Rare Inglis Pistol?

[canuck]

Canuck - are there any signs of file marks in the slot? If this was done by a 'smith, there may have been a cutter ground to do the slot to final dimensions without fitting, but it would be more likely that the slot would have needed a bit of adjustment. But if a machinist were going to do more than one, then making a proper cutter would be standard practice.

No, just the tool marks, and to be honest - I'd never noticed the difference in the tool marks between the guns until Claven2 mentioned it.
The shoulder stocks/holsters fit the same in all the guns as well, that is no looseness, lock up tight, etc.

 

[GrantR]

Pretty late serial for that isn't it?

No, not really ... If anything, it struck me as possibly a wee bit early for a No.1/No.2 hybrid ... if slotted frames weren't diverted into production of No. 2 pistols until No. 1 production had completely ceased.

The Chinese contract was cancelled in September 1944, but Inglis continued producing CH-numbered No. 1 pistols well into October/44 - 7,920 of them in September and 16,075 in October, with the last CH series pistol produced in October 1944 being serial number 1CH6576. The final No. 2 serial number produced in October 1944 was 3T6723 - which would seem to indicate that they were already diverting slotted frames into No. 2 production before the end of Oct/44, judging by the serial number of the GunsAmerica offering (3T3952).

This information comes from the Inglis production records summarized in Ch 19 of Clive Law's Inglis Diamond.

My best guess about the reason for manufacture of so many No.1 pistols after cancellation of the Chinese contract: "production momentum", followed by the need to use up No. 1 slides and frames which had already been made, or were in production. The known hybrids may simply have been the result of there being more slotted frames on hand than there were tangent-sighted slides to mate with them.

Interestingly, there was apparently no production of either model during November 1944, then production of No. 2 pistols resumed in December 1944. (In fact, there were no pistols produced during February, March or May of 1945, either.) With the renewal of the Chinese contract, production of both models resumed with a vengeance in June of 1945 - almost 85,000 pistols produced June-October, 1945

 

[stencollector]

Do the slides interchange? What would stop someone from digging up a Mk2 slide, engraving the serial, and mating it up to another frame?

Wouldn't work, because the mk1 frame would have a CH type serial number.

I had one of these slotted no2s a few years back. I got rid of it because I didn't like that it was non-standard. I wanted the same pistol as was issued everyday in the CF. I've heard of some slotted ones in the CF, but never seen one.

UNDERSTAND THAT 67 MODELS WERE FINISHED THIS WAY

Seems like the texas gunstore has some incredible research capabilities. I bet they could find Jimmy Hoffa.
I notice that in none of the 5 pictures do they actually show the slot. The serial number seems a bit high but between Inglis and LongBranch, I've learned to never say never.

 

[recce]

The RCD in Pet have one with a slotted grip.