The Pressin was a two-shot derringer made to be disguised as a pair of glasses. It was intended for use by politicians, military officers, and other potential victims of kidnapping by groups like the ETA.

It held two rounds of a special 7.65mm E cartridge, which was a rimless .32 ACP with a case cut down to 15mm. It was loaded to a higher pressure than normal .32ACP, firing a 5 gram (77 grain) bullet at 250 m/s (820fps).

Ian’s Video: [11:45] https://youtu.be/FHmFUT9tEdg?si=

  • elucubra@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    I did my military (conscript) service in Spain during the “Lead years”. I was enlisted, but carried a sidearm when in uniform outside the garrison. These fuckers always used ambush-gerrilla tactics, so you wanted to have something to shoot back at all times. My father was a Captain in the reserve, and for years carried a 22 with him, as ETA sometimes shot military in plain clothes in the street. So, this thing was not too unreasonable.

  • Norgur@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    That’s one of those concepts that just don’t hold up to reality imho. First of all: If you are kidnapped and are able to reach for your glasses case, you could just as easily reach for a real firearm in your pocket. Secondly: If a high-ranking political person gets kidnapped, you’d assume that the kidnappers (especially terrorists) have come in numbers that are sufficient to overcome your security detail and/or other secuirty measures. So you are alone and there are at least two folks trying to take you with them. How exactly will this one-shot-thingy help you in this situation? It will only get you shot.

    • FrostyTheDoo@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      If you are kidnapped they will check you for guns right away, but they might not think twice about a glasses case in your pocket. Why would there be a gun in a glasses case?

      • Norgur@kbin.social
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        10 months ago

        because it feels very funny when prodded… very chunky and not at all glass-like. So you’d check it out. Might not be thinking of a gun, might be a knife or some shit.

    • stevestevesteve@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Gunpowder produces pressure when burned - it’s very common in gunsmithing to talk about pressures of different cartridges. This is a gunpowder-based weapon