Clandestine weapons so clandestine, they never were. Thanks OSS! (click on above link to be re-directed to source page) A really interesting read with some awesome links to other articles. Stay Alert, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!
Category: WW2 Era Weapons
Military Weapons From The Past: DeLisle Commando Carbine
Blast from the Past: DeLisle Commando Carbine (click on above title link to be re-directed to Source Page) Talk about the authentic “Silent but Deadly Sentry Killer” this was it. Chambered in .45 ACP and able to accept 1911 Mags, it was the ultimate in battlefield practicality for SOE operatives and Partisans during WW2. Stay Alert,…
World War II History: Normandy Tank Museum Selling Off Inventory
For Sale: D-Day Tanks and Equipment (click on above title link to be re-directed to source page) When I read things like this as an historian it makes me a bit sad. These are tangible pieces of American Military history and they belong in a place where the public can enjoy them, and future generations…
Military Weapons From the Past: Japanese ZH-29 Copy
This is a really interesting one for all you WW2 and Weapons buffs. Ever wonder why more countries did not successfully field large numbers of Semi-Auto Infantry rifles like the U.S. did with the M1 Garand in WWII? Listen Up! You Can Read More About This at Forgotten Weapons
Military Weapons From the Past: Himmler’s Sniper Presentation Sauer 38H Pistol
This pistol on display here is a Sauer model 38H (a much more common pistol in German WWII service than many people realize) that was made specially as a presentation piece. Heinrich Himmler presented these pistols to snipers who had killed 100 enemy soldiers – other prizes were offered for 50 (a leave from the…
Military Weapons From The Past: Smallest Guy Gets The BAR?
One of the most beloved and hated weapons of World War II was the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Another of John Browning’s classic designs, it was literally the first Squad Automatic Weapon. Though it lives on in weapon lore, like we said earlier, it had its detractors. World War II Marine William Manchester wrote in…
World War II Era Weapons: The Spy Pistol Used To Resist Nazi Occupation
Equipped with an effective silencer and easily taken apart to hide its true purpose, the Welrod was the perfect pistol for resistance operatives in Nazi-occupied Europe. The Welrod is one of the best-remembered pieces of real-life James Bond gear manufactured by Special Operations Executive. SOE was a clandestine department set up in 1940 in the…
Know Your Weapons: The CIA Probably Still Uses Some of the High Standard Spy Pistols It Bought During World War II
A suppressed .22-caliber “Wetwork” weapon that never needed replacing When the United States entered World War II, the Pentagon quickly bought up all the stocks it could find of .22LR target pistols — a .22-caliber handgun that fires a rifle-style cartridge—for training purposes. But the British Special Operations Executive was already using suppressed versions of similar weapons in combat….
Military Weapons From The Past: The Suppressed M1 Carbine
Much of the history behind the suppressed M1 carbine remains unclear. Great Britain’s Royal Small Arms Factory apparently developed this quiet version of the iconic M1 for the U.S. Office of Strategic Service and the British Special Operations Executive, probably between 1943 and 1945. Based on standard receivers built by General Motors’ Inland Division, the…
Military Weapons From The Past: The P-08 Luger
If there is one handgun that everyone knows on sight, it is the Luger P-08 (aka “Pistole Parabellum“). It definitely has the ergonomics and angled grip everyone wants in a true target pistol, and was the basis for Bill Ruger’s first .22 Auto. Originally designed in 7.65mm or .30 Luger, a bottlenecked cartridge that feeds…