AHND77

mi; AMERICANOFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANDGUNNER AWARDS FOUNDATIONÂ¥- "', .t* . .New Contributing â9MMNt iRevolverfrom France. ,rHANDGUN .-Kg:THREE FEATURES- PLUS\- -ExeCuAuie 9nteuueut:-l-7A Look at the ;.!È, L.--.AMILITARY MAF*;

Super-X, the shortest distancebetween two points.Whether you're a match target rifle or pistolshooter, or a high-power hunting enthusiast, youknow that when you're working with super- orsuper-~atch~cartridges you've got it all going for .you; from primer to case to powder to bullet design,as fine a set of matched high performance componentsas Winchester andWestern engineering can offerin its sporting ammunitionandthat's the very best!-, *and TM refer to rradernarks of Olin Corporation Winchester Wesrern275 Winchester Ave, New Haven Ct 06504I , .

FOUNDATION JNC.30016 S. RIVER ROAD MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN 48045NEWSLETTERhis page is new to 'The American Handgunner," andT we've looked forward eagerly to its baptism. AmericanHandgunner magazine and the Outstanding AmericanHandgunner Award Foundation are now working together,and doings of the Foundation will be reported on thispage in every issue. The two haven't merged physically;they are quite distinct separate organizations, but AHG isnow the official organ of OAHGAF and as such, the editorJerry Rakusan will be supporting the Foundation editorially.Furthermore, new OAHGAF members will receive, fortheir $15 annual dues, American Handgunner magazineas well as the identifying material of the Foundation.The Outstanding American Handgunner Award Foundationhas been completely reorganized under the very capabledirection of Larry Kelly (President of Mag-Na-Port)and a small, flexible board of directors. We are in bettershape than ever and are looking forward to great thingsin the future. We do need more members, and now is thetime to sign up and receive American Handgunner magazineas a bonus. It's the only periodical devoted purely tohandguns, and we don't see how any pistolero can dowithout it.Our nominating committee has just turned in the namesof the 'Top Ten" from which the 1978 Outstanding AmericanHandgunner will be selected. Here are the names,and one of them will carry away the bronze handgunnerstatuette next spring.WARREN CENTER: Rochester, New Hampshire. Knownprincipally as the designer of the very popular Contendersingle-shot pistol.JIMMY CLARK: Shreveport, Louisiana. Pistolsmith par excellenceand one of our best competitive shooters.JEFF COOPER: Paulden, Arizona. Author and foremost proponentof "Practical Pistolcraft," director of the InternationalPractical Shooting Confederation.ELGIN GATES: Needles, California. Outstanding big-gamehunter and proponent of long-range handgunning.DEAN GRENNELL: Dana Point, California. On staff of GunWorld magazine, an author of note and handgun lover.TANYA METAKSA: Washington, D.C. Chief lobbyist forNRA on Capitol Hill and head of ILA State Liaison program.GEORGE C. NONTE: Peoria, Illinois. Our most prolificshooting author, worldwide handgun hunter, and technicalexpert on handguns.ROBERT PETERSON: Los Angeles, California. Publisher of"Guns and Ammo" magazine and a handgun, hunter.SKEETER SKELTON: Deming, New Mexico. Former federalagent, author, and handgun aficionado.HAL SWIGGETT: San Antonio, Texas. Well known author,photographer, and handgun hunter.These nominees represent a broad spectrum and haveall done much to promote the sport of handgunning. Theiraccomplishments are too numerous and varied to list here,but perhaps next issue we'll be able to tell you moreabout them.Keep an eye out for this section of the magazine fromnow on. Here is where you'll find all the latest informationon Foundation activities, especially including plansfor the bigger-than-ever 1978 Awards Banquet andCeremonies.YES, I want to become a member of the OutstandingAmerican Handgunner FoundationEnclosed is $1 5.00 for annual membershipwhich includes a year subscription to TheAmerican Handgunner MagazineI am already a subscriber to The AmericanHandgunner; enclosed is $1 0.00 for my annualmembership(Note: Life and Endowment memberships are available,please write for details)Mail to:OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANWNNER FOUNDATION30016 S. River Rd., Mt Clemens, MI 48045I.......................................I NAMEADDRESS ................................ I..I1 CITY .......................................AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1 97

!¥$ EDITORIALTHE AMERICANNOVEMBERIDECEMBER, 1977Vol. 2 NO. 6-8George E. von RosenPublisherCONTENTSFEATURESBROWNING BDA DOUBLE ACTION .45 ......................... George C. NOnte 23THE MAUSER MILITARY PISTOL ...........................Donald M. Simmons 28FRANCE'S NEWEST REVOLVER - THE M-73 .................Michel Josserand 33THE TIC INSTA-SIGHT ............................................ J. D. Jones 53SPEED RIGS FOR COMBAT SHOOTING .............................Rick Miller 62THE THOMPSONICENTER CONTENDERBy Massad Ayoob.......................................................GENISIS OF A PISTOL 40...............................................INTERVIEW: WARREN CENTER 42CONTENDING WITH THE CONTENDER ........................................ 46THE COLLECTIBLE CONTENDER .............................................. 51DEPARTMENTSCOOPER'S COLUMN .... .Jeff Cooper 5 HANDGUN HUNTING . .Geo. Bredsten 16KEEP SHOOTIN' ................... 6 HANDLOADING .......Dan Cotterman 18THE COMBAT COURSE Mason Williams 10 COP TALK ............Massad Ayoob 66INDUSTRY INSIDER .. .Massad Ayoob 12 TAKING AIM ........ .Claud Hamilton 69, : .'b*. ¥;?A: ,t7,$-%, ,^.:-' 4 &$';ft' . 'hrome Rakusan ........................... .Editor Bill Bauer ...................... .Advertising SalesHerbert Gates .....................Associate Editor Michele Somers ............. .Advertising ManagerRobert C. O'Quinn.. ................Associate Editor Joan Tortorici ............... Advertising ProductionSydney Barker ........................ .Art Director Jane Davidson ..............Adv. Customer ServiceBenton Covert ......................Art Production T.A. von Rosen ................. Production DirectorAlbert Esklnazi ..............Subscription/Circulationif. .$ SUBSCRIPTION OFFICE: 0. Bennett, 8150 N. Central Park, Skokle, Ill. 80078 (312) 675-5611OFFICES: Jerome Rakusan, 8150 N. Central Park, Skokie, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-5602NATIONAL ADV. OFFICES: 8150 N. Central Park Ave., Skokle, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-6010g,-g WEST COAST ADV. REPS: Media Sates Associates, 12121 Wllshlre Blvd., Suite 207, LosAngeles, 90025 (213) 826-8341EAST COAST ADV. REPS: Buchmayr Associates. 19 Birch Rd., Darien. Conn. 06820 (203) 655-1639a**^THE AMERICAN HANDQUNNER is published bimonthly by Publishers' Development Corp.. 8150N. Central Park Avenue. Skokle, Illinois60076. AppllCationm mail atsecond clan postage rates is pending at Skokle. Ill. 60076 and at additional entry offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (6 issues) $7.50. Single monthly copies$1.50.CHANGE OF ADDRESSES: Four weeks' notice reaulred on all chanaes. Send old address as well as new. CONTRIBUTORS submitting rnahuscriots. Dhotograohs ordrawingsdoaoattheirown risk. Material cannot be returned unless~ccompanied by sufficient postage. PAYMENTwill bemadeat ratescurrentattinieof publicationand will cover raproduction in any or all AMERICAN HANDGUNNER Magazine editions. ADVERTISING RATES furnished on request. Reproduction or uee of anyportion of this magazine in any manner, withoutwritten permission, is prohlbited.~ll rights reserved. Title to this publication passastosubscriber only ondelivery tohis address.

more I consider that hypothesis, the lesslikely it appears. I have seen several pistolsfired with a bullet stuck in the barrel.In every case, the barrel was bulged andrendered unserviceable but the fun was'Just T'not blown wide open. .I then received another letter. This timefrom a man who identified himself as aphysicist. He was kindly attempting to reinforcemy academic weakness in the areaKeep On ...- -Had some excitement here in town last week. Bonzo, that chimpanzeefrom the movies, he was at a fair over at Pine Forge and Smitty Brownheard about it. Smitty's the best friend and promoter shootin's everhad, got the NRA building paid for in Washington with his ideas,though I hear those jaspers up there are on the move again. 'Smittysees shootin bigger than those TV tennis matches some day.You remember you metSmitty at Perry last year. Hewas coaching that new younglady shooter from Florida,Nancy Caldwell. She won theWomen's Pistol Championshipbeating that WashingtonFlash Gertie Bachstrom bytwo points. Smitty was asproud as if Nancy'd been hisown daughter, but he looked amite like he was gonna havehis second heart attack afterNancy put on that race horsefinish.Any way, Smitty's alwayssayin he can teach anybody toshoot a pistol in 30 minutes,all they got to understand is sight alignment and trigger control. So hegot the idea of taking Bonzo out and proving he could even teach achimp, probably easier than a human. Like Smitty said, "Hell, themonkey can't get on his back. . . he IS the monkey."Smitty got his favorite O.M. Colt he shot for so many years, andthey gave that critter an unloaded gun to hold for the pictures. Tried toput ear protectors on him, but he kept pullin them off. Then every timeSmitty'd shoot, that chimp'd scream and holler and stamp his feet.As you can see in the picture I'm sending you, Smitty got off tenpretty good shots at 50 yards. Showed Bonzo how to hold thegun, lookat the sights and pull the trigger, but couldn't bring himself to givingthat monkey a loaded gun. Like Smitty said, "Wouldn't be hard toteach him to shoot, but he'd never figure out how to use those NRAscorecards. "That's the gospel, have you seen the latest one they make the policeshooters use? Got 2 columns, marked 1-2 and 3-4, each line is totaledacross for number of shots, multiplied by each shot value and thenboth columns added down and across into one total.Smitty's right, be easier to teach anybody how to hold em andsqueeze em.^latof internal combustion. His letter reads asfollows:"The burning rate of powders iscontrolled by several factors. Amongthese are pellet size, geometry, chemicalcomposition, and, very importantly,the degree of compactionin the cartridge case. In general, thegreater the degree of compaction, theslower the burning will proceed. Asburning rate is increased, breechpressures rise. This is due to greatergas evolution per unit period of time."Regarding the charge in question,upon detonation of the primer, thepowder pellets will be distributedfairly uniformly throughout the cartridgecase. The result is a great increasein burning rate, because asmall amount of powder is distributedin a rather large case volume. Theeffect may be compounded becausethe primer in itself may exert enoughforce to start the bullet down the barrel,increasing the volume proportionatelyinto which the powder maydisperse. The small charge may thusbe detonated. The high rate of powderdecomposition may indeed producepressure with a magnitude far inexcess of that which the firearm canstand."I would like to point out that theprogressive nature of any powdermay be nullified through the use ofreduced loads. I strongly discouragethe use of any load which deviatesgreatly from those given in the handbooks.Even failing to perform arecommended bullet crimp may resultin dangerous pressures. Theloads listed in the handbooks are theresult of extensive testing. This informationshould not be taken lightly."L. W. H.-PhysicistGibsonia, PennsylvaniaNaturally, I found this letter most enlightening,as it tended to corroboratewhat I had been suspecting. It does not, ofcourse, solve the mystery, because thevery load in question is one which haslong been recommended as absolutelysafe for both .38 Specials and .357's. Theexperience of the loading companies andthe loading manuals is fully on the side ofsafety in this matter, ,and still we havethese explosions. Fortunately, up to now,they have not resulted in physical damageto the shooter, but they have completelydestroyed the firearm. I do not pretend toknow what happens here, but I do knowthat something is happening, and that it isvery destructive. I cannot preach in thisfield; but, as for me, I will not use the classictarget loads of Bullseye in any revolverthat I own, and I intend to stay well clearof other people's revolvers in which suchloads are used. I have too many examplesnow to regard this matter asone of trivial probability.-. . AMERICAN HANDQUNNE..

Let's say you already know whyyou want to get into reloading.The savings. The accuracy. Thejust plain satisfaction.But your not too sure yet justwhat kind of press and dies to investin.Well, far be it from the good 01boys to give you some highpressurepitch on theirRCBS reloading tools. Bmost wm-to make sure the frameloading press, you can bet they p-utplenty of work into it. And it showsin the final product.,They start with the best die steelavailable and add 34 years ofknow-how. One at a time, each diekis precision machined. Then each isFpolished inside, by hand.Which probably Next comes a 1700Â heat-treatinghelp explain the fact process that makes RCBS diesthat seven out of ten hard and tough enough to outlast arelo&em today are dozen gun barrels. Then moreusing RCBS presses hand-polishing till the die is just so.and dies. Seven out The results speak for themselvesof ten. A close look every time you shove down thehandle of an RCBS press.Of course, the good 01'"0" frame built boys are only passing thisinformation along as aSooner or later, you'llThe Block "0" design, togetherwith the patented RCBS compounleverage system, can absorb tonsof work pressure without going out. of whack. Yet these presses operateso smoothly, you can actuallyfeel a difference between them andordinary presses. The reason isbetter fiiing parts. And casting2naRKtolerances within fifteen tenthisthousandths of an inch. r.u. BOX 1919, Ormilie, CA 95965Since the inside of the dies iswhere all the work gets done in a re-Get the whole shootin' match fmm the good or boys: CCI primers and ammo, Spew bullets and RCBS mloading tools.

