Warner 'Infallible'

sheepherder · 11-13-2012, 04:30 PM

I recently realized one of my goals in 'accumulating' Turn Of The Century semi-auto handguns...A Warner Infallible!!!

This has variously been described as the ugliest pistol...As the most unsafe pistol...And as the most awkward pistol...

...And it is!!!

The 32 ACP Warner (and Davis-Warner) Infallibles were made from ~1916 to ~1919. This one (serial 1734) dates to 1916. It is an early type (there were three distinct types and numerous
variations among types) with the bolt-disconnect lever rather than the later pin. The lever allowed the bolt to be drawn back without the pressure of the dual recoil springs. This lever (a cross-pin on later models) is the 'unsafest' aspect of the pistol. It was possible to c0ck, chamber, and fire a round with the recoil springs disconnected, leaving only a slender pin to stop the breechblock from its rearward travel. Being as it was a blowback pistol, this made it very dangerous...to the user...

It also had an unusual frame...It was made from cast iron...The barrel is pinned in place. The grips on this early Warner were taken from the Warner-imported 1909 Schwarzlose and do not conform to the Infallible frame until the next type appeared (with straight grip frame and its own grips).

The Infallible is ponderous to hold, and balances somewhere around your wrist...It weighs 24 ounces (!) and has a 3 3/4" barrel. Seven rounds in the magazine.

OAL is 7 3/4" and height is 5". I can only get two fingers around the grip; my little finger hangs out in the breeze...

The pic with the two red circles illustrates how it can be left and fired in the unsafe condition (recoil springs disconnected).

I've always wanted one of these ever since I first saw a pic of one. According to the seller [on GB], a collector of Infallibles sold them his entire collection...29 Infallibles! This was the only one with the early lever disconnect, so this was the one I wanted (despite there being much nicer cross-pin examples).

This will be the centerpiece of my Turn-Of-The-Century handgun collection!!!

Patronen · 11-13-2012, 07:00 PM

Interesting pistol. I got an article out of one of the older GunDigests on them. I definately would not want to have that decide to disassemble in my face that's for sure if that let loose.

LWaali · 11-13-2012, 07:10 PM

Looks more like an apprentices first chopping on a blank frame block! What a fascinating piece! Thanks for sharing!

sheepherder · 11-13-2012, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patronen

Interesting pistol. I got an article out of one of the older GunDigests on them...

Yes, I bought a 1975 Guns Illustrated [7th Edition] on eBay with an article on the Warner Infallibles, but I had also read about them in the 31st Anniversary [1977] Guns Digest. One of the points brought up was that due to John Browning taking out hundreds of patents on pistol design, other inventors who came up with the same or similar designs had to either pay him royalties or come up with an alternative design...

...This was one of the more bizarre alternatives...

And it is quite top-heavy as well...

But it is definitely cool...Only three major parts, and about a dozen small ones...

Another aspect of the Infallible pointed out was that most blowbacks used a heavy slide and a weak recoil spring...The Infallible used a weak slide [bolt, actually - no slide] and heavy recoil springs...That was the reason for the 'disconnect' lever; to relieve pressure when cocking it - You could disconnect the recoil springs and chamber a round with only the firing pin spring giving minimal opposition...

Edward Tinker · 11-13-2012, 08:13 PM

ugly, ugly, ugly

would look fine at my house

Olle · 11-14-2012, 10:04 AM

I have a weak spot for the ugly and bizarre, and this one even beats the Nambu T-94 and Dreyse 1907. Extremely cool!

saab-bob · 11-14-2012, 10:21 AM

Postino
Fun stuff!
Never heard of a cast iron frame in a auto pistol! I imagine with all that weight the felt recoil is very light. How does it shoot?
Thanks for the post.
Bob

sheepherder · 11-14-2012, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saab-bob

I imagine with all that weight the felt recoil is very light. How does it shoot?

Riiiight...I can't remember what I had for dinner two nights ago, but I'm going to remember to flip the lever back in the engaged position???

It's a wall hanger...

(We had a guy back in boot camp. 1969-70...Italian immigrant, passable English, but not fluent...lemme check my boot camp 'yearbook'..."N. Dessardo"...Nice guy; always smiling...He's listed as graduating with my platoon...While at the rifle range, we spent a day 'fam-firing' the 45 auto...Somehow he got the idea that his thumb should be straight-up behind the slide when it was fired...He still had the cast on at our Final Review...

I don't need that...)

sheepherder · 11-14-2012, 10:55 AM

Heh...Just cleaning the frame innards...and noticed that the magazine release (at the bottom of the grip) is the 'stirrup' type...Like the M1911 trigger...Fully encircles the magazine...

I guess Browning patented the button magazine release...

(The finish is a nice brown patina...)

rhuff · 11-14-2012, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olle

I have a weak spot for the ugly and bizarre, and this one even beats the Nambu T-94 and Dreyse 1907. Extremely cool!

You beat me to it when you listed the 1907 Dreyse.......I also own one of these most interesting pistols(ugly....yes!!)

