An interesting piece of WW2 history

FBecigneul said:
When I bought this Colt Python in August of 1965 it cost me $117.00, which I thought was quite high for a pistol. At the same time my brother also bought a .357 but he bought a Smith Highway Patrol. This Python still has that deep blue that only Colt could do. I've probably put 100 rounds down the barrel or not many more than that. My brother sold his Smith about seven or eight years after he bought it. I suppose Eric will get this Colt before I'm gone.
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I recently traded a S&W Highway Patrol ( model 28) and got $850 in trade. I think I paid $215 in 1980.

Old gun traders saying "in 1890 you could buy a Colt single action with a $20 gold piece, you still can"!!

So, take gold, buy guns.

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Lugers and a colt 45

I always wanted a Luger but they were always a little pricey. I ended up buying one from a coworker for 40 bucks.It was a shooter and that was fine with me at the time. someone had been a little heavy with the buffer and tried to reblue it. I took it apart with the intention of making it a little more presentable. The parts sat in a tray for a couple years and a fellow gun nut offered me 50 bucks and I took it. I didn't lose any money,right?

Will get to the 45 later.It's a sad story.
 
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Couple more showing the coloring. On the right side of the slide are the numerals '359' in and eagle crest, separated by a lone eagle crest:







 
Al,


What is the odd colored piece just below the slide on the right hand side?

Given that it's a late war production the finish looks pretty good.
 
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Broomhandles

JerrySharrett said:
I have always admired the P38. I was born in 1938 so I remember well when 2 of our neighbors, Ike and Leon, came back from Germany after WW II with duffel bags full of German guns taken from German houses after the occupation. There were Lugers, Broonhandle Mausers and one had a P38 just like this one. What got my youthful attention was that Ike told me that the P38 with 9mmParabellum ammo was the only pistol that would shoot through a GI WW II steel pot.

In times past I have owned a "parts" P38 and 2 Lugers. I loved the broomhandle Mausers, Leon had 3, all had the wooden holsters that made shoulder stocks.

All this early memories is what got me interested in a David Irving collection article in a magazine that was, IIRC, printed by Shotgun News/Trade a Plane company.
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I love them too. Some people don't like the profile but these were a real precision piece of work. A buddy of mine was stationed in Germany for 2-3 years and brought back a couple pistols, one being a Broomhandle. When you hold one in your hand you can't help but appreciate the craftsmanship and the unique design.

One of my coworkers at the shipyard collected Lugers and said he even had a drum magazine for one.
 
I have a luger my dad mailed home from Berlin in 45. My mother said when the postman delivered it the box was torn up so bad you cold see what it was. My dad mailed a lot of guns, daggers, medals. Most of the guns were stolen, I still have the luger and all other things. It is like new with holster and spare clip. All three pieces have the last two numbers of serial number on luger stamped on them. My. dad said him and a buddy were in a apartment in Berlin and saw someone throw somthing in a pond across the street and the two of them drained the pond and found all kinds of guns and German knifes. He said the guy who owned the pond was one pi$$ed off German.
 
lugers

.223mike said:
I have a luger my dad mailed home from Berlin in 45. My mother said when the postman delivered it the box was torn up so bad you cold see what it was. My dad mailed a lot of guns, daggers, medals. Most of the guns were stolen, I still have the luger and all other things. It is like new with holster and spare clip. All three pieces have the last two numbers of serial number on luger stamped on them. My. dad said him and a buddy were in a apartment in Berlin and saw someone throw somthing in a pond across the street and the two of them drained the pond and found all kinds of guns and German knifes. He said the guy who owned the pond was one pi$$ed off German.
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Your lucky...that's a real keeper.
 
.223mike said:
I have a luger my dad mailed home from Berlin in 45. My mother said when the postman delivered it the box was torn up so bad you cold see what it was. My dad mailed a lot of guns, daggers, medals. Most of the guns were stolen, I still have the luger and all other things. It is like new with holster and spare clip. All three pieces have the last two numbers of serial number on luger stamped on them. My. dad said him and a buddy were in a apartment in Berlin and saw someone throw somthing in a pond across the street and the two of them drained the pond and found all kinds of guns and German knifes. He said the guy who owned the pond was one pi$$ed off German.
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I remember we had, in our valley, several other GI's returning with high quality German guns. I remember some beautiful double barrel shotguns too.

