The lesser-known pistol that just might have been the super-spy gun of all time?
The HSc is actually the more advanced of the two designs. HSc stands for Hahn Selbstspanner or “self-cocking hammer,” and it represented the state-of-the-art in 1940 when it was introduced. There are certain mechanical aspects of this extraordinary concealed carry gun that have not been bettered even today.
The HSc is a remarkably trim and rakish design. The hammer is fully concealed save a small lip for manual activation, and there are no protruding ditzels to catch on clothing. Even the sights are settled into a trough on the top of the slide. The safety is a rotating lever on the slide that does not drop the hammer. To safe the gun, the operator puts the gun on safe, squeezes the trigger and rides the rotary hammer into the rest position. The trigger system can be fired either single or double action, and the magazine release is on the heel after the European fashion.
