Union Switch & Signal M1911 A1
The first handgun on this list may just look like a run-of-the-mill military contract 1911; however, unlike most American service handguns, this one was built by Union Switch & Signal.
The 1911 is probably the most iconic American handgun after establishing its reputation as “back-to-back World War champ.” This all-American handgun is chambered for .45 ACP and is synonymous with American military service and ingenuity. What could be more patriotic than a standard American 1911?
...How about one manufactured by a company that had no firearms experience yet answered the nation’s call for help during the 1940s war effort?
Established in 1881, Union Switch & Signal was known for manufacturing switches, signals, and signage for railways. When the United States entered WWII, manufacturing companies were needed to aid in producing war materials. When it came to firearms, especially the 1911 and M1 carbine, many inexperienced companies answered the call.
During the 1940s, US&S produced around 55,000 1911 handguns, making it one of the rarest production lines of the famous Browning design. This M1911 A1 features “United States Property” and “U.S. Army” markings. For its age and rarity, this is one of my favorite firearms that I have come across in our warehouse, and it instills a sense of pride as a red-blooded American.
H&K P7
The Heckler & Koch P7 is one of the most unique and collectible handguns in the world. The request for the P7 stemmed from a lackluster police response during the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre. The German police were looking to upgrade their .32 ACP Walther PP handguns to something chambered in the more powerful 9mm, that was safe to carry with a round in the chamber, and that an officer could manipulate with one hand.
H&K introduced the PSP (German for police self-loading pistol) in response to this request. Germany’s federal counter-terrorism police force and military special forces adopted the design in 1976, and in 1979, the model designation changed from “PSP” to “P7.” The handgun remained in production for several decades.
The P7 is a single-stack, striker-fired 9mm handgun with an eight-round capacity. The P7’s unique operation is actuated by a “squeeze-cocker” on the front of the grip. As the safety is depressed, it draws back the striker, engaging the trigger. Without a proper grip and squeeze tension, the trigger remains dead.
This allows the user to disengage the safety naturally with a proper grip, fulfilling the requirement to operate with one hand. The “squeeze-cocker” also acts as the slide release, which, along with the heel-release magazine, eliminates any snag points on the side of the handgun.
The nomenclature changed to the P7M8 for the classic single-stack version when H&K released the double-stack P7M13. The P7M13 was the handgun of choice of my favorite Christmas movie villain Hans Gruber in “Die Hard.” The P7 is unique, reliable, and collectible, and if it was good enough for Hans, it’s good enough for you.
H&K 41
Looking at a picture of an H&K 41, you could easily skip over it as just another H&K 91/G3 clone or variant – but you would be doing yourself a disservice.
The H&K 41 might be the rarest production variant of the H&K G3. The H&K G3 was developed from the Spanish CERME, which found its roots in the German STG44. The G3 competed against the FAL in opposing the AK in many proxy wars during the Cold War, and it was the service rifle for the West German military.
The H&K 41 was introduced in 1964 as a training rifle for military reservists. With mandatory military service for men in West Germany and a large reservist force, the German Bundeswehr (Armed Forces Department) contracted H&K to produce a semi-automatic copy of the G3 to sell on the domestic and civilian market. This gave reservists something to train on and allowed the public to own the same rifle as the West German military.
In H&K’s naming structure, the “4” means the firearm was designed for a paramilitary contract, and the “1” signifies the 7.62 NATO chambering. The H&K 41 is referred to as the “Revservistengewehr,” German for reservist rifle.
Sadly, the H&K 41 never hit any major production, and only about 400 rifles were made. Of those 400, only a few entered the United States, making it one of the rarest H&K rifles on the market.
This H&K 41 was mistakenly sold at some point as an H&K 91 for $87.55, as shown on the decades-old price tag. In today’s market, the rifle is worth more than 100 times that price. This rifle includes the original fixed stock, a retractable stock and buffer assembly, the original handguard and bipod assembly, a slimline polymer handguard, and the original sling. This is one of the rarest and coolest rifles I have seen in our inventory.
Summary
It is a rare day that something in our certified used inventory doesn’t catch my eye. Unfortunately, I do not have time to highlight every single firearm, but I was excited to show off these three. Be sure to bookmark our certified used page so you can keep tabs on what’s new in our collection.