32nd EditionEdited by John 1. AmberAn all-new edition of the mostcomprehensive and complete gunbook for all shooters, collectors,hunters and outdoorsmen. With aneye as unerring as a Weatherby,scope, the estimable John T. Amberhas again selected great new gunarticles by the world's best contributingauthors.Features byWaters, Labisky, Thomas, Sterett,Nonte, Steindler, to name just a few.Articles on handguns, air guns,rifles, black powder guns, hand-loading, collecting, smithing. Plusa largecatalog sectian complete . 'with specs and prices on all U.S.and imported firearms and accessories.448 8%" x 11" pages.No. G DlW-- -U,au, I'By Tom BrakefieldThe really complete reference toNorth American big game hunting.This comprehensive, lively volumegives sound advice to beginninghunter or practiced sportsman.Learn how to choose the right gunsand scopes, which gear and duffelare necessary for different types ofhunting, where to find the big ones.Special chapters on all majorNorth American big game speciesDIUS ti~s on where, when and howto baithem. ~hroughout this newvolume, you'll find many helpfulideas to add enjoyment to the hunt. $795288 8Y2" x 11" Daaes.No. BG381610th EditionEdited by Harold A. Murtz and theEditors of Gun DigestFormer National Varmint CallingChamp and hunter Jim Doughertytells how the local pros call andhunt-tips well salted with his subtlesense of humor. Learn the predictablepatterns of coyote, bobcat,raccoon, even mountain lion andbear. Covers hunting with gun or, bow; the art of hiding and camouflage;calibers and loads for rifle,&it names of foreign-gun makersand much more. Plus extensive cata- dlog of guns and accessories withcurrent retail prices. 288. No. GI60668%" x 11" pages.mouth and electronic calls as wellas calling techniques. Plus extensivelistings of manufacturers of alltypes of hunting and calling gear.256 8Y2" x 1 1 " pages.By Jack Lewis and B.R. HughesA cut above any other volume publishedon pocket or folding knives.Liberally illustrated; extensive history;blade design, materials,shapes and sharpening techniques.Tells how quality folding knivesare made for mass production.Also covers custom knives, the"Swiss Army knife" and manyother extraordinary blades. What tolook for in buyina an evewdav wpocket knife;-a hinting kdfeiafinecustom design. Full directory ofmass and custom makers. 288 8Y2"x llrt pages. $795 No. FK9176By Robert Beeman ,In one definitive volume AIR GUNDIGEST assembles enough informationto boggle the imaginationsof those who fondly remembermom, apple pie and the Daisy airrifle. Beeman traces the first air,spring air, C02 and other types ofair guns from prototype to presentdaymodels. Major chapters onmaintenance, current gun laws andsafety precautions. The author isoptimistic about the future of airgunneryas a leisure activity. as wellas the hunting possibi1itieii.n areaswhere combustion types are prohibited.256 8Y2" x 11" ,- oaaes. $--5--0- -No. AG8116USE COUPON ON OPPOSITE PAGE TO ORDER NOW!-

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5%+ \+ The 1977 National United States!i$! Practical Pistol Championships1 thiieen natiois Act in Columbia,Mkouri to create the International Prac-tical Shooting Confederation Note thesecond word in the title-Practical! Thiiis the word that makes the IPSC standalone in the realm of handgun shooting.The National matches held in Denver,June 8th through June 12th 1977, werethe fmt nationals held under the auspicesof the IPSC.Perhaps a few words of background arenecessiuy at this point. For many years, anever increasing number of people havebeen questioning the validity of conventionalhandgun matches that are basedupon rigidly controlled, known rules andmatch conduct. These conventionalmatches resemble a ballet in which theparticipants have practiced and rehearsedfor months, or even years, until eachnuance is controlled to absolute perfection.Change one detail and it all fallsapart. These matches have their place,but, as I mentioned above, more andmore shooters are moving towards what istermed bbpractical" handgun shootingPractical shooting involves accuracy,power, and speed; but possibly the mostimportant factor is Diversity. No twomatches ever include the same courses ofto any situation is one of the keys to practicalmarksmanship. Each course of fm isbased upon a practical situation. In additionto d that, it makes an excellent spectatorsport. It's fun to participate in andmost interesting to watch. Thii type ofshooting has been growing for the pasttwenty-odd years and I fmt came into contactwith it back in the middle 1950's.Anyone with a sound background in handgunshooting, plus normal physical capabilitiesand reflexes, can enter thesematchea and stand a good chance of placinghigh.The IPSC held regional matchesthroughout the world and the competitorswho qualified in the United States at sectionalmatches in the Fall of 1976 fired inthe Championship Class at Denver. Onlymen from thii Championship Clam areeligible for the US. Team that will travelto the World Championships in SouthAfrica in August of 1977.The Denver Nationals were run by theTable Mountain Gun Club of the ColoradoPistol League. The range is locatedjust outside of Golden. The range was dividedinto three sections, each entirelyseparate from any of the other two, thuspermitting the simultaneous f hg of thethree stages at the same time. Stage Number1 was fwed on the center range, StageNumber 2 was fwed on the left-handrange, with Stage Number 3 fwd on theright-hand range. I have seldom attendeda match where everything went sosmoothly and so rapidly. Waiting time washeld to a minimum. Management, eficiencyand functioning was idwLThe match was restricted to a maximumof one hundred twenty-five shooters.There were two classes of shooters. Thiimade up the Open Claea These men weref ~ as g individuals and came fiom all,

The next five men form the backupteam and they also can wear the IPSCshirt:6. bul Waltem7. Tom Campbell8. Mike Dalton9. Rick Miller10. John DavisPrizes consisted of Colt pistols, Dan-Dknives, Weatherby rifle, Davis leather,Star pistol, trophies, medals, pocketknives, plaques, and dozens of pieces ofmerchandise.I would like to list some pertinent datafor those people-men, women andyoungsters-who would like to move intothis type of shooting.The handguns used consisted of 87 Colt-45 ACP pistols, one-9 mm, one44 Magnumand two--38 specials. No need to sayanymore.Before f~ng, each competitor had todo a back roll of 360 degrees to provethat his holster would safely retain hishandgun. Thii is one of the basic requirementsof Practical Pistol Shooting.Next, each competitor had to fire hismatch ammunition on a hllistic Pendulumto determine whether his load fallsinto a major or minor ammunition classification.In order to place a load into themajor classification, the ammunitionmust move the endulum as far as, ormore than -45 A& hard ball ammunition.If a competitor's ammunition fails to meetthe requirements for major classification,then it will be considered to belong in theminor .classification with resulting differencein scoring targets. The theory beingthat a man who can shoot top scores witha -45 ACP.shou1d not be forced to com-pete on an equal basis against a man f ~nga .38 special wad cutter load. All loads,whether major or minor, are scored thesame for center hits but hits outside of thecenter will be scored one point higher forall major caliber classifications.An acce~table handload for the -45 ACFfor these matvhes is a 230 grain, roundnose,hard lead bullet, ahead of either 7.2grains of Unique or 5.2 grains of Bullseye.These loadings will move the pendulum torecord a maj& caliber.Holstem were varied and many, butmost, were made by Milt Sparks, Anderson,Snick, Rogem, Davis and Bianchi.Handguns were altered and modified bySwenson, Hoag, Clark, Greenwald. Modificationsconsisted of high visibility sights,combat safeties, beveled magazine wells,hard chrome fmishes and square fronttrigger guards.Obviously, a competitor can spend anyamount of money he wishes upon hand-gun and gear. The most important thing,of course, is the ability to handle the gearand handgun. Next comes accuracy, butthis evolves out of practice and morepractice.I talked to a lot of people. Most told methat a good, new Colt Mark IV will cut thecake, so if you want to get into thii game,you do not need to spend a lot of money.The interesting part of Practical Pit01Shooting is that no two courses of fue areever repeated for competition. Note thatthere is nothing extremely diffkult aboutany of these courses nor are they slantedagainst revolvers or the new shooter. Anyonewith a sound shooting backgroundcan come into thii sport and do well. It isa tremendous spectator sport and I pmdictthat once the IPSC becomesthoroughly organized, that it will attractan ever increasing number of spectatomand the news media in all its branchesfrom newspapers to W.Anyone interested in more informationshould write directly to Rick Miller, 1863Troy Urgana Road, Troy, Ohio 45373.Rick, a frequent contributor to The AmericanHandgunner, is the historian of theIPSC and the same man who won a placeon the US. backup team. It's not oftenthat a man can both write welland shoot well.center fire reloadingcomponents are hard to beat.This year, more dealers than ever before -**stocking the full line of Remington center firecomponents. So you'll no longer have tosettle for anything less than Remingtonquality in your handloads.Remington center fire cases, forinstance, contain more brass by weightthan other brands-for greater strengthand reloadability, shot after shot.And when it comes to bullets,Remington wrote the book. Whetheryou need the maximum stopping powerof our "Core-Lokt" controlledexpansionbullets-the ones that biggame hunters have helped make famous-! or the long-range accuracy and stability ofour patented "Power-Lokt" bullets, yourlocal dealer has just what you need-over100 different bullet weights and calibers.For the full story, pick up a copy of1 &our 1977 Reloading Components Catalogat your dealer's. Or write to Remington ArmsCompany, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn. 06602are trademark regislered in the U S Pat =nd

HANDGUNyou think the skyrocketing price of1 Fb rass is hurting you as a handloader,just think how you'd feel if you were a corporateexec of an ammunition companyand made your livelihood out of the profitabilityof the ammo you could produce.Some ammo-makers are looking to alternatives,even radical alternatives. oneis Jack Canon, ramrod of Deadeye Associatesin Louisiana and the purveyor ofsuper-effective Glaser Safety Slugs. Whenyou're a little guy making-special ammo,you're dependent on the guys who sell youcartridge cases. Witness Lee Jurras, whosaid he pulled the plug on Super Vel be-:awe the biggies all had rounds that dup-By MASSAD F. AYOOBSHAKE HANDS WITHBROWNING ARELIABILITY.Meet Browning's semi-automaticpistols ... from topto bottom:22 Long Rifle . *1caliber. 10shot magazine 7capacity. $149.95.Hi-Power. 9 mm caliber.13 shot magazineAdjustable or fixedsights. Standard orRenaissance grade.From $289.95.Super or 45 caliber.capacity in 9 mm anmagazine capacity'suggested retail priceInuenton of America'* Great GUMlicated his concept, and he couldn't get asupply of cases from them.Canon, a totally independent kind ofguy who takes nothing from nobody, is negotiatingwith a Korean firm to supplyquality, precision spec brass, at a decentprice. If he pulls it off, look for a flood ofammo company executives at the TWAbooking counters picking up their overseastickets.The other solution is a lot more radical..Last week, an "individual in the industry"came by my office and spent four hourstelling me about his proposal to revolutionizeammo manufacturing. He plans totake certain plastics (an industry in whichFREE 120-page hill-color catalog on all Browntr urn ¥an sports eq*ment. Send postcard to: Browning, Dept. 229.1 .a an, Utah 84050.1 ^ERICANhe has a solid base to talk from), and createa plastic case for use with live ammo.He isn't talking about the basement practiceshells, those that work just with primersand tend to fall apart in your gun; he'stalking about 2.7 grains of bullseyebehind a 148-gr. lead semi-wadcutter .38Special load, the most profitable handgunammo to make since there's so muchlarge-volume demand for it from policeagencies. He thinks he's got a high-stressplastic that will take the pressure. It mightbe good for a few reloadings, or one, ornone at all, and he doesn't much give adamn; he figures he can make his plasticcases so cheapthey'll be disposable anyway.Sound incredible? Youbetcha it does.And yet, we would have said the samething last year if somebody had told us amajor company would come out with aplastic sabot that would let you shoot a.224 bullet over 4000 feet per second inyour .30/06. But Remington did it, and it'sthe hottest property going in 1977 smallarms ammo. Our "mystery man" pointedto a Remineton Accelerator sabot andsaid, "If thisplastic composition holds upas well as it does with the pressures generatedby a 4000 fps rifle bullet, what makesyou think I can't make a plastic cartridgecasing that can take a puny .38 wadcutterload?"It is interesting to listen to this guy, andcorrelate what he says with the fact thatRemington won't tell you exactly whichplastic it is, of the thousands of formulaeavailable, that they're using in the Accelerator.There's lotsa bugs to be worked out,but the theory can't help but fascinate.Our source claims that he'll have loadedrounds available for an exclusive AmericanHandgunner test in a few months.We'll wait and see.Ted McCauley of Remington answersthese rumors as follows: .308 Winchesteris the next cartridge to be "Accelerated,"and no serious thought has been given to ahandgun version of theAccelerator. Theplastic .38 ammo theory, he says, is laughable.And while Remington is pleased withthe upsurge in demand for the XP-100, noplans have been made to chamber it forlarger calibers.We had asked McCauley about futureplans for the XP-100 pistol, the funny littlebulldog bolt action based on the old 7;':-Model 600 rifle action, because with the k:xburgeoning growth of metallic silhouettehandgun competition, this oddball gunthat was once for varminters-only is experiencinga new surge of popularity. Thereason; it has rifle strength, and can bechambered for calibers like .308 and .358that blow a heavy steel goat over likeSuperman swatting mosquitoes. A bunchof gunsmiths are already making suchXP-100 conversions and selling them forpremium dollars. McCauley says a factoryversion ain't in the cards.Nevertheless, Remington has already

h*etoColtAs a safety check, every ColtDetective Special is proof fired withspecial high pressure ammunitionbefore it leaves the plant. That's whyAt the critical moment of discharge, safety and use of hand ns, send forbe a gun you the Colt advancing hand holds the Colt's free booklet, "Gdling thecylinder rigidly in line with the Handgun." Write Colt Firearms,barrel. That means less chance of Dept. 31 J Hartford, Conn. 06102.can rely on. shaving lead as the bullet enters the There is no obligation, of course.barrel. And that means a safer, moreColt of ammo. can recommend For additional any facts major on brand theHand crafted precision.Colt Detective Special doubleaction revolver 38 Specialcaliber, 2"barrel, all steelframe, ramp front sight, walnutstock. Colt BlueorNickel finishkthe ejector rod is damaged, the gunand you get less. may not lock up at all. If it won'tCompare a Colt lock up, it can't be fired. TheColt inspector checks barrel- with a less expen- shrouded, free-floating ejector rodchamber alignment (range)sive revolver. on a Colt has nothing to do withThe Colt gives you six shots. Some cylinder lock-up. So a Colt can takerevolvers give you only five. The rough treatment and still perform.barrel and cylinder walls on the Colt Pretested for accuracy andare sturdier. Note the location of the safety. Many manufacturers do notbolt notches on the cylinder. Instead target their handguns at all. Someof weakening the cylinder wall at its use employee testers to do the job.thinnest point, Colt cuts these Only Colt uses a laser boresightingnotches off to the side where the system that completely removes the You can count on a Colt. If youmetal is thicker. The cylinder human factor. This remarkable buy a revolver that isn't a Colt, you'llrelease latch on a Colt pulls to the instrument consistently holds probably pay less money. You'llrear. With the forward moving latch center-of-impact variability to within definitely get less gun. Only a Coltfound on many revolvers, the shooter one tenth of an inch. Every Colt gives you the reliability your percaninadvertently open the cylinder revolver is laser targeted before sonal handgun has to have. Even ifand dump the cartridges. shipment. you never use it.Off-cent ;olt cylinder Shrouded Colt elector rod we hes or holster.I@-anAmericanheritage

established a precedent of making rifles tothe specific needs of metallic silhouetteshooters, and we think a similar step withtheir one-and-only handgun would be inorder. True, the metallic silhouette handgunshooters are a small market by themselves,no matter how fast the sport isgrowing; but, their sport is being well organizedand publicized, and if Remingtonguns win there, many times more varminthunters and non-competitive 'handgunenthusiasts will have an excuse to reachinto their pockets and buy the "gun thatwins." I predict a metallic silhouette competitionXP-100 as a factory option within18 -- to -- 24 - - months.-~ -Jack Canon, whom we mentioned a fewparagraphs back, has introduced a newgeneration of GLASER SAFETYSLUGS-for big bores. He has one for.45 ACP, one for .44 Special that is designedexpressly for the popular CharterArms .44 Bulldog; and the inevitable .44Magnum. As one might imagine, the combinationof the Glaser concept (a capsulefilled with fine birdshot suspended in liquidTeflon, traveling at plus-minus 2000feet per second out of a .38 caliber weapon)combined with big bore projectilevolume and powder capacity, results in anawesomely destructive anti-personnelround.Glaser Safety Slugs are available fromGlaser Safety Slugs, Inc., P.O. Box 1975,McAllen, Texas 78501. They're expensiveas hell: 75

'sures more than half its own diameter!).Or the .44 magnum Sheriff(a recent U.S. Dept. of Justicereport says it's the most effectivehandgun load made).The good 01' boys make a fewI 158380AUTDReserve9mm LUGERMarshalM-P38 SPECIALSpecial AgentDetectivePatrolmanDeputyMatch88JHP100JHP125JSP1000 WSec.1315WSBC.1120 WSec.110 JHP 1245 WSec.125 JHP 1425 FUSBC.125 JSP 1425 WSec.140 JHP 1200 FVSec.148 HBWGlça 825 FUSac.Service158 SWC-lead158 RN-lead975 Ft/Sec.975 FVSec.Tr00~erS.W.~A.T.381357 Shotshell357 MAGNUMSpecial Age*DetectivePatrolmanDeputyTrooperS.W.A.T.44 MAGNUMSheriffSheriff44 Magnum Shotshell45 AUTOInspector'Test barrel velocities.JSP 1025 WSec.158JHP 1025 WSÇC#9 Shot 1150 FVSec.Nearly half the good 01' boys' Law- Of course, once a bullet finds itsman ammo is used up by lawmen. target, it's also got to have some11OJHP 1700 WSec.125JHP 1900 wsec.Lawmen all around the country, wallop. So the bullets in Lawman125 JSP 1900 WSec.from the Feds to the Lewiston, cartridges are built140JHP 1780 WSec.158 JSP 1825 WSec.Idaho Police Dept.for dramatic158JHP 1625 WSec.That tells you two things. That it's expansion.200 JHP 1675 W%.really good ammo, alright. And that Manv cal-240 JSP 1650 WSec.the other half is up for grabs. ibers have soft#9 Shot 1200 FVSec.But how did this bunch in Lewis- lead cores and 1200JHP 1025 WSec.ton become such big shots in inner fluted jackets.handgun ammo, turning out more And the hollow points comekinds of pistol loads than anyone with the Penta-Point cavity, which loads no one else does. .45 Autoelse in the popular calibers? Well, makes sure a slug really opens up. 200 gr. JHF? .380 Auto 88 gr. HI?mainly by being very serious hand- For handgun hunting, Lawman 140 gr. JHP in .38 Special and .357loaders and handgun shooters ammo gives you all the stopping Ma num. And shotshells.themselves.power you need. In loads like the e y also use an ammo packageThey tested all available propel- .45 Inspector (its hol-1no one else does-a tough, reuslantsto find the ones that produced ow point m-, able plastic box, with a grid thata combination of the highest veloc-holds each cartridge separate.itv, best accuracy and most consis-So whether you choose the 50tent ballisticpacks of So's, gmm's, -38's anduniformity..357's, or the 25 packs of .44's andSo Lawman-45's you can bet this Lawmanammo hasammo won't let you down.accuracyBecause it's already got quite athat's justrecord with the police.plain amazing.Like fiveshot groupsless than aninch across producec j at 50 yardsby jacketed .38's.* 7Or ten shot groups the same sizefrom the same distance by Match Snake River Avenue, Lewkton, Idaho 83501.38's.I'MARK.Get the whole shooffn'match from the good ol' boys: CCIprimers and ammo, Speer bullets and RCBS reloading tools.

