General Patton's Pocket Pistols

[Fenway]

http://youtu.be/IgzBk0ohUF8

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Patton carried a .380? Suck that .380 haters!

 

[Kagnew]

Patton carried a .380? Suck that .380 haters!

Amen, Bubba!

 

[Kagnew]

I've always found it amusing that the myriad lovers of the 1911, who would vote for sainthood for John Moses Browning, love to poo-poo the .380 ACP. But .380 ACP was designed by who?

 

[Fordtough25]

Yep Patton was a cool guy! He also carried a Colt SAA and a S&W .357 Magnum during WWII. He did carry a 1911 during WWI though. Wasn't browning's prior design pistol right before the 1911 .380?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

But .380 ACP was designed by who?

Ummm, Gaston Glock? Justin Moon? Alexei Sudayev? C. Reed Knight? Eugene Stoner? Yevegni Dragunov? I'll get it in a minute.

Patton carried a .380?

Patton had a boatload of guns.

The .357 Smith that he carried is on display at the Patton Museum in Kentucky. As well as the sweeeeeettt ZB26 and bunch of other guns that were presented to him in Europe. Oh, there's even the slide action rifle that was used on an attempt on his life in Mexico.

 

[sparkyfender]

Is/was there a clause that allows general officers to carry non-regulation firearms? Or was Gen. Patton in violation?

I didn't watch the video; if the answer was in it.......... my apologies.

 

[Kagnew]

Is/was there a clause that allows general officers to carry non-regulation firearms? Or was Gen. Patton in violation?

I didn't watch the video; if the answer was in it.......... my apologies.

GSP Jr. was not exactly one to worry too much about regulations. Did you ever see the uniform which he designed for tank crews?

 

[Kagnew]

Ummm, Gaston Glock? Justin Moon? Alexei Sudayev? C. Reed Knight? Eugene Stoner? Yevegni Dragunov? I'll get it in a minute.

Riiiight. That's why it was originally called the 9MM Browning. (But I know d... good and well you knew that!)

 

[sparkyfender]

GSP Jr. was not exactly one to worry too much about regulations. Did you ever see the uniform which he designed for tank crews?

Yes. I did see an illustration of it somewhere.......... It was quite colorful.

 

[El-Cigarro]

Yep Patton was a cool guy! He also carried a Colt SAA and a S&W .357 Magnum during WWII. He did carry a 1911 during WWI though. Wasn't browning's prior design pistol right before the 1911 .380?

I believe he refered to that .357 as his "Killin' Gun"!!!

 

[Alamo]

Is/was there a clause that allows general officers to carry non-regulation firearms? Or was Gen. Patton in violation?

I didn't watch the video; if the answer was in it.......... my apologies.

General officers approve the regulations that get written, and they seem to find numerous special clauses and exceptions for furniture, travel, weapons, uniforms, etc that apply only to....general officers.

Also, in Patton's time, the discretion allowed to officers and NCOs was considerably wider than today.

To my knowledge, general officers have always been authorized pistols of one make or another. Even Air Force generals, amazingly enough. When I was still in service in the mid 90s, the colonel leading our unit was promoted to brigadier, and as such was authorized to have an M-9. One of the other colonels came around and hit us officers up for a donation to buy him a custom set of grips for it that had special markings on it -- stars or the USAF seal or some such, I never did see them. I didn't mind, Gen Clay was a good guy.