I have two WWII M-1 Carbines (Inland and IBM), a WWI Gew-98 configured as a WWII Kar-98, a 110-year-old Winchester Model 1892, a Winchester Model 94 from 1932, a Yugoslavian Mauser, a Shiloh Sharps 1873, and a whole bunch of Uberti and Colt (2nd- and 3rd-Generation) blackpowder handguns. But in the ‘vintage handgun’ category I’m lacking. I have a Colt 1991A1, which is a reproduction of the early 1911, and a S&W Model 10 of undetermined age with a round butt and 2" barrel. And I’m getting a Webley Mk.VI in .455 caliber. It occurs to me that I need more old handguns, made during or before WWII. For consideration:
What are your opinions on these? I generally know the market value of the P.08 and the C96, but what are the going rates for the others?
If you were magically transported back to the 1930s and needed a hangdun for whatever reason (you pick the situation and geographical location) which would you want? (Include the Webley if you want, in .455 or .38; and feel free to add to the list.)
One of my favorite ever handguns was owned by my step-father.
I haven’t seen it in 20 years so he may not still have it.
I can’t remember the manufacturer, but it was stamped with a 1920s date I believe.
It was a 410 shotgun shell hand gun.
Single shot, break action.
It was not a sawed off shotgun with a pistol grip, it was manufactured as a shotgun pistol.
We presumed it was illegal (this was in the 1980s) due to laws against sawed off shotguns (barrel length perhaps), and this made it even more fun to shoot.
Oh…so in the 1930s I would need this to protect my shipments of whiskey coming from Canada through Wisconsin (stopping in Lake Geneva where Al Capone had a lake house and where I was living when I shot this gun) and then heading down to Chicago.
Yeah, those were the days.
I’ve also fired the Walther P-38 and it struck me as “jumpy” but that was a long time ago.
I owned a C96. Cool gun. I have a new manufacture .45 in 1911 (not A1) trim. Heck of a serious use piece. The P-38 leaves me cold. I owned a WWII vintage one for a while, but it just didn’t do anything for me. Sold it.
I still covet a Luger. I’m looking for a good shooter-grade one that the seller doesn’t have priced like it was Kaiser Wilhelm’s personal piece. Matching numbered parts and such aren’t important. I plan on shooting the living piss out of it.
I’d want a C96, just because they are cool. Doesn’t really matter what I need it for. Still cool. If I need stopping power, then I’ll carry a rifle. If it was good enough for Churchill, it’s good enough for me.
I had a 1942 byf-marked Luger P.08 with matching numbers except for the new replacement barrel and the magazines. It was either refinished, or it had a nice blue job on it. It had a tendency to stovepipe, but otherwise was a lot of fun. The action was silky-smooth. I sold it to get my Beretta. Now I’ll have to replace it!
I don’t have any vintage handguns; like you, I have a 1911A1, but that is of recent manufacture. My oldest handgun currently is a Bulgarian Makarov manufactured in the early 1980’s.
I got my C&R FFL a few months ago so I am planning on changing the not having any vintage handguns. The only thing I have purchased so far with my C&R is a Yugo M59/66A1 SKS. I may get a Nagant M1895 (I’m concentrating on Eastern Bloc firearms right now); they can be found quite inexpensively but 7.62 Nagant ammo isn’t cheap. I’m more likely to get a CZ 52 as 7.62x25 can be found at quite reasonable prices.
You mentioned the P38 as a gun you were interested in–AIM surlpus has post-WWII P38/P1’s for sale. They has some WWII vintage P38’s for sale a month or two back for $300-400 but appear to have sold out.
What you describe would indeed be illegal, but since it was manufactured as a pistol it would not be a short-barrel shotgun (SBS) under the National Firearms Act (which was enacted in 1934, so the date of manufacture in the 1920’s would make sense).
It would instead be a smooth-bore pistol, considered an AOW (Any Other Weapon) under the NFA. Not any less illegal, but it can be made legal for less money–a SBS requires a $200 tax stamp to own, while an AOW is only a $5 tax stamp. I’m not sure of the legalities of registering an old gun that has never been registered under the NFA.
