When you consider one of the most popular weapons is a 1911, the model number is also the year model, not much technological advancements in almost 100 years!
YMMV
John
Dear Forum,
I'm doing a piece on the complexity of pistol production. What would you say is the most complex pistol ever created, as in amount of parts, sophistication, etc.? Right now the HK P46 is a contender, but I was wondering if anyone here could offer up any more suggestions.
Regards,
James
When you consider one of the most popular weapons is a 1911, the model number is also the year model, not much technological advancements in almost 100 years!
YMMV
John
I think a few contenders might be the Luger, H&K VP70, maybe the P38?
Cool, thanks guys.
How about the Desert Eagle with the rotary bolt?
Production guns:
HK P-7/PSP
Borchardt
Mauser Military C/96
(Top choice) -- the .455 Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver
Custom guns:
Scrufari triple-threat revolver. Three vertically-stacked barrels, and the cylinder held eleven rounds -- 5 .357 Magnums alternating with 5 .22 Long Rifles, and the cylinder center-pin on this top-break revolver was a .410 shotgun barrel. Three firing pins with a sliding transfer-bar selector lever to choose the caliber/barrel you want to fire. All custom-built on an extensively reworked S&W Model 29 frame.
"Placement is power" -- seen in an article by Stephen A. Camp
(RIP, Mr. Camp; you will be remembered, and missed)
For production guns, I think the Borchardt wins. The HK's mentioned aren't really all that complicated. Yes, the P7 and it's variants have a few more parts than normal, but the machining required isn't all that complicated.
The Walther P1 and P5 have barrel assemblies that require an unusual amount of machining to make. That and the dual recoil rod/spring assemblies make them a bit complicated.
One could also make the case of the electric Free Pistols made by Morini and Hammerli, along with the .22lr sportpistols by Pardini, Morini, Hammerli, Walther, and Feinwerkbau.
The most complicated pistols that you can just walk into your local Academy Sports and find are the revolvers. The machining required to make a S&W 686 is a lot more than what is needed to make a Glock or XD.
Complex gun to take down and assemble; The Ruger MK II?!