The Whitney Wolverine (aka Whitney, Lightning, or Hillson Imperial) was a very space-age looking .22 automatic pistol designed by Robert Hillberg in the 1950s. It made novel use of materials (aluminum castings) and many clever design subtleties, and was a remarkably good pistol. However, the company set up to manufacture it made some critical marketing and financial decisions, which led to only 13,371 of the pistols being made before closing down.
In this book on the Whitney (named in honor of landmark American gunmaker Eli Whitney, incidentally), Antonio Taglienti does a great job of illuminating all aspects of the pistol. From its design and conception to the prototypes and manufacturing processes to the production history and the company's financial tribulations, this is both an informative and interesting look at a forgotten pistol. The book also includes a plethora of original Whitney advertising and a full listing of the serial numbers produced over the pistol's lifespan.
http://www.forgottenweapons.com/book-review-the-whitney-wolverine
