Schultz & Larsen Model 51 Free Pistol

[rick983]

My friend has just purchased a Schultz & Larsen model 51 free pistol with all the paperwork and original cleaning equipment. According to the documents with the gun, 200 were made. This one appears to be unfired. Is there a market for this gun and any value guesses would be appreciated. Also included in this sale was a Hammerli model 101 free pistol that appears to also be unfired. The gentleman who owned these obviously appreciated quality. Thanks in advance.

[rick983]

As a follow up to my post yesterday, I am now the new owner of these georgous pistols. Along with the Schultz & Larsen pistol came some original paperwork including a letter from Phil Sharp, the noted firearms inventor. In this letter, Mr. Sharp states that Schultz & Larsen made 200 of these free pistols in 1954. Due to the high cost and low demand, they quit after 200 pieces to concentrate on their fine rifles. This is the most unusual turning bolt mechanism I've ever seen. This particular pistol was owned by Mr. Sharp but was never shot according to him. I also bought the mint Hammerli model 101 with accessories. The rear sight is still factory wrapped and never been on the pistol. Now here's my problem. From a collectors standpoint I know I should never fire them as their value will drop, however, as a shooter, I'm dying to try them. Decisions, decisions. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Any thoughts or opinions on eith pistol will be appreciated.

[Dan Hankins]

You state that you are a collector and a shooter. You gotta be wondering how it shoots. I think that it is kinda like consumating a marriage. Would you marry say Sharon Stone and not use all that she comes with. Only an example and no disrespect to anyone.

Since these pistols were made in such small quantities, you could be the one in 200 that actually knows and can comment on the shooting charastics of the pistol. I would carefully doccument each shooting session, as to the number of rounds fired the type of ammo used and any other details you can remember. This careful and detailed doccumentation may somewhat compensate for the unfried condition, so you won't suffer much loss in value.

You cannot have the full experience of the pistol without firing it.

Respectfully,
Bubba

[pilkguns]

I guess I'm in agreement with Dan on this, you are not going to siginificantly reduce the value by shooting, ESPECIALLY if you document.

All things being equal, free pistols are very esoteric fiream, and therefore have little collector value. Pretty much for the overall market, purchases of free pistols are bought and sold for their shooting value, not any collector value. Generally if I see a FP with anything more than shooter value, its one with with ornate engraving or woodcarving. IMHO, If your Shultz has any value at all, it would be selling to collectors of Shultz and Larsen rifles as a curisoity rather than to the whatever exists of the "free pistol" market.

Your Hammerli is in similar, although different boat. (Relatively) lots of examples of these exist, many in relatively good condition, so the few collectors that are out there probably have a real nice one already, yours being NIB, certainly puts it slighlty ahead of any others, but again the esoteric properties make the NIB part as a value-added enhancer relatively worthless in the overall market. An old Colt in similar condition would have a multiplier of perhaps 10-20X the base value. In the free pistol world I doubt if it adds much more than 10%

That said, the esoteric part can work in your advantage, I have seen people pay outragoeous prices for an old, nice free pistol. Because it is a neat looking piece of fine craftsmanship they are thinking, that it must be worth "thousands".

[Guest]

You are lucky to have the Schultz & Larsen Mod. 51. I have had one for several years and find that it is a superbly accurate pistol. I would send you a sample 25yd. target, shot with a hand on a rest. 10 rounds went into a 1.35" circle using Federal Gold Medal Target ammo. But I see no way of sending you such an attachment. By all means take it to a range!

regards,
George

[BothellBob]

Rick,
Thanks again for the help with my S&L from two years ago.

http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php ... ltz+larsen

Any chance I can beg, borrow, or steal a copy of the documents that came with yours.

Did you ever shoot it?

George,
Did you get anything additional with yours? Mine came as a bare pistol and neither the seller, nor I, had any idea what it was.

-BothellBob

[scrmblerkari]

For years I thought I was the only person in the world who had one, now I find there are several others! I got mine in a trade which included some that I really wanted for match shooting, and the free pistol was a gimme. Mine has seen competition, there is stock working and a shaped wooden block glued to the trigger. It is really quite a lovely pistol and I would have shot it more, but I competed with a Haemmerli 107 (I have two, one for a spare). I too would love to have a chance to get copies of the original documentation if it comes available through the generosity of other members.
This is my first post, I just joined this list five minutes ago, when a friend told me "Hey, they are talking about Schultz & Larsen Free Pistols over there!" Thanks for all the information so far. BTW, mine is definitely a shooter, not a closet queen, and it does very well, given how high the barrel sits in the hand. I, on the other hand, do not do so well anymore. Anyway,
it is nice to discover that it is one of 200, and that there are still people around who know something about them.
Best regards,
Kari

[TB]

If anyone is wondering what it looks like:

http://www.huntershouse.dk/kat294-Brugt ... l-M51.html

[BothellBob]

Thanks for the link. My pictures have expired, but they can still be found in the Yahoo free pistol group. You do have to join to see pictures. At 5.900 I will assume the price is in Kroner, not Euros. That would be just over $1,100 (if that's Euros ($8,200+) my wife says I have to sell mine because it's too good for me).
-BothellBob

[mark h]

I purchased one of these pistols in 1976. It came with the factory grip as well as a set of full orthopedic grips and a wooden pistol box. I used the pistol in many competitions until I bought a Toz-35 in 1982. The trigger is not as good as the Toz and the barrel sits high in the grip but it is very accurate. I was not a great slow fire shooter but did shoot a 546x600 including a 97 in one series, at our outdoor provincial(state) championships. I still have the gun but have not used it since 1982. The serial is 3xx.
I have seen two different manufacture dates for these guns, 1954 and 1959. Does anyone know which date is correct?

[Slo cat]

[Rogwp]

I know this is a really old thread, but I am wondering if anyone has any information/documentation on the Schlutz & Larsen 51? I have just purchased one here in Canada and it should arrive in the next few weeks, but sadly there is no information. Many thanks in advance, Roger

[Dr. Jim]

Roger, if you bought the one Mark H refers to above it maybe the one I had, and there was no data with it back then. If there are TOZ-like grips with it those were made by me. One of my very first free pistol grips. The factory grips had been severely rasped to fit a small hand. If none of these descriptions fit, congratulations, you've found a new example.

Dr. Jim