It's 1940, what's your CCW?
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MisterNoisy
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1911 and an attitude problem.
This is the TRUTH. .22, .32 and .38 caliber pocket pistols were most common. IF you had money you got yourself a S&W or Colt revolver. Most average joes carried Iver Johnson, Harrington & Richardson,Hopkins & Allen's, and many European copies. You had SA,DA, and DAO variant revolvers. Various barrel lengths, the snub/Bicycle guns are worth a bit if original. Longer 4" plus barrel guns are usually worth more today. These guns were amazing technology for the time. I LOVE the old top breaks because those and Bulldogs were the first mainstream pocket guns that resemble something of today.
.32S&W from what I have read and shot felt like a pop gun/22. If I read correctly its about the same as a ,22LR out of a rifle with a bigger hole. Five shots, .38S&W however is more like .32-.380ACP in power. I have no experience with the Colts. Most of us would be stuck with that, god forbid a .22LR version. Maybe cartridge conversion wheel guns, Solid frames/Young American/Bulldogs, I-Frames if you had more money, Spanish and Belgian copies if you didn't.
Automakers slowly gained foothold. I wouldn't feel underpinned with the revolver is all I am saying. .25 Automatic was a possible caliber for the time as well. .32 ACP as well as .380 were military standard for a while. .45ACP would probably be in short supply I would imagine with the war. .38 Super would be choice as well given availability.
BSA1
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The availability of handguns became a lot tighter after the British took a beating in France and had 300,000 soldiers with no small arms. Americans sent all manner of handguns to England with the promise they would get them back after the war.
OldFashioned
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1911. 1903 colt hammerless. Webley. Or a luger or FN1903
Unless you're a dame you'd never see this private dick outside of an overcoat.
lsudave
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I'd imagine
My grandfather had some guns from WW2, and he also had a nickel-plated .32 topbreak, I think it was also Iver Johnson. That stayed in the family, my aunt has it now.
I've picked up a Savage 1907, a Mauser 1914, and a CZ 27 in .32 acp. The CZ seems most accurate of the bunch, the Savage seems maybe the most durable and gives most capacity. If I could shoot it worth a flip that likely would be the choice, but I can barely keep it on paper. It's not the gun (accurate enough from a rest), it's the way the muzzle moves a bit when I shoot it.
I now have a second Mauser 1914 on the way.
Hmmm, I wasn't around back then, but I "ACTUALLY" have a Boston Bulldog in .38. Think it's Iver Johnson, lockup is really loose, one of the cylinder chambers is bad. If it were tighter, I could see it employed.
My grandfather had some guns from WW2, and he also had a nickel-plated .32 topbreak, I think it was also Iver Johnson. That stayed in the family, my aunt has it now.
I've picked up a Savage 1907, a Mauser 1914, and a CZ 27 in .32 acp. The CZ seems most accurate of the bunch, the Savage seems maybe the most durable and gives most capacity. If I could shoot it worth a flip that likely would be the choice, but I can barely keep it on paper. It's not the gun (accurate enough from a rest), it's the way the muzzle moves a bit when I shoot it.
I now have a second Mauser 1914 on the way.
OP
OP
NIGHTLORD40K
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someguy2800
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I think a lot of the people saying they would conceal carry a 1911 or a 1917 revolver are forgetting that concealed carry was illegal in most places so unless you wear a buttoned trench coat everyday, its not really that realistic to fully conceal something that size. That's why the little pocket pistols and revolvers were so popular back in the day. They could just be put in a pocket.
entropy
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I will respond with the fact that large suit coats of the type that are uncommon today were the usual style, and vertical shoulder carry of an 1911 or 1917 (the usual method) in one of those is not that difficult. (Having done so for a costumed stage play) Pinstriped suitcoats were the Hawiian shirts (or plaid 5.11 shirts) of the day back then. (Although Hawiian shirts had started to become popular in the 30's also....) Trenchcoats also weren't that uncommon then-now days they have an association with dissaffected youth, but I even wore a WWII USAAF trench coat to college in 1982, while carrying a 6" Trooper, to Law Enforcement classes, and was not made by 30-some Law E students and three different instructors, all of whom were former SPPD officers.
jeff-10
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Sherrif’s model SAA. 44-40.
Tallball
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I'm up too late and there were beverages.... What if I was fooling around sorting through my handguns, and somehow a time/space event put me into 1940? And what if all of my post-1940 firearms suddenly ceased to exist?
I would still have a few full-sized revolvers, a Mauser 1914 32acp, and a Colt 1903 32acp.
