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Clerke 1st
The Clerke 1st is a cheap DA/SA six-shot revolver with a 2" barrel and chrome finish chambered in either 22lr or 32 S&W short.
This abomination was developed by Clerke Technicorp in Santa Monica, California. It was a direct response to the Gun Control Act of 1968, which restricted the import of small, concealable firearms. It was marketed as an inexpensive firearm despite it starting out as a starter pistol and seemingly never altered to properly fulfil the needs of reliability or accuracy. It was sold from the late 1960s into the 1970s and retailed for $15-$20. Interestingly Clerke Technicorp was an extension of Eig Cutlery, a cutlery business that expanded into firearms.
To say this gun is cheap is giving it too much credit. Falling squarely into the definition of "Saturday Night Special" it's tiny, the frame is pot metal, the grips are thin plastic, the cylinder is held on with a rivet and has plenty of play , and accuracy is something it can only dream about. It looks and feels more like a kid's cap gun than a real firearm.
All of these factors make it a very exciting gun to shoot. There's nothing quite like the thrill of wondering if you'll still have a hand after every shot. Or, as one online reviewer stated, "In a pinch, were I to choose between the Clerke First revolver and a baseball bat, I'd be mightily tempted by the bat."
To load the gun, remove the cylinder pin from the front. It is only held in place by a spring-loaded detent. Once the pin is removed, the cylinder will swing out to the right. To remove the empties, you push the cases out from the front one at a time using the cylinder pin. Drop in five new cartridges, then pivot the cylinder back into place and replace the pin. To no one's surprise, the pins were lost frequently.
Here is good video review done by Sootch00 on YouTube.
Clerke 1st 22 Revolver :World's Worst Revolver
A specific date of manufacture cannot be determined from the serial number, as no known public database exists for this company's firearms.
As a bonus, here is the cover and a few shots from a1979 NRA 16-page pamphlet admonishing the effects of the 1968 GCA.
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Clerke 1st
The Clerke 1st is a cheap DA/SA six-shot revolver with a 2" barrel and chrome finish chambered in either 22lr or 32 S&W short.
This abomination was developed by Clerke Technicorp in Santa Monica, California. It was a direct response to the Gun Control Act of 1968, which restricted the import of small, concealable firearms. It was marketed as an inexpensive firearm despite it starting out as a starter pistol and seemingly never altered to properly fulfil the needs of reliability or accuracy. It was sold from the late 1960s into the 1970s and retailed for $15-$20. Interestingly Clerke Technicorp was an extension of Eig Cutlery, a cutlery business that expanded into firearms.
To say this gun is cheap is giving it too much credit. Falling squarely into the definition of "Saturday Night Special" it's tiny, the frame is pot metal, the grips are thin plastic, the cylinder is held on with a rivet and has plenty of play , and accuracy is something it can only dream about. It looks and feels more like a kid's cap gun than a real firearm.
All of these factors make it a very exciting gun to shoot. There's nothing quite like the thrill of wondering if you'll still have a hand after every shot. Or, as one online reviewer stated, "In a pinch, were I to choose between the Clerke First revolver and a baseball bat, I'd be mightily tempted by the bat."
To load the gun, remove the cylinder pin from the front. It is only held in place by a spring-loaded detent. Once the pin is removed, the cylinder will swing out to the right. To remove the empties, you push the cases out from the front one at a time using the cylinder pin. Drop in five new cartridges, then pivot the cylinder back into place and replace the pin. To no one's surprise, the pins were lost frequently.
Here is good video review done by Sootch00 on YouTube.
Clerke 1st 22 Revolver :World's Worst Revolver
A specific date of manufacture cannot be determined from the serial number, as no known public database exists for this company's firearms.
As a bonus, here is the cover and a few shots from a1979 NRA 16-page pamphlet admonishing the effects of the 1968 GCA.
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