Posted on 09/03/2015 5:26:58 AM PDT by marktwain
A 67-Year-Old disabled Rockland Maine man was tired of being burglarized and his medications stolen. He described himself as a "walking drugstore". He purchased what the reporter described as a vintage gun. Harvey said "I bought a gun. Best thing I ever did."
On August 25, Harvey Lembo was on the phone to police when he shot the burglary suspect. Pistols are handy when one hand is employed on another critical task.
Lembo said he had bought the vintage gun on Monday. He had lamented to a friend that he was tired of having his apartment burglarized – five times in six years, he said, the most recent being two weeks ago.
(snip)
Lembo turned and fired, putting a 7 mm slug in the suspect’s shoulder as he fled.
He said he purchased a 7 mm Russian-made revolver Monday but declined to say where he acquired it. He said he bought it because he was concerned he would continue to be the target of criminals looking to steal his prescribed medications.Now all becomes clear. The revolver is almost certainly a Russian Nagant. I have a few. They are an interesting mechanical device, and large numbers were imported and sold for low prices. They work, but are a little slow to reload, and the ammo is pricey.
He is a lifetime master NRA pistol competitor, and is now 81. He uses a Smith Model 41 for most of his competition shooting, but he has a soft spot for the old 922.
Maine has a very strong castle doctrine law. Police have charged the wounded burglar, but not Lembo.
Not fond of Soviet guns, you always have to check the muzzle for neck hairs.
Only ‘sad’ part is that the taxpayers will be caring for the ‘victim’ for many years - probably even get Soc Sec Disability for his ‘damaged’ shoulder which will probably NEVER go down while ours (those that loyally let the Government ‘fleece’ us for lo those many years) may.
May be more fun but it is better to bring the slug out of a corpse than a live, squirming thief. Unless no pain killers involved...(only to dream)
This incident brings to mind the great line..
‘A pistol is like a parachute - chances are you will never need either but damn sure handy to have around if you do’.
“Smith Model 41 for most of his competition shooting, but he has a soft spot for the old 922. “
The 41 is a wonderful pistol.
That’s Mungo Jerry!
The 41 has a superb trigger... selling mine is near the top of my “Gun Regret List”.
Is that Lembo, or Fidel Castro? Anyway, good on him for good shooting.
.32 H&R Magnum is said to work well in the Nagant revolver. That’s what is in mine but I haven’t fired it yet.
(I would kill for a set of those red phenolic grips! Just kidding.)
Oh no.
You can’t touch them nowadays.
Nope... not for what they want nowdays.
? What’s that....execution?
Just sayin’... potential bad karma to buy NKVD surplus.
I’ve handled a few in the past couple of years but they had extreme use from target shooting. Paying top dollar and then sending it back to the factory for a complete rebuild isn’t very appealing.
If I want to get back to target shooting (not likely given my eyes want longer arms to see the front sight), I’ll slick up a Ruger MK II and it will be way better than my abilities.
Yes but but but Mister Lembo don’t you know that guns in homes always only lead to the death of the home owner?
he is now in trouble with the landlord as he lives in a corporate owned subsidized apartment that bands firearms.
“.32 H&R Magnum is said to work well in the Nagant revolver. That’s what is in mine but I haven’t fired it yet.”
It will likely work, but the cases will have considerable swell at the rear. The 7.62 x 38R has a fair amount of taper to it. Of course, with the .32 mag, the “gas seal” part of the Nagant action will be inoperable. Sometimes the rim of a .32 mag will be small enough to move into the chamber of the Nagant, preventing positive ignition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.62%C3%9738mmR
There is a cylinder made for the .32’s, not the same as for 7.62. The rounds are not interchangeable. Be careful.
I live in Maine and this man’s story was on the local TV news and was a topic on a talk radio station here in Maine this morning.
His low income subsidized apartment bans firearms. (How is that not unconstitutional?)
People are trying to help him. Someone even suggested a “Go Fund Me” page in order to help him move to a better apartment.
Harvey won’t be getting it back. his apartment lease has a no guns on property clause.
Apartment rules may disarm Rockland man who shot intruder
Rockland tenant who shot intruder told to give up gun
While interesting info about the “Vintage” revolver, the important part is the gun worked for what it was intended, to stop the old timer from being robbed.
Good ending (thus far). Hope that Maine does not decide to prosecute him for skirting the law.
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