Revolvers & Semi Automatic Pistols

World War Two represented the final bow for the pistol as a major weapon in warfare.  The arrival and acceptance of masses of Sub Machine Guns during 1941/42 finally offered a more useful alternative to those men who did not need a rifle.  Yet the pistol endured, and was carried by many men in addition to their normal small arm. 

Pistols fall into two distinct categories; revolvers and semi automatics.  Only the British Army among the major combatants retained the revolver, America, Germany and Russia all favouring the automatic.  The mechanism of the revolver is particularly simple, making for a sturdy and reliable weapon.  Each round is stored in its own chamber within a rotating cylinder usually holding six rounds.  Squeezing the trigger has two effects.  Firstly, the cylinder is rotated so that the chamber initially in line with the barrel is rotated through 60 degrees and replaced by the adjacent one.  Simultaneously, the hammer is cocked by the trigger pressure.  If the trigger is pulled right back, the hammer is released and fires the chambered round.  The hammer stays down after firing, and to shoot again requires only the trigger to be pulled. 

The semi automatic pistol was a very different weapon.  It contained a spring fed magazine within the grip, capacity anywhere from 7 to 13 rounds.  To load, the slide which covers the barrel was pulled back.  This motion cocked the hammer and allowed the first round in the magazine to line up with the chamber.  The slide was then released.  The tension of the return spring under the barrel then propelled it forward, stripping and chambering the first round.  A slight pressure on the trigger would release the cocked hammer, firing the round.  The recoil of the discharge would then propel the slide back again, the rear motion now stripping and ejecting the spent case, before repeating the loading process described above.  The weapon was then ready to fire again.  In most designs the slide would lock in the open position when the last round was fired, meaning once a new magazine had been loaded the release need only be pressed to reload the weapon.   

The merits of one type over the other have long been argued.  The far more important debate was on whether the pistol was of any use in warfare in the first place.  With just one exception the ammunition capacity was between six and eight rounds.  The shortness of the barrel meant accurate shooting was immensely difficult and the power of the rounds used reduced effective range to perhaps 30 metres.  On a battlefield dominated by machine guns and mortars, what use was a pistol?  The soldiers of World War Two seemed to care little, and consumed the weapon in unprecedented numbers.

Below are described the main types likely to be found in use by the infantrymen described elsewhere on this site. 

The British Army

Enfield Number 2, Mark I

The Enfield Number 2, lacking the hammer piece of normal revolvers.  The weapon was derived from the long series of Webley revolvers

Webley Mark 4

Webley were somewhat bemused when their Mark 4 was rejected for British service pre-war.  Demand during 1939 to 1945 though ensured it was destined for major use 

The British Army retained its faith in the revolver throughout the war, despite introducing the semi automatic Browning for certain specialist units.  The Enfield was officially the standard sidearm, but as the Army increased in size the Webley was obtained to make good the shortfall.

The Webley was a standard design, with a double action trigger.  The hammer could be pulled back to the cocked position where it would lock, requiring only a light pressure on the trigger to release it.  The Enfield deleted the hammer comb, so could only be fired by applying full pressure on the trigger.  This amendment was made for those men serving in armoured vehicles where the cramped conditions meant the hammer was constantly being snagged or struck.

It was a traditional safety precaution with revolvers to carry the weapon with the hammer on an empty chamber.  This meant if a sudden blow forced the hammer forward there was no chance of a shot being fired.  Standard issue was 12 rounds, carried in a small belt pouch, which could be increased to 18 (less one as above) if the weapon were carried loaded.  At the outset of the war the revolver was widely distributed to tank crews, despatch riders, RMPs and a host of others.  Every officer carried one also.  The Sten gradually replaced it in many areas, but tank crews could only find space for one Sten so wore their holsters as well.

The United States Army

The M1911A1 (Colt)

The legendary Colt .45, showing the unique pistol grip safety.  It was a fearsome weapon to fire, especially for a conscript unfamiliar with firearms

The Colt 'Forty Five' seemed to personify the US Army - big, loud and powerful.  It had been designed to halt the drug fuelled charge of a Moro tribesman during the American involvement in the Philippines.  No one doubted its stopping power, but the heavy recoil posed a problem, especially for new recruits.

The Colt was a standard single action weapon, with both a slide  and a grip safety, the latter locking the action unless the grip was firmly held.  Three magazines were carried, one loaded and two in a twin belt pouch.  Issue was widespread, the Colt being carried by many infantrymen who served mortars and machine guns, and by all officers from the rank of Major and above.  Company officers, Captains and Lieutenants, were officially issued a Carbine, however many also acquired a Colt.

The Colt was also issued to certain British troops, predominantly airborne and commando units, in preference to the revolver.  It earned an enviable reputation for reliability in both world wars, and was not replaced in US service until the 1980s, and there are those who would still choose it over its 9 mm successor.

