Ever purchased something that is obviously impractical, just for fun? I have. More than once. The Desert Eagle is a great example.

Well, I stumbled into something unique and interesting, a total novelty. Also, an unknown quantity to me really, because no one cares about these so far as I can tell.

So, I just had to go for it, because even if it's crap I have .44 sitting about from when I owned an Anaconda.

This one isn't totally impractical, you could conceivably hunt with it.

I had been seeing this rather large gun sitting in the case for a while, and it intrigued me. Upon closer inspection it was a single shot bolt operated kit gun, on a 1911 frame.

I put some money on it and I've got to go back to finish up before I can show you a pic, but it looks something like:



The one I found has a scope. These were available in a number of calibers up to .308.

It could be complete shit, but this sort of curiosity is why I know things.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: arcwelder,

I seem to remember seeing these advertised in the late ’80’s or early ‘90’s as competition to the Remington XP-100. Or am I “mis-remembering” it? (That was a long time ago...)

You are correct, that is about when they were made.

“It shoots through schools”

Tanfoglio made something similar called the Thor


https://www.google.com/amp/gun...post/49845893859/amp

Dusty78 wrote:

“It shoots through schools”

quote:

Originally posted by sigarms229:
Dusty78 wrote:

“It shoots through schools”

I'm triggered. I need to go to my safe space.

Guns need cleaning.

I looked into these a while back. Thought that the 44 was a bit much for a 1911 frame. Ultimately I decided that I'd get a 14 inch barrel for my Desert Eagle.

The funnier part of Johnny Dangerously was when he was putting price tags on the puppies.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
I looked into these a while back. Thought that the 44 was a bit much for a 1911 frame. Ultimately I decided that I'd get a 14 inch barrel for my Desert Eagle.

If I still owned a desert eagle, I'd probably not have bought this, but it's really more of a lark.

As far as .44 mag and the 1911 frame, the frame is just there to hold a trigger, it's not taking the recoil energy in the same manor as if it were a standard recoil spring and slide.

The unit doesn't move on the frame, it's basically bolted through the mag well.

Considering that they offered these in .308, I doubt the frame will care about .44. I'll let you know.

I have a feeling that recoil with standard magnum 240gr. loads will be on the stout side of things.

We'll see. I don't think it'll be much different from the aforementioned Anaconda. Being a single shot pistol, as long as it's accurate, I don't mind stout recoil.

Very cool. Some guns just seem to speak of certain times and places, and I got a kick out the various "hand rifles" that came out about that time.

quote:

Originally posted by arcwelder76:

The unit doesn't move on the frame, it's basically bolted through the mag well.

Thats better than I thought. From what I can remember, the one I had looked at was only held in by the takedown lever. Maybe it was missing some parts?

Looks like fun either way.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
Very cool. Some guns just seem to speak of certain times and places, and I got a kick out the various "hand rifles" that came out about that time.

It's neat and old and weird. Kinda like me.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Thats better than I thought. From what I can remember, the one I had looked at was only held in by the takedown lever. Maybe it was missing some parts?

I'll be taking it apart, and I'll post pics. I want to put a better trigger in it, and do a few things to make it more "bullseye." So I'll have to disassemble.

The single shot pistol is still around, but in complete weapons, like the TC Contender and a couple others.

Stuff like this is right up my alley, because of history, and frankly modern pistols are somewhat boring. As in, progress is market driven, and not so much "wildcat" kind of thinking going on. Would the Wildey happen today?

Sometimes you see something and think, "that's real silly, I need it."
Those things are the largest danger to my wallet.

had a couple thru the shop back in the day,
folks seemed to like them,
don't recall any mechanical issues with them

looks like the one in the pic is on a Star frame, but I think any 1911 clone will do

had a Magnum Research single shot pistol thru the shop about a year ago, big funky pistol, they were out about the same time IIRC,

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Sometimes you see something and think, "that's real silly, I need it."
Those things are the largest danger to my wallet.

Yeah, it's true, but sometimes you've got to throw caution to the wind. I think there is a big hole somewhere with my caution in it.

quote:

Originally posted by lyman:
had a couple thru the shop back in the day,
folks seemed to like them,
don't recall any mechanical issues with them

looks like the one in the pic is on a Star frame, but I think any 1911 clone will do

Yeah, it's just a pic I pulled from the web. I think the one I have money on is a Springfield Inc. frame. I get the impression that it doesn't matter.

Not a novelty gun at all. It's one of what the late Mr. Jurras referred to as "a technical pistol". I think because they (single shot pistols, bolt action pistols) are capable of real accurate precision work... and they're only technically a pistol.


I think the biggest strike against the Pachmeyer Dominator and the Clerke Xtender was they had more recoil than most people were comfortable with in a 1911 grip frame. Which is understandable.

I meant the novelty more as why I was buying it, as I have no practical need. The inherent accuracy of a bolt rifle should carry to one of these, and indeed with a large barrel and in certain calibers, it's barely a pistol.

As far as recoil through a 1911 grip frame, well... if someone isn't accustomed to magnums, it hardly matters the shape they're holding on to.

I shoot 309JDJ, 358JDJ, 45-70 in a Contender.
.454 and 500 Linebaugh in revolvers, I didn't think my 10mm 1911 recoiled at all. (it bored me)
But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want all "that much fun" in a 1911 frame whacking the web of my hand.
I'm just going by people I've heard from who owned them, not inexperienced ones either.

I've passed on them before... one just recently in fact. I was tempted by a 30/223 that I thought wouldn't be all THAT bad, but rational thought won out. Because I sure don't need it, I was about to buy it simply because I'd never owned one. I always want to keep learning, but I don't need my all lessons to always be so expensive. lol

It wasn't so expensive. $700 with a scope on it.

I was just thinking, no one has posted about these here in my whole time as a member.