.351winchester
Moderator
I was reading recently about some old time outlaws and learned that towards the end of Prohibition, a popular automatic weapon was an Artillery Luger that fired full auto, used with the 32 rd. drum and holster stock. I've done searches and could not find any further info on this machine pistol/SMG. I don't even know if this was a German made original, or an underworld conversion. Standard Lugers were somewhat common in that period, though less popular than Colt autos or even revolvers, having been smuggled back as trophies from WWI. Even when Lugers were brand new, that's why Tom Horn died, couldn't figure out how to cock the newfangled toggle link pistol.
But this was my first time hearing about the full auto Artillery model. Any info would be helpful. Figured some of you NFA buffs might have some info. I'd guess these were (then legal) conversions on a semi only gun, there were several smiths performing similar work on 1911's and Winchester 07's, as well as re-arming dewatted heavy MGs. Harvey Bailey, others in the Holden-Keating crew (so probably Verne Miller too, the best typist of the day), all early post-prohibition, high dollar stick-up men, were some of the users of this unique weapon. That's all I know. A conversion job probably would have came from Chicago. I don't know enough about the Luger action to know the difficulty of setting it up for rock n' roll, but those gunsmiths had ingenuity, and a very decent supply of aftermarket hi-caps, comps, suppressors, and so on. I turned up nothing on machine pistol variants from Luger makers. I think if there was one it would be well known as a Mauser Schnellfeuer.
But this was my first time hearing about the full auto Artillery model. Any info would be helpful. Figured some of you NFA buffs might have some info. I'd guess these were (then legal) conversions on a semi only gun, there were several smiths performing similar work on 1911's and Winchester 07's, as well as re-arming dewatted heavy MGs. Harvey Bailey, others in the Holden-Keating crew (so probably Verne Miller too, the best typist of the day), all early post-prohibition, high dollar stick-up men, were some of the users of this unique weapon. That's all I know. A conversion job probably would have came from Chicago. I don't know enough about the Luger action to know the difficulty of setting it up for rock n' roll, but those gunsmiths had ingenuity, and a very decent supply of aftermarket hi-caps, comps, suppressors, and so on. I turned up nothing on machine pistol variants from Luger makers. I think if there was one it would be well known as a Mauser Schnellfeuer.
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