For quick andeasy referenceAMERICANHANDGUNNERMAGAZINEBINDERSProtect your AmericanHandgunner Magazines foryears to come with thishandy "MAGAZINE COL-LECTOR." The attractiveleather-like vinyl binder willhold up to two full years ofThe American Handgunnerand can stand either horizontallyor vertically on yourshelves. Available in eitherred or black with gold trim,the binder is 8Y2" deep,111/;" high, and 4" wide. Itshandy label holder makesidentification easy. For quickand easy American Handgunnerreference, orderyours today!2 for $5.954 for $10.956 for. $1 4.95Min. order two. Be sure and specify color.Mail to: AMERICAN HANDGUNNERMAGAZINE BINDERS8150 N. Central Park Ave.Skokie, Illinois 60076Name-AddressCity State ZipAMOUNTQUANTIN- COLOR__ ENCLOSED-BASEDon the letters of handgun huntersreceived by The American BigGame Handgunner's Association(ABGHA), there appears to be increasinginterest in hunting trophy or record classbig game; this applies to the exotic as wellas the indigenous species. From its inception,ABGHA recognized the need for acriterion to determine trophy eliibility, astandard system of trophy measurement,sanctioned official measurers, the recognizedspecies and the minimum scoresqualifying trophies for possible records inclusionEach of the foregoing will beelaborated upon to the extent that the interestedbig game handgun hunter,whether or not an ABGHA member, willhave available in one reference or sourcemost of the pertinent information.The criteria used in determining the eligibilityof handgunned big game trophiesfor records consideration are as follows:1. Mandatory compliance with all applicablelaws and regulations of theBy GEORGE BREDSTENgovernmental agency or agencieshaving jurisdiction where the hunt isto occur.2. No big game animal shall be consideredfor ABGHA records where saidanimal was acquired by any meansother than a handgun used during alegal hunt3. No big game animal shall be consideredfor ABGHA records if any otherperson or persons also shot theanimal.4. Compliance with the ABGHA Systemof Measurement is mandatory.5. Although a particular species of biggame is on the "endangered specieslist" of other countries; if legal tohunt, take and possess in the countrywhere the handgunner is to hunt,ABGHA will accept for records considerationany big game with theminimum score or higher, if sotaken.6. No handgun utilizing a shoulderABGHA Minimum Qualifying Scoresfor Western Hemisphere Big GameCATEGORY SCORE CATEGORYBEAR:JAGUARAlaska Brown26 JAVELINABlack19-5 (Collared Peccary)GrizzlyPolar25 MOOSE:Alaska-YukonBISONlo5 CanadaCARIBOU:Wyoming (Shiras)Barren GroundMountain375365MUSKOXQuebec-Labrador 350 PRONGHORNWoodland 275 SHEEP:COUGAR 13.5 BighornDesertDEER:StoneColurnbian BlacktaiVSitka 110White (Dall)Coues 90Mule 180 WALRUSwhitetail 165 WAPITI (Elk)GOAT, Mountain 44 WILD PIGSCORE13.5AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 NOVEMBEFVDECEMBER 1977

!stock attachment, or any otherdevice permitting a three point supportsystem, shall be used.Except for number four, all of theabove criteria are self-explanatory, andthe more salient features of ABGHA'sSystem of Measurement are now given:1. All measurements shall be madeusing a steel tape, and measurementsshall be recorded to the nearest'/w or '1s inch as specified on theapplication form.2. When indicated, certain measurementsshall be taken with a base platform,having two uprights (90 degreesto the base) used to determinesuch measurements as greatestwidth andlor greatest length.3. All measurements, other than anybody measurements, shall be takenafter at least sixty (60) days haveelapsed between obtaining the trophyand its official measurement forABGHA records consideration.4. All applications, for records consideration,shall be accompanied by atleast one photographic print-eitherblack and white or color-not smallerthan five inches by seven inches.5. The Boone & Crockett and/or RowlandWard species measurementsare used by ABGHA, except thatABGHA does not list or record nontypicaltrophies per se.One of ABGHA's long term goals is toestablish affiliated chapters in each Stateand to have at least one member of eachchapter serve as an official measurer.Thus the handgun hunter who has taken apotential record class big game trophywould not have to travel too great a distanceto have an official measurementmade. At the present time, and in additionto the members of the ABGHA RecordsCommittee, there are but nine personssanctioned to serve as official measurers.Thomas R BrickRoute 3, Box 38Berlin, Penn. 15530Bob HagelGibbonsville, Id. 83463John F. LakeP.O. Box 379Cordova, AK. 99574Wayne P. Fontenelle15228 N.E. 4th PlaceBellevue, Wash. 98007Lee E. JurrasDrawer F.Hagerman, N.M. 88232Ray MeketaP.O. Box 282Douglas, AK. 99824Barry L. HaightStar Route, Box 20184Fairbanks, AK. 99701MDQILarry Kelly30016 South River RoadMt. Clemens, Mich. 48043Ronald A. Ricci66 Frederick AvenueMedford, Mass. 02155impossible for the dedicated and ethicalbig game handgun hunter to take a trophymeeting or exceeding the required minimum.Thompson B. Temple (Box 181-Mountain Home, Texas 78058) is currentlythe individual responsible for the compilationand listing of the records of exoticThe foregoing list is subject to revision- species; e.g., Axis Deer, Aoudad, oraddition and/or deletion of names* cir- Blackbuck Antelope. The results are acumstances warrant. Whether or not anABGHA member, those responsiblehandgun hunters interested in serving ascomplete scoring system for all the commonUnited States exotics, and a comparativeranking of the top exotic trophiesan official measurer should contact taken in the United States. Unfortunately,ABGHA for additional information. this listing does not differentiate betweenFor the most part, ABGHA recognizesthe same Western Hemisphere big gamespecies as does the Boone & Crockett(B&C) Club. The main difference beingthat ABGHA recognizes as big game boththe javelina and the wild pig, while B&Cdoes not. Also, the minimum qualifyingthose trophies taken with rifle, handgunor bow. It is the intent of the ABGHA RecordsCommittee to coordinate with Mr.Temple so that his present system can bemodified to provide a section for listingthe requirements and the record class exoticstaken with a handgun.scores for possible ABGHA records inclu- With this brief discussion of recordssion are somewhat lower than those re- and related material, itis believed that thequired by B&C.The ABGHA Records Committee consideredmany factors, all relevant but notnecessarily of equal importance, beforesubject be brought to a conclusion withthe following: If, during a hunt, your fieldskills' as a handgun hunter are trulytested, then taking a big game trophytheminimum qualifying scores of big record class or not-is a most rewardinggame trophies were established. The con- experience. However, whether or not a bigsensus of the ABGHA Records Committeewas that the minimum qualifyingscores should be both realistic and reasonable.Thus, it ought to be difficult but notgame trophy is taken, you should rememberthat ethical and responsible behaviorafield is always thefinest trophy!Exclusive new"Auto Fhx" gunretainer of moldedsurgical rubber for~ e Blanchi wPistolero" Model. .5- Belt, MetalLined Holster & ClipRig for .45 Auto, Browning 9mmHi-Power 5" barrels.Special molded Sight-Channel A protects your sights. "Clip- AGrip," adjustable tension,quick-draw mag. hoid- Aer and fully contoured2%'' non-slip, fancystitched suede linedbelt complete thisfantastic rig. Price:$89.95 Complete.At franchisee! dealerseverywhere or order direct!Send cash, check or moneyorder (sorry no COD'S). Add$1 for postage and handling.Calif. Res. add 6% sales tax. Stateblack or tan, right or left hand.Immediate delivery.m m m mmMmml.day foralmt BmMii ^fcolor dialog100 Calle Cortez, Dept. AH-I1 Tei ula, California 92390La

There Are Right Ways And Wrong Ways To Seat APrimer! It Pays To Know The Difference.nyone who has encountered the prob-A lem of difficult cylinder rotationwith handloads in a revolver or who hasexperienced misfires because of improperlyseated primers will benefit throughsimply reading, then following, the adviceI'm about to offer.Has it ever occurred to you that themost uniformly precise part of a cartridgecase-the primer pocket-is the veryplace' where those of us who handload areobliged to do our least precise work? Forthat matter, another precision-made component,the primer itself, is too often subjectedto undue punishment, simply as aBy DAN COTTERMANresult of a lot of the "guess, then-to-hellwith-it"methods of primer seating thatprevail over handloading benchesthroughout the world.If things are to go right with handloadsin revolvers or autoloaders, there must beconsistency in the way primers are seated.Lacking consistency, any number of unfavorablethings are liable to happen: Thedifficult (or impossible) cylinder rotationmentioned earlier will exist in the case ofprimers not fully seated. There is the furtherpossibility of misfires, a loss of the accuracyyou're seeking, velocity variations. . . even danger is not unknown to the useDon't judge Western style bootsuntil you've worn a pair.For knocking around in the ruggedoutdoors Browning Saddle Trampscan't be beat. They offer good legand ankle rotection and quick pullon,pull-onconvenience. No laces tofuss with.But Saddle Tramps take comforta step further. They have alower, wider walking heel, alower arch and a roomier toethan the typical steep arched,~ointed toe western boot. ThisWellington styling makes theSaddle Tramps versatile,extremely comfortable outdoorsports boots.Try a pair at your Browning dealer's.Saddle Tramp I1 haswater-repellent Norwegianleather upper. Saddle TrampI has tough oil tannedcowhide upper.Copyright @ Browning 1977/b'120-page,Steel shank for firmarch support.Comfortable fullglove leatherlining on SaddleTramp 11.Non-slipbasketweavetread for goodtraction.1 Goodyearleather welt forgood supportwith flexibility.Send a postcard for our Free,full-color Sporting GoodsCatalog, Browning, Dept. B51,Morgan, Utah 84050.Heel counterfor good fit andfirm support.Low, wide, walking heel forstable footing.From $49.95,suggested retailof ammunition with primers that haven'tbeen seated deeply enough, especially inhandguns.In the matter of shot-to-shotconsistencyof ignition, we have to acknowledge theexistence of a linking of essentials like theforce with which the firing pin strikes,headspace and so on. Some of the foregoinginvolves basic elemental mechanicswithin the individual gun. But, remember,the primer is, in a sense, the very foundationof every cartridge.Think of the primer, its parts and howthey relate to the primer pocket and, forthat matter, to the diameter of the flash,hole, and you'll begin to appreciate thefact that the way that primer is seated hasto be rather critical.The modern primer consists mainly ofthree parts, that is, the cup, the pellet andthe anvil. When the firing pin springs forwardand pokes a dimple into the cup, thepellet is pinched between the cup and thehead, or center, of the anvil. This is the instantat which the component parts of thepellet come into play: An initiator, alongwith sensitizer particles ignite the fuel.This action creates the intense needle offlame that acts to ignite the propellantcharge. The entire drama of events, as youwell know, takes place in less time than it'lltake me to strike a T to begin the next sentence.The object of importance, as far aswe're concerned, is to realize that the uniformityof ignition obtained controls theperformance of our handloads.-Quality control in the manufacture oftoday's primers is pretty well in hand. Thegoofing happens, 99 percent of the time,when the guy next to the bench gets hisgrizzly paws into the act.Back to the primer. . . that delicate object.You may have noticed that the legs ofthe anvil (two, maybe three of 'em, dependingon the manufacturer) extend justa tweak past the open end of the cup. Ifthe primer is seated the way it should be,these legs should just touch the bottom ofthe pocket. The pocket, as discussed inthe last printing of T.A.H., should beclean and free of residue. If, in the worstof events, the legs of the anvil are not incontact with the bottom of the primerpocket, the blow caused by the firing pinmay dislodge the anvil, shoving it forward.In all liilihood, a misfire probably will notoccur; however, some of the force of thefiring pin may be used up .in dislodgingthe anvil or, in another possibility, in drivingthe entire primer forward within thepocket. Irregular ignition of the propellantcharge will be the least of difficulties.I have heard of instances in which an im-properly seated primer-one that is notwithin the pocket-will cause the cartridgeto fire as the bolt slams forward.But wait, let's not get the idea that rammingthe primer in as far as possible is theanswer, either. If the legs of the anvil,which are supposed to be in no more thanfirm touchcontact with the bottom of the

THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER WANTS YOU!That's right! The American Handgunner wanto know about your interests in handgunning.Spend a few moments and send us youranswers to the questions below. As soon aswe receive your questionnaire we'll send youthis handsome shooting patch ABSOLUTELY FREEas our way of saying ^thanks".1. SEX 0 Male Female 2. AGE 0 18-240 25-340 35-490 50 or over 3. Please indicate highest educational level attended:0 high school 0 college 0 trade school 0 graduate school4. PLEASE INDICATE YOUR OCCUPATION: 0 Technical 0 Professional 0 Business 0 Skilled Operative 0 PoliceILaw Enforcement (full orpart time, regular or auxiliary 0 Farmerlrancher 0 Sales 0 Armed Forces0 Other, please specify5. WHAT IS YOUR AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME? 0 Under $10,000 0 $10,000-$15,000 0 $15,000420,000 0 (20,000425,000 0 Over$25,0006. HOW MANY HANDGUNS DO YOU PRESENTLY OWN? Pistols (Single Shot) Revolvers AutomaticHack Powder7. HOW MANY OF YOUR HANDGUNS HAVE BEEN CUSTOMIZED OR ACCURIZED? If so, by whom?8. IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU LAST PURCHASE A HANDGUN? ____ 9. HOW MANY HANDGUNS WILL YOU BUY IN 1978?10. WHAT MODELSICALIBER DO YOU ANTICIPATE BUYING? 11. WHAT IS PRIMARY USE OF YOUR HANDGUN?0 Law Enforcement 0 Collecting 0 Self-defense Hunting 0 Target shooting 0 Other12. HOW MANY SCOPES DO YOU OWN FOR HANDGUN USE? ___ 13. WHAT POWER ARE YOUR HANDGUN SCOPES?14. WHAT BRAND IS (ARE) YOUR SCOPE(S)? 15. WHAT BRAND MOUNTS DO YOU USE?16. DO YOU HANDLOAD? 0 Yes No (If no, please proceed to question 27) 17. HOW OFTEN DO YOU HANDLOAD?more than once a week 0 once a week once a month 0 occasionally 0 infrequently18. WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY REASON FOR HANDLOADING? 0 economy 0 increased accuracy 0 unavailability 0 personal preference0 other (please specify)19. WHAT IS THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF ROUNDS CONSUMED IN A YEAR? 20. HOW MANY ARE factory loadshome reloadscommercial reloads21. DO YOU ANTICIPATE CONTINUING HANDLOADING IN THE FUTURE? 22. IF SO, 0 in greater amounts0 less frequently 0 same amount23. IF NOT, WHY?24. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HANDLOADING? 0 less than 1 year 0 1 to 4 years 0 5 to 10 years over 10 years25. WHAT CALIBER(S) DO YOU HANDLOAD MOST FREQUENTLY?26. WHAT ARE YOUR PREFERRED HANDLOADING PRODUCTS (please list manufacturers)Primers A n u i r i a r CasesBullets D i e à § P r e sPowder scale or measure27. DO YOU OWN A CHRONOGRAPH? IF SO, WHAT MAKE?28. DO YOU OWN A MACHINE REST? __________ 29. HOW MANY HANDGUN HOLSTERIRIGS DO YOU OWN?S h o u l d e r Ankle Belt30. WHAT BRAND HOLSTERS DO YOU OWN?31. HAVE YOU EVER USED A SPEED LOADER? 0 Yes 0 No Brand preferred32. DO YOU ANTICIPATE USING A SPEEDLOADER IN THE FUTURE? 0 Yes 0 No33. DO YOU HAVE CUSTOM OR SPECIAL GRIPS ON ANY OF YOUR HANDGUNS? If yes, what make?34. ARE YOU PLANNING THE PURCHASE OF SPECIAL GRIPS NEXT YEAR?35. HOW MANY PAIRS OF HUNTING FOOTWEAR DO YOU OWN? 36. WHAT BRAND ARE THEY?37. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORTING KNIFE MANUFACTURER?38. HOW MANY PEOPLE, BESIDES YOURSELF, WILL SEE YOUR COPY OF THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER?

pocket, are crushed in, the sensitivity ofthe primer has been altered. You are, infact, doing part of the work that is supposedto be done by the firing pin. It is notinconceivable that, in the extreme case,some of the pellet might be caused tobreak away and find its way through theflash hole into the propellant charge. Result,inconsistent ignition, velocity variationand lost accuracy.Let's now consider how we're supposedto be able to seat each primer the sameway each time . . . ideally having the legsof the anvil abut the bottom of the pocketin, as nearly as humanly and mechanicallypossible, the same way.Tools that are made exclusively for theseating of primers provide something of asolution. They at least facilitate the overallhandloading operation by allowing one todo all primer seating as a separate function.There is, in the case of some, such asthe old Shoffstall Universal, the RCBS,the Lee and so on, the advantage of ashorter lever that allows one to more orless "feel" the primers into place. The variablein precision here lies in the fact thatthere is a difference in the amount of tensionbetween the wall of the pocket andthe cup. It's there . . . from round toround and from brand to brand.Granting the fact that special primerseating tools provide a decided advantage,there is yet, in my considered opinion, abetter way. There have, of course, beenmethods involving the control of the distancethe primer is allowed to travel intothe pocket. This is done through the adjustmentof a threaded stop. This is allwell and good, except that it doesn't takeinto consideration one additional criticaldimension, that being the thickness of therim. The shell, held in the shell holder,will lift when the primer seater appliespressure to the base of the primer cup. Amoment's thought will reveal the fact that,for example, a case rim that is slightlythinner will allow the case to lift a slightlygreater distance before the primer isshoved into the pocket. Conversely, athicker rim will not move as much withthe result that the primer will tend to beseated further into the pocket-all this, regardlessof how the stop on the seatingpunch is adjusted.I have, for many years, been using a systemof primer seating that is both quickand absolutely precise. It consistentlyseats primers an exact .005-inch below thesurface of the case head, and does so regardlessof variations of rim thickness orthe amount of pressure I apply to the armof my regular reloading press when I seatprimers.This little primer seater is not a separatetool, but fits instead into the primingarm of C-H, RCBS, Herter's and other reloadingpresses. It's called the "PI" (PositiveIndexing) primer seater. Unlike otherseating devices that must be used separately,it does not, in any way, depend onthe thickness of the case rim, nor, for thatmatter, does it necessitate the adjustmentof a stop. It is*constructed with four littlefingers that index against the head of thecase, then, as the priming punch pushesthe primer into place, the fingers, whichare under light spring pressure, moveback out of the way. The priming punchitself has a precision-machined step thatprojects .005-inch above the top of thepunch. The step is small enough in diameterto allow the punch to move the primerto exactly the same depth each time. The"PI" seater in my RCBS A-2 press hasbeen in continuous use for over a dozenyears. It has, among other things, meantan end to so-called "high" primers, as wellas primers that are over-seated in cases ofvarying rim thickness. It also has put anend to the tedium of attempting to feeleach primer into the pocket. I simplymove the arm of the press till I feel it stopsolidly and know the primer is seatedright!The importance of consistent primerseating depth-especially to those of uswho reload for handgunning is an indispensableelement of the well assembledcartridge. If you're interested in the "PI"seater you can get them for both large andsmall diameter primers. They sell for$4.95 each, postpaid, from Parke PrecisionHandgun Products, Dept. AH, 842Crestfield Drive, Duarte, CA 91010.Don't forest to snecifv the brand andfecbiermeitrAMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1 977Get a Grip on Your ',Thompson-ContenderOrder the New Replacement Stock and Forearm ~odairllForearm can be wei hted to lessen muzzle jum~enuine walnut-oilfinishPlease specify caliber when ordering forearmExotic woods.available upon requestind Check or M.O.Bankamerlcard or Master Char ePlease give exp. date and number on bank cards.tt BOX 704 - AH Twin Falls, Idaho 83301 INeedle sharp, crystal clear sighting.4ccurate adjustments. Effective fog, Rugged reliability! The.eupol "OOf"Â¥ "Golden Ring*" performmcastarts on the inside and clinaxeswith totdl satisfaction-forwen the most demanding shooter.'roveft at your dealer's. For catalog.,LevpoW 8 Stevens, Inc.. Dept. AH-3,? 0. Box 688. Beaverton, OR 87005.Leupold sightsP1' rs in"V i i 'H NOSLcn DULLC I O

Books of Interest to HandgunnersHISTORY OF SMITH & WESSON, byRoy Jenks. Beinfeld Publishing Inc.,13222 Saticoy St., North Hollywood, California,91605 1977. $15.95This book was published as part ofS&Ws 125th anniversary, and it will beincluded with the special commemorativeguns offered to collectors..The first three chapters, while importantto the book as a whole, retrace thehistory of Horace Smith and D. B. Wessonand the company they founded. All of therest of the book traces the history of thevarious gun models produced from 1852through 1977, and that's where the importanceof this book is recognized-it is upto-date.Each of the models, from the first .22tip-up through the Model 39 and 59 autopistols and including the new stainless versionsof the revolvers, is covered in depthas to variations, manufacturing modificationsand serial number ranges. This typeof information is valuable not only to thecollector, but to the gunsmith, gun traderand shooter. J.RÂ ¥ ÂGUIDELINES FOR POLICE SHOOT-ING RANGES, by Ted Busch. The SenteCo., P.O. Box 517, Minneapolis, MN55440. Paper, $17.50I wish I had this book over. the pastseveral years. You'd be surprised howmany people wanted and needed informationon building a range, and how many ofthem queried me on the subject. With thisbook, I could have answered most, if notall, of their questions.Here is a practical guide to range construction,covering all of the importantaspects; basic designs, backstops andbullet traps, target retrieval systems, lighting,ventilation, noise control, etc. Thecoverage of each of these factors includesnot only "how" but also "why," and thatmakes for a much more enlightened reader.I believe that this book should be readnot only by those who operate ranges orare contemplating the construction of arange, but also by anyone who uses arange with any frequency. The book, ofcourse, was written primarily for thosewho are interested in range construction,and for them, there is no book written thatcovers the subject so thoroughly. Anyonecontemplating the construction of a rangewould be a damned fool to go into it withoutthis book. J.RBETTER SHOOTINGEasy hour Hudy wurw pmpam mnand women for tn* exciting and word-Ing invuligalion prohuton. SEND NOWFOR FREE DETAILS about wune, lapelpin and diploma. No uluman will call.Hand-nudo Holder* 6 Belt*. Leather 6 ClarinoMELVIN TYLER MFG; AND DIST.1 1320 W. Brltton Rd.. OkMiomi City. Oki*. 73114 IWe didn't "me too" our way to a ranking positionamong the leaders in the handgun business. How wegot to where we are is a tribute to our willingness tochange what we thought should be changed inhandgun design, and leave untouched those conceptswhich have proven themselves to beunimprovable. Take the matter of weight. Our handgunsgenerally weigh considerably less than thecompetition. They're more compact with thinnersilhouettes yet our frames are still all steel. We reducedthe number of moving parts and the result isgreater reliability, easier maintenance and repair.If you're in the market for a handgun, we'd like tosuggest you buy Charter Arms. Not because we'redifferent. Because we're better. We make theBulldog .44, Target Bulldog ,357 Magnum, PoliceBulldog .38, Undercoverette .32, Undercover .38,and Pathfinder.22 LR and Arms CorporationStratford,Connecticut 06497Magnum.ramp front sight.Barrel button rifledwith 8 grooves insteadof the usual 6.Unbreakableberyllium copperfiring pin.Corn /ere&blocked hammerfor absolutesafety.Fully adjustable orsquare notchedrear sghts.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER l NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1977

In the Continuing Sagaof the Emergence of theDouble Action Pistol inthe U. St, Here's AnotherThe Browning(Sig Saner)DA AUTOLeft and right side photos ofthe BOA. controls, left to right.are: take-down lever, de-cockinglever and slide release and lock.ITseems near half a lifetime ago that Islipped behind some curtains at theAstro Hall in Houston to be shown privatelya prototype of a new autoloadingpistol design then under development bythe well-known Swiss firm of SIG. Thatprototype looked very promising thoughwe leveled more than a few criticisms at it.In fact, the reason for the gun beingshown to us was to obtain our reactionsand criticisms so that they might be consideredduring further development. Thenew SIG design did go through a fairlylong development period, and was eventuallyassigned the Model number"P.220," which has appeared in variousshooting publications over the past coupleyears along with brief descriptions andAMERICAN HANDGUNNER * NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1977By GEORGE C. NONTEfactory-supplied photos of the gun in itsdefinitive form. But, completed, productionguns have not been available untilnow.,At some point along the way, SIG madethe decision that it would not manufacturethis new pistol in its own facilities.However, full development was done bySIG, and arrangements were made for thegun to be manufactured by the wellknown,West German J.P. Sauer & SohnArms plant. As such, the gun was giventhe name "SIG/Sauer P.220."As anyone involved in manufacturingknows, tooling for a completely newmechanism of any sort these days is alengthy and very costly process. The leadtime between completed product develop-ment and delivery of the firt productionexamples is generally measured in yearsrather than months. Such was apparentlythe case with the P.220, but all is forgiven,because only a few hours ago the brown,UPS truck delivered a deceptively lightpackage to my office which, upon opening,was found to contain one of the newpistols in 9mm Parabellum caliber.But, let me hasten to say, that the gunwhich emerged from that package bearsthe name "Browning Arms Company"and the model designation "BDA." Thismarking of the gun is due to the fact thatquite some time ago Browning ArmsCompany contracted with SIGISauer tohave the gun manufactured under itsname for sale in the US. There is nothing

Slide locked back by pushing slide releaseupward. Note angle of barrel out of battery.Decocking lever provides a safe method of.lowering cocked hammer to half-cock notch;Designed for the .45 ACP, the BOA is not asmall pistol. Overall length is 7.8 inches.View of magazine well shng only a slight -funneling; not enough for speedy reloading.new in that; it's been done in the arms industryalmost since the beginning of firearms.Incidentally, we do not mean to implythat Browning Arms Company will bethe only and exclusive importerldistributorof this particular design. As a matter offact, Browning will market it only as the"Browning BDA", and we expect thesame gun to be available under the originalSig-Sauer name through othersources.What we have here in this long-awaitedautoloader is essentially a double-action,locked-breech, 10-shot, 9mm Parabellumpistol measuring 7.625 inches long, 5.375inches high, and 1.235 inches wide;weight 28'12 ounces, barrel length is 4.415inches. The more astute among you mayimmediately conclude that the dimensionalenvelope just cited is a bit large for the9mm Parabellum cartridge. Quite true;but; then, there is quite a good reason forthis. Early in the game, SIG engineers recognizedthe great popularity of the .45ACP cartridge in North and South America,as well as the tremendous market potentialof a double-action autoloader24chambered for this cartridge in the U.S.A.Consequently, the basic design was developedaround the dimensions of the .45ACP rather than the European favorite9mm Parabellum. Had the gun been designedpurely for the 9mm Parabellum, itwould have been much more compact,but like the S&W M39/59 series, it wouldhave been "locked in" to a cartridgewhich simply could not exploit the full potentialof the American market. Dimensioningthe P.220 around the .45 cartridgemade it necessary to provide alonger recoil stroke, wider magazine, andthicker slide, frame, and barrel. Thus,while our sample gun is in 9mm Parabellum,it is comforting to know that in thenot-too-distant future the Browning BDAwill become available in both .45 ACPand .38 Super Automatic.The BDA is innovative in both designand construction. In construction, it is designedspecifically to make maximum useof what we usually call "stampings" butthe Europeans refer to as "steel pressings."Many of the smaller parts are simpleone-piece steel stampings, while oth-AMERICAN HANDnl INNERers are welded or brazed assemblies ofmore than one part, often a combinationof a stamping and a screw-machined pieceor casting. The readily visible parts thatfall in this category are the disassemblylever, de-cocking lever, slidelreleaselejector,lanyard loop (strap ring),and magazine catch. Perhaps more impressiveis the fact that the entire slide isbuilt up of a thick-wailed, stamped steelshell with a muzzle piece welded in placeand separate breech block pinned in positionat the rear. After forming and welding,the slide is finish-machined, and theguide grooves which ride on the frame areclosely machined. From the rear of theejection port forward, the slide has a rathercomplex shape, and this is apparentlyintended to provide the maximum rigidityand support for the locking system. Allparts in the entire slidelbarrel assemblyare of steel. On the other hand, the frameproper is of a lightweight, high-strength,aluminum alloy and is made in the formof a rather thin shell. To provide thestrength and durability needed in the areaof the barrel seat and locking mechanism,