I don't prefer to count on 32acp for SD, but the Colt is a pretty nice pistol. The sights are tiny, but it's darned accurate at reasonable SD range. It's also very reliable.
I would still have a few full-sized revolvers, a Mauser 1914 32acp, and a Colt 1903 32acp.
I don't prefer to count on 32acp for SD, but the Colt is a pretty nice pistol. The sights are tiny, but it's darned accurate at reasonable SD range. It's also very reliable.
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Jeff22
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Probably a Colt Detective Special or a Colt M1903 (in .32 ACP) or (preferably) a Colt M1908 (in .380 ACP)
A Smith & Wesson M1917 or some variety of M1911 pistol might be attractive in cold weather when heavy clothing would allow you to hide a bigger gun
A Smith & Wesson M1917 or some variety of M1911 pistol might be attractive in cold weather when heavy clothing would allow you to hide a bigger gun
huntsman
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About that clothing, my old man was a farmer during the depression and like most in the country he wore bibs, even after the war when he quit farming.
I highly doubt men would do heavy labor with a 1911 stuffed in their pocket, no need to Ohio is an open carry state so just strap the sidearm on like it’s made for and slip a little pistol in the pocket like it’s made for.
I highly doubt men would do heavy labor with a 1911 stuffed in their pocket, no need to Ohio is an open carry state so just strap the sidearm on like it’s made for and slip a little pistol in the pocket like it’s made for.
entropy
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Even if it was so in 1940, I'll bet it wasn't widely known, and certainly not practiced, particularly in urban areas. Up until very recently, (c. 2004) carrying openly in WI would get you proned out on the ground, and WI has had legal open carry since statehood in 1848. It still might, if openly carrying a long gun (also legal since 1848) in an urban or suburban area.
someguy2800
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Well I don’t live in the city and don’t work in an office. You can’t make me wear a coat unless it less than 40 degrees and only outside, and I only dress up for church and funerals. So I’d have most likely had a blue collar job and been wearing something like this everyday.
Not sure what was available for holsters in the day but I’d most likely be pocket carrying or not at all. A holster inside a pair of overalls would work nice
Not sure what was available for holsters in the day but I’d most likely be pocket carrying or not at all. A holster inside a pair of overalls would work nice
huntsman
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Ohio’s OC dates back to the 1890’s and I have no doubt the laws in more populated areas were applied differently than in the country, but I can remember riding my bike or motorcycle with the .22 on my belt while trapping back in the 70’s without issue.
If money was an issue both Iver Johnson (their 1900) and Harrington and Richardson (their models 4 and 5) were available in .32 S&W , 32 S&W Long and .38 S&W for less than $9 from Stoeger in 1939.
Sistema1927
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And as I stated previously, $9 was a lot of money for the men who were enlisting for $21 per month.
someguy2800
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I believe that was only for the first 4 months. The median income in 1940 was $80 a month. Surely most people could find a way to afford a gun that was 1/9th of there monthly salary. I have bought guns that were 2 weeks pay.
Yea, but do you have the legs for those boots?
Sistema1927
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Median means that 1/2 of the folks were making less than that, sometimes much less.
This is all an academic exercise, and we can dream that everyone back then was in the same moat as many of us today, but they didn't call it the "Great Depression" for nothing (and note that most of what FDR did prolonged that calamity and it was only our entry into WW2 that turned the economy around).
someguy2800
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Yeah there was poor people then and there are poor people now. I think its silly to infer that most people couldn't have afforded a gun. There were companies churning out guns by the hundreds of thousands and someone was buying them. Yes perhaps some of the guns in this thread would have been rather expensive for some people as many guns are now.
kBob
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Another thing to keep in mind.....those $9 top breaks and such were new gun prices in 1940. When was the last time you paid current new gun prices for a used shooter?
Also keep in mind that it WAS the depression and so bartering was not unheard of as well. What then was a 30 year old top break in the sock drawer might be worth more for trade than as a bed side pacifier in some folks minds.
-kBob
Also keep in mind that it WAS the depression and so bartering was not unheard of as well. What then was a 30 year old top break in the sock drawer might be worth more for trade than as a bed side pacifier in some folks minds.
-kBob
RedlegRick
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And one can't discount the fact someone may have been loaned or gifted with a weapon either. My late uncle Don went to Europe with his uncle's old .32 revolver in his duffel bag. I saw it once when I was a kid, don't know the make, but it bounced around the family for decades until one of my cousins got it taken away over something stupid. I only knew is was that caliber because I was told, so take that part with a grain of salt
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