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.22 Wamo Pistol
legls1
Member Posts: 11 ✭✭
I have inherited a .22 Wamo Pistol from my father. He bought it back in the 40's or 50's off the back of a comic book. I have been to gun shows and shops and cannot find anyone who knows anything about this gun. It looks new and shoots great. I was just trying to find a value for it. I called Wamo and they know nothing about it. I appreciate any help. Thank you.
Comments
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff<P><BR>
# 617 - WAMO .22 Caliber Cartridge Pistol
6/5/97
Mike
Maker Model Caliber Barrel Length Finish Serial Number
Wamo Powermaster Target .22 S,L,LR 3" + - Blue/black 002XXX
Dave in Florence, AL was kind enough to provide a good answer for the following question so we are re-posting it.
I picked this "wonder" up at a gun show in San Antonio several years ago. I have asked all the "experts" in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Ft. Worth NO ONE seems to know anything about this pistol. I have called the Wamo Corp. and was told by the person who answered the phone that, "I have been with the company for 25 years and we have NEVER made a cartridge pistol!: It is obvious by the condition of the box and the style of the printing that this pistol was made sometime in the late 40's or through the 50's which rules out the employee with 25 years at Wamo knowing anything about said gun. It is in approximately 90%+ condition as the only wear is from being in the box and the gun rubbing against the cardboard. My question is do you or any one that you might know have any information regarding this pistol? I'm sure this is NOT the million dollar home run we all wish we could hit, however, it would be nice to know just what I have here. thank you for your time and attention. Mike Fritz
Answer:
These guns were available for a time in the 1950's for $14.95 mail order (I never saw one in a store). I sent away for mine as a teenager in 1957 and had it delivered Railway Express. The gun was styled to look like an automatic, but was a single shot -- the bolt was retracted by a lever on the right side (similar to loading a .22 semi-auto rifle) and the single cartridge inserted into the chamber. The bolt was a non-locking blow-back design so that the empty cartridge automatically ejected upon firing. It was a very dangerous gun: it had no safety, and on more than one occasion it fired upon closing the bolt. Collector's Guide to American Cartridge Handguns by Dewitt E. Sell, Ph.d. (1963) has the following entry: "WAMO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, San Gabriel, Calif. Powermaster Match Pistol. .22 RF; bolt action; automatic ejection accomplished via the blow-back principle which frees a flat spring under tension beneath the bolt when the bolt is forward in firing position. There is a knob on the left side of the bolt for manual operation. No safety when striker is cocked and bolt fully forward."
The pistol has no extractor and never seemed to need one. To unload it you have to open the bolt and either run a cleaning rod down the barrel or pry out the cartridge case with your fingernail. The grip slant on the WAMO fit my little hands pretty well and since the grip frame sort of bows inward just behind the trigger, my then short little fingers could reach the trigger without too much trouble.
Take my advice and try to avoid taking this pistol apart beyond the very basic dismounting. LEAVE EVERYTHING IN THE GRIP FRAME ALONE! My Uncle decided to really give his WAMO a good cleaning in around 1970, broke some kind of washer for the sear pin lock and ruined the pistol as parts and repairs by that time were long gone. MANY years ago the NRA technical staff reviewed the WAMO for American Rifleman, this was sometime in the late 1950's- before I was even born- my Uncle had a copy of that article with the pistol but it was too long ago for me to remember much about what the NRA had to say. I'd guess one of these little gems would retail in the $100 range now a days, but as suggested, I'd be more reluctant to shoot one now since they are not a very safe design.
Mark T. Christian
James Cox