. I loved it but I did covet his Johnny Seven.
Have you seen how much they are selling for second hand now? I‘m not sure the Table Tennis table would have fetched that if I still had it!
Johnny Seven for sale | eBay
Buy Johnny Seven and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items
www.ebay.co.uk
Terence David Lines
master brummie
Potato Guns and Pea Shooters.
Richard Dye
master brummie
My favorite weapons with a catapult, primarily because I could afford them. We used to shoot rice in the peashooter because it was cheaper than hard peas!
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
When I was a lad there weren't many toys available so we used to make our own such as paper aeroplanes. All the lads in the street made them and we had contests to see who's plane would fly for the longest time. I still remember how to make them and placed one on top of the toy I play with these days.
Richard Dye
master brummie
Yes, and I could never afford an engine although I really wanted one!
rosie
brummie
My grandsons were amazed when when my paper planes flew better than theirs! My brother taught me how.
Our neighbour could never work out where the seedlings were coming from, it was our pigeon peas in the peashooters! I remember mine tasted rusty, same problem as blow-football!
rosie.
Our neighbour could never work out where the seedlings were coming from, it was our pigeon peas in the peashooters! I remember mine tasted rusty, same problem as blow-football!
rosie.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Hi Rosie, there was a girl in our road who made paper aeroplanes which usually flew better than anyone elses. It used to annoy us lads. She is actually in a pic in the post link below.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...ches-road-recreation-ground.54699/post-753431
Last edited:
rosie
brummie
What a pity that wasn't me!!
I liked those balsa wood planes too. My husband had one which wound up with a large elastic band but it crashed first time out! On the subject of planes, my brother hung all his Airfix planes from the bedroom ceiling, they got dusty, so fragile and intricate.
rosie.
I liked those balsa wood planes too. My husband had one which wound up with a large elastic band but it crashed first time out! On the subject of planes, my brother hung all his Airfix planes from the bedroom ceiling, they got dusty, so fragile and intricate.
rosie.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
Richard Dye
master brummie
You and so many others I'm afraid Pete!i spent weeks and most of my pocket money bulding a balsa wood. i fitted a engine to it and took it to sutton park, started it and off it went into the blue yonder never to be seen again
Snap. I did the same with a balsa wood glider. Took a week to build, lots of fiddley bits and doping the wings and all my pocket money too. Straight up, stalled and straight down; smashed to pieces.i spent weeks and most of my pocket money bulding a balsa wood. i fitted a engine to it and took it to sutton park, started it and off it went into the blue yonder never to be seen again
Terence David Lines
master brummie
When I was working as a pipe fitter apprentice, we used to get a 4feet length of 1/2 bore copper pipe smooth the ends, run oil down them plug them with putty just push it in about 1/2 inch down the pipe and use it like a pea shooter. Alan Aremiach, Chimpy Harris and myself are sorry for turning your rear end Blue on Birmingham University Halls of Residence but it was such an inviting target when you were bent over tightening the steel pipe up.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
Most bullets will exceed the speed of sound for some distance. When one passes close to one’s head one will hear the “crack or snap” of the bullet breaking the sound barrier before one hears the sound of the discharge.Closest I ever came to being a gunshot victim, my mate bought a Diana air pistol and fired it in my direction from a hundred yards away, I heard it scream past my ear with that noise we used to have in the cowboy films.
maypolebaz
master brummie
While in the army I was taught about "Crack Thump", as they called it. It was useful when trying to locate the geezer that was shooting at you.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
they say you dont hear the one that hits you.
unless the geeze was using subsonic then you do.
How did "Crack Thump" work?
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
we are drifting now OT
It is widely believed that it is possible to determine the distance to the firer based upon the interval between the "Crack" and the "Thump". In reality it is almost impossible to do this; let me explain why.
When a rifle is fired the "Crack" and the "Thump" are created simultainiously.
The "Thump" is the sound of the muzzle blast. This sound radiates outward from the muzzle in an ever expanding sphere at a speed of 1,125 feet per second (the speed of sound at sea level).
The "Crack" is the sonic boom created by the bullet as it travels through the air at supersonic speed. This sound trails from the bullet in a cone shape like a three dimensional boat wake. he "Thump" will give the listener an idea of the direction to the shooter but the interval between "Crack" and "Thump" can't be used to determine range without instrumentation.
Crack & Thump - Max Velocity Tactical
If you have ever worked in the target pits at a rifle range you are familiar with the "Crack/Thump" phenomenon. First you hear the high-pitched crack or snap of the bullet passing by followed shortly afterward by the thump of the rifle's muzzle blast.It is widely believed that it is possible to determine the distance to the firer based upon the interval between the "Crack" and the "Thump". In reality it is almost impossible to do this; let me explain why.
When a rifle is fired the "Crack" and the "Thump" are created simultainiously.
The "Thump" is the sound of the muzzle blast. This sound radiates outward from the muzzle in an ever expanding sphere at a speed of 1,125 feet per second (the speed of sound at sea level).
The "Crack" is the sonic boom created by the bullet as it travels through the air at supersonic speed. This sound trails from the bullet in a cone shape like a three dimensional boat wake. he "Thump" will give the listener an idea of the direction to the shooter but the interval between "Crack" and "Thump" can't be used to determine range without instrumentation.
Last edited:
Richard Dye
master brummie
Not familiar with Crack & Thump, however I think they are trying to differentiate the difference between th3 speed on the bullet and light, light being much faster. You an actually see the flash before the bullet. Granted it’s a small amount of time but it is calculable. If you see a person with a hammer 150 meters away driving a post, you will clearly see the action before you hear the sound.
Wooden hoops were traditionally driven along with a hand-held stick. Metal ones sometimes had a captive rod with a loop on the end around the hoop rim. I had a friend who had one of those. I remember it made a lot of noise as it rolled down the street as the hoop rang like a bell.
michaelwicks54
Aston bred & proud.
I had one of the old wooden one's when I was at schoo. I too could never get the hang of it.
A Sparks
master brummie
I had a horse my Mom made for me using a broom handle with the head made out of an old stuffed sock
michaelwicks54
Aston bred & proud.
I think many of us had horses like this. Mine was made by my grandparents. My Grandma made the horses head out of old pillow cases. I can remember it was striped, & I thought it was a zebra, & not a horse. She did explain that it was all she had to use. I had loads of fun with it.I had a horse my Mom made for me using a broom handle with the head made out of an old stuffed sock
I Am Nico
master brummie
I forgot about the broom horse. Playing horsey.The clatter is made when it fell on the yard . I used our hard & soft brooms & line props to make show jumps & athletes' jumps, long jumps. I put a plank on a ball like in the circus, to balance on. "You'll break your neck get off it!"
Richard Dye
master brummie
Getting new rolls of caps was like gold for me!
