Show Me Your Old School Semi Auto Favorites

[mk70ss]

These are most of my favorite old school semis. Top to bottom: Ruger P89, Beretta 1934, Ruger P90, S&W 559, S&W 659, Astra A90.

Show me yours.

[sigp220.45]

Gotta go with Colt and JMB on this one.

[clang444]

How about a Sauer 1913 bring back (not sure if it came home from WWI or WWII).



or a Walther Model 9

[hkcavalier]

1955 S&W 9mm Automatic



1944 Remington-Rand 1911A1

[AJ]

Colt Model 1903 Hammer in .38 ACP. .38 ACP is the forerunner of the .38 Super.

[swsig]

Here's my Ruger Standard, bought new in 1974.

[Drm50]

I have had hundreds of such auto pistols. Lugers, Walther, French, Italian Spanish, ect. I never had much use for them. I would keep them around awhile if USA manf but ultimately they were trade bait. I would like to have all the first generation pistols I had in a bucket. In 60s they were junk. Some ammo was obsolete and worth more than gun.

[rockquarry]

Originally Posted by mk70ss

These are most of my favorite old school semis. Top to bottom: Ruger P89, Beretta 1934, Ruger P90, S&W 559, S&W 659, Astra A90.

Show me yours.

Not a criticism; I don't know if there's a definition for "old school", but I'd call everything in the photo except the Beretta "new school" as they appear to be well under fifty years old. I don't know anything about Stars, but that one also appears to be from recent decades. Certainly nothing wrong with traditional semi-autos with hammers.

[BAM-BAM]

Old School? I can remember all but one of those being introduced.

So I guess that makes me "Old School"

For me favorite old school auto..... is the Browning Hi-Power. 1935.

[mk70ss]

Originally Posted by rockquarry

Not a criticism; I don't know if there's a definition for "old school", but I'd call everything in the photo except the Beretta "new school" as they appear to be well under fifty years old. I don't know anything about Stars, but that one also appears to be from recent decades. Certainly nothing wrong with traditional semi-autos with hammers.

Yes most of them are about 50 years old. Newest one is the P90 made in 1990.The one you mention is an Astra, not a Star. It was made in 1985

[jbtrucker]

5906 and 915

[Xfuzz]

Couple of mine....

[robertrwalsh]

Colt 1902 Military

[arjay]

‘65 Colt GM


‘54 Ruger Standard ‘58 Ruger Mark I Target



‘69 Colt GM

[AJ]

Just what is "old school"? To me it is at least 50 + years old. I have been known to carry my Colt Model 1903 Hammer. When the case is closed all who see it think it is a bible.

[rockquarry]

Originally Posted by mk70ss

Yes most of them are about 50 years old. Newest one is the P90 made in 1990.The one you mention is an AStra, not a Star. It was made in 1985

Pardon me; I get those confused and know nothing about either.

[Golddollar]

Definitely old school, my Luger made by Mauser in 1941.

[Golddollar]

How about this nice box of Brownings?

[wood714]

Oldest semi auto pistol I had.

[OLDSTER]

Mid 50s vintage Walther/Manurhin PP .32acp. Early ( ca 1975 ) Detonics Combat Master. A Korean War vintage Chi-Com model 54 Tokarev. And a German Ortgies in .25acp from ca 1922.

[pasound]

American Arms PX-22, Erma-Werke copy of a Walther TPH. I've owned it for 40 years, so I guess that's close. The design is definately old school.

The grippers? I drop it in my range bag about every other trip, and dump a couple of mags through it. Never fails to shoot, and the only fixed-sight gun I own that a bore laser and the sights meet at 7-10 yards. Pawn shop find that came with one mag. Took me 25 years to find an Erma mag that fit, and another 10 to find a third.

[zwartepiet]

Great Thread!

Here is a Dutch Contract FN1922 With Queen Wilhemina’s Royal Cypher on the Top Slide. Dates From Late 30’s to ~ 1943

[zwartepiet]

……and a pair of 1911-A1’s…..Ithaca from 1943, RR from 1945.

[MetalMan]

Kimber Ultra Carry Series I (ca. 1999)…

[22lrfan]

These are a couple of my favorites. A 1981 HK P7.