John Sabato · 11-14-2012, 04:44 PM

It is even uglier than the model 1900 Browning... you own one of those too don't you Postino?

sheepherder · 11-14-2012, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Sabato

It is even uglier than the model 1900 Browning... you own one of those too don't you Postino?

...

...Yes...

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
Make an ugly woman your wife
In my personal point of view
Get an ugly girl to marry you...

If you're ugly, you're ugly as sin...
But, beautiful's out, ugly's in...
If you're ugly like me,
You're in good company.
There's a lot of us who are ugly.

Douglas Jr. · 11-15-2012, 05:35 AM

Never heard of it before!
Thanks a lot for the presentation of this very unique pistol.
Douglas.

11-13-2012, 04:30 PM	#1
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,182 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,441 Times in 2,329 Posts	Warner 'Infallible' I recently realized one of my goals in 'accumulating' Turn Of The Century semi-auto handguns...A Warner Infallible!!! This has variously been described as the ugliest pistol...As the most unsafe pistol...And as the most awkward pistol... ...And it is!!! The 32 ACP Warner (and Davis-Warner) Infallibles were made from ~1916 to ~1919. This one (serial 1734) dates to 1916. It is an early type (there were three distinct types and numerous variations among types) with the bolt-disconnect lever rather than the later pin. The lever allowed the bolt to be drawn back without the pressure of the dual recoil springs. This lever (a cross-pin on later models) is the 'unsafest' aspect of the pistol. It was possible to c0ck, chamber, and fire a round with the recoil springs disconnected, leaving only a slender pin to stop the breechblock from its rearward travel. Being as it was a blowback pistol, this made it very dangerous...to the user... It also had an unusual frame...It was made from cast iron...The barrel is pinned in place. The grips on this early Warner were taken from the Warner-imported 1909 Schwarzlose and do not conform to the Infallible frame until the next type appeared (with straight grip frame and its own grips). The Infallible is ponderous to hold, and balances somewhere around your wrist...It weighs 24 ounces (!) and has a 3 3/4" barrel. Seven rounds in the magazine. OAL is 7 3/4" and height is 5". I can only get two fingers around the grip; my little finger hangs out in the breeze... The pic with the two red circles illustrates how it can be left and fired in the unsafe condition (recoil springs disconnected). I've always wanted one of these ever since I first saw a pic of one. According to the seller [on GB], a collector of Infallibles sold them his entire collection...29 Infallibles! This was the only one with the early lever disconnect, so this was the one I wanted (despite there being much nicer cross-pin examples). This will be the centerpiece of my Turn-Of-The-Century handgun collection!!! Attached Thumbnails __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

11-13-2012, 07:00 PM	#2
Patronen User Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 312 Thanks: 335 Thanked 93 Times in 70 Posts	Interesting pistol. I got an article out of one of the older GunDigests on them. I definately would not want to have that decide to disassemble in my face that's for sure if that let loose. __________________ Dave

11-14-2012, 10:21 AM	#7
saab-bob User Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: So Cal Posts: 459 Thanks: 774 Thanked 143 Times in 87 Posts	Postino Fun stuff! Never heard of a cast iron frame in a auto pistol! I imagine with all that weight the felt recoil is very light. How does it shoot? Thanks for the post. Bob __________________ "I think,therefore I own guns"

11-14-2012, 10:55 AM	#9
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,182 Thanks: 1,400 Thanked 4,441 Times in 2,329 Posts	Heh...Just cleaning the frame innards...and noticed that the magazine release (at the bottom of the grip) is the 'stirrup' type...Like the M1911 trigger...Fully encircles the magazine... I guess Browning patented the button magazine release... (The finish is a nice brown patina...) Attached Thumbnails __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

11-14-2012, 04:44 PM	#11
John Sabato Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The Capital of the Free World Posts: 10,153 Thanks: 3,003 Thanked 2,304 Times in 1,096 Posts	It is even uglier than the model 1900 Browning... you own one of those too don't you Postino? __________________ regards, -John S "...We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL men are created EQUAL *and are endowed by their Creator* with certain UNALIENABLE* rights, and among these are life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness..."*

11-13-2012, 07:10 PM	#3
LWaali User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Washington State Posts: 99 Thanks: 67 Thanked 20 Times in 9 Posts	Looks more like an apprentices first chopping on a blank frame block! What a fascinating piece! Thanks for sharing!

11-13-2012, 08:13 PM	#5
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,924 Thanks: 2,014 Thanked 4,518 Times in 2,087 Posts	ugly, ugly, ugly would look fine at my house

11-14-2012, 10:04 AM	#6
Olle User Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,149 Thanks: 159 Thanked 663 Times in 318 Posts	I have a weak spot for the ugly and bizarre, and this one even beats the Nambu T-94 and Dreyse 1907. Extremely cool!

11-15-2012, 05:35 AM	#13
Douglas Jr. User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: South America Posts: 948 Thanks: 598 Thanked 584 Times in 254 Posts	Never heard of it before! Thanks a lot for the presentation of this very unique pistol. Douglas.