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LOT 1327
Rare Sedgley Mark Two “Fist Gun” Hand Firing Device with Fitted Glove - Serial no. 27, 38 , 2 7/8 inch round bbl., blue finish. Originally patented in 1944 by Stanley M. Haight, the Sedgley Fist Gun, also known by the nomenclature “Hand Firing Mechanism Mark 2” and noted on the ATF’s Curio & Relic List as the “OSS Glove Pistol”, has been the subject
of great speculation and a certain amount of fantasy about its intended purpose and
end users; some sources describe it as an assassination weapon, or attribute it to the Office of Strategic Services. In fiction the Sedgley saw its most famous use in the film “Inglorious Basterds” (sic), being used by a pair of the titular operatives to eliminate
a pair of Nazi sentries in a movie theater. Per the original patent, Haight’s pistol was designed with the regular soldier in mind first and foremost. Citing the prevalence
of sneak attacks and hand to hand combat in warfare. Haight designed a weapon
that could be ready and at hand at all waking hours, so even if a soldier was
caught unaware or while separated from his regular service weapon, he
could simply ball up his fist and make a good, loud response. Additionally,
the original patent points out that any concealability was secondary to
speed of deployment, actively distancing the Fist Gun from previously
designed ‘’sneak’’ weapons, and had no integral noise suppression.
Documentation of actual use in the field is virtually non-existent,
though the Sedgley has been reported in/on the hands
of WWII U.S. Navy Construction Battalion (Seabee) men
operating heavy equipment like boats or tractors. This
Mark 2 is of blued steel construction and mounted
to a curved steel plate, with “27” on the baseplate
and the underside of the barrel, installed on a tan
leather work glove. For firing, a spring loaded
plunger runs about to the first knuckle on the
ring finger, with a parallel single shot barrel
about 3/4 of an inch shorter and a small manual
safety; making a fist takes the fingers out of the
way and exposes the plunger, which you then
jam into your would-be ambusher’s nearest body
part, promptly discharging the 38 caliber round
at near-contact distance. After discharge, the
soldier could either manually eject the empty
shell and reload, or keep hitting the enemy with
the 1+ pound steel blunt instrument strapped
to their hand. The glove itself is unmarked, but
relatively consistent in style and construction
with other observed examples
CONDITION: Excellent, with 90% of the original
blue finish, showing some light contact wear
from the safety switch and mild handling
marks overall. The glove is a bit dry and
cracked, but generally very good. Mechanically
excellent. A very rare and interesting World
War II military item, seldom found in any
military collection.
Estimate: 9,000 - 14,000
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