What’s the starting bid?

I meant to add earlier that I know that it was a 9mm and that it wasn’t the same gun used at blue rock springs. Looking for anything that may elaborate more on the type of gun used.

Thanks, 

Soze

@soze I was just being silly! I am interested to know what you find.

I know. Hopefully an answer will come.

This is all I have found so far … probably something you have already come across:

As for the rest of the murders, detectives are pretty certain that the 9mm pistol he used at Blue Rock Springs Park and Presidio Heights was a Browning High-Power, more than capable of holding the nine rounds fired in the former.

On Quora ….

It was likely a Browning Hi-Power 9 mm.

Ok. So the idea is he used two different browning hi power guns. Ok guys. Thanks!

Another note:

We know from his letters that he “claims” to bought his guns through the mail order outfits and one (not a mail order I presume) from out of state. Has anyone looked into all the possibilities for mail order outfits?

I would assume that one, given the J.C. Higgins at Lake Herman Road, would be Sears and Roebuck. Montgomery Ward also comes to mind but not sure if they would sell guns.

Thanks again,

Soze

@chaucer That model gun is the most widely used military handgun of all time by any fighting side. Another military connection…?

https://www.handgunsmag.com/editorial/featured_handguns_browning_hi_power/138921Classic Handguns of the 20th Century: The Browning HI-Power – Handguns (handgunsmag.com)

@soze In vol I of Zodiac Revisited, author Cole notes that Sears marketed a .22 under its own brand identical to the one likely used by Z.  It was just a copy of another manufacturer with the Sears imprint. Sears frequently marketed others’ manufactured goods with its own brand placed on it. So Sears seems a possible source for at least one of Z’s guns. 

Posted by: @margie

This is all I have found so far … probably something you have already come across:

 

As for the rest of the murders, detectives are pretty certain that the 9mm pistol he used at Blue Rock Springs Park and Presidio Heights was a Browning High-Power, more than capable of holding the nine rounds fired in the former.

 

On Quora ….

Daniel

, Amateur researcher of unsolved serial killer cases.

Answered Jan 30, 2021

According to the police report Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau was shot with a 9mm Luger, here is a link:

https://www.zodiackiller.com/DFR1.html

Per Welsh Chappie’s site: The weapon believed to have been used by the perpetrator [at Lake Herman Road] was considered to be a J.C. Model 80 or High Standard Model 101, with Super X copper coated long rifle ammunition.

Z was obviously very familiar with this weapon. This is a detailed write-up by an owner of a nearly identical handgun:

High Standard Supermatic Target Pistol (chuckhawks.com)

If you go back through the years of manufacture, the J.C. Higgins / High Standard model guns, were (how do you say) an evolution of the Hartford Arms model 1925. Hartford Arms was founded by Lucius Diehm who had once been a Colt employee. His model 1925, which Carl Swebilius of High Standard purchased the rights to when Hartford Arms folded, is nearly an exact copy of the Colt Woodsman. Why no breach of patent? Interesting. Anyway, John Moses Browning designed the Colt Woodsman. Given Browning has some historical significance to the J C Higgins/High Standard and, is among the list of guns law enforcement believes was possibly the gun used as Blue Rock Springs, I would say a Browning is highly likely. 

This jumped out at me:

High Standard was the only American manufacturer of .22 semi-auto pistols that designed a quick change barrel feature into the frame. A simple spring-loaded plunger located just above the front of the trigger guard is depressed with the slide locked back. The barrel slides forward off a dovetailed track and a shorter and thinner field grade tube could be fitted. Other options were also available.

Z mentioned augmenting the barrel of his weapon with a light…