Here I thought I knew pretty well who manufactured all the 1911 pistols around the globe. And Norway to boot. Just under 33,000 were made in Norway under license from Colt, after German occupation of FN in Belgium, who also manufactured the 1911. Then I find another 20 pistols were built of left over parts in 1987 in Norway. The slide release was changed but the pistols were Browning thru and thru. There were a number of them Waffen marked and adopted by Germany as late as 1945. Forgotten Weapons covered the pistol at Rock Island Auction. I cant do links with my cell phone but it is a very interesting piece of 1911 pistol history. A number of pistol trials of the era saw the Browning design win hands down against other weapons which influenced Norway to adopt the 1911.

For "blood" reasons I've always wanted one. And a Danish Bergmann as well.

The norske .45 is a neat gun.

Most all the examples held by Simpson Ltd are nicer than the one on Forgotten Weapons. I tried to post the video today from a pc but was unable. Somehow, Norway was givin permission to build the guns by Germany. I found this odd.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Somehow, Norway was givin permission to build the guns by Germany. I found this odd.

Not only permitted, but ordered.

The Germans ordered production of Krag rifles as well during the war. In order to release as as many standard rifles to the combat forces, the Germans maintained or re-established production of many different arms of conquered nations for domestic use by security and police forces, etc. FN, Radom, Brno, are famous centers of production but many smaller facilities were used as well, Kongsberg being one of them.

Greatly admire your knowledge of history 3/4Flap. Thank you

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Greatly admire your knowledge of history 3/4Flap. Thank you

For some fun, check out an old episode of Hogan's Heroes. Sergeant Schultz packs a Krag-Jørgensen rifle {tho IIRC it is an American 1898 .30-40}. Regardless, there's a bit of historical accuracy in such substitute use for weapons of conquered nations. I remember some time ago seeing a pic of weapons recovered after the defense of Berlin and there were numbers of types from all over, Danish Krag's among them.

BTW, the Germans gave model numbers to all of these types. "Fremdgeräten" is the term IIRC, "Foreign Equipment".

Here ya go:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...arms_in_World_War_II

Note your 1914 is given the designation Pistole 657(n) in German service.

IIRC, the entire Kriegsmarine {Navy} was issued captured Mosin-Nagants as their standard service rifle, for example.

Heinie didn't throw nuthin' away. He couldn't afford to.

I'd like to stumble across a 1912 Norwegian.
And a Colt contract gun.

I read that the 1987 guns were a study for new Norwegian sidearms. But they bought Glocks.

quote:

Originally posted by 3/4Flap:
IIRC, the entire Kriegsmarine {Navy} was issued captured Mosin-Nagants as their standard service rifle, for example.

Not quite.

The Kriegsmarine (like all branches of the German military and the various quasi-military organizations) did make use of second-line rifles like captured Mosin-Nagants and other Beutewaffen, especially at the tail end of the war when groups of Kriegsmarine sailors/mechanics/clerks/etc. were being pushed into service as ersatz infantry and armed with whatever was available.

But it was not anything as standardized or widespread as you stated.

The standard issue rifle for the Kriegsmarine was the Mauser K98k.

quote:

"Foreign Equipment".

I have a Pistole 37(u) with bringback papers.
Also have a papered Frommer Stop, but it's not on Wikipedia's list.

rogue, no doubt you are right. As I said, IIRC.

Having said that, German use of foreign weapons was extensive, probably far greater on a percentage basis and in real numbers than any other belligerent in WW2, arming not just foreign allies and local security and paramilitary groups, but also large German formations.

The Volkssturm issuance of the Mannlicher Carcano comes to mind as well as the adoption of the Italian Beretta submachine guns in place of the MP40 during 1944.

Related, Roy Dunlap references the widescale issue of various captured weaponry by the Japanese with 1917 Enfield rifles being particularly common in the Philippines, which makes sense as they were the standard issue rifle of the Philippine army during the pre-war period.

Which brings me to an interesting and curious anecdote.

A friend of mine had in possession a couple bullets supposedly removed from his father's back who was indeed wounded during the war. It has been many years now but I believe his father served in the Philippines after the "I Shall Return" invasion which eventually liberated the archipelago. He had always assumed they were Jap 7.7 slugs.

Now just how many actual FMJ's are ever recovered more or less intact from battle wounds gives pause for wonder, and two from the same man even more, but such a thing is at least possible.

The curiouser part was I was hanging around one day and saw them and they got me thinking. I can't remember why but I think it was the color and shape. So subsequently I dug out my micrometer and miked the two and they both...went dead on .308. I don't recall what color they were for sure {cupronickle or gilding metal} but if they were indeed dug out of our fellow's back, he was either the victim of friendly fire or a captured Jap-issued .30-cal rifle.

I recall Roy Dunlap saying that EVERYBODY liked the Beretta SMGs; Italians, Germans, British, Americans, Arabs (He was in North Africa at the time.)

Jac Weller did American Rifleman articles on gun factories and armies. He said that at the time - 1960s - an Italian infantry squad had two Garands and the rest Beretta SMGs.

I've always been intrigued by the slide release and wondered why no one's ever made a modern aftermarket version.

Because the position of that slide stop would make it far too easy to accidentally manipulate while firing the pistol.

I know my big mitts would be all over it.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
Because the position of that slide stop would make it far too easy to accidentally manipulate while firing the pistol.

I know my big mitts would be all over it.

I agree. I don't use one and don't want one, and that thing would be in the way I think even for me as a lefty. {?}

^^^ I’m also a lefty and I wouldn’t want anything to do with shooting that design.

I'm wondering if "everybody" in the Army in Norway at that time was right-handed......

Since the introduction of the L85 in UK, all British soldiers are.........

quote:

Originally posted by kz1000:

quote:

"Foreign Equipment".

I have a Pistole 37(u) with bringback papers.
Also have a papered Frommer Stop, but it's not on Wikipedia's list.

I looked it up just the same and its a nice little pistol.

quote:

Related, Roy Dunlap references the widescale issue of various captured weaponry by the Japanese with 1917 Enfield rifles being particularly common in the Philippines, which makes sense as they were the standard issue rifle of the Philippine army during the pre-war period.

Indeed. There were several Japanese divisions stationed in the Phillipines that were armed with large numbers of captured US/Philippine M1917 rifles, and which were then used against US forces during the recapture of the Philippines.

The M17 is a better rifle than what JA Pan fielded. Looks like I should have posted this in the milsurp thread.

Wouldn’t happen if you put your thumb in the right place.