Your favorite historical firearm?
Oct 1, 2010 14:43:39 GMT
Post by ShooterMike on Oct 1, 2010 14:43:39 GMT
How about this for an open question to the forum...
"Historically speaking, what is your favorite or most interesting firearm?"
Answers could be anything from "I like X model because it had the most impact on world events." to "I like the fake wooden gun John Dillinger used to escape from jail."
How about it? What's your favorite?
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This is not my "favorite", but it's definitely one that made a huge impact on history. For me, it's the FN Model 1910 .380 ACP pistol used by Gavrilo Princip to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. That ultimately led to the start of the First World War.
Most are aware that the incident which sparked the First World War was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on 28th June 1914. For a long time, it was thought that the pistol used in this assassination was the Browning Model 1900 in .32 ACP. You will still see this quoted frequently. The pistol used was in fact the Browning Model 1910 in.380 Short.
At the time of this assassination the Model 1900 pistol was obsolete, production ceasing in 1912 after 724,450 were made. It was replaced then with the much improved Model 1910, which was manufactured almost unchanged until 1983.
In 2004 the actual pistol used was supposedly found. Here is an article that appeared in the Chicago Sun Times.
"Historically speaking, what is your favorite or most interesting firearm?"
Answers could be anything from "I like X model because it had the most impact on world events." to "I like the fake wooden gun John Dillinger used to escape from jail."
How about it? What's your favorite?
---------------------------
This is not my "favorite", but it's definitely one that made a huge impact on history. For me, it's the FN Model 1910 .380 ACP pistol used by Gavrilo Princip to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. That ultimately led to the start of the First World War.
Most are aware that the incident which sparked the First World War was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on 28th June 1914. For a long time, it was thought that the pistol used in this assassination was the Browning Model 1900 in .32 ACP. You will still see this quoted frequently. The pistol used was in fact the Browning Model 1910 in.380 Short.
At the time of this assassination the Model 1900 pistol was obsolete, production ceasing in 1912 after 724,450 were made. It was replaced then with the much improved Model 1910, which was manufactured almost unchanged until 1983.
In 2004 the actual pistol used was supposedly found. Here is an article that appeared in the Chicago Sun Times.
Pistol found that killed 8.5 million people
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 22, 2004 | KATE CONNOLLY
Posted on 06/22/2004 10:07:58 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
BERLIN -- The Browning pistol that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and sparked the crisis leading to World War I has been discovered gathering dust in a Jesuit community house in Austria.
The weapon is going on display in the Vienna Museum of Military History in time for the 90th anniversary of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian empire and his wife, Sophie. Gavrilo Princip, a student from Belgrade, fired seven shots as they were driven through Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.
The shooting led to World War I, which by one estimate resulted in 8.5 million deaths.
For decades the murder weapon, serial number 19074, was in the possession of a community of Jesuits in Styria, southern Austria. They inherited it from a close friend of the archduke and his wife.
A Jesuit priest, Anton Puntigam, gave the couple the last rites and later made public his intention of opening a museum in memory of the archduke. But the chaos of the war foiled his plans.
On the priest's death in 1926, the objects were offered to the archduke's family, which declined to take them. They remained out of sight until recent publicity about the 90th anniversary.
Daily Telegraph
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 22, 2004 | KATE CONNOLLY
Posted on 06/22/2004 10:07:58 AM PDT by Chi-townChief
BERLIN -- The Browning pistol that killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and sparked the crisis leading to World War I has been discovered gathering dust in a Jesuit community house in Austria.
The weapon is going on display in the Vienna Museum of Military History in time for the 90th anniversary of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian empire and his wife, Sophie. Gavrilo Princip, a student from Belgrade, fired seven shots as they were driven through Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.
The shooting led to World War I, which by one estimate resulted in 8.5 million deaths.
For decades the murder weapon, serial number 19074, was in the possession of a community of Jesuits in Styria, southern Austria. They inherited it from a close friend of the archduke and his wife.
A Jesuit priest, Anton Puntigam, gave the couple the last rites and later made public his intention of opening a museum in memory of the archduke. But the chaos of the war foiled his plans.
On the priest's death in 1926, the objects were offered to the archduke's family, which declined to take them. They remained out of sight until recent publicity about the 90th anniversary.
Daily Telegraph