The Red Army

Tula-Tokarev Model 1933 (TT-33)

The Red Army TT-33

The M1895 Nagant revolver, which endured in Russian service thanks to its durability

The Red Army adopted the TT-30 and later the TT-33 to replace their vintage, but reliable, Nagant revolvers.

The TT-33 was based on the popular American Colt and Browning weapons, simplified and strengthened for Soviet service.  It was never quite able to fully replace the Model 1895 Nagant, which was based on a Belgian design, but re-chambered for the Russian 7.62 mm round.  Weight and length were similar to the TT-33, the revolver having a lower muzzle velocity of 270 metres per second.

I had assumed the Nagant held the typical six rounds in its cylinder, however I am reliably informed that it was actually capable of holding seven.  Revolvers with a cylinder capacity of more than six rounds are generally thought of as quite unusual, so it is surprising to find the Red Army inherited such a weapon from its Tsarist predecessor.  I wonder how the extra bullet affected the rules for Russian roulette...

British and German Armies

Browning 1935 'Grande Puissance' (High Power)

The Browning, used by both Allied and Axis forces

The Browning Automatic has the dubious distinction of having been used by both the British and German armies during World War Two, as well as a host of Commonwealth and other allied nations.

The Browning was produced in Belgium pre-war, and following the Occupation was kept in manufacture for German use.  For the Allies, production was set up in Canada, and continued apace throughout the war.  The Browning was a typical single action semi automatic, whose two selling points were reliability and its large 13 round magazine.

In British use it was issued to Airborne and Commando units, gradually replacing the Colt.  The German appetite for the Browning was tempered by the knowledge the Belgian workers forced to manufacture it for them took great pleasure in sabotaging as many examples as possible on the production lines. 

In British service, three magazines were carried in the same fashion as described above for the Colt.  

The German Army

The Luger (Pistole 08)

The famous Luger, whose tricky safety mechanism brought many a soldier to grief

The Luger had served Germany throughout the First War and was destined for extensive use in the Second.  It was a reliable weapon, but to those unused to its operation had a habit of 'just going off' without cause.  It was a much sought after trophy by allied troops, and caused numerous casualties among soldiers who had long dreamt of owning one.

The Luger was carried by an enormous variety of personnel.  It was used to arm machine gunners, mortar gunners, medics and numerous men in the Train.  Two eight round magazines were issued, one loaded and the other held in a pouch on the holster.

The Walther (Pistole 38)

The P38, which introduced a far safer handling system while remaining a reliable sidearm

The P38 was the successor to the Luger, but as was often the case never managed to replace it entirely.  The P38 offered several improvements, notably the introduction of a double action trigger similar to that used in the revolver.

Once the P38 had been loaded, the cocked hammer could be lowered safely.  There was no chance of an inadvertent blow against the hammer causing a discharge, as a block was maintained in place that could only be removed when the trigger was pulled.  Early versions included a chamber loaded indicator, subsequently deleted to speed production.  Issue was as great as the Luger.  Each Panzer crewman was armed with a pistol, supplemented by one MP40 per tank.  Ammunition was carried in the same manner as the Luger.

The Japanese Army

Type 14 (Nambu)

The Type 14, a particularly ugly item, used in conjunction with various other semi automatic weapons as the 'standard' Japanese sidearm

The Type 14 can probably be considered the 'standard' Japanese sidearm, though in fact a great many pistols were in use.  Its chief rival was the Type 94, a weapon generally regarded as being the worst of its class in service during the war.

The Type 14 carried the Nambu title over from its predecessor, of 1909 vintage.  The same 8 mm round was used by both models, and while the Type 14 was more reliable neither weapon was of much use in the field.  As Japanese Officers preferred the Samurai style sword, even those flying in aircraft or cramped in tanks, it was probably of little import to the user.  

The Italian Army

Beretta Modello 1934

The elegant Beretta.  Those who captured one were often disappointed to find it would not accept standard 9 mm ammunition, only the shortened cartridge.  The prominent spur increased the size of the small grip 

The tiny Beretta was to become one of the most prized trophies for Allied soldiers during World War Two, second only to the Luger.

As was to be expected of a weapon bearing the Beretta name, it was a reliable device.  It operated on a straightforward blowback system, made possible by the use of the reduced power 9 mm short round.  Therein lay the greatest weakness of the weapon, a deficiency mirrored in all Italian smallarms.  The round lacked stopping power, an important requirement for a weapon intended specifically for short range use.  One unusual feature concerned the slide.  When the last round was fired, this locked open to the rear, as with other weapons.  However, once the empty magazine was ejected, it shot forward again, requiring the user to work it again to reload.

These shortcomings largely relegated the Beretta to an accessory rather than a weapon, but its popularity remains undiminished.

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