The Firearm Blog

I recently blogged about boot pistols, a type of early CCW gun carried during the Civil War and postbellum era. The feminine equivalent of the boot pistol was the muff gun. (the name refers to the original definition¹ , not the modern day slang). They were the same sort of concept just smaller and would have probably fired a smaller load (please correct me if I am wrong).

This matched set was recently up for auction at GunBroker. The reserve price of $1525 was not met.

Photos by "zocalo"

Many thanks to Fred for the info.

When someone says a pistol fired on its own, it almost always means they pulled the trigger by accident. That is what I assumed when I read the title of this article in the St. Petersburg Times, but the massacre that followed suggests otherwise (emphasis mine) ...

Moments before, Sherri Thourot had watched her husband fire and reload the Jennings 9mm. Then he set it down for her to shoot next at the range.

That's when the handgun started firing on its own, she said, spinning around in circles, landing the Thourots and an Irish tourist in the hospital.

I once belonged to a club with a private range. Club members had shot themselves in the foot at least a few times in the club's recent history. This happened when race guns with hair triggers were drawn from a holster. The pistol would fire a burst into the shooters foot and an ambulance would need to be called.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said the gun may have been altered, leading to the malfunction. Detectives expect to know more when they take the gun apart and inspect it as they continue to investigate.

Sherri Thourot said her son, 29-year-old Jeremy, brought the 9mm back to the United States after one of his tours in Iraq with the Navy. He gave it to them this summer.

So it may have been a souvenir from Iraq. They do not list the exact model of the Jennings pistol and I don't know much about those guns, other than they were budget pistols.

Jennings Model 58

Flynn was listed in stable condition at the hospital, while Michael Thourot was released Sunday. His wife said doctors put pins in his hand to help heal shattered bone.

...

But the freak accident won't keep her away from guns.

"I can't allow something like this to cause me to be afraid of something I've done all my life."

I am very glad they are all ok.

Many thanks to Mason for the link.

Italian firearms manufacturer Armi Chiappa have developed a very cool looking .357 Magnum snubnosed revolver called the Chiappa Rhino Revolver.

It sure does resemble its namesake

Its angular design and the fact that it fires from the bottom chamber, unlike most other revolvers, gives it an appearance that closely resembled the legendary Mateba Autorevolver. Having a barrel fire from the lower chamber is supposed to help tame recoil and reduce muzzle flip.

Gun Holsters and Gear spoke to the company and found out that they may be available stateside at the end of the year.

Mateba Model 6 Unica autorevolver. Production of this pistol has ceased.

UPDATE: Daniel points out below in the comments that the Rhino and Mateba were both designed by the same person, Mr Emilio Ghisoni.

From the Rhino Patent.

Over at my blog post about the Walther PK380, readers have anxiously awaiting the arrival of the pistol that was announced in January. S&W have finally announced that it is shipping.

Limited "First" Edition

More more about this .380 ACP pistol here.

This under hammer percussion pistol was manufactured, probably in the mid-late 1800's, by Bacon & Co. These types of guns where known as "boot pistols". I don't know for sure where the name comes from, but would guess these were backup guns that could be stowed away inside your boot - in other words an early sub-compant CCW

I love the clean lines on this gun.

For those of you who are interested, its markings are "Bacon & Co. Norwich C-T" and "Cast Steel".

Thanks to Heath for the photos.

The Classic 130 Master Grade is an incredibly beautiful work of art.

From the Wilson Combat newsletter ...

Over the past few years we have been working with an engraver that has done some truly lovely work for us that you our customers now enjoy. After he finished up his last project we talked for a while and a concept was born for a truly remarkable pistol.

These special pistols call on over 150 years of combined gunsmithing experience to build a master piece. Beginning with all of the finest components available held to the strictest standards, placing them in the hands of our most skilled gunsmiths, hand fitting one part at a time until it works together like a well tuned race engine. That alone makes it one of the finest pistols available anywhere, but we are not done yet. The sculpted scroll engraving on the slide is breath taking with deep and exceptional detail. While it is often said seeing is believing, when you look at the detail on the slide you will know what breath taking truly is. The beautifully engraved slide was expertly charcoal blued by Doug Turnbull Restorations bringing the engraving to life. Placing this slide atop the stainless frame makes for an exceptionally striking custom pistol.

