POTD: Foolproof or Foolhardy – The Warner Infallible Pistol

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a very awkward World War One era pistol. This is the Warner Infallible. The background for the Warner Infallible is sort of a long story but to briefly sum it up it came as a result of a guy named Andrew Fyrberg designing the mechanism and another company (Warner) who imported 1908 Schwarzlose pistols bought his design.

The mix of these two details is important because the result was a 32 ACP straight blowback operated pistol taking notes from that empowered 1908 pistol. It even used leftover grip panels from that earlier blow forward operated 1908. The main complaints about the Warner Infallible were that it was uncomfortable as is but even more so it delivered a hefty amount of recoil for its size. That plus the other more popular 32 ACP pocket pistols available around this time is why the Infallible only made it into the 1920s with around 7600 made.

“Manufacturer: Warner Arms Corporation

Model: Infallible

Type: Pistol

Gauge: 32 ACP

Barrel: 3 1/8 inch solid rib

Finish: blue

Grip: hardwood”

Lot 424: Three Warner Arms Corporation Semi-Automatic Pistols [Photograph found in Auction Catalog #1025, Rock Island Auction Company]. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1025/424/three-warner-arms-corporation-semiautomatic-pistols

Sam.S

Writer | TheFirearmBlog Writer | AllOutdoor.com Instagram | sfsgunsmith Old soul, certified gunsmith, published author, avid firearm history learner, and appreciator of old and unique guns.