This is an excellent example of a very unique and rare WWII Nazi escape device in the form of a four barrel Nazi Belt Buckle firing pistol. It is theorized that this device was developed as some kind of a last ditch escape device that would be used by high ranking SS, Army officers or Nazi party members to evade capture by the Americans or Russians. The original design was the product of inventor Louis Marquis, who supposedly came up with the idea for this design while interned in a WWI POW camp. As an engineer and inventor, Marquis refined his original design after his release and in 1943 reportedly received an order to make examples for Himmler's SS. The front of the belt buckle has a large gold washed aluminum Nazi Army eagle affixed to it. Normally these eagles are the natural aluminum silver color. This is the first Nazi gold eagle the writer has seen on one of these buckles. According to page 31 of "Inside The Third Reich Memoirs" by Albert Speer, Hitler was the only member of the Nazi Party to wear the gold "badge of sovereignty", the eagle with the swastika in its talons. Everyone else wore the round party badge. The device operates by depressing a small lever on the right underside of the device which allows the belt buckle cover to spring open. Then the firer depress two levers at the right end of the belt buckle which allows the four-steel integral barrels (numbered 2 on the underside) to spring out into the fully cocked position. Firing is easily accomplished by just depressing one of four levers on the right side of the buckle to fire each barrel individually. Fairly simple device in operation with a very complicated design to manufacture. It is accompanied by a "Certificate of Authenticity" dated July 2005, from John Gangel stating that this specific belt buckle pistol was originally owned by Sidney Aberman, an early collector of extraordinarily unique and one of a kind firearms and weapons, and more recently in the collection of Dr. Jack Strassman of Altoona PA, another well known east coast collector. The example is chambered in 7,65mm auto caliber (normally found in 22 caliber), and is marked on the back; "D.R.P./ angem./7,65". Regardless of how plausible the theory on the use of this device is, it is still a very unique and rare WWII item.

Excellent overall with most of the metal surfaces still in the original unpolished "in the white" condition, with 90% of the blued front cover still remaining. It functions fine. A very unique and desirable WWII collectable.