{"id":4966,"date":"2020-04-23T21:20:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-23T21:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=4966"},"modified":"2020-04-30T00:55:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T00:55:21","slug":"world-war-i-pistols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/world-war-i-pistols\/","title":{"rendered":"World War I Pistols"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally designed as a weapon to be used by cavalry, the pistol became the principal weapon for an assortment of personnel during World War One. While standard issue to officers on both sides of the war, militaries around the world issued the pistol to tank crews, military police, and airmen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pistols were the only weapons that were practical in tight spaces. The confined environments of both armored vehicles and aircraft made the use of rifles all but impossible for tank operators and airmen.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the war started in 1914, three types of pistols were in use: revolvers, clip-loaded automatics, and the<\/span> blowback<\/span> models in which a propellant gas force the bolt back after firing, causing the gun to reload.<\/span><\/p>\n

Historically, armies typically manufactured their own standard issue pistols using contractors. However, material and manufacturing shortages dictated militaries would have to put other models to use on the battlefield.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are just some of those pistols that filled a need during the Great War:<\/span><\/p>\n

Colt Model 1917 (New Service)<\/b><\/h4>\n
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Colt created the M1917 revolver to supplement the low supply of M1911 pistols during World War I.<\/p><\/div>\n

The American Army lacked quite a bit in the area of fighting equipment, including small arms when it entered World War 1 in 1917. As a result, the U.S. Army commissioned two arms manufacturers\u2014Colt and Smith & Wesson–to produce a six-shot revolver, designated the M1917, that would use a .45 ACP cartridge<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some years earlier, Colt introduced their “New Service Model” revolver. It fired .45 Long Colt cartridges. The Army eventually accepted the into service as the M1909. Colt used this gun and bored its cylinders to accommodate .45 ACP cartridges to meet the needs of the Army.<\/span><\/p>\n

The M1917 barrel measured 5.5 inches while its overall length was 10.8 inches. The trigger ring was combined into the receiver. It included<\/span> double-action trigger assembly<\/span><\/a> and a rear notch sight. The total weight of the revolver was 2.5 pounds with a muzzle velocity of 760 feet-per-second.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luger P08<\/b><\/h4>\n
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The full German name of the P08 model is, “Parabellum Pistole Modell Von 1908.”<\/p><\/div>\n

Without a doubt, the German Luger was the most famous wartime pistol. While it became iconic in World War 2, the origin of the Luger dates back to before World War 1 when Hugo Borchardt designed them. Later, Georg Luger enhanced the design and the “Luger” designation took hold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also referred to as the P08, the Luger was initially chambered to fire 7.65mm rounds. However, by 1908 the pistol was chambered for the better known 9 x19mm Parabellum cartridge. It had an 8-round detachable magazine. The Luger weighs in at about 2 pounds with a muzzle velocity of 1300 feet-per-second.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Luger P08 enjoyed a reputation for reliability, even with a relatively complicated locking device. That complication made it difficult for factories to produce in mass quantities that the world needed during war time. But, a\u00a0variety of companies<\/a>\u00a0manufactured the P08 up until 1942 when the Walther P38 replaced it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nagant Model 1895<\/b><\/h4>\n
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The unique “gas-seal” system allows you to fire the M1895 revolver suppressed.<\/p><\/div>\n

Always short of revolvers during the war, Russian officers were often forced to make do with whatever they could find. Officially, however, the\u00a0Imperial Russian Army designated the Belgian-designed Nagant Model 1895 its standard sidearm. The seven-shot service revolver came on the scene in 1894 when Leon Nagant earned a patent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The M1895 had many of the design features of revolvers in other countries:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n