If I were transported back to the US in the 1930’s, I want a 1911. Elsewhere in the world I’d probably want a P.08 since I assume 9mm Luger would be more readily available than .45 ACP.
I dunno. The 1930’s? Was the “Broomhandle” Mauser still in vogue then? Is that the C96 you mentioned?
Anyway, I would probably want that.
I only have a couple “vintage” arms.
A Uberti Walker, a Navy Arms brass frame .36, and a Dixie Arms Kentucky flintlock pistol.
I would like a Pennsylvania long rifle muzzle-loader with all the brass trimmings, a “Yellow Boy” and a LeMat pistol, as well as matched dueling pistols in a fancy case.
My grandfather owned one of those. He had a variety of loads for it, including slugs. The pistol/shotgun was made by Ithaca gunworks. After he died I’m not sure where it went.
These are all nice guns, oh yes, but I’d like to add a Walther PPK to the list of desirable older handguns. I’ve shot one before and really liked the smooth action and the natural point that the gun had in my hand.
I’ve never even seen a Broomhandle or a Lugar outside of a museum.
The Luger is a good shooter IMHO. Mine is a shooter, an uncle (mom’s sister’s husband) brought it back from Europe after WWII, but it was pretty rusted. He gave it to my dad who polished and even filed some of the worst pitting out. Surely hurt the value, seems like even a rusty original is more desirable than a re-finished anything. It is a number matching gun, but some of the stamping got pretty faint. I’ve shot it quite a bit and don’t recall any jamming, but I haven’t had it out in years. He recently picked up a near mint Baby Luger, I haven’t shot it.
The Smith & Wesson is a .38 Military & Police, looks like This one, even has the stag grips (but are much yellower). From '28~'29. What can you say, it’s a S&W revolver. Isn’t the Model 10 you have still considered a “hand ejector”?
Dad has a couple of Browning Hi Powers, I can remember shooting them but not much else. When he picked up the Baby Luger, he got a new Hi Power that’s not been shot, but it’s post-war, from the '50s IIRC.
1911, I like it a lot, but it’s a lot of gun. To me, the Luger is the most natural to shoot, the 1911 is not as natural but still fun to shoot. This one is a a Gold Cup Match or something like that, a hopped up version and fairly new, not vintage at all (most of his guns are pre-war, he doesn’t have a lot of new stuff).
Except for the newly acquired guns, all the rest have been locked away for years so my recollections are not going to be perfect but one thing is for certain: Dad don’t tolerate guns that won’t shoot. He’s gone through a shit load of 'em, and only the “keepers” make it to the safe, so I’d say this list makes his cut.
That I don’t know. I’ve heard of old S&Ws being called ‘Hand Ejectors’, and I’ve heard the Model 10 being called the Model 10. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?
AND… I’ve just returned from the nearest FFL holder’s house. There’s a beautiful Webley Mk.VI sitting there. It turns out that while there is a 5-day waiting period, that’s just the maximum wait. He said that he’ll fax the paperwork to the Sheriff today (I hope he’s done it), and they can turn it around in as little as one business day.
My lifetime dream–of which I promised my wife that if I must have one single, materialistic treasure–would be to own an actual pre-WWII Thompson machine gun. I wouldn’t own it for the firepower, but for the pure history of the model.
Yeah, I’m easy.
Tripler
But then again, in fifty years some of the rifles I own (the Bushmaster) will be antiques.
S&W revolvers used to break open like a double barrel shotgun and that action extracted the spent casings. When they went to a one piece frame where the cylinder flopped out and a push rod was used to eject the casings, they coined the term “hand ejector”.
I have an old S&W that breaks open. It’s rough. My maternal grandfather worked on the Panama Canal and this gun was used to rob the payroll, the robber stashed it in a muddy hole and it was a while before it was found, pretty rusted. It was heavily engraved, it would have been a great piece before the mud.
I have a buddy that can hook you up. Several to choose from, $20-30,000 IIRC.
I have rifles representative of every major US conflict since (and including) WWI, but figured the 1911 covered most of the 20th century. I did pick up a Makarov, but I’m not much of a collector.