And a 1983 Steyr GB Military. One of the 937 military models imported.

[Andyd]

... and so on and so forth. I am old school.

[hardknocks]

Both sent to Germany WW2
Both made in 1942
Llama model 1 in 7.65 Geco stamp.
Star B someone refinished.
Both shoot great.

[Hair Trigger]

Originally Posted by sigp220.45

Gotta go with Colt and JMB on this one.

I most heartily agree.

When OP said "old school" I took it to mean the design and not the specific age of the guns. The oldest one here is the 1903 Colt, it was made in 1944. The BHP is next, it's a 1995 vintage, and the 1911's are all fairly new, within 15 years or so for the Springfield A1 and maybe 5-6 years for the EMP4 and the Ruger SR1911.

[hittman77]

Originally Posted by OLDSTER

Mid 50s vintage Walther/Manurhin PP .32acp.

Very nice Walther! Mine is a 380 that dates to 1962!

To me the PP and PPKs in 380 put all the new polymer guns to shame!

[Krogen]

Originally Posted by rockquarry

Not a criticism; I don't know if there's a definition for "old school", but I'd call everything in the photo except the Beretta "new school" as they appear to be well under fifty years old. I don't know anything about Stars, but that one also appears to be from recent decades. Certainly nothing wrong with traditional semi-autos with hammers.

I hear you, but I look at "old school" as something traditional, reflecting the ways of days past. I'd call my new-issue Sig P210 old school. Yes, it's only a year old and shows some modern manufacturing methods but it's all metal, a single-stack and has walnut grips. Definitely old school in concept but not an old gun.

[huntsman22]

[sceva]

I guess this qualifies as old school

[pasound]

I consider a traditional Walther PP design/clone old school. Just saying. Our personal collections show quite a few here.

[kwill1911]

[Spajohn]

My school is pretty old.

[Bro. Dave]

Here are a few of my "old school" 32's
I've been given to understand the FN Model 1900 was the first slide semi-auto commercially produced. The Dreyse is odd in that it isn't technically a slide action, but has a "breach block" that moves back to eject/reload.

The Savages represent the three versions produced and the most elegant is arguably the Remington 51 in the .32acp.

[CH4]

Old school?
MK70ss, how old are you?
Thanks for giving those Rugers a loving home <3

[Krogen]

Originally Posted by Andyd

... and so on and so forth. I am old school.

OK, Andyd.... You Win!!

[Andyd]

Krogen,
here is some bonus material ...







This was my son's Christmas present and he loves it. I had carefully refinished the old C96 and painstakingly rust blued it. The grips have been replaced now. The brownish hue is most likely a reflection from my clothes. I use a light tent for the photos and placing an object too close to the camera will bring on reflections.

[bananaman]

My oldest firearm is 1951. Most of my semi autos are newer. {less than 20 yrs. old} This is my second P90. I foolishly let the 1st 1 go. So it got replaced. Asking price was $400, and left with it at an even $300. Not that I shoot it a lot, but I like the way it feels and functions! Bob

[Guevera]

[CLASSIC12]

[Shark Bait]

I've posted these before but they fit here too

[Shark Bait]

Originally Posted by CLASSIC12

Oh man. I'm thinking I would enjoy Switzerland 🇨🇭

[Heinz]

Sauer 38 H circa 1941. Definitely old school, but I carry it, from time to time. The decocker lever on this model can also cock it. Makes for easier racking.
It has a loaded chamber indicator, the trigger position indicates if it is cocked or not, and it has an internal hammer not a striker. What is there not to like? It does have some weight.

[Hair Trigger]

Just an observation, after seeing all these beautiful pistols. Robert Heinlein once commented, An armed society is a polite society.

We must be the nicest guys on the planet, then.

[Dwaine]

1945 Remington Rand and Colt Combat Commander

[THE PILGRIM]

Here’s my Beretta 70s.
As I have posted, traded for it a while back.
Was surprised how much I like it.

[arjay]

Originally Posted by kwill1911

Very nice work!

[mikerjf]

Fans of the Walther/Manurhin should check GB, where a Behlert-modified one is currently up.