--a massive, hardened, steel insert is held insidethe frame by the disassembly leverpin. In this fashion, all firing and lockingloads imposed on the frame are taken bysteel parts and, as a result, the peening orbattering encountered in some aluminum-frameddesigns is avoided. Theframe is finish-machined in typically precise,Swiss fashion, so it simply isn't possibleto say whether this component beginsas a casting or a forging-though I wouldsuspect the latter in view of the advantagesit offers. If it is, in fact, a casting, thatcertainly can't be recognized from casualobservation.The BDA offers quick takedown in theform of a pivoted disassembly lever forwardof the trigger on the left side of theframe. With the slide drawn back, andheld by the slide stop, simply rotating thislever downward 90 degrees frees the barrelso that the complete barrellslide unitmay be removed forward. The pin attachedto the takedown lever passesthrough the frame, and forms the cammingsurface against which the cam onthe under-side of the barrel operates to liftthe barrel to lock into the slide as it goesinto battery. Cams in the locking pieceserve to lower the barrel to unlock.To the rear of the trigger, we have thedecocking lever. When the gun is cocked,for whatever reason, and it is desired tolower the hammer, it may be done quickly,safely, and easily by simply depressingthis lever. As the lever reaches the bottomof its stroke, it disengages the sear, allowingthe hammer to fall and be caught bythe half-cock or intercept notch. It ismechanically impossible for the hammerto strike the firing pin in the process, buteven if it did (because of a broken part,etc) an automatic, firing-pin safety insidethe slide would prevent the firing pin frombeing driven forward to fire a cartridge.Directly behind the decocking lever wefind the slide catch. It is activated automaticallyby the magazine follower whenthe last shot is fired, locking the slide fullyrearward to indicate that the gun is emptyand, further, to facilitate rapid reloading.It must be disengaged manually, and canalso be engaged manually if one wishes.The slide stop incorporates the ejector,and the entire assembly is a single, rathercomplex stamping.Take note here that we've not said oneword about any manual safety. No needto, for there is none. SIG has such faith(apparently justified) in the efficacy, of itsautomatic, firing-pin safety and its decockinglever system that no manual safetywhatever is incorporated in this design.Outside of the firing pin being struck hardenough to shear substantial sections ofhighquality, heat-treated steel, the firingpin cannot reach the primer under anycircumstances unless the trigger is heldfully to the rear. Only when the trigger isin that position can the substantial safetyblock, called a "safety slide," rise out itsseat in the firing pin and allow the pin tomove forward. This safety block is disengagedby a part called the safety leverwhich is rotated by the trigger rod connectedto the upper limb of the trigger.The system appears quite sturdy and foolproof,and apparently has its roots in theParts List -Item Part PortNo. No. Name43 PO54143 Barrel 45 Auto43 PO54243 Barrel 9mm Luger43 PO54343 Barrel 38 Super Auto3 PO54003 De-cocking lever2 PO54002 De-cocking lever seat4 PO54004 De-cocking lever spring26 PO54026 Disassembly lever35 PO54135 Extractor 45 Auto35 PO54235 Extractor 9mm Lugerand - ~38 Sucmr -~ . Auto~Firing pinFiring pin springFiring pin retaining innerFiring pin retaining outerGrip plate, leftGrip plate, rightGrip plate screwGrip plate washerBDA PistolItem Part PartNo. No. Name10 PO54010 Hammer12 PO54012 Hammer axle11 PO5401 1 Hammer pin18 PO54018 Hammer spring pin14 PO54014 Hammer Hop13 PO54013 Hammer stop pin24 PO54124 Locking inesrt, 45 Auto24 PO54224 Locking insert, 9mm Luger &38 Super Auto49 PO54149 Magazine base plate, 45 Auto49 PO54249 Magazine base plate, 9mm Luger49 PO54349 Magazine base plate, 38 Super Aut

firing-pin safety of the Walther PP-seriesof nearly 50 years ago. Safety is further enhancedby the unusually sturdy sear design.Instead of engaging the hammerwith a thin-edged surface, the SIG searutilizes a thick shoulder which resists thechipping sometimes encountered in lesser.- -designs.Doubtless a good many traditional pistoleroswill find it difficult to accept anautoloading pistol which does not possessan obvious and visible, manual safety. Webelieve, based upon experience to dateand upon SICS explanation of this system,that the gun may be carried withcomplete safety against accidental discharge,even though no manual safety ispistol be carried witn the hammer'in ehalf-cock position."Sights on the BDA are of the most basicfixed type, the front blade being welded tothe top of the slide, and the rear elementbeing dovetailed into the slide where itmay be moved laterally for windage, eitherby use of a drift or a rear-sight clamp.The visible face of the front sight containsan inlaid white spot, while centered beneaththe rear sight notch is an inlaidwhite rectangle. These two white spots canbe quickly aligned in poor light and provideacceptable, close-range accuracywithout too much concern for the outlinesof notch and blade.The grips are of checkered, black plas-With grips removed, the hammer spring can be seen in its seat.Lanyard loop-shown at right-can be removed if not needed.provided. Even when carried in the fullcockcondition, hammer back, it is mechanicallyimpossible for the gun to fireunless the trigger is pulled to the rear.Carried with the hammer down, eitherfully down or in the half-cock position, itstill cannot fire unless the trigger is pulledand, from this position, pulling the triggerrequires a great deal more effort. WhileBrowning states that the gun may be carriedperfectly safely with the hammer fullydown and resting on the head of the firingpin, the instruction booklet, accompany-*:. ing our sample pistol, states clearly on1A:. page 6 "even though it is perfectly safe tocarry this pistol with the hammer in thedropped position, we recommend that thetic, bearing the Browning logo at the top,and are of the wraparound type. Theframe possesses no back strap, so the griphalves fill this space. A lanyard loop or"strap ring" is sandwiched between thebottom of the left grip and the frame, andit is easily discarded for those who have noreason to employ a lanyard.Overall finish of the BDA is a dull,matte grey-black, with the exception ofrather small areas polished bright on thesides of the slide. The temptation hasbeen resisted to supply a flashy chrometrigger and hammer as is found in someother designs.Operation of the BDA is quite simple. Iprefer to draw the slide back first, manual-AMERICAN HA1ly engaging the slide stop it no magazine isin place. Then, a single cartridge isdropped through the ejection port into thechamber, and the slide stop is depressedto allowthe slide to run home into battery.The decocking lever is then immediatelydepressed to drop the hammer. Then, thenine-shot magazine is charged in the usualfashion, and pressed home in the butt untilthe butt-mounted magazine catch snapssecurely over its base. In this condition,the gun is perfectly safe and may be carriedwithout fear of accidental discharge.To fire hurriedly, simply draw the gun andpull the trigger double-action fashion. Thiswill fire the first shot, and the hammer willremain cocked afterward, requiring subsequentshots to be fired single-action unlesstime permits use of the decockinglever to first lower the hammer. To fire inthe single-action mode, simply thumbcockthe hammer in the usual fashion,and fire.Unloading is as with almost any otherauto pistol-disengage the magazine'catch and draw out the magazine, then retractthe slide, to extract and eject theloaded cartridge from the chamber, andmanually engage the slide'stop to hold theslide open so that the chamber can be visuallyinspectedto insure that it is empty.The slide can then be run home by disengagingthe slide stop and the magazine replaced.Hurried reloading, as ina combat situation,compares poorly with some otherbig-bore autoloaders. After the last shot isfired, the slide catch will hold the actionopen, signifying that reloading is necessary.The magazine catch is then disengaged,and the empty magazine allowed tofall clear. A fresh, charged magazine isthen rammed into place, the slide catchdisengaged to allow the slide to run forwardand chamber the first cartridge,after which fire may be resumed.In this respect, unfortunately, the BDAis inferior to the Colt Government Modeland other pistols whose magazine catch islocated to the left rear of the trigger. Thebutt-mounted location of the BDA magazinecatch makes magazine removal atwo-hand operation, after which thehand must pluck a spare magazine frbelt or pocket and insert it into the bIn addition to the delay introduced by tbutt-mounted magazine catch, the mouthof the BDA magazine well is not bevelebut is sharp edged all around. The valueof a beveled, magazine-well mouth torapid reloading is certainly well known today,and I can see little excuse for this featurenot being present on a new design.Functioning of the BDA is quite simpleand orthodox. In battery, the rear of thebarrel is cammed upward by the lugs onits under-side and the pin of the disassemblylever. Upon firing, barrel and sliderecoil lock together for a very short distance,during which cam surfaces on thebarrel lug and the locking insert force thebarrel breech down and out to engage-

Double - action triggeringIf the loaded weapon is not cocked, theshot can be fired directly via the trigger,by way of the double-action of the latter.The trigger is squeezed, whereby thehammer is cocked via the trigger rod. Inthe process the safety lever is pressedagainst the lock pin. The sear is movedaway from the hammer, and the firing pinreleased by the lock pin. On squeezingfurther, the hammer lifts out of registerand fires the shot.De-cocking lever and hammer safety notchThe de- cocking lever permits hazardlesslowering of the hammer into the safetynotch, so that the loaded weapon can becarried without danger. The safety notchis the position of rest for the hammer. Thefiring pin is always blocked during andafter de-cocking. The weapon is thereforeabsolutely safe.Firing pin safety catchIn order to achieve maximum safety, thefiring pin is locked.~uick readiness forfiring is always assured, as this safetycatch is released automatically by thetrigger action, without the manipulationof any lever. The catch is thus notreleased until the shot is about to bewilfully fired.Thanks to this style of safety device, aloaded weapon is always safe, even withhammer cocked.ent with the slide, allowing the slide tocontinue rearward alone to extract andeject the fired case. During its rearwardtravel, the slide cams down the trigger rodto disengage it from hammer and sear,and drives the hammer to full cock, compressingthe mainspring. Then, the slide isforced forward by the recoil spring, strippingthe top cartridge from the magazineand feeding it into the chamber: then cargthe barrel forward with it, and durthelast portion of that forward travel,barrel is cammed upward to lock intoslide by the disassembly lever pin. Atpoint, releasing the trigger allows theNOVEMBER/trigger rod to rise and engage the sear,whereupon pulling the trigger will disengagethe sear from the hammer and allowthe hammer to fall. And, as the triggernears the rear limit of its travel, a lug onthe trigger rod engages the safety lever,lifting the safety slide out of its notch inthe firing pin so that when the hammerstrikes the pin it is free to move forwardand fire the cartridge. If it is decided notto fire a second shot, simply depressingthe decocking lever disengages the searand allows the hammer to fall, but causesit to be caught by the sear in the half-cocknotch. And, as the slide travels rearwardafter the last shot has been fired, the magazinefollower is pressing upward on-an inwardprotrusion of the slide catch, causingthe catch to rise inside the slide and holdit rearward.None of the actions or functions describedabove are new in handguns. Theprecise shape and dimensions of the partsinvolved are peculiar to this design, but allof the design features have appeared inthe past in other guns. It appears, then,that the BDA has been designed by what isoften considered the very best approachthatof selecting proven features and me-(Continued on page 68)27

IBy DONALD M. SIMMONSFor a long time very little of the historyof this great handgun was known, butrecently books have been published givinga wealth of details on the Mauser Military.Still, there seems room for an articlejust pointing out its amazing long lifeand the features of its design that havecontributed to this longevity. Most materialin print tackles the Mauser from an 1advanced collector's point of view ratherthan from the shooter's or just the laymen'soutlook.TYPE OF ACTIONThe Mauser Military can be categorizedby saying it is a short recoil action, selfloadingpistol. Thus, the action is thesame as the later Browning Colt and themuch vaunted and later Parabellum(Luger). The short recoil system requiredthat the barrel and the bolt remain lockedtogether for a short distance during the recoilof those parts. The sequence as follows:a) The piece is firedb) The barrel and the bolt recoil underthe action of tlie explosion in thechamberc) In less than the distance of the cartridgelength, the barrel is unlockedfrom the bolt and stops its rearwardmotion while the bolt travels on tofull recoil. The old cartridge case is1A Short History of the 1896. v-, - ,.= Self-Louding Pistol of Mauser Fame, With ejected and under the action of therecoil spring, the bolt returns to the,- "rf:-'-tinforrnation on the Variations Produced locked or ready position, feeding a !'%.'. AAMERICAN HANDGUNNEP NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1977 ::.. .

. -ãr starting to tm cirwith tenocked byunh ill and hammer at full cock position.3 bolt;'I -. 0 tro~t in full recanew round into the chamber. All thishappens so quickly that the eye canonly see the ejected cartridge in theair after firing. The above descriptionapplies to all short recoil actionedarms, but sometimes theword slide is used instead of bolt todescribe the action.HISTORYThe Mauser Military was not really inventedby Paul Mauser as is often stated.Actually, three men working in Mauser'sexperimental section devised the pistol inthe early 1890's. Mauser ' realized thatthere might be a market for this type ofpistol and took out patents on his employee'sautomatic. Thus, it was that' thereal designer's, the three Feederle brothers,names went down to oblivion whilePaul Mauser's name became synonymouswith this great gun. The Ma-that only 170,000 or 180,000 of thesewere bought by the military, the verygroup that the Mauser was supposed to attract.The Double M was much soughtafter by the Oriental and Russians as apersonal arm for officers and party officials.In fact, one Model of the Mauser iscalled the Bolo after the Bolshevic Partyof Communist Russia. The Mauser was alwaysa relatively expensive gun; it almostalways was sold with a combination woodenstock/holster. This added to the costbut it made a ten shot carbine out of arather awkward pistol.THE CARTRIDGEA great deal of the Mauser Military's+po larilycan also be traced to the car-È*wed.-Th " 7.63 mm Mauser carwasborrowed" from one of the earfeatcommercial automatic ' pistols-theThe 'original Borchardt car-.Military %k&&&h.as we call it generically, started life as the" tridgewgsmade more powerful and thusMauser-Selbstlader (self-loading) Model was bo~% 'the"7.63 'torn Mauser, a very1896. This model, according to the fa@- xu& vetectty, btet because ef its light bul-tory records,'- made untilr@k@ by It+& ai@qw%)Èn pa& i?ot~nd.'The MautheModel 1930. The &del 1930 was & 7.68 and &dge @& aiaagnumreallythe lastselfhading h w r Mfli~uy Ktà velocity of 16@0 feet per~econd withand was made until 1939'when the Maa- "me Euriqean ammo and' 1420 withser factory dropped the MiPitomake ' 0.S: commemeial ammo. The energy isthe Nazi war machine's.accepte# weapons 'tely hetweeayO to 400 foot pounds. Tofor World War II. During thtg period of WBBS&'s~~ thte tack of ¥sto ing power inforty-three yeare more thwr aae aiillion of tfae sd85jacketed Maueer bullet,the Military Mauser pistols were made in hollowpoints and soft nose-bullets werethe two models, 18% and 1930. This is an made. These- more lethal bullets were ofawfullot of pistols when one considers fered commercially up to World War I1AMERICAN HANDGUNNER * NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1977-,but were never really successful in makinga long range killer out of the 7.63 mmMauser.The Mauser Military was, in its fortythreeyears, offered in two other calibers.The firt to appear in 1908 was the 9 mmMauser, also called the 9 mm ExportMauser. This cartridge was never used inany other pistol than the Mauser and is today,the longest and most powerful 9 mmcartridge ever made. It was discontinuedin 1914 or thereabouts, with Germany'sarming for World War I. The next and lastcaliber to be applied to the Mauser Militarywas the German service cartridge, the9 mm Parabellum or Luger as we call itThis was an attempt of the German armyto use the Mausers in the later days ofWorld War I as a substitute weapon.About 140,000 were made in a separateseries in the 9 mm Luger caliber. With thedisappearance of the 7.63 mm Mauserammo today, these 9 mm Luger pistolswill be the mainstay of the Mauser Militaryshooter in years to come. The 9 mmLuger caliber Mausers can usually beimmediately identified by the large red"9" found embossed on the wooden grips.Because these Mausers were made duringwar-time they will usually not have that superbfinish associated with other Mausers.MAGAZINE CAPACITYThe Mauser Military usually has a tenround capacity magazine. There are twoother size magazines which may be en-

