THE GUNS OF RAYMOND CHANDLER

Due to the sheer variety of firearms in the Philip Marlowe books, it was felt these merited their own page in the Glossary.

GUNS FEATURED IN THE BIG SLEEP;

LUGER -  toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The design was patented by Georg J. Luger in 1898 and produced by German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) starting in 1900 with other manufacturers such as W+F Bern, Krieghoff, Simson, Mauser, and Vickers.

LUGER

POLICE .38 - medium frame, double-action revolver with a six-round cylinder, primarily chambered for the .38 Special cartridge, and manufactured by the Colt's Manufacturing Company. Manufactured 1927 - 1969, over 400,000 made.

COLT OFFICIAL POLICE .38

VINTAGE .38 SPECIAL AMMUNITION. ALTHOUGH THIS IS MILITARY-ISSUED AMMUNITION, THE ROUND IS THE SAME AS THE POLICE-ISSUED AMMUNITION

COLT WOODSMAN - Small calibre semi-automatic sporting pistol manufactured by the American Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1915 to 1977. It was designed by John Moses Browning. Chambered for .22 Long rifle ammunition.

COLT WOODSMAN

BANKER'S SPECIAL - Variant of the Colt Detective Special. First produced in 1928, it was chambered in .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W) and .22 Long Rifle.

.38 BANKER'S SPECIAL

BARREL DETAIL

GUNS FEATURED IN FAREWELL, MY LOVELY;

COLT .38 SUPER MATCH AUTO - Philip Marlowe's gun. The .38 Super Match was a higher-velocity version of the .38 Special.

COLT .38 SUPER MATCH

                            YOUTUBE VIDEO ABOVE COURTESY OF DANIEL ELIGGI

TOMMY GUN - The Thompson Sub-Machine gun became notorious as the weapon of choice during Prohibition-era violence. Chambered for .45 ACP, the weapon was devastating at close to medium range, although firing from an open-bolt meant it tended to climb unless short bursts were fired. The version seen here has a fifty-round drum magazine attached and a cutts compensator at the front of the barrel; the compensator deflected exhaust gasses upwards to counter the climb effect.

GUNS FEATURED IN THE HIGH WINDOW;

BELLY GUN - Small calibre short barrelled pistol, often with sights and hammer filed down for ease of concealment and draw. Used to disable with a shot to the stomach, hence the name.

EXAMPLE OF A BELLY GUN: NOTE THE FILED HAMMER AND LACK OF REAR SIGHTS

GUNS FEATURED IN THE LADY IN THE LAKE;

 .38 SMITH AND WESSON ON A .44 FRAME - Degarmo's gun, a Smith and Wesson N-frame revolver chambered for the .38 Special cartridge loaded to higher pressures than were considered appropriate for earlier revolvers of that caliber. Known officially as the .38/44 Heavy Duty it was made to rival Colt's .38 Special. Described as a 'Wicked weapon with a kick like a .45 and a much greater effective range.' Made until the .357 Magnum cartridge made it obsolete.

PRE-WAR SMITH AND WESSON .38/44 HEAVY DUTY

                                  YOUTUBE VIDEO ABOVE COURTESY OF 1957SHEP

GUNS FEATURED IN THE LONG GOODBYE;

WEBLEY HAMMERLESS - Roger Wade's gun, eventually used to kill him. Officially chambered for .320 Revolver, the Webley Pocket Hammerless fired .32 Long Colt, .32 Short Colt or .32 Smith & Wesson Long with no modifications.

WEBLEY POCKET HAMMERLESS