Rare, Antique & Beautiful Firearms (defunct)

Here’s a seriously cool, rare firearm. Cal. 45 ACP Pistol...

cloud-regime — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:26:29 -0400

Here’s a seriously cool, rare firearm. Cal. 45 ACP Pistol hand built by George A. Wilson of Pennsylvania back in the 1960’s. Mr. Wilson, a designer for High Standard, designed & patented this pistol and was granted a patent in 1961. He had built SN 1 back in 1959 and used it to win an NRA tournament. Only 3 were built in total.

The first thing one notices about the firearm is the compact, in-line configuration. The action can be described as a short-recoil cam/lever locking type. The layout of this pistol is very unusual (to say the least) and has a number of unique features. The slide mostly sits well towards the front and was designed with a super short breech face that allows for the action to recoil directly back in-line with the shooter’s hand. This design requires the entire fire control group and hammer to sit nestled in-between the front of the magazine and the breech. When the hammer is down an inclined section of it serves as the feed ramp (!) This and many other features make it difficult to describe the construction because it deviates so thoroughly from what most of us are used to. The patent is well worth checking out: NO. 2, 975, 680

In terms of versatility I would say that the AR-7 gives its...

cloud-regime — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:05:00 -0400

In terms of versatility I would say that the AR-7 gives its bigger sibling a run for the money. I have my own ideas about what I want to do with one…

The other highly customizable modular Armalite design, the AR-7

cloud-regime — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:54:07 -0400

The other highly customizable modular Armalite design, the AR-7

Prototype or inventors model .30 caliber carbine pistol marked...

cloud-regime — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:49:19 -0400

Prototype or inventors model .30 caliber carbine pistol marked “Designed – Made by George F. Grebey, Sept. 1 1943” on butt and right side of frame marked “30 cal. short-semi-auto, -gas action-“. Grebey worked for Winchester and was involved in the engineering and manufacture of the M1 Carbine. This pistol version was made during the Second World War and Grebey hoped to secure a government contract for paratrooper or Special Forces use. The prototype measures 14” overall with 6” barrel, is finished in the bright and shows a left hand carbine style cocking lever with a feeding port that accepts M1 carbine magazines.

Tested in part in response to a request made by general...

cloud-regime — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:15:50 -0400

Tested in part in response to a request made by general Macarthur but found to be undesirable: effective silencing would require a reduction in bullet velocity and the mechanism would add considerable weight to the firearm.

OSS experimental silenced M1A1 Thompson. A satisfactory...

cloud-regime — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:12:24 -0400

OSS experimental silenced M1A1 Thompson. A satisfactory demonstration of this weapon took place on Dec 27, 1944, and the marine corps showed interest. Further development was canceled when an earlier order for Hi-Standard M-3 silenced barrels was released.

Harrington & Richardson Reising Model 55 Folding Stock...

cloud-regime — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:07:57 -0400

Harrington & Richardson Reising Model 55 Folding Stock Sub-Machine Gun

“United Defense Supply Company” Model UD-42...

cloud-regime — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:06:57 -0400

“United Defense Supply Company” Model UD-42 Submachine Gun

Remington Arms Model 8 Semi-Automatic Rifle with Extended...

cloud-regime — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:01:46 -0400

Remington Arms Model 8 Semi-Automatic Rifle with Extended Magazine

Winchester Model 52C Target Rifle with Telescopic Sight

cloud-regime — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:00:20 -0400

Winchester Model 52C Target Rifle with Telescopic Sight

pinkar15: Mmmmm

cloud-regime — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:14:42 -0400

pinkar15:

Mmmmm

pinkar15: This machine kills fascists… and then doesn’t turn...

cloud-regime — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:35:00 -0400

pinkar15:

This machine kills fascists… and then doesn’t turn around, break up your agrarian land collective, throw you in a gulag and have you summarily executed.

I’ve met a lot of anarchists who have this weird thing for old Soviet guns, ostensibly because if they were produced in the correct time period then they were used to kill fascists of the old Nazi type.That’s all well and fine, but I guess I’m picky because I don’t think that detail makes it worth it for me to want an old Mosin Nagant. The Soviet regime sucked, period.

