What's a good handgun that a history buff, who is not really into guns and shooting, could buy for a reasonable price and both enjoy owning as a collectible / piece of military from the WWI or WWII period (or both) ...
...AND which would be and acceptable reasonable choice for home defense or to carry in the vehicle while driving?
He'd want the gun to be of a 1900's -1943 design, although the exact specimen he picks up could be of newer production so long as it's identical to the military versions.
MY IDEAS:
1-- Gov't 1911, although it's probably outside of his price range, even for a well used, well-worn one.
2-- Browning P35 Hi Power, although I don't know if this gun saw enough service, actually issued to tropps or officers, in WW2 for him to put it in his short list.
3-- P-08 Luger, just because it's so famous, both from World War I and World War II, but I'm pretty sure this is out of his price range.
4-- Walther P38. Double action first shot makes it safe for a novice or beginner to carry fully loaded without neecibg to use a manual safety lever. It's affordable, especially ones not made in Germany but made by order of the Germans in Nazi occupied nations of Eastern Europe or the Baltics.
5-- Walther PP or PP/K. This was commonly owned by German officers during the war, and of course it's famous as the James Bond gun from all those movies!
Caliber .32 or .380 is a slight negative on these.
6-- A S&W "Victory" or similar period-correct .38 duty-sized revolver. Very reliable, even with wide-mouth hollowpoint bullets. Affordable, plenty of shooter-grade specimens that serious collectors would turn up their noses at, but should be fine for his purposes.
What else should he consider?
Please suggest other makes and models, either from the Allied or Axis side.
...AND which would be and acceptable reasonable choice for home defense or to carry in the vehicle while driving?
He'd want the gun to be of a 1900's -1943 design, although the exact specimen he picks up could be of newer production so long as it's identical to the military versions.
MY IDEAS:
1-- Gov't 1911, although it's probably outside of his price range, even for a well used, well-worn one.
2-- Browning P35 Hi Power, although I don't know if this gun saw enough service, actually issued to tropps or officers, in WW2 for him to put it in his short list.
3-- P-08 Luger, just because it's so famous, both from World War I and World War II, but I'm pretty sure this is out of his price range.
4-- Walther P38. Double action first shot makes it safe for a novice or beginner to carry fully loaded without neecibg to use a manual safety lever. It's affordable, especially ones not made in Germany but made by order of the Germans in Nazi occupied nations of Eastern Europe or the Baltics.
5-- Walther PP or PP/K. This was commonly owned by German officers during the war, and of course it's famous as the James Bond gun from all those movies!
Caliber .32 or .380 is a slight negative on these.
6-- A S&W "Victory" or similar period-correct .38 duty-sized revolver. Very reliable, even with wide-mouth hollowpoint bullets. Affordable, plenty of shooter-grade specimens that serious collectors would turn up their noses at, but should be fine for his purposes.
What else should he consider?
Please suggest other makes and models, either from the Allied or Axis side.