Originally patented in 1944 by Stanley M. Haight, the Sedgley Fist Gun, also known by the nomenclature "Hand Firing Mechanism Mark 2", has been the subject of great speculation and a certain amount of fantasy about its intended purpose and end users; some sources describe it as an assassination weapon, or attribute it to the Office of Strategic Services (to the point of actually being listed as "OSS Glove Pistol" in the ATF's Curio & Relic List), and in fiction they were featured in the film "Inglorious Basterds" (sic) being used by two of the titular commandos to eliminate a pair of Nazi sentries during their attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Per the original patent, Haight's pistol was designed with the regular soldier in mind first and foremost. Citing the prevalence of sneak attacks and hand to hand combat in warfare, Haight designed a weapon that could be ready and at hand at all waking hours, so even if a soldier was caught unaware or while separated from his regular service weapon, he could simply ball up his fist and make a good, loud response. Additionally, the original patent points out that any concealability was secondary to speed of deployment, actively distancing the Fist Gun from previously designed ''sneak'' weapons, and aside from using subsonic loads there is no on-board provision for noise reduction. Documentation of actual use in the field is virtually non-existent, though the Sedgley has been reported in/on the hands of WWII U.S. Navy Construction Battalion (Seabee) men operating heavy equipment like boats or tractors. The actual weapon is of blued steel construction and mounted to a curved steel plate, which bears the Sedgley nomenclature, "U.S. NAVY/PROPERTY" marking, and the number "17" on the frame and barrel. For firing, a spring loaded plunger runs about to the first knuckle on the ring finger, with a parallel single shot barrel about an inch shorter and a small manual safety; making a fist takes the fingers out of the way and exposes the plunger, which you then jam into your would-be ambusher's nearest body part, promptly discharging the 38 caliber round at near-contact distance. After discharge, the soldier could either manually eject the empty shell and reload, or keep hitting the enemy with the 1+ pound steel blunt instrument strapped to their hand. The glove is a fairly standard leather work glove, with the addition of a leather interior pad to protect the back of the wearer's hand from the bolts holding the pistol to the glove and an ominous bit of battle damage; a hole torn through the upper section of the middle finger, right in line with the barrel. The exact cause of the hole is undocumented, but the blackening of the material in the most probable area of initial impact combined with the overall damage to the finger certainly imply an inadvertent discharge, though the absence of heavy internal staining gives us optimism that no unfortunate actually had their finger inside the glove at the moment of truth.

Very fine with 60% of the original blue finish, showing areas of brown and gray patina and mild edge wear and handling marks. Aside from the noted middle finger harm, the glove is very good, with the material remaining generally supple, and showing mild stains and wear. The pistol is mechanically in fine order, and the attachment of the pistol to the glove feels solid. A rare piece of U.S. Navy equipment, which could fill an often-empty gap in U.S. military collections, as well as a sure-fire conversation starter and attention grabber.