Competition
BUG Match: Beretta 1934 (in .380)
Given the influx of very inexpensive Beretta M1934 pistols into the US market – and the fact that I have a fine Carabinieri hat – it is a no-brainer to run the monthly Back Up […]
Semiauto pistol
Semiauto pistol
RIA 5.0E: A Very Nice Pistol, But For Whom?
Rock Island Armory is best known for its Philippine-made 1911s, but expended into US pistol production with a novel design a couple years ago. The call it the 5.0, and it uses an interesting vertically-traveling […]
Prototype
Iver Johnson Prototype .25ACP Blow Forward Pocket Pistol
This is a one-of-a-kind prototype of a .25ACP blow forward pistol made by Iver Johnson. It was patented in 1916 (patent applied for in 1912) by William O. Barnes of Massachusetts, and assigned to Iver […]
Semiauto pistol
Custom-Order Walthers: Model HP and P38 in 7.65mm Parabellum
Available from Morphys here: 7.65 P38 – https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__RARE_EARLY_WALTHER_P38_7_65_SEMI_AUTOMATIC_PIS-LOT658919.aspx 7.65 Walther HP – https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__WALTHER_HP__30_LUGER_SEMI_AUTOMATIC_PISTOL_-LOT658893.aspx When Walther first developed the P38, it was designated the Heerespistole – “Army Pistol”. Only after getting official Wehrmacht adoption did it […]
Semiauto pistol
Singer M1911A1: The Rarest WW2 1911
Available from Morphys here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__OUTSTANDING_SINGER_MODEL_1911A1__45_ACP_SEMI_A-LOT660708.aspx The Singer Manufacturing Company, best known for its iconic sewing machines, received an Educational Contract to product 500 M1911A1 pistols on April 17, 1940. They set up production for the […]
Semiauto pistol
The First Military Luger: Swiss Model 1900 s/n 01
Available from Morphy’s here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/_C__IMPORTANT_FIRST_EVER_PRODUCED_DWM_1900_SWISS_L-LOT658702.aspx The first nation to adopt the Luger was Switzerland, which began testing in late 1898 and formally accepted the Luger in May 1900. Their guns were the first Lugers to […]
Semiauto pistol
Mauser M90 DA: Not Mauser and Not a High Power
Our book on Hungarian AKs, “Rifles on the Danube”, is available here: https://www.headstamppublishing.com/danube-book In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Mauser firm was not in good shape. It had no new products, and its […]
Prototype
ZKP-524: A Prototype Czech 7.62x25mm 1911 Copy
The Czechoslovak military knew when they adopted it that the vz.52 pistol was not very good, and they initiated a replacement program as the same time as its adoption. Two pistols were developed to be […]
Semiauto pistol
Cordova Estandar: Colombia’s Domestic Service Pistol
Javier Traba Pistolas: https://www.youtube.com/@TrabaPistolas/videos When the Colombian government wanted a locally produced service pistol for its military and security services, it turned to Indumil – the government-owned small arms factory. Indumil already had a license […]
Prototype
Roller Locked Czechnology: the CZ 482 Pistol (Which Eventually Became the vz.52)
The Czech vz.52 service pistol actually began as a commercial export program at CZ. It was developed by two brothers, Jan and Jaroslav Kratochvíl. They actually designed two pistols with similar shape and controls, one […]