A Nurse with a Gun

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Vintage CCW

Click to enlarge
One area of gun accumulation collecting that interests me is vintage concealed carry weapons. Pictured here is a Beretta 1932, a Colt Police Positive, and a Colt 1903 Hammerless.

I have found this area of interest to be ripe with possibilities at the bargaining table. Finish wear on these pieces is not a factor to me, as each of these guns was carried. Modifications from standard only add to the interest. I am still looking for a Fitz Special and a reasonably priced bumper chromed and chopped Victory Model. Call me crazy.

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7 Comments:

Blogger Spayth said...

I had a chance to buy a gun that looked just like your Colt 1903 Hammerless a couple years ago at a pawn shop and passed on it. I'm still kicking myself in the rear for that one.

4:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm surprised to see a Beretta in your accumulation/collection. How do you like it? I'd never really considered it, but now that I see its size relative to other guns, it really might make a handy little pocket pistol.

5:26 PM  
Blogger Xavier said...

The Beretta is an OK gun for it's time. I wouldn't carry it, it's just too inaccurate, and heavy for what you get. The Colt Hammerless is vastly superior to it.

9:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What caliber is the Beretta in? I hit the "BerettaWeb" site (http://www.berettaweb.com/armi/Beretta%20mod%201934%20&%201935.htm), and found the following quote:

"Apart from the now classic 7.65, the Model 1932 was chambered for a cartridge which Beretta was to use for the first time, the .380 ACP, one of the numerous creations of J.M. Browning. The cartridge was renamed the 9 “corto” (short) in Italy..."

I used to own a Beretta Model 70S in .380. It was a single-action semi-auto, with a 7-round magazine (if I remember correctly, the release was on the lower right-hand side panel...pain in the butt to release).

A more useless firearm I'm hard pressed to think of. Sold/traded it several decades ago. I'm kind of wishing I kept it now, since the barrel/slide are almost identical in design to the Model 92 (aka, the M9).

7:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting. My wife has a Beretta 1934 (in 9mm Corto) that is her favorite gun. She'd carry it, if she could easily disengage the safety and change the magazine without spontaneous magazine disassembly.

She also has a WWI Spanish copy of the 1903, a Ruby 1916 model, though it has some odd markings which indicate that it was produced for the French military contract around 1918 but was never delivered to the French. It was later stamped ASTRA and sold on the market (but originally manufactured for the French military contract).

As far as I can tell, that TYPE of gun is very common, but this particular gun is rare. Don't know if you're interested to see pictures or not.

9:21 AM  
Blogger Caleb said...

I actually have that same model of Beretta, in .32 ACP.

I've not experienced any accuracy issues, although it is definitely not a tackdriver.

It makes for a decent carry, IMO. My primary issue with it is the location of the safety. It's not easy to reach, nor does it engage/disengage with a simple motion.

1:11 PM  
Blogger Xavier said...

It's chambered in .32ACP (7.65) Blackwing......

7:03 PM  

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