handguns that made history...

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simonrichter

New member
with all the fuss about the beginning of WWI 100 yrs ago, there is of course also a lot on the media about the assassination of the Archduke in Sarajevo.

He was killed with a FN 1910, 7,65mm / .32 ACP.

I just wondered about the makings and calibers of other handguns that made history, be it for being used or just carried by an important person (e.g. I often wondered what gun Saddam Hussein used to carry...?)
 
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4V50 Gary

Staff
The little Deringer used by John W. Boothe to kill Lincoln is displayed at Ford's Theatre. The bullet itself is at the Army Hospital.
 
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highpower3006

New member
I will never have enough money to actually own a history-making gun, but I can scrape up enough to have a few that were there during historical events like WWI.

1914 Springfield Armory 1911 with a 1916 Sears holster.
IMG_2619-XL.jpg


1913 Luger, all matching except for the magazine.
IMG_2964-XL.jpg


I can imagine both of these being in France at some point prior to the end of hostilities on 11-11-1918, although I don't have any real history on either of them.
 
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spacecoast

New member
Rather than just show old guns likely used in wartime, I think the point of the thread is to identify/show examples of specific guns that were used in events like historic assassinations, etc. For instance, McKinley was assassinated with an Iver-Johnson revolver in .32 S&W.

According to the following article, the Archduke was assassinated with a 1910 Browning in .380 (not vouching for the correctness of the article, but it does explain that this model has interchangeable .32/.380 barrels).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_by_assassination
 
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bedbugbilly

New member
The "Bulldog" that was used to shoot President McKinley in 1901 while he was at the Columbia Exposition in New York. This has always kind of fascinated me as my grandfather was on the New York Harness Racing Circuit at that time and was at the Columbian Exposition when this occurred. (He raced horses in the late 1800s up until mourd 1910 or so.).

At the time, my grandfather was 34 years old. He told my Dad that after the shooting, "everything was shut down" and they couldn't go anywhere as all trains were stopped as well. They shipped the horses, harnesses and sulky by train from one race location to another. It was days before the trains resumed their normal schedules. He returned home later that fall and married my grandmother in January of 1902 - she was 18 years old and had taught school for one year in a one room school. They were married for 61 years until my grandfather passed away at the age of 97 in 1963. I have some souvenirs he brought back from the Columbia Exposition and have always looked for a "Bulldog" identical to the one used but have never run across one.
 
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bamaranger

New member
more

Seems like I read somewhere that the NPS recently reacquired a revolver that was stolen from a display about 20 years ago that belonged to Teddy Roosevelt. LE got a tip it was in a private collection somewhere. Not sure if it was a San Jaun Hill gun or not, but THAT revolver is of note to me.

So to, the 1911's used by Alvin York and Herman Hanneken. Seems like the York serial # is known but neither the handgun (or rifle) is accounted for.

Any of the Patton handguns, same same.

Let me think some more.
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Given the OP - did what Patton carry actually influence history? I think that's the question as compared to cool guns being carried and not really doing anything.
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
The gun used by Gavrilo Princip at Sarajevo was a Browning 1910, but not in 7.65mm. It was in 9mm Kurz (.380 ACP) caliber, serial number 19074. The other three guns used by the four assassins were 19075, 19120 and 19126, all in 9mm Kurz.

All four assassins died of disease in prison before the war they had helped to start was over.

Jim
 
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simonrichter

New member
Given the OP - did what Patton carry actually influence history?
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not actually, but Pattons appearance was kind of iconic for the era, and his sidearm definitely played its part in this appearance
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Some folks are not getting yet - the OP is about a specific gun that's presence or usage actually and directly seemed to influence a major historical path.

Irrelevant entries are deleted.

One could argue that the 1911 that failed to function for the Manson family member when she attempted to kill Pres. Ford altered history as IIRC we would have had President Rockefeller. After his defeat of candidate Carter he successfully handled the Iran Hostage crisis and led us into a golden age of prosperity and Pax Americana.
 
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SHE3PDOG

New member
Gabby Giffords, a noteable gun control advocate, was shot in Tucson, AZ with a Glock 19. Perhaps her views would not be held in the public eye for so long if it weren't for that event.

For the guitarists out there, Dimebag Darrell was shot on stage with a Beretta 92FS. That might not mean much to everyone, but the shooting was held in the public eye for a while.
 
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Tom Servo

Staff
Gabby Giffords, a noteable gun control advocate, was shot in Tucson, AZ with a Glock 19.
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I'd venture that the magazine was more publicized than the gun that housed it in that case.

Bobby Kennedy was shot with an Iver-Johnson .22, and the supposed ease with which Sirhan Sirhan acquired it was used as justification for the 1968 GCA.
 
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