Chinese Warlord Pistols: the “Horn Grip Type“

Interested in these guns? Check out the Kickstarter for my new book on the subject, “Pistols of the Warlords“! In the course of researching Chinese domestic pistols of the Warlord Era, I sorted through several hundred examples, and was able to identify six distinct patterns of uniquely Chinese designs. Once of these I have designated the Horn Grip Type, as almost all the examples identified use horn (sometime light yellowish and sometimes dark brown) for grip panels. These pistols are simple blowback actions with open slides, external hammers, and Eibar-style safety levers above their triggers. They are chambered for the .32 ACP cartridge. They have a characteristic style of rear sight that vaguely mimics the tangent sight and bolt of a C96 Mauser, but without any separate rear sight leaf. The part we would expect to be the rear sight slider is actually an unmoving piece used to hold the extractor in place. I cover all six d