| 553 2775 TARN pistol of the Polish Air Force in British Exile, 1940 Cal. 9mmLuger, SN. 101, matching numbers. Barrel length 122 mm. Bore slightly dull. Eight shots. British proof marks. Blowback system with an internal hammer. Thumb safety rear left. The left-hand side of the slide marked “No. 101/TARN 9MM”, on the right hand side above the trigger guard “Notenglishmake”. Finish 99%, most likely reblued. Dark checkered walnut grips. Lanyard loop. Magazine with nine windows. Only nine guns were ever made, serial numbers 100 - 108. This widely unknown gun was designed by Teof il Tarnowski and patented for Zygmunt Stanislaw de Lubicz-Bakanowski . It was made in 1940 at the Swift Rifle Company in London, which made a few samples each in 9 mmLuger and in 7.65 Browning. However, the British rejected the TARN and production seized after 9 samples made. These 9 samples were sold in 1953 by the British Ministry of Supply to the US arms dealer Martin B. Retting. A corresponding leter by Retting is included. For more on this gun see Hermann Historica, Auction 83, lot 5535, and Auction 92, lot 2732; “Gun Collector Digest I”, p. 174; Ezell, “Handguns of the World”, page 510. Erlaubnispflichtig. 304373 I € 6.500
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