First double action pistol ?

[P08]

I'm wondering which was the first mass produced double action pistol? Also I'd like to know what year it came out? (Did they have double action pistols in WWI ?)

Thanks in advance if anyone knows this.

[Douglas Jr.]

First double action pistol

P08,

The first pistolto use the double action system was a small Austrian self-loading pistol called "Little Tom", projected by Alois Tomska and introduced in 1908. It was chambered to .25ACP (6,35mm) and .32ACP (7,65mm).

I have some pictures of it, and I´ll post it later as soon as I find them...

But the first to produced in large numbers was the Walther PP, introduced in 1929. The rest is history as people say.

Douglas.

[JaimeH]

STARR arms marketed to the US military and some civilian purchasers a double action revolver in 1862.

[P08]

Thanks. I assume these to be civilian pistols. Would that make the P38 the first military/police double action pistol? If yes we have something to brag about

[Douglas Jr.]

But...

P08,

We have a close adversary for the Walther P38: the Czech CZ38, introduced in the same year as the Walther, and chambered to 9mm Luger. The main problem was that the CZ38 worked ONLY as a double action gun!

Douglas.

[Chris_Werner]

I assume you mean auto loaders rather than revolvers. The first double action revolver came out prior to the American Civil War.

[Douglas Jr.]

Chris and jaime,

You both are correct. P08 is trying to discover the first self-loading pistol. In fact the double action was invented by a English engineer called Robert Adams. I think that his first projects came durind the 1850´s.

Douglas.

[Johnnie]

Depends on your terminology. If you seperate "revolver" from "pistol", pistol meaning autoloader, then I believe the P-38 was the first successful double action auto loader issued to a military force in quantity.
Correct me if I'm wrong guys,
Regards,
Johnnie

[Douglas Jr.]

Terminology!

Johnnie,

I think you are on the right track. Pistol = autoloader, for this thread.

Douglas.

[P08]

Yes I meant pistols only, not revolvers. I found a little info and a picture of the CZ38. Wow that is an ugly gun (sorry if any of you like it) It was used by the chech army it is said. But I also found a picture of one with German markings? So that means it was used by the wehrmacht also..!?

[Jan Balcar]

Czech pistol vzor 38

Czech army pistol vzor 38 was made for cartridge vzor 22. Vzor 22 is the same shape as 9 mm kurz but more power there.