Arms, Armor and Militaria

9mm Para. 2.875" barrel length. SN: EXP. Blued finish to slide with straw colored and nitre blued small parts and anodized alloy frame mounting two-piece smooth ebony grips. Short recoil operated DA/SA autoloading prototype pistol fed by detachable single stack eight-shot magazines. The design follows the Mauser HsP, featuring a tilting locking wedge below the barrel, takedown lever to the forward frame, and a decocker to the left frame behind the trigger. Sights feature a gold frontal bead and a single rear gold post set within notch sights. The scant markings on the pistol include CALIBER 9MM/Automatic Pistol to left frame, serial number to frame, and barrel marks reading CAL. 9MM followed by a {REH within Watchmaker's Vise} mark belonging to gunmaker Raymond E. Hutchens. Comes with a total of one black anodized finished alloy magazine.

4.5mm. 1.4" barrel length. SN: EXP. Blued finish to slide with nitre blued and straw colored small parts, and a gray finish to the steel frame color matched to the full size pistol mounting smooth ebony two-piece grips. Short recoil operated DA/SA autoloading blank firing 1/2 scale pistol patterned after the above handgun. The markings are similar to the above with the exception of the caliber markings, which read CALIBER4.5MM on the frame and CAL. 4.5MM on the barrel. Displays an identical REH mark to the barrel. The magazine is steel, and color matched to the alloy magazine of the above. Though clearly a miniature replica of the Norton pistol, this example was produced out of steel, and lacks the alloy frame and magazine of its parent. This handgun is published in "Scale Model Firearms" by Joseph D. Kramer on pages 86-88, and is described as a work of gunmaker Raymond E. Hutchens. Of Hutchens, Kramer wrote, "His uncompromising devotion to the producing of these models, is a tribute to a man who is known internationally, to be the finest maker of model firearms in the world. I have been associated with Mr. Hutchens for over 40 years and his accomplishments are an inspiration to all who are privileged to view his work." Both pistols come in a polished Macassar wood case with brass corners, a green velvet liner, and a nameplate bearing the same {Watchmaker's Vise} mark as the barrels but without initials. Base mounts four rubber feet, and has been struck once more with a vise marking below the name HuTch.

At the time of writing, there are scant few details to be found about the Norton DP-75 pistols through conventional sources. It is known that these were produced by Norton Armaments of Mount Clemens, Michigan, a company best known for its association with famous machinist and gunmaker Edgar Budischowsky. Norton manufactured Budischowsky's TP-70 pistol, a double action pocket pistol manufactured in .22 and .25 caliber. While handy as pocket backup guns or for target shooting, the limited power of the TP-70 rendered it an unattractive carry option when .38 Special snubnose revolvers and a bevy of automatic pistols were available. Had the DP-75 entered production, it would have provided Norton a more marketable offering as both a concealed carry gun and a possible duty weapon for police officers. What made the handgun most unique were the materials selected for the two known surviving prototypes. This example, the first of the two, utilizes an alloy frame with the bulk of its components fabricated of steel. The second prototype was built almost entirely of Titanium alloy. As a consequence, while this pistol weighs in at 1.54 lbs, the titanium example weighs in at a mere 0.91 lbs. This lot presents the buyer the chance to own one of only two prototypes produced by Norton, along with a serial number matching miniature produced by legendary gunmaker Raymond E. Hutchens. {MODERN}

As seen on Forgotten Weapons. Note: when previously sold, the miniature was paired with the second prototype, which will be offered in a separate lot. The miniature serial number matches the first prototype, as pictured in Kramer's "Scale Model Firearms" on page 88.