countered, although both are very rare.The more common is the six shot magazinewhich tried to make the Mauser morelike a contemporary revolver, in both appearanceand weight. They were neververy popular and are collector pieces today.Going to the other extreme, Mauserswere made with twenty round capacities.This made the magazine as long as thegrips which made a very awkward pistol;even worse the wooden stock/holster hadto be made larger to accommodate the extendedmagazine. These twenty shot MauserMilitarys are very, very rare and aredefinitely a collector's prize today. TheMauser magazine was built into the pistolin front of the trigger guard. Thus both inlocation and in form, the Mauser magazineis quite unusual in a day where mostpistols use detachable magazines whichare mounted in the pistol's grip. The Mauserwas loaded by a charger which was insertedin guides in the barrel extension.The rounds were forced into the magazineby thumb pressure and when the chargerwas withdrawn, the bolt which had beenlocked to the rear slides forward automaticallyon most models. This makes for exceedinglyfast loading and since loadedchargers weigh a good deal less than loadedextra magazines, the Mauser shootercould carry a large amount of extra ammunitionwith him.CONSTRUCTIONIn general, the Mauser Military with itssmall recoiling bolt, looks very strange toour eyes today, we are so used to theBrowning type with a full slide like theColt Model 1911. Basically, the Mauser ismuch more like a revolver than our imageof an automatic pistol. The broom handlegrip, the magazine in front of the triggerguard, the thin uncovered barrel are all revolver-likefeatures. The Mauser's recoilaction has been called weak in that itseems to lack positiveness. I don't feelthat this is a fair criticism of a pistol whichhas had an unblemished- history for eightyyears. This prop-up locking system is thesame basic system used by the ultra-modemP-38 with such great success. No, theMarser locking is strong enough to lockadequately the hottest handgun loadaround until the mid-1930's when the 357Magnum came on the market.The Mauser bolt assembly with firingpin and extractor weighs only four andone half ounces. Because of this lightness,the locking must be positive and musthold until late in the cycle to avoid thebolt recoiling at too high a velocity. In theMauser Military there is no hint of recoilblowbackaction, the bolt just continues tofull recoil after being unlocked using thefull inertia imparted during initial +recoil.The one important feature of an actionlike the Mauser's is that all parts must fitextremely closely or play will developcausing accelerated wear on key corn&- :,nents. The Mausers have hand-fitted hardenedparts which would make them cost a30fortune to manufacture today.So, Mauser pistol shooters and collectorswill have to make do with the supplythat is left; this will have a forcing actionon prices. One word to the shooter; don'tshoot a pristine Mauser because you mayruin it as a collector's piece and in sodoing, drop hundreds of dollars from itsvalue. My shooter has all its numbersmatched but has fading blue and a pepperybarrel and is a very common type of7.63 mm Mauser in the 189,000 serialrange made in about 1912. You don'tneed the match serial numbers and youcould use a reblued specimen and havejust as much fun shooting. My shooter stillwill bring around three hundred dollars ina gun show as it is on the borderline of collectability,because bore condition is nottoo important to a collector. If you can getthe "red nine" Mauser Military you willhave a much more procurable ammunitionsituation. 9 mm Luger ammo is stillvery available and the shooter who doesn'treload will pay high prices for 7.63 mmfodder today.VARIATIONSThere is a language which has sprungup among collectors to describe the variati6nsfound in the Mauser Military andwhile it sounds like gibberish to the uninitiated,it does serve to describe a variantwith the minimum use of words. Most ofthe variations will be found in the early serialnumbers. After serial numbers in the40,000's, very few changes are encountereduntil the introduction of the Model1930 at about serial number 800,000.The most common expression is thephrase "broom handle" Mauser, meaningthe Mauser Military, this of course comesfrom the appearance of the grips. The twobasic types of pistols are the regular MauserMilitary with a 5'/2" barrel and theBolo with its just under 4" barrel length.The next most noteworthy feature is thehammer and safety. One will hear wordslike cone hammer, larger ring hammer,universal safety, etc., these all mean somethingand help to date the pistol.The first type hammer used had a cockingsection characterized by a series ofconcentric milled discs which produce acone on each side of the hammer, thus thecone hammer. The next type hammer isthe large ring hammer. This type hammerwhen at rest in the fired position, blocksthe sights thus telling the user that this pistolis uncocked. The large ring hammeredMausers gave way to the small ring hammeredtype. The first two hammers hadthe safety applied by being pushed down,while the small ring hammer required thesafety lever be pushed up to be engaged.The next and most common type of ham-

Top: Cartridges used in the M---er, left tc ..ant; 3(Mauser, US. mfg.; 7.63, WWI German mfg.; 9mm Luger ant9mm Mauser, Below: Typical chargers loaded with ammo- row is also small ana iaenticai to its$< tpmbeaor save that it is marked on the- . 'rear aide with the interwoven "NS" mean-3. ing Neue/Sichemng or "New Safety." Itwas found that the first type small ring"tf hammer could accidentally be placed on art^~ft* - false safety. It is very important that anowner of this type pistol understand thechain of events which leads up to a dangeroussituation. During firing of the pistol,the flesh between the shooter's thumbfind trigger finger can push on the safetylever raising it to just deactivate the hammerin the cocked position. The sho.oterpulls the trigger but the hammer doesn'tfall. He then notices the safety is slightlyup and gives it a pull down-AT THIS'POINT THE PISTOL FIRES! It fireswith no finger on the trigger, pointing inwhatever direction the shooter happens to3be holding the gun. To overcome this deficiencey,the "NS' safety requires thatthe hammer be pulled back a little beforethe safety can be applied and completelyeliminates the danger of the first smallring hammers. This change of hammers.was at serial 280,000. The last hammertype is found on the 1930 model Mausers.It has a larger center hole than the smallhammers and has the "Universal Safety"which m by far the best safety of all thetypes that went before. When the "UniversalSafety" is applied to pushing up, thehammer can be dropped by pulling thetrigger but it will stop short of the firingpin and therefore will not fire the pistol.These are found around serial 800,000and up. Thus, to cover the safetys foundon the Mauser, the first two types are activatedby being pushed down, the otherthree are applied by pushing up with the"New Safety" requiring a slight backwardspull on the hammer first.The sides of the frame are next to benoted-usually there are machined panelson the frame. The depth of these panelsdetermines whether they are called "shallowmilled" or "deep milled." This canbest be observed by comparing two pistola.There is another variant called the"Flatside" which has no end milling onthe frame and therefore no panels.The length of the extractor varies andthe early pistols have a "long" extractorwhile later ones are called "short" extractors,changed around serial number40,000.These above variations by no meanscover all differences, but they give someidea of the wealth of detail that a collectorcan explore. We find some collectorsactually count the number of grooves intheir wooden grip pieces. I feel that thisnumber might easily have been determinedby the man who set up to cut thegrips and thus could have arun to runvariation by his, whim, and probably doesnot in itself represent a leghimate variant.Much has been made of the fact thatthe Mauser Military used no pins orscrews and was assembled entirely(Continued on page 56)-

Prelude to the MR 73HISTORY OF FRENCH REVOLVERSBy MICHEL H. JOSSERANDmerican collectors are hardly familiar with French re-A volvers; they have such a vast field to study with theirown indigenous production that they may be excused foroverlooking the fact that the very first center-fire revolversin the world appeared in France: these were the Devismeand the Perrin revolvers (1858-1859). Even French collectorsknow very little about the early center-fire Lefaucheuxrevolvers (1870).In 1973, American shooters and gun enthusiasts proudlycelebrated the centenary of the Colt Peacemaker, whileFrench collectors, who simply dote on the Peacemaker,could sentimentally remember that it was a hundred yearstoo, since the Chamelot-Delvigne 11 mm (.45) service revolverhad first appeared. This revolver, also called Model1873, was the best revolver designed and produced inFrance so far. Some connoisseurs will insist that themechanism (though not the ammo) is remarkable, and in everyway as good as the Colt's.In 1892, this revolver was replaced, though not made obsolete,by a smaller caliber revolver: 8mm (.323). It may beof some interest to note that swing-out cylinder and smallercalibers appeared simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic.Then what? In the USA., plenty; in France, nothing at all.Not a single French revolver was made, either for commercia1or military purposes; not one4 How can this be accountedfor?There are many reasons: in 1914 the French army hadquite a large supply of 1873, 1874 and 1892 revolvers.Yet, during WW I, the different French services ran short ofall types of firearms, including handguns (the U.S. Armywas to be confronted with a similar problem in 1917). As aconsequence, the French government (from 1915 onwards)bought just under a million .32 ACP automatic pistols fromSpain, and 485,281 Spanish revolvers, of the Smith & Wessonor Colt types, though chambered for the 8mm Mle 1892cartridge. So that after WW I the French army and serviceswere abundantly supplied with these different handguns.French gunshops were crammed with cheap Spanish andBelgian handguns. Gun lovers who could afford them, alreadypreferred American handguns. So that, for 15 yearsor so after the WW I, a French designed and made revolverwould have been redundant.This brings us to the early thirties: 1934 was a hecticyear with fascist and communist supporters staging protestmarches on the Paris streets. After a riotous day inFebruary a panic stricken and unimaginative governmentchose to restrict the sale of firearms. Who then, would havebeen bold enough to manufacture a new revolver, since thiswould have been no saleable commodity? There was still amarket for small caliber pistols (up to .32 ACP), but the patentsfor these dated back to pre-WW I days. The 1939 decreesstrengthening this severe restrictions of 1934 havenever been repealed; they have been patched up time andagain. though no change for the better has appeared. Somepoints are not very clear, others can be twisted this wayand that. Such as they are, we have been saddled withthese regulations for forty years, and they have provedwholly inadequate against crime, the only victims beinglaw-abiding citizens who are simply fond of shooting andcollecting firearms.How then, can shooters survive in France, since they refuseto relegate firearms to wall hangers? Provision hadbeen made for them in the past; before March 1973, membersof shooting clubs could apply for permission to purchasethree rim-fire and one C.F. large caliber handgun;since March 1973, they may be allowed to buy three largecaliber, center-fire handguns instead of one. Unfortunatelylocal authorities are left free to grant or not to grant thesepermits. Yet a growing number of shooters have stubbornlyrefused to be turned away. They favor Smith & WessonK-38 and Colt Officer's Model Match revolvers.Of recent years .22 and 38 revolvers have been importedfrom Germany, Italy and Spain. Western Europe hadre-discovered the advantages of revolver shooting whilethe French gun business was .still slumbering, thoughFrench Police forces were getting interested in AmericanPolice training methods.The Manufacture de Machines du Haut-Rhin did not allowthis to pass unnoticed. This firm, commonly calledMANURHIN, had never manufactured a revolver since nonehad been designed in France since, 1892. But they werewell-known manufacturers of automatic pistols, and specialistsin firearms techniques. The firm was created in1920 as a manufacturer of high-precision machine tools,but their firearms department with a staff of 300 out of4,000 workers is remarkably well organized. Just afterWW II, Manurhin began manufacturing Walther automaticpistols under license, and though Carl Walther has leftZeIla-Mehlis for Ulm, Manurhin are still turning out PP, PPKand PP Sport automatics; they also supply the Bundeswehrwith P.l pistols (i.e. P.38). These Manurhin Walthers are atleast as good as the pre-war German-made Walthers,though some will praise the so-called "Ulm-made" pistolsabove the Manurhin ones. The ZeIla-Mehlis Walthers haveunderstandably become collectors items.In the early months of 1971, Manurhin had already produced525,000 Walther automatic pistols; the productionhas now reached 700,000.

1st Modem French Revolver DesignThe r-By MICHEL H. JOSSERANDhough Manurhin acquired the skillT and technology for making automaticpistols, they had no experience at all withrevolvers. Moreover, they had decided towork fast; perhaps too fast, as some criticsput it.In 1971, they started from a woodenmock-up looking very much like a Smith& Wesson revolver; no designer could failto do so. In the first stages, the firm hadone aim in mind: design a high-poweredpolice revolver. No other market wascontemplated at the time, but the newfirearms regulations of March '73 (allowingshooters three C. F. handguns)opened up new channels. for the guntrade, in the nick of time!The Manurhin firearms design departmenthad been working in close connectionwith the specialists and ballistics expertsof the French Police; they knewwhat law enforcement personnel required:a robust revolver with good, though, fixedsights. A .357 Magnum six-shooter filledthe bill. I need not remind American readersthat this ammo reauires robust revolvers,especially when the frame is comparativelysmall. I suppose the Manurhin peoplebore in mind the trouble with theJ-frame and hi-velocity .38 cartridges.The result was a revolver which at firstglance looks like any reasonably goodmodern firearm, but the machining andfitting are first class. I must say I like thelook of the deep smooth dark blue finishand a sandblasted rib. An original featureis the extractor rod which is fully housedunder the barrel; this affords sensible protectionagainst possible damage. OnSmith & Wesson magnum-frame revolversthis extractor rod housing is 3'12' long,on all barrels. On the M. R 73 it is as longas the barrel on each version of the revolver,which looks a bit unusual on aLeft: Combat version of the M73with 3" barrel. Below: Cleaningof extractors prevents problems.

Special cylinder for 9 mm ammohas uniquely designed, springloadedextractor for each rounf'5'/d1 barrel, and still more so on the 8"barrel. Of course this is quite a good pointfor a service revolver, which may after allbe expected to survive any amount ofrough usage.Another interesting feature on theM. R 73 is the cylinder crane or yokewhich is the full width of the frame andpivoted at the bottom; most commoncranes are half the width of the frame.The walnut grips were generally designedas target grips for all versions ofthe revolver; they look quite elegant,which would be beside the point if theywere not handy for combat and targetshooting as well.After the new revolver had been tested,improved, checked and tested again andagain with unusual severity, a prototypewas specially selected for police use; thefirst batch brought out in the early montt..,of 1973. It was named M. R 73: (Manu-Rhin 1973,) which was all that French gunenthusiasts could wish for: the 1873 servicerevolver was just 100 years old. Thisfirst batch was immediately sent to Paristo be tried by the police. Unfortunately,eagerness prevailed and quite a few ofthese early revolvers jumped this experimentalstage and were suddenly issued topolice officers~before they had beenthoroughly tried by experts. As a result ofthis patriotic eagerness, a rumor ofteething troubles with the M.R 73 persistedlong after these troubles were over.A LOOK AT THE MECHANISMThe very firs revolvers did have problemswhere double actionwasconcerned.It was very unfortunate that the first M. R73 should have a problem of varying trig- ::ger resistance; the trigger was too hard, orthe hammer did not strike the primerhard enough. This. was eliminated by theuse of two adjustable springs,.one for the34 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBER/DECEMBEP ^ O77

