Sunday Showcase Recap

Recap on The 8/25 Sunday Showcase

The Polish M44 carbine, also known as the Karabinek wz. 1944, is a distinctive piece of military hardware from the mid-20th century. Developed during World War II, this carbine is a modified version of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant M91/30 rifle, adapted for Polish use. Characterized by its shorter barrel and overall compact design, the M44 was designed to be more maneuverable in close combat while still delivering the powerful 7.62x54mmR round. It features a folding bayonet, a practical addition for hand-to-hand combat and utility. Its robust build and reliability made it a favored weapon among Polish forces during and after the war, reflecting both the historical military collaborations and conflicts of the era.

The Colt Storekeeper's Model, with only 280 units ever produced in Nickel, is a highly sought-after and rare variation of the iconic Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolver. This limited production run significantly enhances its value and desirability among collectors and firearm enthusiasts. The scarcity of this model means that each piece holds a unique place in the history of Colt firearms, making it a prized acquisition for those who appreciate the blend of historical significance, rarity, and craftsmanship. This model is distinguished by its shorter barrel length, which was designed to provide increased portability and ease of concealment. The compact size made it particularly practical for storekeepers and individuals needing a reliable and quickly accessible sidearm for close-quarters defense. Despite its smaller size, the Storekeeper's Model maintains the robust construction and reliability characteristic of the Colt SAA. It features a single-action mechanism, requiring the hammer to be manually cocked before each shot, ensuring precision and control. Typically chambered in .45 Colt, the revolver holds six rounds, balancing firepower with manageable recoil. The combination of its historical context, limited production, and exceptional craftsmanship makes the Colt Storekeeper's Model a treasured piece in any firearm collection. Its rarity means that each unit is a significant artifact, representing a unique chapter in Colt's storied legacy. For collectors, owning one of these 280 revolvers is not just about possessing a firearm but about holding a piece of history that reflects the innovation and quality synonymous with the Colt name.

In the 1960s, Walther produced the PPK-L, which was a lightweight variant of the PPK. The PPK-L differed from the standard, with all steel PPKs having an aluminum alloy frame. These were only chambered in 7.65mm Browning (.32 ACP) and .22 LR because of the increase in felt recoil from the lighter weight of the gun. All other features of the postwar production PPK (brown plastic grips with Walther banner, high polished blue finish, lanyard loop, loaded chamber indicator, 7+1 magazine capacity and overall length) were the same on the PPK-L. The letter L in the name of this model of the pistol just meant light alloy, but in this case it was not just aluminum. In many cases, aluminum turned out to be a very soft and not strong enough metal for its use in engineering. For this reason, “resistant” aluminum (from the Latin durus) was created in Germany. Today, solid aluminum alloy is officially called duralumin, it is widely known under the brand name Dural. The company Carl Walther in Ulm used this alloy not only for the manufacture of Walther PPK-L pistol grip arms but also for post-war P38 (P1) pistols, TPH, P5, and a number of other weapon models. These PPK-L models with the dural frame are considered to be very sought after by many firearm collectors.

The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911 for the original model adopted in March 1911, and Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 for the improved M1911A1 model, which entered service in 1926. The designation changed to Pistol, Caliber .45, Automatic, M1911A1 in the Vietnam War era. M1911 was designed by John Browning, the M1911 is the best-known of his designs to use the short recoil principle in its basic design. Many companies widely copied the pistol, and this operating system rose to become the preeminent type of the 20th century and of nearly all modern centerfire pistols. It is one of the most popular with civilian shooters in competitive events such as the International Defensive Pistol Association and the International Practical Shooting Confederation.