SCARCE US Small Arms Co. Huntsman Knife Pistol – .22 Cal

This is a no reserve penny auction for a US Small Arms Co. Knife Pistol in .22 Cal. Serial number- NONE. The U.S. Small Arms Co. Huntsman Knife Pistol is a very rare little folding knife pistol. The bore is in fair to good condition as seen in the photos. The handle scales show typical wear with the initials L.M. scratched in. Perhaps L.M. used this little gem to save his life in a bar brawl. The U.S. Small Arms Co. Huntsman Knife Pistol is a rare curiosity of early 20th-century firearms design, produced in Chicago starting around 1917. Masking its lethal capability within the frame of a standard folding pocketknife, this unique weapon features a 2.5-inch blade and a single-shot chamber designed for a .22 cal rimfire cartridge. The range of this knife/pistol was limited to extreme close-range defense. Despite its small size and affordable $5 retail price at the time of its release, it earned a bizarre place in military history when a specimen was discovered on a German saboteur during the FBI's thwarting of Operation Pastorius in 1942. 2 Today, these "combination weapons" are highly sought after by collectors as a testament to the era of experimental concealed pocket pistols.