Dr. S - Happy Fun Time Firearms Clinic!

If you are a Shonen Manga Fan, then surely you remember SLAM DUNK and Dr. T's instructional... Well this is me, your lovely cute right wing firearms instructor, Doctor S ;)

Today's topic is the Italian made MATEBA SEMI-AUTOMATIC revolver, made popular by Seburo Arm's own Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed).
The Mateba is used by Ghost in the Shell flesh and blood underdog, Togusa.

While the words REVOLVER and SEMI-AUTOMATIC seem like oil and water to anyone who's had experience with each, hand it to those silly Italians to act like the vinegar in the formula.

You can read about this strange, impractical and BRUTAL (to the shooter) handgun here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mateba_Autorevolver
http://www.kitsune.addr.com/Firearms/Revolvers/Mateba_Model_6.htm




If you notice the BARREL on this gun is on the bottom half. REVERSE thinking of any other gun design. Might I, Dr. S refer you to TRIGUN - which uses the same off beat design (barrel on the bottom instead of the top). ANIME trivia and gun trivia.. all at once!

On a clinical side - what does a low barrel do for a shooter? Try this Mr. Wizard experiment at home. boys and girls. Get an eraser and rubber band... tie the eraser to your index finger of your dominant hand - then add a #2 pencil to the top of it so that when pointing the pencil it should be .5" - 1" higher than your finger tip. Now find a SMALL dot target on the wall and try to stab that same point multiple times with the pencil. Now do the same with just your index finger without the 'gear'. More often than not you will find that you 'target' easier, faster and more accurately with constant, reliable repitition with your index finger alone.. That is just how EFFICIENT tools are designed, the closer something is to the alignment of your index finger (and in knife cases, your thumb - that is why a fighting grip usually has the thumb fully extended on the spine of the blade) the easier it is to point.

(While overcompensating again, I JUST read the wikipedia entry for the Mateba.. and YES I came up with the TRIGUN and GITS reference on my own before I wrote this (but it has a lot of cool real world/anime info I didn't know like more data on the TRIGUN angel arms - OK I hope you still love me.)
: )

impractical yes - over compensating yes - verdict.. a good gun to pose with and I'd like one!!

...anyways.. that's all the time we have folks - and remember what Dr. S always says - even if its rude and politically incorrect - just shoot straight, tell the truth, and keep the anti gunner off your doorstep when the zombies come!! ; )

...go for the MASTER SWORD!