Growing up as the first grandson of an immigrant Sicilian family in Brooklyn, I was regaled with tales of adventure endured in the new country by my grandfathers. One of the often told and famous tales was how my maternal grandfather, Vincenzo foiled a Manu Niuru, (that’s the Black Hand in Sicilian for those not brought up in NY). It was a kidnapping for extortion plot. He foiled it single handedly, at midnight, one dark night on the Brooklyn Bridge with nothing but “chutzpah,” and a small, cheap, pot metal .22 caliber Liberty Revolver in his vest pocket.
He went in place of his very frightened brother-in-law who was the father of the two daughters who were the focus of the attempted extortion plot. Fortunately, he did not have to resort to gunplay on the bridge that dark and lonely night. As it turned out, he was “Paisano,” of the henchmen’s boss and owed a favor.
Being “men of honor,” the plot was derailed as a returned favor to my Grandfather Vincenzo. That was how Sicilians did things in those turbulent times. Anyhow, if I was a well-behaved youngster, I would sometimes get to see that ‘very illegal’ little pistol. It was illegal because of New York’s Sullivan Law.
The law was passed to prevent immigrants (such as my grandfather) from possessing firearms in the “Big Apple” during the early 1900s. When my grandfather passed away at 93, I became the beneficiary of the legendary little revolver. However, other than the tie to him and the story, I really had no interest in pipsqueak pistols at the time.
However, things took an unexpected change during the mid ’80s when I decided a smaller carry gun than my Browning Hi-Power might be a good idea. AMT had come out with its Back Up in .380, and I thought that would be just the ticket. As fate would have it, a friend (who was very knowledgeable about firearms) was visiting. His occupation was that of a professional gambler. However, I suspected he was really on retainer from one of those alphabet government agencies people talked about in hushed tones due to the innuendo in his anecdotes.
Anyway, I asked if he wanted to take a ride with me to the Pony Express Gun Shop which was close by and one of the largest and best firearms emporiums and hang outs for gun guys in the Los Angeles area. He agreed, and off we went. On the drive over, he asked what I was looking for. I mentioned the AMT. His response took me by surprise.
He said, “You should get a Seecamp.” I of course had no idea what a Seecamp was, let alone that I should buy one. He explained, “It’s the smallest and best undercover pistol in the world. It was designed after a special request from the (insert “three letters here”) for their ‘deep cover agents’ to carry. I am so sure you will like it, that if you buy one and don’t like it, I’ll give you twice what you paid for it.” That was an offer I could not refuse.
I have carried a Seecamp off and on ever since. Currently, I own three and believe it is the finest, smallest, undercover, ‘vest pocket’ pistol one could possess. With that statement, I should probably tell you why I feel that way. So, let me start with a little history.
The Seecamp
Ludwig (Louis) Wilhelm Seecamp, after whom the company is named, was born in 1901 and was trained as a master gunsmith in pre World War II Germany. Having survived the war after having served as an elite Gebirgsjäger, he brought his family to the United States in 1959 by way of Canada. From 1959 until his retirement in 1971, he designed guns at O. F. Mossberg.
As a result of his experiences, Ludwig had become a believer in double-action auto pistols — especially after a Walther P38 saved his life in WWII. That incident left him with a cheek-long scar and some missing teeth from a bullet wound. It also convinced him of the value of point shooting, rather than sighted fire, during close combat. That perspective greatly influenced his future designs.
After coming to the U.S., he also became a big fan of the 1911. It was a natural progression that he meld his advocacy of ‘double action’ with the 1911. His solution was the Colt 1911 in .45 ACP that he converted to double action for his personal protection.
In 1973, the L. W. Seecamp Co., Inc. was founded by Ludwig and his son Lueder (Larry) as a family business. It specialized in Ludwig’s patented double-action conversions of the Colt 1911 semi-auto pistol. His conversion was designed when the single- versus double-action controversy was at its peak. Seecamp’s offering was the first commercially-available, double-action .45 ACP pistol. Nearly 2,000 such double-action conversions were made from the early ’70s through the early ’80s.
