If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, then you’ve probably run across the occasional Mark Felton video, most likely in a LinkSwarm. He usually covers interesting historical military tidbits, but here he veers into contemporary American territory to ask: What sort of gun does Donald Trump carry?
“Donald Trump was issued with one of the rarest gun licenses available in the United States: An unrestricted concealed carry handgun permit in New York City, well known for its very restrictive gun laws in comparison with many other parts of the US.”
“Trump was issued this very rare permit by the New York City Police Department, and it is usually only granted in New York City to retired police or federal law enforcement, or to a person whose need for such a permit is clearly demonstrated.”
“Very often these licenses also go to very wealthy and politically connected New Yorkers, and Trump has certainly been one of those for a very long time.”
“Did Trump prior to becoming president for the first time in 2016 actually conceal carry in the Big Apple?”
Trump: “The way I view it, if nobody has guns, then only the bad guys have them, and they aren’t giving up their guns.”
“He told an interviewer that he owns two handguns, one a .45 caliber Heckler and Koch semi-automatic, supposedly a USP, a German military service pistol made for the Bundeswehr and very popular worldwide.”
The USP carries 12 rounds and weighs “26.4 oz without the magazine.”
Felton suggests “the weapon is not easily concealed, however, and commentators have suggested that Trump’s USP is a nightstand gun.” Maybe, but if Trump purchased the gun in the 1990s, standard 1911s were considered an acceptable carry choice at the time because carry and ultracarry choices weren’t nearly as widely available as they are today.
“Trump, however, does own a weapon deliberately designed as a conceal carry piece: a Smith & Wesson 642 hammerless Airweight .38 Special, a five round revolver. It has a cylinder, and Trump uses .38 Special +P ammunition.”
“Due to having a fully enclosed hammer to prevent snagging on clothing, the 642 is double action only, with a fairly long trigger pull. It is a snubnose barrel, and can fit a variety of grips. Many off-duty NYPD officers carry the 640 or 642 as a conceal carry weapon, or as a backup gun, and it weighs around 22 1/2 oz, with the alloy version even lighter at just 15.8 oz.”
Felton’s search for evidence Trump actually carried the gun is inconclusive.
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The HK USP .45 is a giant blocky fat gun much larger and harder to conceal than a single stack 1911. I actually use that gun as an example of a pistol design that is basically too big for almost all users, like the original Glock 21 double stack .45 ACP pistol.
The H&K USP is a poor fit for my medium-size hands. Trump must have big mitts. Conversely, the J-frame Smith&Wesson would require large aftermarket stocks to make it approximate the USP’s girth and reach.
A better explanation would be that Trump owns the H&K 45, which is a little reduced in size compared to the USP and somewhat easier to conceal.
Teddy Roosevelt always carried but he had so many guns it would be impossible to say what the normal carry piece was. Perhaps his Colt Service revolver.
Trump labeled Marco Rubio “Little Hands Marco” back in 2016 when Rubio was running against Trump for the Republican nomination. You don’t do that if you have small hands and are far more likely to do so if you have oversized hands.
In 1896, York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt authorized the purchase of standard issue sidearms for the newly reorganized NYPD—the Colt New Police Revolver in .32 Long Colt. Occasionally, these were discretely carried under a coat in a cardboard holster.
He wore a Navy contract .38 Long Colt double-action 1892 Colt revolver during the Cuban campaign and his nightstand gun was a JM Browning designed .32 ACP FN M1899 straight blowback pistol.
Of the three, the Colt New Police revolver would have been the most suitable for daily carry.
Trump is a fairly large guy anyway (Melania is 5’9″ and wears heels in most pictures, for example, and the pictures with the Secret Service surrounding him after he was shot also demonstrate he’s a bit taller than average), so it would hardly be odd for his hands to be a little larger than average.
H&K makes a compact model. of USP in .45ACP, the .45C. The magazine holds 8 rounds and is quite concealable for most folks. I’ve carried and qualified with one since 2007.
