Sedgley OSS .38
| Sedgley OSS .38 | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of the Haight Fist Gun in its US Patent document | |
| Type | Assassination pistol, last resort weapon |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | OSS |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Office of U.S. Naval Intelligence |
| Manufacturer | Sedgley Company |
| No. built | 52–200 |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | .38 Special |
| Action | Single Shot, Break Barrel |
The Sedgley OSS .38 glove pistol or Sedgley Fist Gun is a World War II firearm. It was designed by Stanley M. Haight and manufactured by Sedgley Co. of Philadelphia for the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy.[1] Its official designation by the US Navy was Hand Firing Mechanism, Mk 2.[2]
Description
[edit]The Sedgley OSS is a single-shot, break-action, smoothbore .38 Special pistol which was designed by Stanley M. Haight for the Office of Naval Intelligence. It was meant as a covert operation and assassination weapon in the Pacific Theater. It was mounted on the back of a cowhide glove; a long-sleeved coat would usually be worn to hide the weapon. It was commonly nicknamed "Glove Pistol" or "Glove Gun".[3]
The trigger is a bar parallel to and extending past the barrel. After being loaded and cocked, the weapon is fired by the shooter making a fist and pressing the trigger against the target's body.[4] Between 52 and 200 are believed to have been manufactured.[5]
In fiction and popular culture
[edit]The Sedgley OSS is seen in the Quentin Tarantino World War II alternate history film Inglourious Basterds. The film centers on elements of the First Special Service Force operating under orders from the OSS dropping behind German lines to conduct a political assassination of Nazi high-command. Two Sedgley OSS weapons are utilized near the film's climax, including one loaded, concealed, and used by a character played by the actor Eli Roth and another used without concealment.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Alcohol, tobacco, and firearms quarterly bulletin, Volumes 979-980. Dept. of the Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. 1979. pp. 24, 34. PDF, requires CAPTCHA.
- ^ Eger, Chris. "The Sedgley OSS Glove Gun" at the Wayback Machine (archived 18 December 2012)
- ^ Holmes, Richard (30 January 2009). World War II: The Definitive Visual History. DK Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-7566-5605-8.
- ^ Melton, H Keith (21 September 2009). Ultimate Spy. DK Publishing. pp. 191–192. ISBN 978-0-7566-6818-1.
- ^ McCollum, Ian (15 June 2014). "Sedgley Glove Gun". YouTube. Forgotten Weapons. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ^ McCollum, Ian (28 December 2015). "Forgotten Weapons: The Sedgley Glove Gun Really Packed a Punch". Popular Mechanics. Forgotten Weapons. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
External links
[edit]- "Weird Weapon with a Hollywood Connection" The National WW2 Museum, New Orleans website: (with picture).
- "United States Patent 2,423,448"
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