-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- On 12/23/97 3:52 AM, Jim Choate (ravage@ssz.com) passed this wisdom:

As to first semi-automatic in the country, I believe the Springfield 1903

Uhhhh ... 03 Springfield is a bolt action .... Rem Mod 8 is Browning semi-auto action essentially recoil operated with the barrel inside a sleeve surrounded by a spring whihc recoiled back with the bolt as well. The barrel spring had a stiffer constant than the bolt spring so it strated forward frist effecting the separation of bolt and reciever and stripping the round out straight up. It was designed in 1903 and first manufactured in 1905. It was, as I said, the first semi-auto marketed to the *civilian* market. There were other semi-auto's but were all military weapons. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0 Charset: noconv iQEVAwUBNJ/mRT7r4fUXwraZAQFiGwf+M6v+VX3p9Bx9CnsmJYJJnjx0S/2IxxUT iVWlexWiDhxlAJMQnzXEUfoSVHQRtwkmrX+SH5qDxdBodFqBj7ctDJHp8/sBDZS+ uxqo4LNhm0XeSP64+P+sb25fJkDAZSWR2j/VcjMG7MxZ3CvGHsW5jxVuKvAAkVIg d9+0IgzENEcdyS5JuHF3fCQWSPcvo+tB4cweYFGbLXRBtAe5HojHYuBoeGnKMqAP GLjwaRzcNa4RkherYGV0Irpfdz5x+DIvgj2PRu57bPrDIKddUytGW11+eu3cXZKK Am/+dgPLlDpero9V9LB6Tg0i6oVCR/4WXyuCch8pnvVGwDLY59/8qQ== =qA6z -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Brian B. Riley --> http://members.macconnect.com/~brianbr For PGP Keys <mailto:brianbr@together.net?subject=Get%20PGP%20Key> "The ultimate consequence of protecting men from the results of their own folly is to fill the world with fools." -- Herbert Spencer