Enter the pistol “F Ascaso (Terrassa)” manufactured by CNT affiliated anarchists during the Spanish Civil War. It’s a copy of the also locally produced Astra 400, a simple and sturdy blow-back gun firing the 9mm Largo round (similar to 9mm Para but longer). On the top of the barrel is marked “F Ascaso”, for Francisco Ascaso Abadía, who was a famous anarchist during the period leading up to the civil war.

“In early 1934 he was appointed general secretary of the Regional Committee of the CNT of Catalonia. Defense Committee Member Confederal of Catalonia, at the outbreak of military insurrection in Barcelona July 19, 1936 took charge of CNT militants who took to the streets to fight the military and died on July 20 at the site the headquarters of the shipyards. His death made him a hero and his hectic life very soon acquired mythical aura for international anarchist militancy.”

Nowadays the CNT is mostly associated with old-school, often boring syndicalism, meaning strikes and arbitration for concessions to workers. So it’s kind of interesting to remember that back in the day they were in it to win it, and they needed to build guns in order to have any chance of winning it.

So if I’m going to be buying any firearms for their historical significance it’s probably going to be one of these, and not something manufactured by Stalinists. While they are hard to find in the states (only a handful were brought here in the 1930s by returning volunteers with the Abraham Lincoln Brigades), if you can find one you can still probably buy it for something in the $500 range, mostly because the general public is clueless about their history, and probably wouldn’t care that much anyway. Of course… I CALL DIBS!

Gold-washed Tranter revolver

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:05:49 -0400

Gold-washed Tranter revolver

Ok the editing around this to get rid of the text that was there...

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:52:00 -0400

Ok the editing around this to get rid of the text that was there sucks, I know. But that fucking revolver is exquisite. I need to figure out exactly which model it is… almost certainly a Dean, Adams & Dean variant.

This is what a revolver should look like. Unmarked British...

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:26:14 -0400

This is what a revolver should look like. Unmarked British percussion with 6 1/4” .barrel.

That’s right… a fucking crossbow pistol....

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:20:06 -0400

That’s right… a fucking crossbow pistol. “Probably German. Approximately .41 caliber. Barrel is a swamped brass hexagon type and is 5 1/2” long.”

Vektor H5 Pump Action Rifle. A South African manufactured...

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:09:00 -0400

Vektor H5 Pump Action Rifle. A South African manufactured variant of the Galil with the gas operated piston replaced with a manual pump. If threaded, this would be an ideal rifle to suppress, since you wouldn’t have the same excessive receiver fouling issues common to even piston operated suppressed semi-autos. Presumably, it could also be manufactured and sold for considerably less than many semi-automatic rifles.

Smith & Wesson First Model .38 Single Action Baby Russian...

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 03:54:32 -0400

Smith & Wesson First Model .38 Single Action Baby Russian Revolver with Factory Picture Box.

Tiffany and Co. Marked Smith & Wesson First Model 32 Safety...

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 03:51:02 -0400

Tiffany and Co. Marked Smith & Wesson First Model 32 Safety Hammerless DA Revolver with Factory Letter and Embellished Sterling Silver Tiffany Ivory Encased Grip. Manufactured in 1888, this revolver was shipped with another revolver (the consecutively serialized, number 20451) to Tiffany & Co. in New York City where the extraordinary decoration was performed to fill a special order. The frame has been fitted with a sterling silver overlay etched with floral designs and a decorative front and back strap with a shell pattern solid one-piece ivory grip. There is a engraved silver knob on the butt of the grip.

North & Couch Handheld/Animal Trap Pepperbox Pistol....

cloud-regime — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 03:44:28 -0400

North & Couch Handheld/Animal Trap Pepperbox Pistol. Manufactured in the 1860s, the North & Couch pistol could be used as a handheld weapon with the conventional trigger or as a trap gun by securing a line to the action rod extending from the front of the barrel group. A single nipple fires all barrels.