Identify the gun in this neat old photo

Funny story

This pic made me think of a funny story. A few years ago, a pawn shop in Baton Rouge LA had a bullet proof vest for sale. Someone walked in & was interested in the vest, but was concerned that it wouldn't actually stop a bullet. The owner assured him that it would & to prove it, he strapped on the vest & had one of his employees shoot him from about 3 feet away with a 357 magnum. Oh it stopped the bullet, but they had to rush him to the hospital for a few broken ribs. I never did find out if the customer bought the vest.

Chris
S&WCA#2122
 
twaits said:
Here's another one. Click "full size view" on this one too. Can you spot the S&W?

Shop Early for Xmas: 1921 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive

There's also a colt 1903 or '08 pocket hammerless there. I don't know what the other automatic is.
I wish X-mas displays were still like this!!
Click to expand...

Twaits,

As you know, this photograph was made in Washington, D.C., in 1921 at 1303 F Street, N.W.

To my knowledge, even after the Heller victory, currently there are no gun stores in the Distrikt of Kolumbia, and only one FFL, who charges something like $125 per gun for transfers. Let us pray, and work, for the day when once again Smith & Wessons may be lawfully purchased from tax-paying store-front businesses on the streets of our nation's capital.



Bullseye
 
OK, now lets ID the shooter and target. I have loaned out my "Jelly" Bryce book (note to self: GET IT BACK!), but I think Jelly or one of his cohorts.

Bob
 
twaits said:
The profile is more S&W than Colt. I think I can see the thumbpiece.
I think the ejector rod looks about right. The camera is pretty far from the gun so it may seem a little distorted. I'm with Diamonback on this one :)

Here's another one. Click "full size view" on this one too. Can you spot the S&W?

Shop Early for Xmas: 1921 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive

There's also a colt 1903 or '08 pocket hammerless there. I don't know what the other automatic is.
I wish X-mas displays were still like this!!
Click to expand...


The other automatic is a Mauser M-1914 .32. The knife is probably a Marble's Ideal or a Remington copy, like the RH-36.

Can you imagine a store window display like that today? What does that say about the moral decline of our nation?

T-Star
 
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The gun under the S&W is a Mauser 1914 .32 or a 1910 .25. Next to it is a Colt Pocket 1903 .32 in Holster. Don't forget the Winchester pump .22 ? 1902? I had never seen a BB gun such as the one with the bayonet. Neat.
 
I'm pretty sure it's a M1910 .25 Auto. The grip screw is central to the grip in the 1910 where it is offset a little in the M1914 .32 Auto.
I've got a 1910 in the safe somewhere. I'll try to dig it out and send a picture.
 
twaits said:
Click on this link and then click "view full size"

The Smoking Gun: 1923 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive

This is a great old photo. Isn't that an old M&P?
The guy getting shot certainly has some balls!
He's even smiling a little :)
Click to expand...

The individual who sponsored the Second Chance shoot in northern Michigan manufactured Kevlar bulletproof vests and reputedly used to demonstrate them personally until advised not to by his physician.
 
H Richard said:
The gun under the S&W is a Mauser 1914 .32 or a 1910 .25. Next to it is a Colt Pocket 1903 .32 in Holster. Don't forget the Winchester pump .22 ? 1902? I had never seen a BB gun such as the one with the bayonet. Neat.
Click to expand...

...could be an '08 .380 though...
 
twaits said:
I'm seeing a S&W style latch there. The pictures pretty fuzzy though so it's hard to tell either way. The profile of the entire gun screams S&W M&P though.
Click to expand...

Look again, the latch looks to high to be S&W. Me thinks Colt!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/DRGreysun/Guns and Stuff/standardb.jpg
standardb.jpg
 
I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, but here's what I see.
It looks like his thumb is partially over the cylinder latch (the knurled part of the latch is sort of a dark shadow) and you can see the part where the screw to latch is (a little brighter where the light is reflecting off of it). Its right in front of his extended thumb.
 
twaits said:
I feel like I'm beating a dead horse here, but here's what I see.
It looks like his thumb is partially over the cylinder latch (the knurled part of the latch is sort of a dark shadow) and you can see the part where the screw to latch is (a little brighter where the light is reflecting off of it). Its right in front of his extended thumb.
Click to expand...

First I see the ejector rod looks to long compared to the barrel to be a M&P and the latch on a M&P is below the center line of the cylinder. Colt on the other hand is on the center line. Now the truth is the ejector rods looks to long for a Colt soooo, it's a crap shoot. Actually my first impression was a Colt 1873 and we were seeing the ejector shroud, it's about the right proportions for a 5 1/2 in. barrel. But, on closer inspection, position of the trigger finger, apparent latch etc. and for some reason the grip is saying Colt DA?? One of the mysteries of the modern world. ;)

D R
 
You guys must be blind or have 10 year old puter's.....On my screen its a Smith, no question.

The release has a big reflection on it, thats why some of you think it looks like a Colt, but if it was a Colt the release would be much closer to the cylinder.....I can see on my screen its a reflection off the S&W style release.

Also as mentioned before the ejector rod looks long because it blends in with the lug at the end of it, I can also see on my screen just a very slight break right where the rod ends and the lug would begin.....

The bottom of a Colt frame just looks diff than a S&W, this one looks like a smith as do the grips, and the rest of it....

S&W for sure.....
 
OK, here's another "vest test" photo from the same occasion. This time the shooter is a uniformed officer, and he is using a weapon that appears to be of different make from the first shooter's gun. Looks like a round butt.

Vest Test: 1923 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive

EDIT: Adding this caption: September 13, 1923. Washington, D.C. "W.H. Murphy of the Protective Garment Corp. of New York stood less than ten feet from [Frederick County, Md.] Deputy Sheriff Charles W. Smith in police headquarters Wednesday and let the deputy fire a .38 caliber revolver straight at his chest. When the bullet hit, Murphy never batted an eye. Inventors ot the bulletproof vest, which weighs about 11 pounds, have put [it on] the market for the protection of police and other officers in emergency cases. The bullet which Deputy Smith fired into the vest Wednesday was presented to him for a souvenir."
 
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DCWilson said:
OK, here's another "vest test" photo from the same occasion. This time the shooter is a uniformed officer, and he is using a weapon that appears to be of different make from the first shooter's gun. Looks like a round butt.

Vest Test: 1923 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive

EDIT: Adding this caption: September 13, 1923. Washington, D.C. "W.H. Murphy of the Protective Garment Corp. of New York stood less than ten feet from [Frederick County, Md.] Deputy Sheriff Charles W. Smith in police headquarters Wednesday and let the deputy fire a .38 caliber revolver straight at his chest. When the bullet hit, Murphy never batted an eye. Inventors ot the bulletproof vest, which weighs about 11 pounds, have put [it on] the market for the protection of police and other officers in emergency cases. The bullet which Deputy Smith fired into the vest Wednesday was presented to him for a souvenir."
Click to expand...

DC Wilson,

Nice, I didn't see that one on Shorpy. That second "vest test" I believe IS a Colt. The cylinder latch is in the right place on that one.
Its obviously a different gun than the first pic on Shorpy.
Now, maybe I should go stir things up on the Coltforum with this pic..hehe ;)
 
yep the second pic has Colt all over it! The frame shape, the ejector rod, the cyl latch release, the front sight....The first one is a Smith and the second is a Colt.
 
the caption on that pic should read "how to tell if you're the one with the least amount of seniority".....
 
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