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Badman's Special

8K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  one eye joe 
#1 ·
I just read the account of a shootout at the New Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin in the 1930's. The newly formed FBI were attempting to capture John Dillinger and his gang including Baby Face Nelson. Both of these outlaws favored and carried the 1911 chambered in .38 Super. Both escaped, but Nelson killed a Federal Agent in the process. It was reported that Nelson had his 1911 modified to fire in full automatic, and that lawmen that approached him never got a shot off. Does anyone have any knowledge of this pistol ? ?
 
#2 ·
Hello Joe - Full Auto Super .38s built by Gunsmith Hyman Lebman. Man, I wish I had a foot locker full of em!

Here's a link to a photo of Dillinger's Guns, you can easily tell which one is The Super! The Guns of the Dillinger Gang

Here's a neat piece on Frank Hamer and his Super. The Guns of Frank Hamer

Here's some reading on Gunsmith Hyman Lebman Hyman Lebman - Bing

You can find additional photos of the Full Auto Supers by searching Dillinger's Full Auto .38 Super, ect.

I hope all is well up your way Joe.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Hi Bob. Thanks for the info on these interesting guns, Hyman Lebman and Frank Hamer. We are doin' fine up here. Gettin' a taste of winter at last. The party couldn't last forever. Hope all is well with you also, brother......
 
#4 · (Edited)
1911 Full autos



Joe, This is a photo of a 1911 in .38 super reported to have belonged to Dillinger. Supposedly Lebman made a several of these including an identical one for Baby Face Nelson. I have seen one in .45acp with a small drum mag holding, I think, 25 or 30 rounds. I wanted to fire it but the shooter who had it asked that only those seriously interested in buying it be the ones who fired it and I couldn't deceive the guy since I knew I couldn't afford his price of $5,500. plus the tax stamp of $200.

Funny story about the Bohemia supper club. My ex wife's family, (Krantzes), was from Milwaukee and owned a meat packing plant in Madison. They also owned a lake up north of there and we went up and stayed in one of their houses for a week in 1990. We went by and looked over the area where the shootout happened and also went to another club close by which was featured in a movie about the gangsters and ate dinner there.
 
#5 ·
That's an amazing lookin' 1911. Somethin' like a small Thompson. Did you at least get to see that weapon fired ? ? I find the Prohibition era to be VERY interesting. Pokin' around the Bohemia would be just my cup of tea. Around my neck o' the woods it was fast powerboats makin' runs out to larger vessels on "Rum Row" preferably on moonless nights. Rumrunners and Coast Guard chase boats were manufactured in the very same boatyards. The rumrunners utilized smoke screens to obscure themselves from the armed CG vessels. "The Black Duck" was a local legend. After Prohibition, these Captains returned to their old occupation of fishing the New England waters. Thanks for sharin' that pic and story, Al........
 
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