Mystery pistol

[Idaho45guy]

Guy on another board wants to buy this from his neighbor, but neither of them has any idea what it is or what it's worth.

Neighbor got it from an estate sale of a German man in 1965. It has no markings other than "1944" on the buttplate.

Looks like a .22 chambering of some sort.

230186

230187

230188

[ericandelaine1975]

I'm betting it's some type of training pistol for the military. I know the Germans had some 22 training rifles.

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[Patrick56]

Any visible proofmarks?

[slim1836]

There were some single shot pistols like that which were used by the resistance during WWII.

Slim

[samari46]

I'm gonna take a guess. To me it looks like a pistol made by ether a gunsmith or talented home smith. Made the way he felt it to be best for him. Looks like all steel, break open style somewhat like stevens used to do late 20's or so. Looks to be of quality workmanship. Lack of proof marks or manufacturers name would kinda enforce what I guessed. Frank

[jonp]

German Target Pistol in .22 either short or long. Doesn't have an octagon barrel but some of these can go in the $1,000 and up range to collectors. Like the one below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN8Xd46G9Pw

[Kraschenbirn]

I recalling seeing a similar piece a few years back. Was a WWII 'souvenir' and the owner - whose father 'collected' it sometime in 1945 - said it was a 'parlor pistol' for indoor gallery shooting, probably made sometime in the early 1900s.

Bill

[murf205]

How much does he want for it? It looks to have really nice blueing, maybe a reblue.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

That is a neat looking single shot.
The grip panels appear to have a wood grain, are they wood? or some kind of plastic with simulated wood grain? ...that might be one clue if it's a production gun or a one of a kind, custom made by a craftsman.

I like how the lever to release the break-open, turns
...question: If that lever is turned 90º does the lever come off? I also like how the rear site is incorporated into the mount of that lever.

[Idaho45guy]

No idea about any further details.

A few have opined that the lack of proof marks mean that it is a one-off homemade pistol by an extremely talented person.

Which makes the most sense...

I just can't wrap my head around that when I struggle to produce decent reloads and somebody could produce something like that.

[birch]

Adolph-Weber?

[Wayne Smith]

Journeyman's model to demonstrate his mastery of the craft is one likelihood.

[Texas by God]

I loaned out my copy of WHB Smith's Textbook. Maybe in there?

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[Patrick56]

I recalling seeing a similar piece a few years back. Was a WWII 'souvenir' and the owner - whose father 'collected' it sometime in 1945 - said it was a 'parlor pistol' for indoor gallery shooting, probably made sometime in the early 1900s.

Bill

I had to check the WUM catalog ( 724 pages of sporting goods), Georg Frank, Hamburg, Germany. Printed probably about 1930, and could not find anything close to this pistol. This gun could be something made during the war and issued to the Hitler Jugend to practice with? The nice blue is not right for the period ( 1944 ).