Browning Model 1900 Semi-Automatic Pistol, Raymond J. Wielgus, 1910, Art Institute of Chicago: Arms, Armor, Medieval, and Renaissance
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Wielgus
Size: Overall L. 16.3 cm (6 7/16 in.) Barrel Overall L. 10 cm (3 15/16 in.) Caliber .32
Medium: English oak, steel, ivory, and gold inlay
A handful of favorite shots. The only rifle I’m actively hunting for anymore is an M1944 carbine, but I’m not gunning for it too hard. It’d be just a space filler.
Although it bears the name of the legendary German gun manufacturer, the 512 was actually produced by the Italian shotgun manufacturer Franchi. H&K had commissioned Franchi to design and build it, while they handled the marketing and sales to law enforcement agencies. It was not intended to be for the civilian market, however a contract overrun meant a handful did end up being sold outside of the LEO market. Franchi is famously known for producing the SPAS-12 and you can see certain similarities between it and the 512. It features a very similar receiver layout, push-button safety, oversized release, and most notably the diverter muzzle device. This turns the shotgun’s normal circular pattern into more of a squashed oval, effectively spreading the pellets in a wider oblong pattern. Depending where you get your info, there are less than 300 of these shotguns in the U.S, making them extremely rare and collectable. (GRH)
Postcard found in the wall of an Armenian home in Aintab: A woman with a Mauser handgun in her right hand and a shortened-barrel (or stage prop) Mosin rifle in her left. 1910.
For more on the story of this postcard: The Woman in the Wall: A Story of People, Places, and Things, by Vahe Habeshian