imfdb.org  

Go Back   imfdb.org > The Forum > Off Topic

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old 02-13-2012, 07:16 PM
Yournamehere Yournamehere is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 912
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Excalibur View Post
My logic is that if it existed at that time period, and if it is possible to get it, it should be in it.
The problem is those are two very broad qualifications. For example, today, the Remington 1911R1 exists, and is for sale on the market. Does that mean your local police officer has one? No, I highly doubt it. For one it's not a particularly fascinating gun as was the case of a lot of the guns of the 50's or any era, nor is it probably an approved gun for many agencies, again, something to consider in the era.

As for revolvers again, S&W didn't begin numbering their models until the mid 1950's so technically, none of those models even existed. They had the named counterparts of the day (M&P for the Model 10, K38 "Combat Masterpiece" for the Model 15, and Registered Magnum for the Model 27), but they were not referred to by model number yet. I don't know how common .38/44 was at the time, but it's probably better to err on the safe side and just give him a .38. I think a lot of people hate doing that because .38s reputation today is this weak and wimpy cartridge, but the thing is it's completely in it's element any time before the last 30 years, and for that time it was the caliber of choice for many and carried by just about everyone. I'd also say scratch the Police Positive and go for the more modern Official Police, which fits the date better and is also chambered in .38 Special.

I think some of these ideas are way too into prohibition era and blatantly ripping off prohibition era films, namely Public Enemies. Drum Thompsons and BARs were more of that era than post World War II. As most of us know the final rendition of the Thompson was the M1A1, which I would recommend be the Thompson of choice, unless you find an issued Thompson which better fits the bill. The BAR, while at this time is unmatched in firepower capability, is a very heavy weapon, and I don't believe it was the issue weapon of any police force of the time, nor do I see it filling that role. At the very least it should be an M1 Garand in place of that, if not a simple .30-06 bolt gun. Not sure about M1 Carbines either. Again, this is the FBI in the 1950's, not World War II, so the M1 Carbine may not be an issue/appropriate gun, nor is it a particularly wonderful choice given other weapons you could pick.

Lastly, I understand how it could seem a bit boring to give characters somewhat "generic" weapons and calibers, but on the other end of the spectrum, it's far too blatant and pretentious to give them something way too particular or extravagant. It seems really contrived, as if you're trying to tell your reader "hey, I know a lot about guns" when it probably ends up saying "hey, I tried to place some obscure items in here to make it seem like I know a lot". The machine pistol is a great example of this on both fronts. On one end, it is ridiculously particular, so particular in fact that the only place in history where one was ever noted was in John Dillinger's gang, and that's it. Putting it in one's own writing is an obvious borrowing of the concept from that gun, because that's the only one out there to inspire one to give it to a character. On the other hand, it has been brought into the mainstream know having been used in Public Enemies, so everyone who has seen that film knows about the once fascinatingly obscure machine pistol in .38 Super. This is what puts the final nail in the coffin housing the ability to pay homage to that weapon. It's way too specific, everyone knows about it, and frankly it's not a very effective weapon anyway, so the edginess and cleverness in placing it in the story is completely gone. It's better to give him a generic .38 or .45 that you know an FBI man would have than to force a particular gun on a character, it just makes more sense that way.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 02-13-2012, 09:01 PM
Mandolin Mandolin is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 147
Default

Well, post-WW2 there's not much for new weapons since Prohibition, so I don't see the problem with the M1 Carbine. There isn't anything other than Thompsons and BARs to issue, and I can't see why they'd adopt the M1A1 model Thompsons, it was a simplified military adaptation that offers no real benefit over the M1928A1. Frankly, there's no new weapons technology for the FBI in the 1950s, with the possible exeption of the M1 Carbine and M3 Grease Gun, so weaponry would most likely be unchanged from the 1930s to at least 1960. Until the Uzi, MP5, and M16 start showing up, FBI and law-enforcement weaponry is going to be stuck in stasis from the Prohibition era.

