AKICOLJ/DW - interwar firearms
Nov. 16th, 2013 08:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nineveh_ukWhen Lord Peter Wimsey has his revolver on him in the course of criminological investigation, where does he carry it?
Wimsey apparently has a range of firearms to hand in canon. Leaving aside the unnamed weapon, presumably a shotgun, with which he despatches a partridge in Whose Bodu, he possesses an "automatic pistol" in The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head (AKA the one with little St George), and has "a revolver ready" in Five Red Herrings, in circumstances in which the person he may potentially use it on is not apparently aware of the fact*.
In my particular circumstances I am working on the assumption that Wimsey has a bog-standard WWI British army service revolver, which Wikipedia tells me was a Webley Mk IV,V, or VI depending when issued. So I know what it looks like. But how does he carry it on his person, when he's not actually holding it in his hand? Bear in mind it is hot, and he is wearing a linen suit comprised of trousers, waistcoat, and possibly jacket, and he doesn't want anyone approaching him to notice that he's carrying it. Does he have a belt, some sort of holster, or even just shove it in his pocket? Wimsey's pockets do appear at times to have a similar carrying capacity to Mary Poppins' bag.
*And also, that the police don't mind him potentially intending to shoot - or at least threaten - a suspect. As he presumably didn't go on holiday with it, I can only assume it was sent up from London specifically with the idea of confrontation in mind. I must look up whether there is a DLS Society article on contemporary gun laws in the UK, but as my scene is set not only in Corsica, but wizarding Corsica, I am happily able to avoid concern with accuracy on that front.
Wimsey apparently has a range of firearms to hand in canon. Leaving aside the unnamed weapon, presumably a shotgun, with which he despatches a partridge in Whose Bodu, he possesses an "automatic pistol" in The Learned Adventure of the Dragon's Head (AKA the one with little St George), and has "a revolver ready" in Five Red Herrings, in circumstances in which the person he may potentially use it on is not apparently aware of the fact*.
In my particular circumstances I am working on the assumption that Wimsey has a bog-standard WWI British army service revolver, which Wikipedia tells me was a Webley Mk IV,V, or VI depending when issued. So I know what it looks like. But how does he carry it on his person, when he's not actually holding it in his hand? Bear in mind it is hot, and he is wearing a linen suit comprised of trousers, waistcoat, and possibly jacket, and he doesn't want anyone approaching him to notice that he's carrying it. Does he have a belt, some sort of holster, or even just shove it in his pocket? Wimsey's pockets do appear at times to have a similar carrying capacity to Mary Poppins' bag.
*And also, that the police don't mind him potentially intending to shoot - or at least threaten - a suspect. As he presumably didn't go on holiday with it, I can only assume it was sent up from London specifically with the idea of confrontation in mind. I must look up whether there is a DLS Society article on contemporary gun laws in the UK, but as my scene is set not only in Corsica, but wizarding Corsica, I am happily able to avoid concern with accuracy on that front.
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(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-16 08:35 pm (UTC)Undoubtedly. Almost equally undoubtedly, a 12-bore, and English-made; presumably from Purdey or Holland & Holland.
But how does he carry it on his person, when he's not actually holding it in his hand?
A large jacket pocket - or a large trouser pocket - could take one. However, drawing it would not be entirely straightforward - any projections (foresight, hammer, the loop on the butt that the lanyard goes through) could catch, unless they had been filed down or removed altogether. And it could go in a belt, but again it could catch, and would be awkward. My money is on a holster.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 08:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:05 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-16 09:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 08:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-16 11:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 08:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 01:42 pm (UTC)"We must always do our duty, my dear," the Duchess told him. She sighed. If only Peter weren't a squib...at least the lad had a lively mind.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 01:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 12:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 08:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 12:37 am (UTC)uselessuseful that is. I'm sure there are more practical models though :)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 02:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 03:10 am (UTC)What about those mysterious inside jacket pockets?
Or perhaps Bunter has figured a way to modify clothing so PW can get at his weapon without spoiling the line of his clothing?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:34 am (UTC)Good point! As it seems it is possible to keep a gun in an ordinary pocket, then given that all Wimsey's clothes are hand-made, it might not be difficult to make sure that in the process they were suitable for carrying a weapon.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 11:52 am (UTC)You would still want to file down the foresight etc, to avoid them catching on the cloth.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 03:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:43 pm (UTC)Foresight being the pointy bit on the end of the barrel?
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 10:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-12-12 01:11 pm (UTC)Rifles have a foresight (the pointy bit at the front) and a rear sight (rather than a hindsight) (a notch at the back). Pistols and shotguns only have the foresight, but it is generally called that, rather than just the sight.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 04:22 am (UTC)More realistically, I'd vote for the holster.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:37 am (UTC)Banning students wearing knickers in the classroom sounds an entirely reasonable thing to me (though the author means, I assume plus fours, as opposed to women/girls' underwear).
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 03:57 pm (UTC)Picturing them defiantly shivering in panties. Mid-winter in my imagination and with a brisk wind.
Students that age are nearly still teenagers and nobody can tell teenagers what to wear. ("I'm not cold!!)
My daughter says she does not need a winter coat this year, just a sweater. (Coat will be purchased anyway, obviously.)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 08:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 10:02 am (UTC)*Not that anyone around him at the moment is qualified to criticise.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 02:10 pm (UTC)I feel it would be unlikely that he would use a holster. Gentlemen just didn't own them then! And I think gentlemen tended to wear braces to hold up their trousers and not belts.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 04:07 pm (UTC)"Is that a gun in your pocket, Peter, or are you just pleased to see me?" (said Harriet, never!)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 04:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-11-17 09:52 pm (UTC)Gentlemen still don't wear holsters! I agree on the braces - again, presumably the fact that suits are hand-tailored means they fit perfectly so you don't need a belt.