Top 10 Pistols of the 20th Century
Unlike my previous thread, this one is much more subjective and you will find much less agreement amongst professional communities about the choices.
Like the last thread the choice should be weighed by
- Innovation
- Timing( yes being the first to do something does count)
- Strength of the design
- Proliferation ( how successful it is)
- Service history
So I will start my List
1) Colt 1911 :
developed by the famous John Browning, this is perhaps the most successful and long lasting design of any firearm every made. The colt 1911 was pioneering in just about every aspect. It was a further evolution of an earlier colt design. The key aspects of this firearm are its box magazine system, grip mounted safety/slide mounted safety, tilt barrel recoil system, and numerous other features. But what really set it apart from anything during its time was its reliability and massive .45 auto caliber. When 9mm was consider a large caliber for european automatics, the hefty .45 simply blew its competition away.
It proved itself on the battlefield of world war 1 to be leagues ahead of anything else fielded. The design continued to improve and against showed its merits during ww2. After that war the firearms industry really took note, and it is now the most widely produced design in the world.
If Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the 1911 is the most beloved pistol around. Most firearm companies today have produced their own version of the 1911 or close knockoffs. The 1911 is also one of the most favored competition pistols for customization. It has also been the mainstay pistol for American police and citizens for the last 90 years. Even after it was supplanted by the Beretta 92 by the armed forces in the 1980s, its legendary reliability and knockdown power has recently seen it become on again the sidearm of certain branches such as the marine corps. This nearly 100 year old design is more popular today then it has ever been, and there are so options to choose from it is mind boggling. One thing is certain, this design will still be going strong long after we are all dead.
2 ) Browning Hi-power/P-35 : One of John brownings last designs the Hi-power is perhaps right next to the 1911 as being one of the most successful handgun designs. Developed in 1935, this could be described as the best pistol to see service during ww2 ( although little known). Production was just getting started in the Belgian FN factories when the Nazis took over and kept production going. We have many illustrations of the SS commandeering it for their use. Canadians also produced and issued during the war under John Inglis. The High Power is most notable for being the first production hi-capacity double stack pistol. Running with his earlier design the Hi-power is essentially an improved 1911. Its post war carrier is one of success as it was the side arm of the free world. Most armies around the world adopted it as well as notable special forces like the British SAS. No matter where you go from the middle east, to asia, to africa to europe you are likely to run into the high power.
3) Glock : The first successful pistol to utilize a synthetic construction where ever it could including magazine housing, trigger and receiver. It ushered in the age of synthetic pistols which is quickly becoming the norm. Up until this period, people did not beleive that synthetics were strong enough to be used in pistols, but the glocks not only showed they were just as strong, but that they could be even more durable. It also lead the way with a trigger mounted safety ( and no slide mounted safety) in combination with a hammer less design. The glock so far been amazingly successful, and has seen service with many armies, as well as being the perfered sidearm of police forces around the world. It has also had phenomenal sales with the civilian market.
4) Browning M. 1903/1910 :
Another one of John Browning's designs. Until the late 40s this was the most successful pistol design in history. From full size to pocket pistol this design was everywhere and could be found in all parts of the world. These pistols were very popular with civilians and police, as well as numerous variants which served with armies around the world. These pistols were also infamous for many assassinations such as that of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This design has been widely copied around the world and is the basis for other successful designs like the soviet TT-33 tokarev.
5) P.08 Luger :
One of the first successful automatic pistols to serve in any armed forces and it paved the way for general military acceptance of automatics in military service.
6) Smith & Wesson Model 27:
The first magnum revolver. Smith and wesson pioneered the development of the famous .357 and this was the first pistol to be chambered in that cartridge. For quite some time it was the most powerful pistol in the world. It rejuvenated the viability of revolvers as police sidearms as well as made handguns capable hunting firearms for big game around the world. People such as George Patton are noted as having one of these always strapped to his hip, as well as it was the pistol to garner fame in the movie Magnum Force as the gun of choice of Dirty Harry.
7) CZ-75 :
One of the best designs to come out of the warsaw pact. Its initial success was only hampered by it being stuck behind the iron curtain. Once word leaked out about this fantastic design it soon took off. The CZ-75 is essentially a marriage between the hi-power and sig P210. Utilizing a tilt barrel design, high capacity double stack magazine, double action/single action trigger and an internal rail, it proved itself to be the best military sidearm of its time. It has been adopted by numerous militaries and has been a huge commerical success for CZ spawning many variants.
8) Walther PPK:
Another successful design by walther. This pistol is notable for being the first pocket automatic to be chambered in a relatively strong caliber ( .380) which also having the notable characteristic of having a double action trigger making it safer to carry then other comparable designs. This design was pretty much THE pocket pistol for 60 years. Civilians, police and military agents all carried this excellent design when a full size pistol was not appropriate.
9)Mauser C/96 "broomhandle":
The first reliable Semi-automatic. The main distinctive identifying characteristics of the C96 are the integral box magazine in front of the trigger, the long barrel, the wooden shoulder stock which can double as a holster or carrying case, and a grip shaped like the end of a broom's handle. The gun's distinctive appearance earned it the nickname "Broomhandle" in the English-speaking world (from the shape of its grip). It was a favored sidearm of military personnel whom could afford it at the turn of the century. None less then Winston Churchill himself sung its praise for saving his life during the Boer War. The design itself remained popular up through WW2 and even had a long post war career in China ( where they seemed to love the thing and created alot of copies).
10) Walther P-38:
A very good design that came out of germany. It is notable for pioneering the double action mechanism in automatic pistols. Comparable single action designs of the period were not safe to carry with one in the chamber for fear of an accidental discharge if the gun was dropped. However a double action pistol operates with the hammer down and firing pin un-cocked. A long heavier pull of the trigger will cock the firing pin and hammer at the same time much in a similar fashion to a revolver. This meant that soldiers could draw and fire the weapon without having to withdraw the slide first to chamber a round.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Katsumoto
Land of the Free! Home of the 
