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Pederson devices recently sold
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I'd love to try one of those out. At one time I would have given about anything for one.
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I'm still hoping for a repro. About $1,500 apiece sounds reasonable.
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If they work as well as a new original...they might be better. That way you don't have to worry if you do something to it.
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If the government destroyed all of them after deciding not to use them, where did the examples come from that are out there? Did they come from rifles given away as awards then later seperated from each other? Back then I'm sure they were not concerned with collector value.
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I don't know if it's fact, pcaru1 but I've read that they 'destroyed' them by burning them in a fire. Some that weren't completely destroyed were pulled from the ashes after the fire and saved as souvenirs.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
pcaru1
If the government destroyed all of them after deciding not to use them, where did the examples come from that are out there? Did they come from rifles given away as awards then later seperated from each other? Back then I'm sure they were not concerned with collector value.
The PD was considered a secret. However US ordnance did find a Mark 1 rifle complete with PD and all the trimmings in a German plant at the end of WW2.
Regards,
Jim
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I read the same thing. It sounds reasonable to me that as many of them they manufactured that one or more could have been captured in the chaos of WWII,
I also read they were a guarded secret, and by the time they were ready to be deployed the war was starting to wind down so they wouldn't allow them to be used in battle for fear of having them captured. I can see how the device would have been top secret in that time period - it wouldn't seem to be a stretch the design could be reverse engineered for a Mauser action or something. Didn't the U.S. modify some for testing in another rifle too?
Regardless, they've always intrigued me. I think it's mostly because of it's capability to become a semi-auto back in that time period. It's sad in a way the concept never really got to be tested in battle after all the ingenious development just to see how it worked. I don't know how practical it would really be in actual use having to jug around the tool, bolt, mags, and ammo and swap out to shoot pistol rounds when the enemy was in close range.
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There were also PD for the M1917 and the Mosin Nagant. The PD was found at Rheinmetall company in Germany.
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Getting a reproduction is just half the problem. The ammo is not exactly common or available. Never heard the German connection before. Spy network I suppose.
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The Army was trying to funding for the M1 rifle project and having 60,000 PD's in storage hurt that project. It made Congress think the Army already had a semi-auto rifle in the system. Therefore, the PD had to go. Lots were grabbed from bonfires and put into pockets. I have also heard rumors that the Army tested them after WWI and found them fragile and not reliable. After the war ended they were quickly placed into long-term storage.
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Quote:
Lots were grabbed from bonfires and put into pockets
Calif-Steve- Why would workers grab them from fires when they had no idea of value for the future? What would be the reason for them risking their jobs to grab a failed prototype? Is there an estimate of how many "original" devices are in private collections?
I never heard that one was found in Germany. How could they possibly got their hands on one of those?? Were any ever tried on the WW1 battlefield? Is it possible they found out about this device between the two wars and reverse engineered one?
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The usual estimate of surviving PDs in about two to three dozen. A couple I have seen show evidence of being a little scorched.
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They were cute toys and guys wanted them. So the guys grabbed them out of the bonfires. The total number floating around seems in dispute. Likely more then a couple of dozen, but no one has a true count. I had a odd buddy buy one 5 years back and then backed out of the deal, long story. I keep hearing rumors of "somebody" gearing up and making modern repos. Hasn't happened yet. Anybody know what happened to all of the .30 Pederson ammo???
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It became the 7.65 X 22 French longue.
Chris
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That ain't unusual. :thup:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Calif-Steve
Anybody know what happened to all of the .30 Pederson ammo???
Oldguns used to sell it for two bucks a round a few years ago. I still remember looking over a PD, complete with tools, case and about 200-300 rounds of ammo a few years ago. It sold in the @ $35000 range on RIA, IIRC.
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Rumor has it a PD sold at Knob Creek last year's show for under $10k. The seller had to sell quickly.