Nyet, comrade! As can be seen in the photograph accompanying this article, Russian secret agent Donald Trump is slavishly devoted to the incomparable 1895 Russian Nagant revolver. It’s inexhaustible 7-shot capacity coupled to the thunderous 7.62x38mm cartridge (it’s Belgian designer Emil Nagant being guided in every aspect by his glorious Russian supervisors) is the weapon of choice for all men of taste and distinction.
H&K makes the HK 45 that sells at a steep discount to the USP. If you can live with an 8-round magazine, why not opt for the slimmer model? For that matter, nearly every firearm manufacturer on the planet offers 1911s with this same capacity.
I no longer carry mine but a younger and stronger man could easily accept the heavier pistol in exchange for the slim lines and crisp trigger.
The HK USP .45 is a giant blocky fat gun much larger and harder to conceal than a single stack 1911. I actually use that gun as an example of a pistol design that is basically too big for almost all users, like the original Glock 21 double stack .45 ACP pistol.
Trump and Vance should meet up for a range day with the best candidate for ATF Director, Guntuber and 2024 congressional candidate Brandon Hererra!
The H&K USP is a poor fit for my medium-size hands. Trump must have big mitts. Conversely, the J-frame Smith&Wesson would require large aftermarket stocks to make it approximate the USP’s girth and reach.
A better explanation would be that Trump owns the H&K 45, which is a little reduced in size compared to the USP and somewhat easier to conceal.
A toadstool. Or so I’ve heard …
LMFAO!!! Howard wins the Internet for today.
Teddy Roosevelt always carried but he had so many guns it would be impossible to say what the normal carry piece was. Perhaps his Colt Service revolver.
“Trump must have big mitts.”
Trump labeled Marco Rubio “Little Hands Marco” back in 2016 when Rubio was running against Trump for the Republican nomination. You don’t do that if you have small hands and are far more likely to do so if you have oversized hands.
[…] THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: What’s POTUS Packing? “Donald Trump was issued with one of the rarest gun licenses available in the United States: An […]
In 1896, York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt authorized the purchase of standard issue sidearms for the newly reorganized NYPD—the Colt New Police Revolver in .32 Long Colt. Occasionally, these were discretely carried under a coat in a cardboard holster.
He wore a Navy contract .38 Long Colt double-action 1892 Colt revolver during the Cuban campaign and his nightstand gun was a JM Browning designed .32 ACP FN M1899 straight blowback pistol.
Of the three, the Colt New Police revolver would have been the most suitable for daily carry.
Trump is a fairly large guy anyway (Melania is 5’9″ and wears heels in most pictures, for example, and the pictures with the Secret Service surrounding him after he was shot also demonstrate he’s a bit taller than average), so it would hardly be odd for his hands to be a little larger than average.
H&K makes a compact model. of USP in .45ACP, the .45C. The magazine holds 8 rounds and is quite concealable for most folks. I’ve carried and qualified with one since 2007.
Whatever he’s packing, it’s big, and it’s brassy.
“A toadstool. Or so I’ve heard …”
Nyet, comrade! As can be seen in the photograph accompanying this article, Russian secret agent Donald Trump is slavishly devoted to the incomparable 1895 Russian Nagant revolver. It’s inexhaustible 7-shot capacity coupled to the thunderous 7.62x38mm cartridge (it’s Belgian designer Emil Nagant being guided in every aspect by his glorious Russian supervisors) is the weapon of choice for all men of taste and distinction.
“H&K makes a compact model. of USP in .45ACP,..”
H&K makes the HK 45 that sells at a steep discount to the USP. If you can live with an 8-round magazine, why not opt for the slimmer model? For that matter, nearly every firearm manufacturer on the planet offers 1911s with this same capacity.
I no longer carry mine but a younger and stronger man could easily accept the heavier pistol in exchange for the slim lines and crisp trigger.
I too own a .45 USP. Yes, it’s bulky.
And, yes, it’s the perfect nightstand bullet launcher.
NYC restrict the size of the Magazine that can be used to 7 rounds.
To mutate the old “where does an 800 pound gorilla sit” joke, the answer is:
“Anything he wants”