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The Final Battles

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Macd View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 04 2018 at 6:16pm
As we all know Germany surrendered on May 8 1945.  Beaten many months before that they struggled to the very end and a lot of good people died as a result.  February - March was a slogging match in the West as the western allies pushed to beat the Russians to Berlin.   The  1 Canadian Army was fighting in the Rhineland while the 2nd and 3rd Corps were liberating Holland.    It is hard to imagine the strain those men must have been under knowing the war was already won but they still daily had to face death or wounding.  I have two mementos from that time that I have acquired almost accidentally  The first is an Inglis Browning HP that presented to an unknown officer in 1945.  I bought it from the son of an acquaintance who in turn had received it from a member of the Canadian Army who fought in Holland.  While it never saw action, these pistols first general issue took place in time for these campaigns.  Here it is complete with the holster, spare mags and cleaning rod.
 

The second weapon is a Mod98(K98) Mauser made in BRNO in 1944.  I purchased it from friend who bought it from the son of the soldier who picked it up in Holland in a burnt out truck cab.  It has been sporterized but it is all matching numbers and has the Waffenstamps intact.  I often wonder what became of the soldat who carried it.  I chose the picture as it shows the place and date of manufacture.

I have other military firearms from the period and before.  Each has a history that involves men whose lives were shaped by wars that have killed millions.  While I value them for their technical, historical and even esthetic worth I am also reminded by them of the cost of man's stupidity. 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2018 at 4:15am
I like that pistol. Very nice indeed!
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2018 at 3:37pm
nice no2 inglis mkI* set , this one has the fixed rear sight , the no1 had the tangent rear sight that was graduated out to 1000 meters , very optimistic even with the buttstock fitted [ shouldering mine with the holster/stock fitted does not put it in line with my eye without scrunching and im not very big ] looks kinda cool tho , 

all of these were made in the 1944-45 calendar years , there were just over 156,000 made total , both models were in production at the same time [my no2 was made sept of 44 while my no1 was made july of 45] some slotted no1 frames were fitted to early no2 pistols , the mags will have the JI logo if they are original but FN mags will work fine , 

there were a number of holsters made for these yours appears to be a second version chinese pattern , canada used them , the britt flap pattern was more boxy and stiff , there was an open top tropical version for the pacific theater with the spare mag on the outside , after the war there was a three mag separate pouch that had a slot for the cleaning rod , a double flap style holster for military police in white webb and leather versions , then there was a 51 version flap that had the mag on the outside as well it had a belt loop and the US style wire hanger for the belt , also a couple others developed with other hangers , and a couple shoulder holster designs 

they were used by australia , belgium , holland , new zealand , brazil , by the danes and the greeks , malaysia , mexico , peru and communist china , the US ran some trials and experimented with a lightweight version at springfield armory , 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Macd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2018 at 9:22pm
It is not possible to date the pistol to a month or year as it has an EX serial number.  I wrote to Clive Law, the author of Inglis Diamonds, about the pistol.  It was mentioned in the book but he was unable to tell me to whom it was presented.  I can trace back the last three owners.   All three magazines are originals.  The stud in the bottom of each mag was added after 1998 to make them legal (10 shot).  The finish is also original and except for a few small blemishes it is as it came from the factory.  I have shot one magazine through it. 

They were also liked by the SOE and OSS due their magazine capacity and that they could make use of stolen German 9mm ammo.  The Inglis was the first pistol I qualified on during basic training.  It's strong action allowed the use of SMG ammunition and it had a nice snap but its weight helped keep things comfortable.  I carried one as a junior infantry officer that came to me still in preservative grease.  Canada had thousands in storage after the war ended.  It never failed to function.  They are now being phased out of Canadian service.

The holster is the first pattern Chinese.  There is no pull tab on the closure tab.  It too is clean.  I was told but can't verify it is the original to the pistol.  The pistol has the Canadian crossed flags and broad arrow marks, a rarity apparently for presentation pistols.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 06 2018 at 4:42pm
yes , the EX serials , clive does go into them quite nicely along with the diamond and those fancy presentation ones in his great book 


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