Carry a curio?

[CountryGent]

Not long ago I was looking for a very lightweight carry revolver for day hikes and such. I was very tempted by a smaller format Webley Mark Ⅳ in .32 S&W Long I found on Gunbroker:



However, as I was looking for something in one of the "magnum" cartridges (e.g., .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum) and since older guns are a bit like rolling the dice, I went with a contemporary Smith & Wesson revolver made of alloys. (Though I kind of kick myself for not bidding on the little top-break, the Smith is working out so far. Including a vigorous walk today.)

Between that and a recent thread in which various C&R carry pieces have been mentioned, it got me to thinking of the topic. Using the standard definition in these here United States ...

1. Firearms manufactured at least 50 years prior the current date, but not including replicas thereof;
2. Firearms certified by the curator of a municipal, state, or federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; and
3. Firearms which derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, or bizarre or from the fact of their association with some historical figure, period, or event.

Any C&R handguns you carry on such outings? Thanks for sharing.

To answer my own question, off the top of my head, the only one that comes to mind that I might is a Webley Ⅳ in .38/200 (or .38 S&W). I haven't carried it afield, but is rather a (relatively) quiet, low-recoil revolver I sometimes shoot outside home office.

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[Ben B.]

Star BM made between 1972 and 1975. Occasionally.

 

[Ben B.]

Also, I used to keep a .32 Long Hand Ejector 3rd Model handy. It was made in the 1930s, IIRC.

 

[shibbershabber]

Carried a Bulgarian surplus Makarov for years

 

[orygun]

I haven't carried an "old" gun on a daily basis for quite a while, but there certainly many that I would.
Either the Colt Police Positive Special or the Combat Masterpiece I used to have are perfect examples.
I have a little Armi Galesi that I would carry on occasion, but I haven't been able to get it internally clean so that it functions properly. I think it was repeatedly sprayed down with WD-40 and I still haven't gotten the gooey-ness out of it.
We also have a Makarov and that surely qualifies.
But the real player at our house is my wife's grandfather's Colt 1908. He was a conductor for the railroad and it's what he carried when working.
I actually should carry it sometime...

 

[Ben B.]

That 1908 is great, both the pistol and the provenance.

 

[WAYNO]

Back in the day, I regularly carried this Iver Johnson in .38 S&W. It's all I had and I could afford nothing more. I'll likely never carry it ever again, but if I had to, I can still count on it. This revolver always shot very well.


I do regularly carry Security Sixes or Speed Sixes. Some of mine are past the 50-year era and some of them are quickly approaching.





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[Outpost75]

My carries are all pre-1980 Colts which get armorer inspected yearly during requals.

 

[Thebeard89]

1971 Colt Cobra

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Colt 1903 in 32 acp for awhile and a Brazilian 1917 with moon clips, sold them both, would love to have them back but knowing me I would probably just sell them again a year of so after getting them back

 

[Thebeard89]

Colt 1903 in 32 acp for awhile and a Brazilian 1917 with moon clips, sold them both, would love to have them back but knowing me I would probably just sell them again a year of so after getting them back

Did you carry the 1903 with one in the chamber?

 

[Moeca]

Both of these Hi-powers have seen carry time on occasion.
The one with Pachmayr's on it was a rebuild from Israel with dove tailed slide that I put new sights on so it sees more carry time.
The other is a T series.
They have kinda of fallen out of the rotation but this thread reminded me how nice they are to carry.

 

[dangerranger60]

I have several Colts from the 1920's that I used to carry. My wife uses one as a house gun. The only problem with doing that is "If" you ever use one in a SD situation you may never see the gun again. Mine are not family guns and are not pristine collectables, they are just used guns. DR

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Did you carry the 1903 with one in the chamber?

Not usually, no. The odds of it falling out of my holster when I bent over, landing just the exactly correct way to bounce the firing pin and shoot me in the chest were very very low, but not zero.

 

[Outpost75]

On the M1903 the thumb safety lacks a positive detent and therefore risks being easily "brushed" off the safe position.

The grip safety was "supposed to" make the gun safe to carry chamber loaded back in the day, but in the modern era that is not considered acceptable. WW2 doctrine was to carry chamber empty, but with hammer cocked to ease cycling the slide. I no longer carry a 1903, but when I did that was how I carried it.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Return of the .32 auto?

Since colt capitalizes on it's sense of historical legacy...do you think the 32 hammerless will ever re-enter production? Is there a mousegun market niche that colt could fill? The SAA and 1911 are still raging successes after more than 100 years. What about the 1903?

www.coltforum.com

 

[Outpost75]

There are modern reproductions of the M1903, but I have not handled one. Their MSRP is more than typical Gunbroker price for a sound, shooter grade, 100 year old Colt Type III.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

There are modern reproductions of the M1903, but I have not handled one. Their MSRP is more than typical Gunbroker price for a sound, shooter grade, 100 year old Colt Type III.

My fuzzy memory on those is the few people that have gotten them have been underwhelmed with the quality and reliability, especially when you consider the price

 

[RVTECH]

I have in the past, and still do occasionally carry this.

It is my father's 'Duffel bag' Victory I learned to shoot with !

 

[1911Fanatic]

Carried a Bulgarian surplus Makarov for years

I carried a Russian one for years.