Before there was the Walther PP, Sauer 38, or Mauser HSc, an obscure Bohemian Czech gun designer by the name of Alois Tomiska– Tom to his friends, or so goes the story– crafted a curious little vest pocket .25 ACP that was, importantly, double action, a first for the time.
Meet the Wiener Waffenfabrik Little Tom.
Brass magazine that is inserted through the top? Czech!
More in my column at Guns.com.
A Senate measure would change the federal definition of an antique firearm from one made before 1899 to one that is 100 years old.
Introduced earlier this month as S.1541, the move would dramatically increase the number of older guns that are available to collectors that could be sold and shipped without a Federal Firearms License.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives generally does not regulate antique guns as defined under federal law as one made in or before 1898 that is not otherwise controlled by National Firearms Act. This means current “pre-1899” guns enjoy a premium with collectors over firearms of the same model made after the cutoff that can be transferred and shipped across state lines without an FFL due to their exemption.
I had a really interesting interview last week with Mae from C&Rsenal, primarily about their massive Mauser M1918 T-Geweher anti-tank rifle, but also about curios and relics in general.
Photo by C&Rsenal