Granddad's strange sidearm

[mcpiper]

Hey guys, I'd posted a picture of my Grandfather in Vette's excellant thread about his restoration of a M2A1 halftrack. The pistol my grandfather was holding started to generate some discussion so I thought I'd create a new thread so as not to take away from the halftrack discussion. I'd always assumed the pistol was a 1911 or a Hi power but as people have pointed out it dosn't look like either. I guess if a driver/mechanic was issued a sidearm it would more than likely have been a revolver anyway. So what do you think it is?

 

[Lodi]

Take into account that it may not be issued, but instead is a souvenir that was picked up locally.

Helwan?

 

[ArtyMan]

Looks almost like a Mauser model 1934

 

[x westie]

Looks like a German P-38 pistol, battlefield pickup, or relieved a German POW of it

 

[mcpiper]

I know that my grandfather did bring back a lot of "souveniers" and he was somewhat of a Gunnut. As you can see from this picture it seems revolvers (Enfields?) were what was issued. I thought maybe it was a P 38 as well from the skinny barrel.

 

[Stray03]

How about a "Le Francais" Armee Pistole?
First model

Second model

 

[DATAM]

Looks very much like the French semi auto above, or a Walther P38. The only British made semi auto was the Webley and some artillery units got them http://world.guns.ru/userfiles/_thumbs/Images/handguns/great_britain/1287717321.jpg

 

[x westie]

Im not too sure , but maybe somebody may correct me, the most common side arm carried by Canadian troopies until the Browning HP was issued, was the .38 Smith & Wesson Revolver, as seen in the above photo,

 

[mcpiper]

It does look like the French pistol. At that time he was with the 5th Anti Tank Regiment and went through France, Belgium and Holland. I had assumed it was a 1911 as the holster looks very much like a 1911 holster.

 

[SW28fan]

I go with a souvenier P-38, though with all the grain in the blow up it is hard to say.

 

[ArtyMan]

Good to see some pics of good ol' Canadian GUNNERS. On a second look it really does look like that French pistol.

 

[gaff]

looks like a High Standard model B to me or Walther Olympic.

 

[mcpiper]

A few more pics I came accross looking for better gun picture.

 

[plinker 777]

sweet jezzzus! is that a V2??? I never realized the size of those things, 'kinda always thought it was closer in size to the V1 (buzz bomb)!?

 

[Nyles]

That's got to be a P38 just based on the size, it's way too big to be a .32. The open topped wide slide looks pretty distinctive.

 

[mcpiper]

sweet jezzzus! is that a V2??? I never realized the size of those things, 'kinda always thought it was closer in size to the V1 (buzz bomb)!?

The back of the photo says Holland 1945 V2

 

[ArtyMan]

Hard to tell but I cant see a hammer.

 

[gaff]

Walther Olympic or p38 prototype.

 

[ArtyMan]

Walther AP perhaps?

 

[smellie]

Has anyone thought of the Astra 600?

It was a shorty version of the 1921 Astra 400 but in 9mm Para.

Jerry bought a bunch of them from Franco.

Internal hammer, look like a hammerless. What looks to be a slightly-heavy barrel is actually the barrel casing containing the very light barrel itself and this humungous whacking great recoil spring. Critter had no locking mech whatever but it worked.

Its big brother is commonly called the "Water Pistol", handles just about anything that looks more or less like Largo...... or Steyr....... or .38 ACP....... Super is too hot for it.... many handle Para as well..... and Long....... and .380ACP and....... very versatile critters. Barrel on the 1921 was actually marked for Largo and .38ACP! This looks very like a short-barreled Water Pistol, which means that it looks like a 600.

Hope this helps.
.