You're a gumshoe, in the depression. You spend your time tracking down husbands that having an affair for the wife's divorce attorney. But sometimes, things get sticky.
What Gatt do you choose?
I ask because I trying to write a pulp detective novel. Just a dash off piece of dreck, not intended for publishing. Just to see if I can type 50,000 words in November. I'm just curious to see if I can do it.
One of the things that got me into actually doing this National Write a Novel Month thing is the fact that I write nigh daily here. Got me in the habit.
I'd also have written a novel long before now, but I've never actually had a plot gel. I get halfway through an narrative's outline and then not know where it was going or how to wrap it up. This one just sorta hit me. I'm decent at details and mood and dialog, to my ears, but the conflict and resolution was always an issue.
I sorta have the details on the protagonist's roscoe, but I like to hear alternates, maybe.
And when this is all done, I'll maybe have a rough draft. Maybe I'll post an excerpt after that has had a rough polish. If it isn't embarassingly bad.
Oh, and because of the novel, I have less time for the blog. Not to worry. I might have some guest bloggers lined up...
{I'm behind scedule.. Only 7000 some words so far. Stupid wedding...}
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16 comments:
A S&W Military & Police (pre-10) or a Colt Police Positive.
The two mentioned by zercool but a Colt 1911 as well due to so many of them making their way home from The Great War with those who'd carried them.
I second that 1911 for the same reasons. That and because I dig them myself (though dislike the reliability of my own).
7000 words so far. The detective is a WWI vet. Marine.
+1 on the Colt Police Positive. It was ubiquitous in the Noir era. Doesn't even have to be a .38, as they were made in other calibers. One in .32 Long would be cool. .32's are kind of forgotten now, but were popular back then, being softer-recoiling than a .38. My dad had a S&W in .32.
Iver Johnson lemon squeezer or a breaktop Smith & Wesson might be a good choice, too.
Oh, hell. If he's a WWI-era Marine, you could arm him with a war souvenir Luger.
S&W 1917 .45ACP revolver. Fast reloads, great cartridge, and just obscure enough to be cool.
The picture is dead on this old post I did about my 1917:
http://abtguns.blogspot.com/2010/04/moonclips.html
but it touches the high points as to why the 1917 is a cool gun.
If you want to go even further with it, have it be a cut down 1917 "Fitz Special":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FitzGerald_Special
Depends on WHEN in the Depression. If it was pre-NFA, you could have a Thompson in the Rumble seat of your Roadster. If it was late 30's, you could buy an expensive N-Framed Smith in that new-fangled .357 Magnum.
But you could have your 1911 using .38 Super, also.
Clyde Barrow used a cut down Browning Autoloader on some of his Crime Sprees (he called it a Whippet), but we know how you feel about Shotguns. But in that era, it seems most Zeds were still stuck in the Caribbean, so there would be be no mistake in having one available and wrongly grabbing it for a Level 4, so.....
1911. No question.
1911 is harder to conceal than a Smith or Colt snub 38.
Anon: It was a different era with different clothing styles reflected in baggy coats and pants. The material was also heavier in a lot of the clothing being produced as well, not to mention the pants and coat pockets were deep and wide. Most of the revolver’s weren’t snub-nosed but instead 4” to 6” barreled ones.
The Colt Police Positive Special was smaller in size than the S&W M&P of the time, not to mention noticeably lighter. All of this made it very popular in 32-20, S2 S&W Long and 38 Special as well. The Colt 1911 was generally carried in the coat pocket on “Mexican Style” IWB sans holster, it is very easy to conceal IWB w/o a holster and comfortable as well, just not very secure.
Remember, this era was much like the post-Civil War era, a lot of hardened, jobless men used to killing and desperate for a means to make money. It was not a politically correct, gaze at your inner navel and mess with the police and laugh about it afterward timeframe.Yes, I'm a history buff.
Browning 1908 Vest Pocket .25.
Sure, it's small, but ultra concealable. Maybe that's the backup gun.
Fabrique Nationalle made hundreds of thousands of them.
I suggest a Colt 1903 in .380 but the idea of a 1917 Fitz Special did make me smile.
The Colt 1903 Hammerless chambered for the .32 ACP was extremely popular back then. Very low recoil, snag free design for pocket carry and quick draw, and the ergonomics were extremely good.
Check out a movie titled "Murder, My Sweet" to see one in action.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037101/
Otherwise I would echo the suggestions of everyone who mentioned a .38 snubby revolver.
I'd have to go with "Dads old 1873 Colt Single Action Army"
If youre talking the 30s, and your talking about a WWI Marine vet you have to figure he was born a few years before the turn of the century. Back then old dad very likely would have had a black powder powered peacemaker.
Putting an old Colt SAA in a novel is almost like adding another character, it has its own history, and back story that are just waiting to be told.
I like that thought, abnormalist.
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