Dead end designs

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Handgun designs that are quickly recognized, sought after by collectors, had long production runs, but due to design flaws and complications in manufacture are long out of production and have not inspired further development.
The ones that come to mind are:
1. The Luger
2. The Broomhandle Mauser
3. The Mauser 1914/1934
4. The CZ-27
5. The H&K P7

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I disagree on #2, The Broomhandle Mauser, properly known as the C-96.

It had several design updates and even a WWII full auto/clip fed version as well as Spanish version. Was made in 3 major cartridges! Made in Germany from 1896 into mid WWII, Was a major export between the wars for surplus reworks, and new manufacture. And last but not least mainland China made copies in many cartridges, including 45 ACP. 50ish years of production is not a dead-end design!

Mine is a worn-out export to China, that has had a poor refinish job. With very little rifling left, It will group 4" at 200 yards (when my eyes were younger in the 90's). Too expensive to continue wartime production? Maybe/maybe not, they already had around 400,000 so they just didn't need any more. Mine is around 100 years old and still going strong. They were designed and built to last. They will most likely still be functioning when the first batches of Glocks have deteriorated to junk!

The ammo designed for the C-96 has inspired quite a bit of use in Com-Bloc weapons!

Same for the 9mmx19 Parabellum, in Western-Bloc Nations. (not so much for the 9mm Mauser, 9x25)

Ivan

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

By the way, ever heard of the S&W 35 Auto? Very collectable, but nobody wanted them when new!

Ivan

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Not to be mean or rude, but this is important.....why? I mean, yes, it's essentially true, but why even think about it when there are so many really important things to discuss.

 

[ralph7]

Think most of those were just too expensive to produce relative to the new stuff the came after them.

 

[LVSteve]

I'm a little puzzled by the inclusion of the Vzor 27 in the OP's original list. It's just a simple blowback 32 like many others. The Vz 24 was the one with the rotating barrel 380 that went out of fashion.

If you want weird, complicated and going nowhere, I nominate the Frommer Stop.

 

[Modified]

The P7 isn't dead end, it's just very very expensive to make and not worth the bother. A more perfect home protection pistol for people with small children hasn't ever been made. I love my M13, and even if my kids did somehow figure the code out to my lock box, there's no way they could manage to fire it.

Saying a P7 is a dead end is like saying a Registered Magnum is a dead end. Wonderful guns that are just too much expense to produce to be economically viable.

Every gun on your list was a success. Nothing dead end about any of them.

The actual dead end guns are the ones you have never heard of. Prototypes mostly, some with attempts at production that never really get off the ground.

You could have a fun discussion about guns that were made which were a very bad idea. Like the Winchester 1911 or the Gewehr 41(m). But really, outside of prototypes virtually all guns ever made didn't dead end, lessons were learned from them and new designs were produced.

Except this thing, this was a dead end:

 

[pawngal]

[QUOTE[Except this thing, this was a dead end:[/QUOTE]

Ah! The 22 Zip gun that used Ruger 10/22 magazines. Had one, never tried to shoot it, sold it a year or so ago for 3x what it cost.

 

[Dvus]

My favorite "Dead end gun."

 

[sigp220.45]

Not to be mean or rude, but this is important.....why? I mean, yes, it's essentially true, but why even think about it when there are so many really important things to discuss.

Why not? Are we short on bandwidth?

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

The NJ State Police adopted the P7, the troopers didn't like it, required too different a drawing/ handling technique, they required a heat shield in the
trigger guard to provide comfort during practice and practice and qualification. Last produced in 2008.
I have an M1914 and CZ-27. Both are good shooters but have poor ergonomics, disassembly is tricky.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

P7? Wanted one Big Time until I actually handled one.
It was a West German Police trade-in and I could had it at Wholesale.
My Nominee is - The liberator.

 

[ralph7]

P7? Wanted one Big Time until I actually handled one.
It was a West German Police trade-in and I could had it at Wholesale.
My Nominee is - The liberator.

Only criteria met, that was posted by the OP is sought after by collectors.

 

[sigp220.45]

For some reason the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) issued HK P7s to its Criminal Investigators.

I love guns that were made when designers were trying to figure out how things should work. Like the Luger - an elegant and workable design that never really went anywhere.

I also love pictures of Lugers in the old west.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Like the Pedersen Device the Liberator was never issued, kept secret, hence no service record. It was basically a zip gun, to allow a partisan/guerilla something powerful enough to allow him to relieve an enemy soldier of his weapon and gear.

 

[44wheelman]

Revolving rifles.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

From that same era, all the Rollin White Patent evasion models-the pinfires, the teat fires, etc.

 

[Modified]

For some reason the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) issued HK P7s to its Criminal Investigators.

I love guns that were made when designers were trying to figure out how things should work. Like the Luger - an elegant and workable design that never really went anywhere.

I also love pictures of Lugers in the old west.

Hah, I bet you would love my Luger then:

 

[Bro. Dave]

The P7 is a great carry pistol once you are familiar with the way it works. I have an M8 shooter/carry and another M8 and M13 that are too nice to shoot these days.

Interestingly, if you pull the slide off the Laugo Alien, you will see the HK P7 piston sitting on top of the barrel rather than below. Everything old is new again at some point.

 

[Golddollar]

I'm surprised that the British Webley-Fosbury hasn't been mentioned.