somd_mustangs
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- Jul 1, 2012
- 5,736
... the Most Powerful Automatic Pistol in the World (at the time, in theory).
I'd been half-heartedly looking for one for a while but these rarely show up for sale.
Not a lot of info out there, but the short version is only around 250 or so were made (number estimates vary) in 1956-58 time frame.
This is one of the first 50 that was actually made in Detroit by J. Kimball Arms.
The blowback design used a groove(s) cut in the chamber to delay the extraction of the shell, along with a short-throw buffer tube.
The barrel travels within the frame for maybe a 1/4" or so.
Interestingly enough Colt used the same idea with the chamber grooves for the National Match Mid-Range .38 Special
which is a pure blow-back action.
It's just weird in all aspects, including a poorly-placed magazine release button,
strange and poorly placed safety (sliding lock bar on right side of frame), extractor and some other stuff I can't readily identify.
The system just simply wasn't strong enough for the .30 carbine round and many reportedly suffered slide and frame damage, including complete failures.
Also note the price of $215 which was some serious coin back then.
But it's still pretty cool and fits in my "failed and/or unsuccessful designs" collection.
and no, I won't be shooting this one.
I'd been half-heartedly looking for one for a while but these rarely show up for sale.
Not a lot of info out there, but the short version is only around 250 or so were made (number estimates vary) in 1956-58 time frame.
This is one of the first 50 that was actually made in Detroit by J. Kimball Arms.
The blowback design used a groove(s) cut in the chamber to delay the extraction of the shell, along with a short-throw buffer tube.
The barrel travels within the frame for maybe a 1/4" or so.
Interestingly enough Colt used the same idea with the chamber grooves for the National Match Mid-Range .38 Special
which is a pure blow-back action.
It's just weird in all aspects, including a poorly-placed magazine release button,
strange and poorly placed safety (sliding lock bar on right side of frame), extractor and some other stuff I can't readily identify.
The system just simply wasn't strong enough for the .30 carbine round and many reportedly suffered slide and frame damage, including complete failures.
Also note the price of $215 which was some serious coin back then.
But it's still pretty cool and fits in my "failed and/or unsuccessful designs" collection.
and no, I won't be shooting this one.
