Quote Originally Posted by ccdjg View Post
I have been puzzling over this Haenel 28: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...8-a7cc00f5638f and still cannot make my mind up about it. Everything says that it is an amateur customisation, perhaps an attempt to disguise some damaged grips, and yet the steel frame and its forward extension would have taken a lot of skilled work to make it look so original. The crude notches on the frame (was the owner a hit-man and these are his kills?) don't stack up with the quality of the work. What is the general opinion about this? (Not the hit-man theory).

(It reminds me of the extended barrel Haenal 28's, which as far as is known are factory modifications, so there may be some precedent for Haenel being prepared to experiment a little.)
I have never worked out how you are supposed to cock these properly, but I turn the pistol upside down across my left thigh and push on the frame with my right hand. They are a swine to cock and although well made, not a great design in my opinion.
My thoughts on the pistol shown are that maybe it has been modified for a child or woman with small hands. The extension to the frame would held keep the hand on the grips and my feeling about the notches on the right is that they are there to encourage the shooter to keep the trigger finger on there, fully extended, until the gun has been brought up to eyeline. It is something I tell first time shooters to do, so there are no accidental discharges, while they picking up the basics.