Do any of you have your Grandfather's service revolvers or pistols?

[Ridge Runner]

My grandfathers South Pacific weapons

I do not own any of his guns, but I do have his KABAR knife and brass knuckles that he carried in the South Pacific.

 

[Sato Ord]

Mine isn't really my father's service pistol, he served guarding prisoners in Camp Crowder during WWII, and had to turn in any weapons he had when he ETS'd. I'd love to have his old service weapon, he was issued a Thompson!!! My grandfather wasn't in the service, though my great grandfather served for the entire duration of the Civil War, and I would love to have gotten the old cavalry pistol he carried when he was a courier in the First Maine.

However, a friend of my father's brought back a Walther P-38 he took off of an SS officer he shot while liberating the camps. That friend gave my father the pistol for rebuilding his cast iron torgue-flight transmission in his Dodge. My father cherished that pistol, it was the only pistol he even wanted to own (he was more a fan of long guns, and especially shot guns for home/self defense).

I still fire the pistol and will until it ceases to work due to wear. However, it is well made and does not show any signs of slowing down in its old age, so I believe I will be using it for some time to come. However, with the current state of the political situation I am going to retire it as my defense weapon, I would be heart broken if I lost the thing because I had to shoot some jackass with it because he broke into my house and climbed over my dog to get to me or my family. I'm going to a modern, more easily replaced weapon for that purpose.

My gun collection is low right now, I lost several weapons to my ex-wife when I divorced her. To quote a line from a Segal movie "I love giving away all of my possessions, it makes me feel really spiritual!":banghead:

Incidentally, I have to buy a new shotgun, too. The Remmington I now keep by my bed was also my father's, and it was his second favorite weapon.

 

[RyanM]

However, with the current state of the political situation I am going to retire it as my defense weapon, I would be heart broken if I lost the thing because I had to shoot some jackass with it because he broke into my house and climbed over my dog to get to me or my family. I'm going to a modern, more easily replaced weapon for that purpose.

I think you can still get P-38s in decent condition for under $300. Why put all that trigger time and muscle memory to waste?

 

[jt1]

S&W Victory model given to me by my uncle who was a WWII Seabee. The full story is here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=320162

 

[19-3Ben]

My grandfather was in WW2 (the big one) and actually brought back a few Mauser handguns (says my father).
Unfortunately, it seems he sold them to a friend in the mid 1960's. They made my british grandmother uncomfortable and he was not really a gun guy anyway.
I wish my father had some idea of who he sold the guns to. But my grandfather is gone, and my dad didn't really care at the time.
Dad's not an LEO or military guy, but some day, (LONG LONG in the future i hope) I'll get his guns. He doesn't have many, but it'll be two pistols and a shotgun that I'd never let go of.

 

[Sato Ord]

"I think you can still get P-38s in decent condition for under $300. Why put all that trigger time and muscle memory to waste?"

I don't mind putting in more time with another pistol. I like to shoot.

As far as getting another P-38, you're right there are plenty of them out there, one point two million of them were made during the second world war, and I think Walther was still making the P-38 into the 1990's so they are quite readily available.

However, it is definitely not my first choice as a carry weapon. It just happens to be the only pistol I own right now until I pick up my new (slightly used) Bersa on the 5th (I bought it the same day the guy traded it in and the gun shop has to hold it for two weeks).

The problems with the Walther as a carry weapon are do to its size and shape. It's chunky, has a log barrel profile for an autoloader, and the front sight snags on clothing easily. It's made as a military side arm, that's how it is best carried. If I were going to carry it I would just as soon go back to carrying my old Vaquero (gone these many years). Alternatively, if I carry an autoloader that large I may as well go to a full sized 1911, especially since the Walther can have problems with feeding anything other than full jacketed ball rounds.

I know, you can use jacketed hollow points and polish the feeding ramp, but still, that requires that I have the feeding ramp polished. If I am going to buy another gun anyway, I may as well get one that doesn't come to me needing work.

All of that being said, the P-38 can't be beat for sweet shooting accuracy. I love the weapon. Just not for carrying under my shirt.

I haven't actually applied for my concealed weapons permit yet, and simply carry my gun in my car. I should get around to applying soon and then I'll make the final decision as to my carry weapon. For home defense, as I stated in another thread, my first line weapon is a 12 gauge and the pistol is just back up.

 

[Run&Shoot]

My grandfather was not a poiiceman or in the service, but I have his Colt 1903 .25 pocket auto, and my brother has his 1894 (circa 1916) Winchester 94 .30 WCF. Great memorials of a tough, kind man.

 

[HRT]

I have my Grandfather's S&W 1917 in 45 ACP that he and his son, my Uncle carried as they traded terms as Sheriff in Leake County MS during the 30's through early 50s. This is the same pistol that after busting a still with the Feds my Uncle shot the heard off a water mocasin at about 50 yds. To quote my Uncle "I made a point never to shoot around that man again..." Unfortunatley this pistol has been shot with considerable military ammo that had corrosive primers so the barrel is in very poor condition. But it is a family heirloom that gets shot occassionally.

 

[andrewdl007]

I have a French .32ACP my grandfather brought back from WWII. A friend of mine has her grandfathers 1911A1 he carried in WWII as well as the .380 colt he recieved when he became a GeneraL.

 

[TIMC]

This is the only one of my grandfathers guns I have.
1st generation Colt Peacemaker made somewhere around 1906-07.

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

I have my Grandpa's old Iver Johnson Champion .410. It isn't in great condition, and I haven't ever shot it.
I also have a Colt Single Action Frontier Scout that belonged to him.
It was given to him, by my grandmother, on their first anniversary.
The only service he was in was service to the Lord. He was a preacher for 37 years, I think. He passed away in 2005.

 

[dtown240]

I have my GREAT-Grandfather's Service Revolver from when he was in the Grosse Pointe Police Auxiliary in 1968. With it, I have his original state "safety inspection" card, the Warranty card, box, vapor paper, and holster.

 

[HungSquirrel]

None of them are "duty" weapons, but I have lots of heirlooms from my grandfather and great-grandfather, including a (non-working) pepperbox.