And we have been lied to over the many years that the Germans had their guns confiscated.

As the Donald would say..more fake news...

Lies, lies and more lies.

Go Big Donald.



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The 45

I got a deal on a 45 about 50 years ago and of course, I ended up letting it go. A friend of mine wanted to sell it if he could get what he had paid for it. He wanted $125. but you could get a Luger for that kind of money. What he had was really nice so I paid him.

It was a 1911 Colt with six or eight clips and one of them had the Colt logo on the bottom. It came with a cartridge belt and a leather holster, 20 rounds of 1923 Frankford arsenal ammo, small oil can and an early Army Calvary Manual showing how to shoot the 45 from horseback. These guys wore leggings and the Calvary hat, which looks a lot like the Smoky Bear hat. One more thing, this was all neatly stored in a hardwood case with brass hinges and latch.

I'm pretty close to tears here already, anyway, I had this for ten years or more and would drag it out to impress people who would be impressed. That was pretty much it.

I was shooting trap at the time and was a fair shooter, but just like you folks, you're always looking to do a little better. I wanted one of the new Browning trap guns, the BT99. The guy at the gun show had two new ones still in the box and here was something I could use and enjoy. Why don't you just trade something you don't use?

My wife has never forgiven me saying, "you had the money, why didn't you write the check!

She is so right.
 
dmort said:
I got a deal on a 45 about 50 years ago and of course, I ended up letting it go. A friend of mine wanted to sell it if he could get what he had paid for it. He wanted $125. but you could get a Luger for that kind of money. What he had was really nice so I paid him.


I was shooting trap at the time and was a fair shooter, but just like you folks, you're always looking to do a little better. I wanted one of the new Browning trap guns, the BT99. The guy at the gun show had two new ones still in the box and here was something I could use and enjoy. Why don't you just trade something you don't use?

My wife has never forgiven me saying, "you had the money, why didn't you write the check!

She is so right.
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I'd love to see that book about shooting on horseback.

Back in the 70's and 80's I shot a lot of registered trap. Back then you could buy a Bt99 combo for about $450 from Bingham & Parks. I still have a couple and they still don't fit me!

Our 2016 season in September so I drug out a BT combo, went to the range, put my card in the wifi machine and "smoked" 9 and chipped 2 out of the first 25...oh well!... then I remembered I quit trap because I couldn't see the birds...

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JerrySharrett said:
I'd love to see that book about shooting on horseback.

Back in the 70's and 80's I shot a lot of registered trap. Back then you could buy a Bt99 combo for about $450 from Bingham & Parks. I still have a couple and they still don't fit me!

Our 2016 season in September so I drug out a BT combo, went to the range, put my card in the wifi machine and "smoked" 9 and chipped 2 out of the first 25...oh well!... then I remembered I quit trap because I couldn't see the birds...

.
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You can find the manual under FM 23 35 "Prepared Under The Direction Of The Chief Of Calvary"

The pictures could have come out of a Frederic Remington painting.
 
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dmort said:
You can find the manual under FM 23 35 "Prepared Under The Direction Of The Chief Of Calvary"

The pictures could have come out of a Frederic Remington painting.
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Thanks, I'll try to find it. Don't know why though, I no longer have a horse. We do still grow a lot of horse quality hay.

Love the Frederick Remington works. I have 5 copies of his work on my office walls.


"I took ye fer an Indian", was that his???? Can't remember.


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JerrySharrett said:
Thanks, I'll try to find it. Don't know why though, I no longer have a horse. We do still grow a lot of horse quality hay.

Love the Frederick Remington works. I have 5 copies of his work on my office walls.


"I took ye fer an Indian", was that his???? Can't remember.


.
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Free Men by Edward Lewis Henry.

If you still had your horse, would you shoot a 45 off of it?
 
I went to see a friend in the hospital once. He had some bones that weren't broken but not many. When I asked him why he shot his pistol from horseback he said he didn't think about it...folks on TV did it.
 
Following your horse home on foot.

Wilbur said:
I went to see a friend in the hospital once. He had some bones that weren't broken but not many. When I asked him why he shot his pistol from horseback he said he didn't think about it...folks on TV did it.
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That's not funny,, but it is. And you don't even have to shoot a gun to have it happen.
 
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