The Firearm Blog

This comes straight from the I-never-thought-I-would-ever-blog-this department. Press TV reports:

> Saudis will be able to buy handguns and other personal firearms openly for the first time, the country's interior ministry has anounced.

> ...

> The move is aimed at reining in the widespread illegal ownership of handguns and assault weapons, a Saudi official said.

Hat Tip damien @ The High Road.us

Defense Aerospace reports that many of the Walther P1 pistols, which Germany donated to the Afghan police force, have found their way onto the black market. Defense Aerospace reports:

German military pistols are being sold on the black market in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The weapons were sent in 2006 and were intended for local police and army personnel.

Arms dealers in the region told German public radio that hundreds of German weapons were for sale carrying a price tag of over 680 euros a piece ($1,000).

In 2006, the German Defense Ministry shipped 10,000 old Walther-P1 pistols to the Afghan Interior Ministry to equip Afghan police and army. However, both the German government and the responsible US-led security team in Afghanistan reportedly failed to properly monitor the guns' whereabouts.

The US unit said that it only had detailed records of 4,563 pistols out of a total 10,000.

Current and former Afghan soldiers and police officers are said to be among those illegally selling and trafficking the pistols, some of which have ended up in Pakistan's north-west border provinces and neighboring tribal areas.

...

The team of NDR radio reporters who discovered the black market guns said it's not clear exactly how they ended up there.

"Apparently, most of these pistols haven't been stolen, but were simply taken home and sold by former police officers and soldiers after they'd left the service," said Christoph Heinzle, who headed the NDR team. "But corruption and theft cannot be ruled out because neither the Afghan authorities nor the US and German armed forces carry out effective controls to prevent [theft]."

The United States has also come under criticism in the past for losing track of weapons donated to local forces. Short of retina scanning, which is being used to keep track of Iraqi M16 rifles, there is very little that can be done to prevent the end-users stealing the weapons they are issued.

Walther P38 (designated the P1 by the Bundeswehr)

Many thanks to Daniel for the link.

The Sig P238 has been given the "Rainbow Titanium" treatment. This model will retail for $751, about $200 more than the standard "Nitron" model.

Sig Sauer is now producing an "R" model of their .45 ACP chambered SIG P220 Compact pistol. The P220R Compact does away with the beaver tail, reducing the frame length by 0.5", and adds an accessory rail.

SIG P220R Compact (Two Tone model).

SIG lists two models, a blued model and two-tone model, although no price is given for the two-tone which I suspect means it is not yet able to be purchased.

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.

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.

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.