I had been looking for one of the old "Japanese model guns" copy of the model 39 for years now. I want to chop one up to build a model of my ASP or Trapper Scorpion.
I found this one on Ebay and bought it, thinking that the wired grip would just be discarded and go from there.
Now that I have it, the whole thing has raised my interest as to what the heck it is.
The grip is a very well made casting from aluminum.
The grip screws are just cast into the grip, it is attached by three screws that are on the inside of the grip
The slide release has been replaced with a well machined pin.
The rear sight replacement has a cast in rear sight, but the front portion is a steel replaceable hook, that actuated ...something...as the slide moved rearward.
I had 1st thought that it was a "Man from UNCLE" style scope mount, but the hook assembly kinnda kills that.
The "mount" part on the grip, shows that something was in and out of it a lot.
Having spent 40 years in every facet of the gun bizz, I can say, there was a lot of money put into this unit, it is not a prototype, or POC, the casting is way to well done.
I can also say, this one has me stumped.
The trail is cold on where it came from, as the person I bought it from had picked it up at a auction in Puyallup, WA, and had no idea what it was.
I think that it ended up on this plastic blowback pistol, as a trade show display.
I had a company that sold these models in the 80's and a lot of them got sold for just that purpose.
Has any of y'all ever seen anything like this?
I do love a good mystery