Engraved charcoal blue slide over a stainless frame with adjustable sights, match barrel and bushing, ambidextrous safety, and speed-chute makes this beautiful pistol also have all of the features you want in your custom pistol.

I could say so much more, but I will let the photos speak for this wonderful pistol.

The Chiappa 1911-22 is a .22 pistol patterned after the M1911. The action is not that of a 1911, but a fixed-barrel recoil system and is manufactured from steel and "Chiappalloy" (presumably a pot metal).

The market for this pistol, and its not-yet-on-sale competitors the GSG 1911, are 1911 shooters who want to practice with cheap ammunition but would rather have a dedicated gun than purchasing a .22 conversion kit and having to swap it in and out of their .45 1911.

Khar have given the PM9 sub-compact what I call the "Massachusetts makeover". An external thumb safety has been added along with a loaded chamber indicator. It has already been added to the Massachusetts EOPS Approved Firearms Roster. I think this model, with the safety, is probably going to be popular outside of MA.

The legendary Daniel Watters has unearthed compelling evidence that the Marine MEU(SOC) M1911 pistol has now been given the official designation "M45 Close Quarters Combat Pistol".

A Marine fired the MEU(SOC)

Two documents ¹, recently posted on Navy.mil, provide information about the procurement of slide assemblies for the M45. Unlike previous documents these do not refer to the MEU(SOC) designation and refer only to the "M45 Close Quarters Combat Pistol".

Note the reliability requirements.

Many thanks to Daniel for the information.

Kel-Tec have partnered with radio personality Michael Savage to produce a limited edition .380 P3A pistol that commemorates the ratification of the Bill of Rights.

The limited edition features:

• Hard Chromed slide.
• The word "Freedom" and "December 15, 1791" laser engraved on the slide.
• Crimson Trace laser.
• Two magazines.

Steve Doran proves that any gun can be accurate if you take the time to practice with it. He takes his Smith & Wesson Model 60 snub nosed revolver (1 5/8 inch barrel) and, firing 158 grain .38 Special factory ammunition and manages great accuracy at 100 yards!

Steve has a write up about the shoot over at his website.

This Glock 17 pistol, with thumb safety, was designed by Glock for use by the British Army. It was on display at DSEi '09.

Safety in the on position (the safety is the button above the magazine release)

This is not the first Glock designed with a manual safety. Glock has previously designed a Glock 17 for the Tasmanian Police force that featured a standard 1911-style thumb safety.

This safety works differently. In order to engage the safety, it is pushed through the frame with the thumb, much like the magazine release. Disengaging the safety is done with the trigger finger.

At first I thought what a ridiculous mechanism this was until it was explained to me that the SA-80, the British Army service rifle, has a very similar safety which is manipulated in the same way. Glock designed this safety so that it would be familiar to British troops. Very clever!

The SA-80

One problem I do see is an operator going for the magazine release and accidentally engaging the safety. At best it would make the magazine change take longer, at worst the operator could forget to disengage the safety and pull the trigger at a bad guy only to find nothing happens.

I do not know if the British Army are considering replacing their current service pistols or if Glock is just making sure they have a model ready if they do in the future.

Big thank you to Lusaka for the information and photos.

Somebody at Marine HQ realized that if you buy a lot of M1911A1 frames, you are probably are going to need slides to go with them!

The Marine Corps System Command (MCSC)intends to issue a solicitation number M67854-09-R-1146 for 1800 M45 .45 cal pistol slides. The Government anticipates a resulting firm fixed price contract for this commercial procurement ...

Slide blueprints available from navy.mil

The slides are for the MEU(SOC) pistols that are used by Force Recon. Daniel Watters noticed that they are referring to the pistols as the M45. Daniel, who knows far more about these things than I do, is not sure if that is an official designation or a colloquial one. Anyone heard of the M45 designation before?

Thanks to Daniel for the link and info.

James explores the idea of using a carbine chambered in a pistol cartridge for home defense (emphasis mine):

The fact that carbines are larger than handguns, and that they are fired while braced against the shoulder, means that the perceived recoil is almost unnoticeable even if you are using Magnum ammunition. A few of my students who were suffering from disabilities painful enough to keep them from using handguns, rifles, or shotguns for their defense had great success when they used carbines. Accurate, light, relatively inexpensive, easy to use. They were literally the answer to a few prayers.

I had not considered before the benefits they would offer to a person with certain disabilities.