1268 KOREAN WAR TROPHY SOVIET TT33 PISTOL PICKED UP

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This item SOLD at 2023 Nov 03 @ 14:25UTC-4 : AST/EDT
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 1,000.00 USD
Estimated at 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
FROM NORTH KOREAN GENERAL & PRESENTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL FRED SLADEN BY FUTURE SOUTH KOREAN CHIEF OF STAFF PAIK SUN-YUP. Cal. 7.62x25. S# c487. Bbl. 4.5". Mfg.1947. A Soviet Union TT-33 War Trophy as liberated from Korea & presented to U.S. Brigadier General Fred Winchester "Jim" Sladen Jr by Paik Sun-yup, who would later become the Joint Chief of staff of the Republic of Korea Army. This is the real deal, Soviet TT-33. No import marks, nor has it been modified for the required safety to be installed, such as on imported pistols. Original Russian TT-33s are difficult to find & many of the few that made it home arrived from WWII as souvenirs or war trophy's that had been previously captured by the Nazi's & modified by removing any reference to Mother Russia. This example was liberated from a North Korean General during the Korean War & still retains the black bakelite CCCP marked star grips. Slide has correct heavy, machined serrations & is numbered matching the frame. Markings include "C 487 1947" separated by the Izhevsk circle / triangle mark on left side of frame. Fixed sights. Lanyard loop below left grip panel. Serrated spur solid hammer. Left side slide release & mag. release. Matching numbers on frame, slide hammer group & barrel. MAGS: 4 original 8 rd. UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: a letter hand written by Brigadier General Fred Winchester "Jim" Sladen Jr stating "Russian copy of our 45 Cal. removed from a North Korean General during the Korean conflict. Presented to me by Gen Paik Sun up, who later became Chief of Staff of the Korean Army". Blue cardboard presentation box w/ faded red satin interior w/ green ribbon. Brown leather holster. w/ blue felt interior. CONDITION: original blued finish enjoys remarkably complete & consistent coverage. Very little visible thinning or wear. Grips demonstrate only a few gentle signs of use, primarily on the top of the right panel where some light chipping is visible under close inspection. Each side retains the original circle & star, complete w/ original "CCCP" lettering. Bore is dark but still retains descent rifling. (23-2369/JZ). CURIO. $2,000-3,000. This pistol is from a massive archive of 3 generations of Sladens (1861-1975). There are 25 lots offered on Day 3 and will be sold in order. Included is a wonderful Korean scrapbook, lot 3393, of when Gen. Sladen was stations there for 16 months. This scrapbook has several letters from Paik Sun-Yup.