Fortuitously, the Gun Control Act of 1968 made small, high-quality pistols impossible to find. Additionally, the concept of double-action-only (DAO) had been neglected and was due for a reintroduction. Ludwig saw the opportunity and his gunsmithing was abandoned to specialize in manufacturing.
Building on the concept that a larger pistol requires greater effort to hide from public view — and therefore becomes less accessible — was the guiding philosophy. In 1981, the LWS .25 was introduced to fill the niche that had been neglected. I can’t help but recall what my friend told me (about the motivation for the design) was true.
A short time later, the LWS .25 was discontinued and the LWS .32 superseded it. The larger-caliber pistol maintained the same size as the .25, which was considered an amazing feat of engineering. One of the unique features that made the miniaturization possible was that the .32 ACP uses a Chamber Ring Delayed blowback action. The Seecamp is one of few modern pistols which use this system. It is essential and makes the small size of the pistol possible.
The first known use of the Chamber Ring Delayed system was on the Fritz Mann pistol in 1920, and later, the High Standard model T3 experimental pistol. Other pistols that have used this system were the AMT Automag II and Kimball .30 Carbine pistol.
How it Works
Let me, briefly, try to describe the concept of how the Chamber Ring Delayed system works. When a metallic cartridge is fired, the cartridge case expands slightly and seals off the chamber, preventing gas from escaping to the rear. Therefore, in all breechloading guns, the diameter of the firing chamber is slightly larger than the unfired cartridge case’s diameter, so cartridges fit easily into the chamber.
In a Chamber Ring Delayed action, the firing chamber has a ring or grove cut around it on the inside, which makes the front of the firing chamber slightly larger in diameter than the back of the chamber. In the LWS .32, the cut is a U-shaped cut at the forward end of the chamber.
When the cartridge is fired, it expands to fill the chamber. Because the front of the chamber has a wider diameter, the front of the cartridge expands more than the back. When the cartridge is being pushed backward by the expanding gases, the front of the empty case, which is now expanded to a larger diameter, rubs against the ring, and slows due to the increased friction.
Since the case is the one pushing the bolt back, slowing the backward movement of the empty case also delays the bolt’s corresponding motion. This design can usually only be used by very compact weapons, such as the Seecamp series of pistols.
Prior to the introduction of the LWS .25, firearm manuals did not address the issue of self-defense. I’m sure it was on the advice of attorneys, that it was implied in the included instruction manuals that every pistol was a target pistol. Seecamp was the first manufacturer to acknowledging self-defense as a legitimate reason for owning a firearm. As a completely novel concept at the time, it was almost as shocking as the pistol without sights.
Continuing its nonconforming approach, Seecamp does not put sights on the LWS because it does not seek to encourage the misuse of the firearms or suggest a non-existent capability. The LWS is designated as being strictly for self-defense. Additionally, almost all crimes happen at night, under bad lighting conditions, and at short range.
Assaults and robberies are also conducted at touching distance. The theory behind the system goes something like this… If you can’t hit the target by ‘point shooting’ at spitting distance, you better have a good lawyer explain why your life was threatened by someone so far away that you needed sights. It can be argued that sights are an offensive tool, and the LWS is not an offensive weapon.
Final Thoughts
What I can tell you about every Seecamp is that they are one of the finest made and thoroughly tested firearms on the market. While some manufacturers only shoot sample guns, Seecamp shoots every gun. So, if you notice some internal powder residue on your pistol, it is because it was test fired. The slight residue will not affect your gun.
Should you ever have a problem, send the gun back and Seecamp will repair it. I had one that I obtained at a bargain price because it had been abused and neglected. I took possession and sent the gun in for repair. It was returned in brand new condition, and that speaks well to its customer service.
If you want a small, deep cover, reliable, and accurate pistol, there is no finer choice in my opinion than a Seecamp. Stay safe. Train often. And practice, practice, practice!
Are you a fan of a particular small pistol for ‘vest carry’ or something similar? What’s your experience or opinion of the Seecamp pistol? Share your thoughts and opinions in the Comment section.