Chinese Warlord Pistols 1916-1949

[Sakobav]

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articl ... -1916-1949

Many dont realize how much civil war China endured till 1949 .. no wonder they are way they are suspicious of foreign powers .. Opium war boxer revolution, Jap Invasions' and then Civil war

[timmy]

This was a much-appreciated article, Navi, thank you for posting it.

My thoughts first turned to a study of Khyber Pass firearms, and then kattas. Possibly, a serious collector could limit himself to Northwest Territory guns from the same era as this article, say, up until Independence.

More to the point, I liked the article giving a historical background. A relative of my Wife's was a Marine on the USS Mexico, which was stationed off the coast of China for awhile, and he had some interesting stories of warlords and harrowing trips up rivers in small boats. His article also parallels Barbara Tuchman's excellent history: "Stillwell and the American Experience in China".

Making serviceable weapons in crude manufacturing circumstances would favor copying what was known to already work well, as well as appealing to the visual aspect. (His description of markings reminded me of Khyber Pass rifles, and his explanation for what seems nonsensical to some was applicable here, also.)

It's a good thing I'm not wealthy, or this article would encourage another pile of stuff in the house!

Thanks again for the link.

[Vikram]

That was a brilliant article, Sakobav. I found the historical background more interesting than the guns themselves. Fascinating stuff. Thank you for sharing.