FIG. 1FIG. 2 126130 136FIG. 3rn136Hammer at resthammer, one tor the trigger. Finding anadjustable mainspring on a revolver is agood thing; finding an extra one for thetrigger is even better.Since the by-gone days when small Vshaped springs were housed in the frame,under the cylinder, the trigger return hadbeen operated by the mainspring (bearingstraight on the trigger or through a lever).On the M. R. 73, the tension of the triggerspring is adjustable. It acts on the reboundslide through a roller. The rebound slideglides on four rollers along the framebase thus there is no friction. The resultingdouble action is both constant andsmooth. The single action is above standarddesign since the shooter can adjusthis revolver to .double or single action.This trigger-spring makes for a swift andsmooth return of the trigger. When theHammer cockedshooter does not allow the trigger to comeback fully forward before pressing itagain, the trigger does not operate thehammer, yet this rotates the cylinder (ason the 1892 French service revolver)though this sort of carelessness will stopthe cylinder on any Smith & Wesson revolver.The barrel, manufactured by cold swagingprocess, is available in different barrellengths, ranging from 2'/2" and 3" (combatversions only) to 4" (combat and targetmodels); a special 5'14" barrel (I.S.U.specifications), a 6" and an 8" barrel (targetversion only) have been added to thisnormal range of barrel options.The inner safety device consists of aninternal bar whose operation is just the reverseof the transfer bar on the Ruger SecuritySix, Speed Six etc. On the Ruger re-120Ofer In striking position";;- * 9¥I " r-volvers the transfer bar allows percussionto take place only when the hammer iscocked. On the Manurhin, the safety barblocks the lower face of the hammer unlessthe trigger is held back.Though the revolver had passed thetests of mud, sand, extreme cold, anotherwas added, as required by U.S. regulations:a mass of 1 kilogram (2 pounds 302.) was dropped on the hammer from 2meters (6.7 ft.) several times; the top ofthe hammer did break after a time, but noround was fired.The cylinder is chambered for the .357Magnum cartridge, but the whole range of.38 Special can be shot in this revolver,though one of the Target models canshoot only the .38 Special cartridge.The French constabulary (as distinctfrom the Police; it is a part of the Army,^$- ;.^' - v-y^ , * .-MR 73ÑLIS OF PARTSOll-Frame013-Firing pin bushing014-Frame lug015-Yoke stop016-Hammer stud017-Trigger stud018-Cylinder stop plunger019-Cylinder stop spring pin020ÑStoc pin025-Side plate026ÑSid plate screw, rear027-Side plate screw, front031-Thumb piece032-Bolt033-Bolt plunger034-Thumb piece screw035-Bolt spring stud036ÑBol spring052-Barrel058ÑFron sight, combat061-Front sight(high ramp, target, special)071-Front sight(Patridge, target type)063-Barrel pin064ÑFron sight pin066-Locking bolt067-Locking bolt spring068-Locking bolt pin075ÑYok077-Yoke spindle078-Yoke pin079-Yoke screw085Ñ.35 magnum cylinder008-9-mm P. cylinder, withspecial extractor086-Ejector guide ring087-Ejector ring pins088-Ejector with ratchet089-Ejector rod091-Center pin093-Center pin spring094-Ejector spring095-Ejector collar113-Trigger bar pin114-Rebound slide115-Rebound slide rollers116ÑTrigge spring roller117-Rebound slideroller pins118ÑTrigge spring119ÑTrigge spring pin120ÑStrai screw fortrigger spring123-Trigger shoe124-Trigger shoe screws126ÑHamme spur -127-Sear128ÑSea pin129-Sear spring130ÑFirin pin131-Firing pin rivet132-Hammer stirrup133-Hammer stirrup pins134-Mainspring135-Strain screw formainspring136-Inner safety137-Hand138-Hand spring139-Inner safety and hand pin140-Cylinder stop141-Cylinder stop pin160ÑMicroniete rear sight166ÑMicromete rearsight springs167-Micrometer rear sight pin180ÑRigh hand stock181-Left hand stock182-Ring for right hand stock183-Nut for left hand stock184-Stock screw185-Riveted medalionwith monogramAMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1 977

Even long barrels have full shroud.Frame of Manurhin 73 weighs 28ounces; 12 oz. after machining.though not a Military Police) however, requiredan extra model with a cylinderchambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge.Then, arose the problem of ejectingrimless cartridges. The Manurhindesigners rejected the half-moon clip solutionto their problem. They first experimentedwith a cylinder hand ejection systemwith wire loop spring, gripping all thecases at the same time. Unfortunately, thisproved to be defective: adding a cartridgenext to an already loaded chamber wouldjust release the previously loaded cartridgefrom the extractor. Then came thefinal device: each chamber has its own extractor,which is operated by a small andvery adequate spring.SHOOTING TESTSI had an opportunity to shoot a few hundredrounds with the different M. R 73revolvers: not one misfired. I must admitthat I am not a marksman. With my.22/32 Kit Gun, K-22, Officer's ModelMatch or a K-38,I rarely score above 250out of 300, and have sometimes scored aslow as 240. For mysterious reasons I dobetter with a 3 or 4" barrel than with a 6inch. None of these reactions were alteredwhen I shot the various M.R 73 models.I first tried a 4" Target model and Ifound it not unpleasant, but after just afew rounds I noticed that though I wasusing a common .38 Special wad-cuttersthe grips were bruising my hand. Whenshooting hi-powered ammo the shootermay find himself with a bruise somewherebetween the thumb and forefinger, butthis bruise was somewhere on the secondknuckle of my thumb. The grips werefound to be what can now be termed earlytype grips, which had to be thinned out.Standard new grips were fitted on the revolver,and I proceeded with my shootingwith added comfort. Wonderful what afew grains of wood, scraped off a pair ofgrips can do for a revolver!I then tried the 3" and 5'/4" models,and enjoyed their grip and balance. The3" is not too light, the 5'/4" not too heavy.No problems with .38 Special W-C cartridges;though the .357 Magnum (Norma)did bother me a little. The 4" barrelrevolver is still OK for the .357 Magnumround, but in the 3" barrel revolver itjumps quite a bit, though the blast is lessnoticeable than with the Smith & Wesson19 in the same barrel length. I mentionthis particular S&W because it has beenLeft: Standard grips. Right: thingrips used by plainclothes police.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1 977

specially modified for the French G-Men.The 3" barrel M. R 73 has recently fittedwith smaller grips, which had originallybeen designed to make the butt less conspicuouswhen carried by plainclothesmen. These new grips have certainly madethe jump less noticeable when shooting.357 Magnums.Recoil is equally noticeable with 9 mmarabellum cartridges in the 3" barrelEl .R 73, but of course, French 9 mmService cartridges are known to be hot,and can damage many a good handgun;the 126.5 gr. bullet has a 1,214 ft/sec velocityin a 4.4" barrel automatic pistol.Shooting .38 special W-C in a 3" barrelM. R 73, from 15 meters (16'12 yds.),after a few trial shots, I hit the center ofthe target and got a 2.5" group (heightplus width); shooting .357 Magnum cartridgesin a 4" bbl, the group opened to2.6". Switching to double action shooting.38 W-C in a 3" bbl. I must say the shotswere wider apart: I grouped 5.6" in 5 seconds-certainlynot top form!VARIATIONSAt the time of writing, the M. R. is availablein two configurations: combat (3 differentbarrel lengths) and target (4 differentbarrel lengths). They are basically thesame revolvers though the combat versionhas a ramp front sight, the rear sightis just grooved out of the top of the frame.The target version has a Patridge frontsight and a micrometer adjustable rearsight. A new target M. R. 73 is just comingout: it is chambered for the .32 S&Wlong, a shooting competition ammoFrench shooters are slowly getting acquaintedwith. I certainly broke no recordwhen trying this new revolver. A .22 LRManurhin M. R. 73 should appear shortly.MODELS IN USE IN FRANCEThis M. R. 73 had originally been designedfor the French police; as a consequence,the different police forces in thecountry have a priority. Ordinary people, Imean shooters with licenses (delivered byshooting clubs) and firearms certificates(delivered by Prefectures, i.e. local authorities)are kept waiting. The Police Nationaleare issued 3" bbl. revolvers. TheConstabulary (Gendarmerie) are partialto 4" bbl. with an optional cylinder chamberedfor the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge.They order not only 4" bbl. combat models,but a special 4" bbl. which is a compromisebetween combat and target modelssince it has a micrometer rear sight(like the target model) and a specially designedramp front sight (higher than thecombat model). A special branch of theGendarmerie (Croupe ({'intervention, aspecial group of highly trained marksmenand snipers) have 5'/4" bbl. ManurhinM. R. 73.On the whole I can say this revolver hasbeen carefully designed and tested. It is areally fine revolver that has only one fault:it is too expensive.Such as it is, this revolver, the first in 80years, shows that French designers areback in business where revolversare concerned.The Manurhin 73 with 2 W barrel.

meIContenderStoryAD F. AYOOBA. w. I nornpson Tool Coi~~~any was established auoui 1947ng Island, and rapidly became successful in the nlanufactureparts for other companies with investnlent casting, or lost wax, process.the 1900's. the firm moved to Ken Hampshire.Right about that time, one Warren Center was finalizing his patents on asingle-shot pistol with interchangeable hamls.Center connected with Ken W. Thompson on the possibility of their producingthe gun, and K. W. Thompson. Inc. was11) Gustafson recalls, "We had been looking for- 4 d make ""irkct ourst4yt~s. something to- ..

''valleys, of production to outside orders.For a lot of reasons, we found the pistolvery promising."In 1967, the gunmaking operation wasinstalled at the foundry in Rochester,N.H., and the floor space was expandedfrom twenty thousand square feet to thirty,with the firearms division occupyingthe newly enlarged area. Thompson-CenterArms was formed as a subsidiary ofK. W. Thompson, and Center was ap-pointed head of the fledgling gun division.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER traced the firstens that came off the line. Serial numbersbegan with a one-thousand prefix.Contender #1001 was presented, ironicallynot to Center, but to Ralph Ellison,the senior toolmaker on the project. Thegun, a ten-inch barrel version, is listed inthe records as chambered for .357 Magnum.This is odd, because the only fivecalibers offered at first were .22 Long Rifle,.22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum, .22Hornet, .22 Jet, and .38 Special. It appearsthat, despite the serial number, Contender1001 either wasn't the first guncompleted, or Ellison didn't take deliveryon it formally until a couple of monthslater, when the .357 was added.The first gun to leave the factory commercially,#I004 in .22 L. R, went toHaggett's Sport Shop in Concord, N. H.Proprietor Paul Knee, who wishes nowthat he realized the gun's significance atthe time, sold it almost immediately, andlike most dealers across the country, hehas found the Contender to be a steadyseller over the years.Why were the firs guns small caliber?Gustafson explains,"We didn't think atthe time that the 'magnum syndrome'would take as much of a hold on the handgun-buyingpublic as it did. Our originalintent was a light, versatile pistol for informaltarget shooting, pFking, and smallgame hunting. We were also a littlefrightened at first of the brute strength ofthe big magnums, since the gun had notbeen expressly designed for them. Wequickly learned, however, that the gun wasmore than amply strong for the really bigcalibers, and when we started chamberingfor heavy stuff, the gun really took off."Sales initially were slow. The notoriouslyconservative American gun buyerwanted to take a long look before investingin a firearm as radical and strangelooking as the new Contender. At thetime, the brass at Thompson didn't reallymind; though the gunmaking operationwas working at only five to ten per centcapacity, the overall picture was just right,and it was "filling in the hills and valleys"between production demand, governmentspending, and other factors that affected'd style trigaer group (top) and new style with anti-backlash screw.Vent rib barrels have these simplesights. Rear is adjustable for windageonly and front sight for elevation.AMERICAN HANDGUNNEF

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Contender with 10" bull barrel is availablein .30 or .357 Herrett calibers.,The .357 and .44 Magnum calibers areavailable with T/C detachable choke(shown here) or an internal choke forThompson/Center's Hot-ShotThis is standard Contender barrel availablein 21 calibers; with either the10" barrel or the 8%" barrel length.*

Âwith the .30 and .357 Herrett chamberings,and were met with such favor that bythe time vou read this. T-C will have madethe --.- he& . ..tube a catalog notion for ten calibers:.22 LR, .222 ~cm.', .45 Long Colt,.22 Hornet, .44 Magnum, .221 Fireball,.357 Magnum, 30130, .256 WinchesterMag., and their new .41 Magnum.Sights give an excellent picture, thoughyou lose a little depth of vision in yourrear slot the lower you crank the elevation;the adjustment screw kind of gets inthe way. The sight is the same furnishedon the superbly accurate Hawken rifle,and is removable; beneath the sight is apre-drilled and -tapped base for a scopemount furnished by the company.The Contender seems meant for ascope. According to the company's salesfigures, something like 30% of Contender$are mounted with T-C's JapanesemadeLobo and Puma 1.5X long-eye-reliefscopes. When you figure in the numberof shooters who take their BushnellPhantom and other handgun scopes offtheir other guns and mount them on Contenders,and equate that with observationsof Contender users, it is not far-fetched toassume that probably every other Con-Paul Knee of Haggett's Sport Shop sold first commercially released Contender.He describes the T/C "It's a steady seller and is seldom traded back in."tender in serious use mounts a scope.The Puma, T-C's original scope, hasbeen dropped. While it worked fine withsmall and medium calibers, it couldn'tstand up to the buffeting it took with bigmagnum loads like the .44 and the twoHerrett wildcats. The Lobo scope was specificallydesigned to endure maximumrecoil, and at $45 seems an excellentvalue. The only problem is getting them:T-C's Jaoanese suoolier is wav behind ondeliveries, and so is ~hom~&n-center., Thq Contender has acquired an excel-' . &--., ."' A,^-,^.Rack of Contender trigger guard formsthat have been dipped into ceramicslurry and then coated with sand.lent reputation for accuracy-with certaincalibers. The company believes that theirmost accurate load is the .22 Hornet; withfactory rifle ammo, they say it will stay inan inch at 100 yards. Next come the Herrettrounds, with good grouping capabilityin both .30 .357. Most Contenders shootquite well, but you occasionally run into aload that doesn't group well in any gun.The .30 Carbine is a case in point. The.30/30, according to everyone I've talkedto who has used it including the factory experts,doesn't shoot anywhere near as tightin the Contender as do some of the others..222 won't equal Hornet performance inthe pistol with factory loads, though it cando so with carefully worked-up handloads.The .44 Magnum is the single biggest-Warren Centerter,would sell. Gene designed a .308 pump riflethat pre-dated the Remington model760, and was every bit as good if not bet-and I'm sure it would have sold very -- - .well. But they chose not to produce it. , ; 9:;I learned a lot from Gene. He was a niceguy, and a brilliant gun designer.Later, I took over as the head of Re-I went to work for Harrington & Richard- they never made. Gene, you see, was kind search and Development for H&R. Ison a couple of years later as a project en- of a free agent. He came in every day, but worked mostly on the Ultrarifle. I just putgineer, and worked all the way through on he wasn't on salary: if they produced a gun it together, really; that's all it was, an astheM-14 project. That was an interesting he designed, he got a royalty, and if they sembly job of mating excellent, alreadyexperience,but the most valuable thing I didn't produce it, it wound up hanging on proven components: a Fajen stock, an FNgot from that period was the opportunity a wall somewhere. action, and a Douglas barrel.to work for two or three years with Gene HANDGUNNER: Would you have HANDGUNNER: During this period,Reising. worked on that basis? where had the design of the ContenderI didn't create anything new for H&R; CENTER: No. there would have been too pistol progressed to?mostly, I worked with Gene on his proj- many times where what I thought would CENTER: I had made the first proto-2 autoloading rifle sell didn't coincide with what they though type, around 1959, with a falling block ac-AMERICAN HANDGUNNEP - NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1 977

y 357 Magnum, .22, .22 Hornet, and.30/30. The ~errett calibers are catchingup fast. .22 Long Rifle is right up there,too (the gun has two firing pins, one eachfor rimfire and centerfire; you select oneor the other by turning the screw on thehammer nose.) Gustafson admits that onereason the .44 Mag is on top is the availabilityof the HotShot shotshell loads.Promised to equal .410 shotgun performance,the Hotshots are plastic shotfilledcapsules fired through standard .44or 357 barrels, with suitable attachments.Both the barrels and the shells (producedat the T-C plant) have gone through anumber of changes since the concept firstcame in. The shotshell attachment nowconsists of a flush-front choke device thatscrews into the bore with a special toolthat provided; before, a bulkier muzzleattachment was used. This choke device is. .. .designed to take the spin out of the shotcapsule after it goes through the rifling(they can't make a smooth shotshell-onlybarrel on a pistol, since it would then beclassifiable as a sawed-off shotgun), andstraightens them out of their spin beforethey clear the muzzle.The shells themselves took a lot ofwork: early HotShot rounds didn't performanywhere near up to expectations.By going to a special grade of Butyrateplastic, T-C achieved thinner walls that atonce increased the birdshot payload of thecapsule, and made release of that payloadmore reliable. They also put in some indentsto decrease the strength of the nosefor better opening. A number of outdoorsmenhave found the HotShot option to beone of the really compelling reasons toown a Contender, especially since the --'' $shotshell muzzle attachment can be removedand dropped into a pocket at any 2time to permit use of standard ammo; the ,. -barrel comes with a special key wrench to - 4facilitate this operation. Whatever you do, \1don't shoot jacketed Magnum slugsthrough a HotShot barrel when the chokeattachment is on. ;$Three different Contender grips (left to right): early factory stock; the currentfactory stock, sans grip cap; and Herrett designed Controller (on gun)." '4The genesis of the Thompson-Center - >,Â¥iContender is a meaningful chaptqn gunmakinghistory. The articles that awom-\. -pany this intro in this issue's Bonus HandgunFeature will give you a deeper sense .-

