Best pistol of World War 2

Good weapon..l prefer the Hi-Power but not a bad piece at all...particularly those pre-WW2 manufacture...why do you have one?...

 

I'm not a ".45 nut" myself, but during WW II nothing that I'm aware of could hold a candle to it, unless somewhere they used .45 revolvers (better in mud, no need to worry about jams). Even today's 9mm's just don't have the power to get the job done on a reliable basis, and that's with much better ammo than a standard wartime FMJ. I'd rather have two hits and five misses with a .45 than 7 hits and 8 misses with a 9mm.

 

Hmm. If had the choice of facing someone armed with a .45 who could score only 28% hits or someone armed with a 9mm who could score 46% (and could fire twice as often, and more quickly) I reckon I'd take my chances against the .45....

TW

 

Wasn't the Webley (in one version, at least) a .45?

 

Two versions, actually. The .455 revolver was standard British Army issue in WW1 and still in use in WW2. There was also a Webley .455 Auto (using different semi-rimmed ammo) used by the RN in both World Wars, IIRC.

I think that some M1911 may also have been rechambered for the .455 Auto ammo, although that's going on rather distant memory.

TW

 

If you want high power in 9mm calibre, try the Astra family in "9mm Largo". If they're in god condition, they can chamber almost any 9mm ammo without any modification. Here is called "el puro" (the cigar). You see why.

 

Nope! But my french uncle does! he promised hed hand it to me when im 20 . Not muchtime from now. Im willing to wait!

 

It's worth the wait.!!Hope you enjoy the weapon...Firing at 25 and 50 yards, l found it as accurate as the Browning Hi-power and the Colt .45..the groupings were almost identical..seven out of seven within a 71/2, and 8 inch-radius....

 

Kellhound, isnt this pistol a development of the Campo Giro mod. 1913? It has a well earned reputation for accuracy..Here, because of its appearance it was called "The Spanish water pistol"..but those that own one love it!
I am attaching an actual photo of one of my own pistols-a HAFDASA (Hispano Argentia Fabrica de Automobiles S.A) 11,35 mm-(45 ca. ACP) more commonly known as the "Ballester Molina"). It was manufactured for the Argentine Army as the mod. 1938 beginning in 1939. I keep the BAlleter Molina and my Browning Hi-Power here at the Club, since we have a 50 yard pistol range in the basement...The Ballester Molina was exported to England during WW2 (25,000 units) as well as to Bolivia, Chile, colombia, Paraguay. Peru and Uruguay. It is a simplified version of the Colt mod. 1911A1, but it is a bit more accurate, and is renowned for its reliability and because it functions under the most adverse circumstances...

 

So the argentines actually outperformed the Colt.co in perfecting the 1911 ?! Thats nice ! :smok:

 

For what i know, most Astras 300 and 400 series are in the USA.
:kill:

 

Believe it or not it did..l have a copy of a US Military Attache Report-(dated 1944) The attache actually visited the HAFDASA plant and proof tested oine of the pistols of the batch earmarked for England..There is also an article on a US magazine which l could scan for you is you wish... l find little (if any) diifference in performance between the HAFDASA and the Colt 1911A1 l keep at home..even while using raunchy reloads provided by a friend..

:smok:

 

Wasnt the Astra provided to the Condor lLEgion and later on exported to Germany?

 

The Astras used by "Legion Condor" were from stocks captured to the Republicans when tha factories fell in Nationalist hands.
A big lot (almost 100.000) of Astra models in several calibres was sent later in the war to Germany, because they didn't had enough pistols available, even with the ones taken from conquered countries.
When i could move to my new home all books and magazines i still keep at my parents house i'll search for an article about this lot, featuring an Astra engraved for a Luftwaffe officer.

Big photos follow (or should i post only the links? Webmasters help?):




:-? I already owe many photos and scans to this forum.

 

Here's a photo of one of the other guns l keep here at the club; a Browning Hi-Power 9 mm Parabellum-

 

AH! The Hi-Power brings back memories. All of the Hi-Powers I ever miked had oversize barrels (including the more modern Mk3 versions) at .357 inch. FMJ 9mm rounds mike at .355 and oddly enough Lugers, Walther and the Finnish Lahti 9mm pistols all had barrels that miked at .355

The luger was the most prone to jamming of these followed by the Lahti then Walther so the Browning would be my choice. As for the .45 my own experience and other club members was that it jammed more often than the Hi - Power. (This with factory ammo). The Webley revolvers with the .455 had a good heavy round and were quite accurate in single action but less so in double.

The Webley - Fosberry was prone to jamming if too much dirt got on the grooves on the cylinder but was pretty accurate too.
On the few times that I tried a Radom I found it quite user friendly with less habit of jamming than the luger and as accurate when bench tested.

Sheesh, i'm getting old to blether like this. :bang:

 

Cholbert what.45 model did you have?l have a Webbley Mk.5 at home, a gift from a friend-but l am not really a fan of revolvers...The Ballester Molina that l posted earlier by the way, has one interesting feature- a detachable barrel for the .22 long rifle round...as well as aproper clip for that ammo...l agree as far as the Radom, particular the pre-war models-as far the 45, l must say that l have not experienced jamming on either moderl, though many misfires on both factory ammo and reloads-l did have my share with the Hi-Power (Belgian-made) in both cases..

Best Regards!

 

I never had a .45acp of my own just used those of members of clubs I was in. The models varied and I always remember the hassle we had with the long slide. A lot of the action shooters preferred the .45 as the larger round allowed them to make "Major" category without overcharging rounds.

My own Webleys were a MKVI, MkIII .38 Pocket (4"barrel) revolver with small grip and the 1910 .32 acp pistol.

In 5 years with the HI Power I never experienced a jam in feeding rounds and I put through on average 5-6,000 rounds a year on it. Very little of that was factory as I made my own (more accurate that way and a good deal cheaper).

Oddly, me favourite pistol was a .25acp Clements (made in Belgium circa 1908) followed by the succesor to the Webley .32, a Mauser 1914 .32acp.

 

The members of our group, like all other shooters try each others' guns as well-each ussually carries at least two guns-Weather permitting, we shot twrce a month-and spend an average of 600-1000 rounds per head..I've fired SIG-Auer 225s, SW .38 (4 and 6 inch barrels) Snub nose models, Python.357, SW .44 Magnu, a Sweddish-made LAthi, :ugers (7,65mm and 9 mm ropund) a Taurus 92-A member of our group reloads for us at cost, (and several rounds at the local tavern afterwards!) he's quite good at it. He''s even done well with the Tokarev 1933 7,62mm l brought from Vietnam..

 

Pity our laws are so restrictive about handguns.

I envy you.