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LOT 3483
Extremely Rare Danish Schouboe Semi-Automatic Pistol - Serial no. 149, 11.35 mm
cal., 6 inch round bbl., blue finish, metal grips. This is a rare example of a Danish Schouboe
semi-automatic pistol. It is estimated that there were between 500 and less than 1,000 total
Schouboe pistols manufactured between 1902-1917, with almost no two alike and far fewer surviving today. Rock Island Auction
Company has only ever had a handful of Schouboe pistols come through here, in a variety of configurations. This example follows
features that collectors have loosely termed a “Type II” or a “Model 1904” in which the first of its kind were believed to have been
manufactured in 1904, or a “Model 1907” based on a 1907 dated pamphlet from the Danish Rifle Syndicate (DRS) depicting a
similar type Schouboe pistol. Originally developed by Jen Theodor Suhr Schouboe as a .32/7.65mm pistol, with the first Norwegian
patent filed in late 1902 and granted in 1903 (Norwegian patent 12474 filed December 2, 1902), the design was revisited and
scaled up to take a proprietary 11.35mm cartridge manufactured by DWM. The bullet used in this cartridge definitely stands out
as unusual, being a highly lightweight round constructed with a wood core and an aluminum jacket and base. In contrast to a
typical hardball .45 ACP round at 230 grains and 830 fps out of the muzzle, this 11.35mm bullet weighs 63 grains and clocks in at
about 1,600 fps. When the round was tested in a later model Schouboe by the U.S. Government in 1913, it was noted as producing
little recoil and a very bright muzzle flash, while being less accurate than the issued .45 ACP and only achieving a reported 2.14
inches of penetration on oak boards at 6 feet. In the final evaluation, the Schouboe design was found to have a simple and durable
mechanism, good balance, and generally satisfactory in testing, but not superior to the already accepted Colt 1911. Blade front and
notch rear sights, with the matching visible serial number “149” on various components including the bottom of the blued steel
magazine which is also marked with a number “2”. The grips are of metal construction.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, retains 90% original blue finish with some minor leading edge wear and a wear spot at the lower
rear behind the magazine release. Grips are very fine with some edge wear and freckling. Mechanically excellent. A seldom seen
Danish Schouboe semi-automatic pistol that would make a fine addition to any advanced evolutionary military pistol collection!
Estimate: 20,000 - 35,000