Relying on a vintage handgun for SD/EDC.

I find the Tokarev to be pretty comfortable in the hand, and the small grip frame and thin overall width makes it easy to carry.
Utterly reliable, and flat shooting... I've hit the 100yd 10" steel plate with it.
Often serves as car pistol.

 

When I was first started out with handguns, I obtained from a friend of a friend an Astra Model 600. I use to carry it in an M8 shoulder holster, which I wore under a field jacket when my brother and I went hiking in the woods.

And that's about as vintage as it gets!

 

Can you imagine the look on a perps face if you pointed an A600 at him. He wouldn't know if it were a real gun, ray gun, pipe gun, or squirt gun!

 

My Colt Army Special is from 1921. It's in better shape than the Smith.

I didn't know that new guns counted. I've carried the 2" Model 10 a few times, but it's only from 1961/62.

Colt Army Special by Tallball posted Mar 4, 2018 at 11:08 AM

Smith And Wesson Model 10 Snub by Tallball posted Apr 20, 2020 at 4:18 PM

 

My wife’s grandpa carried his 1920s era .380 Remington Model 51 from then through the 1940s.
I carried it a few times as a car gun on road trips in the 1970s until purchasing a Ruger Service Six .357.

 

I would theoretically rely on most vintage guns to do the job fine for home defense. For carry though? I like mine too much to damage the finish with sweat. Carry (esp. concealed carry) is hard duty for a gun. I’d go with a Makarov.

 

Jar, is your '03 a parked original? That's a really nice Savage.
Have this conversation on the Walther Forum pretty often; biggest problem isn't ending up in an evidence locker, tho' that is a potential problem. More likely is simply wear on a pristine example, as well as dropping it. (On this last, have a minty Vest Pocket with concrete rash on its slide, and a 625 that crawled out of a shoulder rig...)
With the exception of dragging a pistol behind the Jeep with a log chain, few things are as hard on a gun as actually carrying it.
The original poster had a good list. Don't carry a minty old gun...at least I won't.
Moon

 

If you could deal with a heal clip mag release the PM would be a good choice.

 

I've carried one of my French 11 mm revolvers when checking my fence lines on occasion. Usually the model 1874 (pistol on top). The other is the model 1873. Shoot point of aim with a 200 gr. bullet.

 

I carry this regularly.

A handgun in good working order is viable regardless of age. I've seen new out of the box I wouldn't trust.

 

My EDC for many years. A 1959 manufactured S&W Model 36 five shot Chief's Special. Over the years I have attempted to replace it with something else but like a comfortable pair of old shoes it remains part of my every day attire. I do have a new to me 1979 manufactured S&W Model 10 six shot snub that I’m evaluating but I need more range time before I make a decision.

 

my on-watch, bedside piece is a rossi interarms 5-shot, 3”, j frame, 38sp loaded with wadcutters. it’s so old it’s not marked with a model #. it’s no collector’s piece but it’s tight and shoots fine.

 

Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner!

 

Had a Beretta 1934 and a Sauer and Sohn the same vintage but both stove-piped rounds regularly. Changed slide springs but same thing so I got rid of them. Really wanted to like them but not going to spend gunsmith dollars on them. Somebody who does want them can tinker.
P-38 on the other hand has been wonderful but these are WW2 guns. P-38 was made for quite some time after the war so maybe that qualifies?
P1 and P4 are post WW2 models.
Heck of a good gun anyway.

 

1957 Colt Agent

 

CZ-82 would be a great choice, and there's a nice one for sale now in the classifieds here, too. ;-)

It's compact, but fills the hand with its double-stack 12 round magazine. Ergonomic grip, enough power, pretty inexpensive and accurate, with its fixed barrel.

 

If I didn’t have several other K-frames that aren’t as old or sentimental, I would have no qualms carrying this post-war S&W M&P .38. My Great Uncle carried it as his duty gun from 1945 until he retired in 1965. (It has been reblued.)



Stay safe.

 

I would trust this firearm to fire and function more than any, unopened box, new firearm.



That said, I don’t trust much of anything that hasn’t proven itself and that thing has always worked vs never even been shot except to gather some evidence cases.

 

My carry guns look like crap after a few years of holster time. I wouldn't mind the idea of coming across a vintage gun with pre-existing holster wear, with a low round count on the innards. I've seen a few revolvers like this over the years, but they're almost always service gun sized.

But buying vintage gun in great condition? That's pretty much a range only shooter in my case. I don't like the idea of buying a beautimous classic gun and wearing the blue thin (grit, sweat, etc.) with a lot of holster time.

 

Like jmorris said, I would trust my old and reliable firearms ahead of any brand-new ones.

Firearms don't age like people or animals. If it hasn't been shot much, it hasn't been shot much. The service revolver that was designed to last 50,000 rounds is still good for 50,000 rounds even after it's been sitting in a sock drawer for 75 years. Clean it up and lube it good, and you're good to go. Replace the springs if it makes you happy.

On the other hand, some of them have been shot "some', but you don't know how much. That "sort of" worn service revolver might have been shot 45,000 rounds and was cleaned often and well taken care of. In 5,000 more rounds the frame is liable to be stretched out of spec or whatever. It could decide to stop working at a very inconvenient moment.

I just made up those numbers, but you get the idea.

 

A properly fitting holster should not wear the finish that much. The fit of the welt to the frame should hold the revolver in the holster without need for other retention gimmicks.

But, I understand your concern.

Kevin

 

Before and after a good cleanup but I bought an 80% finish gun that was super tight with the intention of using it. Don’t think it will get carried but it could go back in a drawer and provide good service. I agree with you. Some old guns are just too nice to subject to day to day wear. But cosmetically challenged guns need love too.

 

My '03 has a curious history; saw it in my LGS, great, if not perfect, condition. The looks were so good, didn't even look at the bore. Got it home, took it down, and the barrel was so bad that a bullet wold get lost.
Long story short; finally figured I'd seen the gun before; buddy of my dad's had had it, and shot it on New Years Eve. With blackpowder blanks.
Found another barrel at a gunshow; clean bore, perfect fit, happy camper!
Moon

 

I have one pistol that I can think of that I would not carry or use for self defense. It is my "Broom Handle" 96 Mauser. Mine simply isn't reliable enough.



For several years I did carry my CZ-45 in 25acp (not shown above but shown in the picture below). It was my first pocket gun. I bought the NAA Guardian in .32 acp when they came out and never carried the CZ-45 again but I still hang on to it. The CZ-52 in 30 Tokarev (picutred above) is a $79 gun that I had always considered carrying for its cool factor but I have always had a better suited carry piece.

For several years I used my M1 carbine for home protection. It was my first rifle bigger than a 22lr. The M1 carbine was mostly reliable until I replaced the springs on it and since then it has functioned flawlessly.

These days all my carry guns are plastic. The fire power per weight is considerably better with plastic than steel and my plastic guns have all been 100% reliable.



Most of my oldies have been tested pretty thoroughly in various wars and have proven themselves reliable to me so other than the C96 I would have no problem using them for self defense if I needed to. They wouldn't be my first choice though.