Korean War Chinese Weapons

[phild]

Originally Posted by kanemono

Mauser Broomhandle's were imported from China in the millions during the 1980's
These were some of the pistols imported at that time. I bought he Bolo rig from Val Forgett. His company Navy Arms bought a small number of Bolo's with their bolo sized Chinese made shoulder stock holsters from the Shanghai Police Department. The piece shown is one of those guns.
Dick

Just to clarify for the ones the were not aware of these back in the mid 1980s and early 90s, there were not literally millions imported (I do appreciate your point I think that it seemed that way going to shows for a few years and seeing the piles of them) but I would not doubt many thousands....maybe even a few tens of thousands came in.

From what I saw most of them were very rough condition... bad pitting, no finish, no two parts matching in many cases, smooth grips, crude welded, hammered and riveted repairs, no rifling in the bore...and those were the good ones!

Now, 20 years later I rarely see one or at least more than one or two for sale at any show except the huge ones like maybe Gun Day.

I agree with the the others that these are iconic Chinese weapons that participated in most of the Chinese historic events of the 20th century....they are way underrated....but I think that is changing. I'm lucky to own an all matched Bolo one, in decent shape inside and out, never import marked ( a few slipped thru in the early days of the imports) I doubt that I own a firearm that served longer and thru any more dramatic human events than did that Bolo.

[Ron P]

I just finished the book "The Last Stand of Fox Company" and there are many referances to the Chinese wielding Thompsons. Does anyone know if the Chinese were manufacturing Thompson knockoffs at that time? BTW, great pic of weapons.

[bolo]

This Chinese soldier photographed in 1937 carries the massive traditional da-dao broadsword, which was widely used during the first years of the Sino-Japanese War

[Viktor]

Originally Posted by Ron P

I just finished the book "The Last Stand of Fox Company" and there are many referances to the Chinese wielding Thompsons. Does anyone know if the Chinese were manufacturing Thompson knockoffs at that time? BTW, great pic of weapons.

Comrade,
In the Imperial war Museum there is a Chinese Copy of a Thompson, it is stamped up Thampson... the use of "Tommy Guns" could also mean a PPSh41 it was called that sometimes likely due to its Drum Magazine, like the Ameriksoyi Gangster Gun of nineteen twenties.

The Chinese Nationalist Forces used Thompons during the earlier War with Japan and continuious Civil wars.

[vacollector]

In the book " Ice, Fire and Blood " they referance PLA soldiers with Thomsons. It states that they were believed to have been surplus guns captured during the Chinese Civil War or left over from WWII stocks.

[gilhoolie]

Concerning the use of Thompsons by the Chinese in Korea. One of the Chinese armies that entered North Korea in the winter of 1950 included several KMT divisions that had defected to the Communists during the Civil War with their American-supplied weapons. Many of these troops still had them in 1950.