The BAR is heavy, but if you want real firepower, that's what's availible and the Garand is never going to replace it. While not normally used, it's heavy firepower will see it getting dragged out of the gunsafe to catch the hit squad. Asside form the machine pistol, none of the ideas are ripping off movies, they're simply stuck with the same weapons as that era
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 02-13-2012, 09:12 PM
SPEMack618 SPEMack618 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 742
Default

I meant to say Offical Police, I was confused there.

As for the Heavy Duty, S&W manufactured upwards of 40,000 of them. Surely, a Southern sheriff who is buying his own gear would have aquired one.

And that is my idea with the BAR, that the hit squad wacked a British diplomat with enough firepower to overwhelm his security detail, that necessitates breaking the BAR out of the arms locker.

Now, not sure how much fact behind the series as the whole, but the specific guy talking about it looked credible as hell, stated the the Thompson, in a M-1928 configuration wasn't removed from service with the FBI until the '70s. Further more, my thinking with that version is the Agent using it will have had experience with it before, either during Prohibition or WWII, and will something along the lines of:
"Now, the drums are crap to carry, but having 50 rounds to begin a gun fight ain't all that bad of a proposition."

Further more, having read several articles on the matter, I'm inclined to belief that the Super .38 was rather popular in the '30s, especially with firearms guys. Hell, it's flat shooting, hard hitting, runs in the Government Model platform, and you carry one more in the mag. I could see the gun guy carrying a Super .38
__________________
I like to think, that before that Navy SEAL double tapped bin Laden in the head, he kicked him, so that we could truly say we put a boot in his ass.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 02-13-2012, 10:14 PM
Yournamehere Yournamehere is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 912
Default

Being popular directly after it's inception doesn't necessarily make it popular 20 years later. Even so, a .45 ACP 1911 will do everything a .38 Super 1911 will do in a combat role. The .38 Super on paper has superior ballistics, but these kinds of differences are really only noticed in match environments. Moreover, the agents will have an abundance of .45 ACP on them since they will have Thompsons, and the ammo is easier to get as it is the common American caliber of the day, as opposed to .38 Super which has probably declined in popularity after the war. Personally, when I think .38 Super, I think of Dillingers machine pistol, and ISPC race guns where the shooters need every minute ballistic edge they can get. I don't consider the caliber superior to .45 as a combat cartridge given all the factors I've mentioned. Still, if you really think it'd aid to characterization to give a character a .38 Super 1911, do so. I think I've argued how it logistically doesn't make as much sense as a standard .45 Government Model though.

If you have a credible source that says Feds used M1928s (not A1s) at the time, then give them those. It was an issue weapon, and is the most iconic of the Thompson models on top of that.

The BAR and the .38-44 seem fine to me though given what you've said.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 02-13-2012, 11:45 PM
SPEMack618 SPEMack618 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 742
Default

Well, according to the Gun Wiki, the FBI used them until 1976.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYTUc...eature=related

This guys, who looks credible, says 1974. Further more, he says military stocks, so it very well good have been a -1928A1.

As far as the Super .38, he's stateside, ammo supply wouldn't be that big of an issue.
__________________
I like to think, that before that Navy SEAL double tapped bin Laden in the head, he kicked him, so that we could truly say we put a boot in his ass.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 02-14-2012, 04:04 AM
Krel Krel is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 72
Default

The reason that the Super .38 was so popular with law enforcement agencies was because it could do something the .45 apc couldn't do. Which is penetrate body armor, and punch through the heavy metal that cars used to be made out of. When the Registered Magnum (the .357)was developed, it pretty much superseded the Super .38.

David.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 02-14-2012, 09:03 AM
Yournamehere Yournamehere is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 912
Default

That's true, and I considered that earlier, but you have to account for 20 years of body armor, glass and auto evolution as well. If there wasn't much change of those items in that period of time, then it's considerable, though penetration are what the rifles are for. Pistols are a last ditch effort to defend yourself.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 02-17-2012, 01:15 AM
SPEMack618 SPEMack618 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 742
Default

The more I play with this....I think I might ditch heavy weapons all together for the good guys....exception being the Sheriff's shotgun, and maybe one Thompson for the State Police.

That being said, I would love to give the BAR some play....
__________________
I like to think, that before that Navy SEAL double tapped bin Laden in the head, he kicked him, so that we could truly say we put a boot in his ass.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:24 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.