Welcome everyone to the 11th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you missed any one of our other articles, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this gat a sweet deal or simply just fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

In our last edition, our poll showed that you, the readers, found the 24K Smith & Wesson Model 36 to be a Hot Gat.  It seems that the margins couldn’t get any thinner for some of these recent viewers choices.

Despite another narrow victory for another Hot Gat, this wasn’t enough for someone to add that 24K golden goodness to their collection.  At this time the 24K Smith & Wesson Model 36 remains for sale on GunBroker.

In this week’s edition, we look at what happens when you make a riot shotgun for the ladies.  As always, this gun is currently up for sale on GunBroker for $3,499 Buy It Now.  

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP?  Street Sweeper Or Roadside Trash?

Let’s see what the Staff had to say about this week’s offering:

“I want that.” – Pete

“If your home is a crack trailer, sure I guess.” – James Reeves

“Gun Jesus HATES these revolvers with one little trick…” -Rusty S.

The ideal handbag CCW… if your hangbag is a duffle bag.

“Is the angle grinder used to zero the sights provided as well?” -Giorgio O

“Why does it have to be in .45-70? Almost any caliber can shoot through the door of a mobile home.” -Hop

“.45-70 drum fed? There is a god.” – Nick C.

“Reasonable bathroom gun.” -Mike R.

Selling this ladies friendly riot shotgun is gomoose02, located in Grand Fork, North Dakota. Let’s see what they had to say about this female-friendly piece of riot control equipment.  

FOR SALE or TRADE! This listing is for a Cobray Ladies Home Companion (LHC) Semi Automatic 45-70 Caliber Pistol. FEATURES: 12rd Spring Wound Rotary Magazine, 12″ Barrel, Double Action only, 9 lbs, and Black Finish. CONDITION: Excellent overall showing minimal signs of being fired, clean inside and out with minor finish wear from storage. These pistols were manufactured in limited quantities from 1990-94 they will shoot 410 2.5″ shells as well as 45LC. This unique pistol has been in our collection for some time. These guns have a heavy trigger pull and were dubbed the worst handgun ever made..it is a must have! Ships exactly as shown in the photos firearm only. We are selling off a number of our weapons from our Collection of Fine Firearms this year including Military Rifles, Machine Guns, and related items so keep an eye on our listings. We look forward to working with new customers as well as the thousands of current clients that helped make us one of the Top Sellers on Gunbroker.com

For those not familiar with the Street Sweeper shotgun, it was produced as an American copy of the Armsel Striker Riot Control or Combat Shotgun.  Produced by Cobray/SWD from 1989 to 1993 the shotgun would have limited success due to various design flaws.  Later, in 1994, it was deemed that the Street Sweeper had no sporting purpose, and was re-classified as a destructive device under the National Firearms Act.  

Perhaps that’s what makes this particular “Ladies Home Companion” model all the more intriguing.  Being chambered in .45/70 Government (with the ability to shoot .410 and .45 LC), maybe this was Cobray’s last-ditch effort at getting the ATF to look the other way.  I mean surely the name “Ladies Home Companion” means it must be female friendly. Right?

No, actually this female-friendly facade is just that, a facade.  The gun weighs a staggering nine pounds unloaded, has some of the strangest ergonomics I’ve ever seen, and resembles something more akin to a sci-fi concept than a real firearm.  

This perhaps may be the only redeeming angle at which to view the shotgun.  From here it just looks like an inherently 90’s concept gun. The combination of drum magazine and an M1919-esque barrel shroud do have a certain cool factor that I’m sure drove sales when it was on shelves.  

Once you start to get closer is when you start to notice all the strange details.  It seems that only the mounting hardware at the rear of the receiver needed to be countersunk.  Forward screws look like they were picked up from a hardware store, and used to fasten on bits of leftover sheet metal.  

The underlying failure in this design was the drum magazine and the ejection assembly.  An archaic spring-loaded ejection rod is used to eject spent casings for the shooter.  Even the earlier Thompson Submachine Gun had interchangeable drum magazines. On top of this is the issue of the cylinder gap.  As this is just a giant revolver, hand placement is key. That is, if you’re looking to avoid cylinder gap powder burns.

Despite its shortcomings, it is hard to be critical of a weapon system that’s still fielded today.  Although the American variant may not have caught hold, it’s worth noting that the South African National Defense Force and Israeli Police still use the Striker.  

So what do you think?  Is this Ladies Model Street Sweeper a Hot Gat or some Trailer Trash Fudd Crap? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to cast your vote and let us know if this Cobray Ladies Model Street Sweeper is Hot Gat or Fudd Crap: