Whitney Wolverine

[JudgeColt]

As a teenager when they came out and hit the gun magazines, I was attracted to them because of the "ray gun" appearance. I bought a used one ANIB in the 1970s and still have it. It has appreciated substantially. I have two extra factory magazines for it.

I spent my money on a new Ruger Mark 1 5.25-inch barrel target pistol instead of the Whitney (I liked that it looked like a Luger), and it has proved to be better investment. The 5.25-inch Mark I "small number" pistols are scarce collectors' items.

Love them both.

 

[DWalt]

As a teenager when they came out and hit the gun magazines, I was attracted to them because of the "ray gun" appearance. I bought a used one ANIB in the 1970s and still have it. It has appreciated substantially. I have two extra factory magazines for it.

I spent my money on a new Ruger Mark 1 5.25-inch barrel target pistol instead of the Whitney (I liked that it looked like a Luger), and it has proved to be better investment. The 5.25-inch Mark I "small number" pistols are scarce collectors' items.

Love them both.

While it sort of had a Luger's appearance, Bill Ruger was inspired by the Japanese Nambu design. A closer resemblance to the Luger was the .22 Stoeger Luger.

 

[PALADIN85020]

The Whitney Wolverine is a grail gun for many today. I have one, vintage of May, 1956. The reason for their going out of business is complex, the center of which was an iron-clad contract with Galef and Son which gave Galef the rights to both marketing and price. The details can be found in my book "101 Classic Firearms."

Here is a pic of the one I own, still in pristine condition.

John

 

[Model46]

Here's mine that I have had for 35 years or so. I've shot it sparingly. They are not exactly rugged and parts are not easily available. I love the look.

 

[Golddollar]

While it sort of had a Luger's appearance, Bill Ruger was inspired by the Japanese Nambu design. A closer resemblance to the Luger was the .22 Stoeger Luger.

Actually it was more than a resemblance. If my memory serves me right, Stoeger held the trademark rights to the name "Luger" in the United States.

 

[DWalt]

Actually it was more than a resemblance. If my memory serves me right, Stoeger held the trademark rights to the name "Luger" in the United States.

Allegedly they did. While the external appearance was strongly suggestive of the original P08, there the similarity ends. I owned a Stoeger Luger for many years, and I can't say much bad about it. In fact I even used mine in competition for awhile.

 

[Golddollar]

Allegedly they did. While the external appearance was strongly suggestive of the original P08, there the similarity ends. I owned a Stoeger Luger for many years, and I can't say much bad about it. In fact I even used mine in competition for awhile.

I had one of the target models with adjustable sights. Unfortunately it was one of the guns that went when I lost my job back in 2009.

 

[DWalt]

I once saw one of them with an adjustable rear sight, but mine did not. Fortunately, the sights on mine were fixed and pretty much dead on at 50 feet.

 

[bph9]

Actually as expected they whitewashed the true story about the demise of the Company. In reality the owner did not have enough money to advertise his new pistol so he signed a totally ridiculous contract that gave exclusive rights to market it with Galif. Galif found a cheaper foreign pistol to import and then refused to buy anymore Wolverine pistols which forced the Wolverine company out of business.

As far as your questions the only thing the Whitney had going for it was its exotic space age looks.

The pistols I have shot were not totally reliable with any ammo which refutes the claim that it would have taken a large share of the market from Ruger who did produce a reliable .22 rimfire pistol.

The Whitney also did not have the worlds greatest trigger either but to be fair neither did the Ruger for many years until they improved it somewhat recently.

Also unlike Ruger the Whitney was never noted for outstanding accuracy either.

Having said all that if someone could make the pistol today and make it as reliable as the Ruger and make it with a competitive price I think that there would still be a market for it even today. I might even buy one.

Also there was an attempt to resurrect it but to appease the blind greed of the stock holders they made it with a disgusting cheap plasticky frame and hideous vent rib which went over with collectors like a lead balloon. No one wanted one of those. If they had reproduced the original and made it reliable I think it might still be in production today.

 

[Goony]

A nickeled one that sold at auction several years ago: Scarce Nickel Plated Whitney Wolverine Semi-Automatic Pistol | Rock Island Auction