PART TWOContending withThe Contenders even the most skeptical reader hasA gathered this far into the bonus featuresection, the TIC Contender has aheckuva lot going for it. This is not to say,however, that it is noquestion, flat-out,stardust-on-the-gossamer-wings perfect.There are a few things that could be betteron the Contender, and as we'll see,there are ways to make them better. Butthe hardest thing to square away is also thebiggest thing that's wrong with the Contender.If you've ever shot one bigger than.22 rimfire, you know what that thing is.You spell it with a capital "R". Recoil.In fact, with the really big calibers, youcan capitalize the other five letters, too.The Contender kicks, gentlemen. In .357magnum, for instance, it has a comebacknastier than any other .357 around, includingitty bitty ones like the .32-frameSecurity Industries revolver or even theold Hy Hunter two-shot derringer. In .44Magnum it makes your S&W model 29with factory grips seem a veritable mousegunby comparison. In .357 Herrett,shooting the Contender becomes nothingless than an exercise in masochism. Anybodytells me they like shooting a stiffloaded.357 Herrett in a factory stockedContender, I begin to suspect that theyhave a collection of whips and chains andhair shirts at home, right next to their bedof nails.There are two reasons for the savagerecoil. One is the overall silhouette, withthe line of the bore so close over the handthat the gun doesn't pivot upward like arevolver, but instead comes almoststraight back into the hand. A second andmore culpable factor is grip design. As therecoil is transmitted back through theframe of the pistol, it meets the hand inthe worst possible places-right at thebase of the thumb, and just below the baseof the index finger joint. The result, with aheavy load, is a sensation that makes youfeel like you've just been stricken withpremature acute arthritis.In fairness to TIC, the original stockdesign-indeed, the whole original gunwasnot intended for Magnum recoil.When the problem became apparent asBrad Marshall works on one of his $10trigger jobs, a custom option for theT/C well worth having says the author.the sales percentage of contenders in hotchamberings increased, the companymade an effort to do something about it,and drafted Steve Herrett's stockmakingtalents. The result was a much-changedgrip, more vertical to make a kind of fulcrumthat the gun could pivot up on insteadof coming so straight back into thehand (muzzle lift was irrelevant, since in asingle-shot, recovery time ceases to matter).The new stock was also more round-Warren Center; .;,,:?'; .-iSi.*!,.+-4 *AÈ3Aputting anythingUlike .44 Magnum into it.It's a rough caliber; to me, there's no pleasureshooting it. But there's nothat the gun worked out well for peoplewho want that caliber with maximum possibleaccuracy.HANDGUNNER: We can't dispute youon that. Tell us, do you hear any beefsabout the Contender design?CENTER: Only from people whohaven't read the instruction manual. I putinall kinds of instructions on how to workthe gun, but every once in a while, somebodywho didn't read them can make it gooff accidentally.HANDGUNNER: How do they managethat?CENTER: Usually by pulling the triggerafter loading when they haven't cocked it.When the gun is used properly, the ham-mer can't hit the firing pin until the triggeris pulled. But I get people telling me,"Well, the guy in the sporting goods storetold me I should pull it back until I hearda click because that's the half-cocknotch." The gun has no half cock notch,as such. Once you close the pistol, youleave the hammer where it lies untilyou're ready to cock the hammer andshoot; if you cock the hammer and don'tshoot, pull up on the trigger guard as if"you were going to open the uncocked pistol,and the hammer will drop safelydown, and you won't even have to openthe action before you can cock it again,the way you have to during dry fire.HANDGUNNER: The Contender pistolstrikes us as quite safe. But, tell us, whatwould you have changed in the initial de-AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOWMBER/DECEMBER 1977

ed in the web-of-the-hand area, better distributingrecoil.It is still far from the complete answer,however. To really tame the recoil, you'vegot to go all the way to Herrett's own'6stock answer," the handle he appropriatelycalls "The Controller." It has morerounded contours to better distribute therecoil shock, and a more pronouncedpalm swell that contributes to this sameeffect. There is a grip adapter effect behindthe trigger guard, wide on the bottomas on Steve's Jordan-style revolver stocks.This too helps the whole hand take up theimpact, and the effect is that the wholegun arm lifts up more in recoil, instead ofthe gun being "driven into the hand" asHerrett aptly phrases it in his catalog. Ithas more slant than the new TIC stock,and keeps the middle knuckle fartherfrom the trigger guard.In my own hand, shooting the awesome.357 Herrett, recoil seemed reduced by athird to almost half from the new-style factorystocks when I slipped on a HenettController. It's not the whole cure, butlike putting Ben-Gay on an aching joint, itsure does give some symptomatic relief.Warren Center told me that MontyKennedy once made him a pair of Contendergrips bound in thick leather thatworked remarkably well in cushioning recoil,but were Godawful expensive to produce.Another answer seems to have appearedon the horizon: Pachmayr's imminentintroduction of rubber Contenderstocks. I wasn't able to try a set by deadline,but if past experience with the Pachmayrproduct holds true, reduction in thefelt recoil of the Contender should bemost significant.About the only other shock absorberfor the Contender that I could think ofwould be the drastic step of sending thebarrel to Larry Kelly at MagNaPort andhaving him cut his muzzle slots in, upsidedown. I'm serious. MagNaPort, as Larrywill be the first to tell you, is to reducemuzzle jump, not recoil, since they aretwo different things. He keeps the muzzledown by channeling gases up. Theoretically,if the gases were channelled down,the muzzle might lift enough to divertsome of the recoil force away from thejoints in the "V" of the shooting hand. Allof which, incidentally, is pure speculation.If absorption of Magnum Force opposite-reactionis not particularly your concern,Bud Richards does a fine modificationof your existing Contender grips. Heslims 'em down, puts iri memory grooves,removes the epoxy finish and replaces itwith a handrubbed oil surface, and givesyou what has to be the most naturallypointingsingle shot pistol ever built Herounds the square edges, too, so there isstill some kick reduction. Send him yourstocks and a Herrett style paper tracing ofyour hand pattern, and $25. For an extra$10, he9'll expand the checkering on bothyour stock and fore-end. In a small to mediumcaliber, and especially with theearly-style Contender grips, the result is ascomfortable and visually appealing as anythingyou can put on this handgun.Other little things can improve yourability to successfully contend with theContender. One area is the trigger. Freshout of the box, it's creepy and heavy, withsubstantial backlash. Neophytes let thatfool them into thinking the gun has alousy trigger. It hasn't. As it comes fromthe package, with a little application of ascrewdriver and the provided TIC alienwrench, you can come up with one of thefinest factory go-buttons around. The triggeris easily adjustable for weight andlength of pull (just follow the instructionsheet that comes with the gun). Next, takethat alien wrench and adjust the triggerstop in the back of the trigger guard. I'dBud Richards custom job on Contender grip enhances handling qualities.sign if, ten years ago, you had had as muchinput as you have now?CENTER: I'd have probably done severalthings different. It's the Monday morningquarterback syndrome. But, seriously,there are things I might have changed. Ithink I would have put the lock on the receiverinstead of on the barrel. That wouldhave required a lot less pull-up pressureon the trigger guard to open the gunsomefemale shooters tell me they find ithard to operate. I think I might havemade it so the tang on the trigger guardwas a little farther away from the knuckleon the trigger guard. Some people with-eally huge hands tell.me they get bangedin the knuckle when they shoot. Whoknows, I might even have made it in droplick;the first a n was in droplock, andthough it's torn up now, I still have someof the parts. But I don't think it wouldhave been economical to produce.HANDGUNNER: Tell us more aboutthat very first Contender.CENTER: I made the very first prototypein .22 Hornet caliber. It worked fineon 'chucks. There's a funny anecdote; Iworked to handbuild a pistol accurateenough to scope and be truly effective,and when I had the prototype, I wrote toPaul Jaeger for one of his pistol scopes.He wrote back and told me he had stoppedselling them 'cause they couldn'tstand up to .357 Magnum recoil. I woundup putting another scope on the first pistol;it was a brand I can't remember.HANDGUNNER: Then going from pastto future shock, what's the next WarrenCenter design on the drawing boards?CENTER: I've been toying with a gasoperatedsemi-automatic pistol. The problemis, as you saw when you toured theplant, we're expanding heavily now tomeet production demands on productsthat are already in our catalog. Tooling upto produce a new design will require thatmuch more expansion. That's expensive,and I don't know how far in the future areally new Thompson-Center design willbe.HANDGUNNER: Whenever it comes,we have a feeling it'll be worth waiting for,along with the new generation of Contenderpistols that you've been toying with athome, Mr. Center, and we'll look forwardto seeing them all inthe next few years.-^L

y^w^-, $. -E'~"

T~~OMPSON/OENTERROCHESTER. NEW HAMPSHIRE 0386736-2 Trigger Stop Screw 29A13 Bolt 465 Bolt Spring 50099 Bolt Stop Pin 5216 Bushing Screw 5360 Dovetail Lock 5112 Extractor 5969 Extractor Stop Pin 2414 Firing Pin Bushing 1815A Firing Pin, Center Fire 918215 Firing Pin, Rim Fire 5826 Firing Pin Springs (2)844 Forend Complete649173 Forend Bushing469174 Forend Screw209175 Forend"0"Ring2545 Grip5647 Grip Cap (Metal)542 Grip Cap Screws (2)7735 Gripscrew8234 Grip Screw Washer8119 GuardPin7938 Guard Stop ScrewGuard Stop SpringHammerHammer NoseHammer NoseDetents (2)Hammer Nose ScrewHammer Nose SpringHammer PinHammer SpringHinge PinComplete Hammer AssemblyRollerSafetySafety SpringSearSear PinSear SpringSear PlungerSight, Front (Specify Caliber)Sight, Rear Blade (Specify Caliber) Assy .Sight, Rear Elevating SpringSight, Rear Elevation Adjusting ScrewSight, Rear Housing41A Sight, Rear Screws (2)69 Sight, Rear Pivot Pin9190 Sight, Rearcomplete (Specify Caliber)84 Striker23 Striker Pin85 Striker Spring71 Trigger36-1 Trigger Adjusting Screw70 Trigger Guard22 Trigger Pin68 Trigger Return Plunger27 Trigger Spring88A Interlock Screw9183 New Style Trigger Guard Assembly89 Inter-Lock Safety73 Safety Spring Interlock10 Barrel Assembly Complete9176 Internal Chokelube .357 Cat9177 Internal Choke Tube .44 Cal9178 External Hot Shot Choke Tube .44 & .45 Cal9179 External Hot Shot Choke Tube .357 Cal9180 Choke Wrench .3579181 Choke Wrench .44 & .45

I'd like to see TIC make a really finetarget sight optional on this pistol, as Coltdid on the Python with the Elliason, andas Dan Wesson is thinking about doingwith Austin Behlert's fine sight.What else could enhance an alreadyfine pistol? I've wondered for years whyT/C didn't make it with a set trigger likethe one on their Patriot muzzle-loader. Ifinally got around to asking Warren Center,and was pleasantly surprised: this isone of a number of design refinementshe's been working on during his convalescencefrom the car crash that almost tookhis life a few months ago. It may be a coupleyears before it will come out, and Idon't know whether or not it will take theform of a kit that adapts to existing Contenders,but coupled with the new bullbarrels (and an improved factory sight), itwill give the Contender the ability to rulein production class of silhouette competition.I also predict TIC will follow DanWesson into the burgeoning metallic silhouettearena with barrels in the vicinityof 15", though again, nothing isscheduled.There are a few people who'll reallychange your Contender's perspectives.Only a handful of gunsmiths do majorcustom alterations of it, and not all ofthem are endorsed by the factory. One guyterrifies the TIC people; he's allegedlyblown up at least one gun, which parted atthe receiver with no injuries but still leftsome ruffled feathers. Seems this fellauses strange cartridges with triplex loads.Bob Gustafson of TIC heartily endorsesTexas Contender, Frank Kendrick's outfitwhich does fine work converting Contenderswith carbine-length barrels and riflestocks (don't use one without the other).He also has some other goodies that youmight want to talk to him about. Perhapsmore important, he runs Texas ContenderGun Club, a group of TIC pistol enthusiastsand collectors that has just gone national.Write him at the address at the endJ. D. Jones, American Handgunner contributor, with the first CorsicanRam taken with the .30 Herrett cartridge; shot at Y-0 Ranch in Texas.of this article for more info on Texas Contender,the gun and the club.The Contender pistol is a modem classic,one that performs superbly out of thebox and even better with the attention ofelite experts like those mentioned in thisarticle. The gun isn't flawless, but neitheris anything eke. . . and when you have toppeople working to eradicate those fewflaws, the result is a total concept thatcomes sneaking right up on that elusivequarry, Perfection. Once you learn to contendwith the idiosyncrasies of the Contender,you'll find it a gun you truly cancontend with, a gun that within its singleshotlimitation, takes a back seat tonuthin'.If you've got one of these good gunsand want to make it better, here are theaddresses of the peoplewho can help.Brad Marshall (triggers), Marshall Firearms,1154 N. Main St. Penacook, NH03301.Steve Herrett, Herrett's Stocks, Box 741,Twin Falls, Idaho 83301Pachmayr Grips, 1220 S. Grand Ave.,Los Angeles, Cal. 90015Bud Richards (grips), Richards Gun Refinishing,Barnstead, NHTexas Contender Gun Club and Customizing:R F. Kendrick, 4127 Weslow,Houston, Texas 77078T TS unusual for people to start collecting1 variations of a gun that has only beenin production for ten years, but theThompson/Center Contender is an unusualgun. Only a few people out there aregetting in on the ground floor, so there'sample time if you start now.There are four eminently collectiblevariations of the Contender. They are:The flat-side. The original Contendermade with no photoengraving or etchit,and n " us thought it moreanneal in the guns thatMBEH 1977

Rare Contender with Eagle etching(left) shown with the current Puma etching.This Eagle is even more collectiblewith its no longer made 45/410 bbl.quickly followed it. The engraving gotstarted within three months or less afterthe first gun rolled off the line, and this isthe period where the guns weren'tsreallyflooding off on a production line basis.There's damn few of them around, andif you can find one, for heaven's sake, ratholeit away somewhere. The markethasn't hit anywhere near what it's going tofor these rare guns. A flatside in a Magnumchambering should be especiallyprecious. The factory says it can't pinpontexactly how many flatsides are out there,but at most there are a thousand.The Eagle Contender. Somewherearound serial 1638, a handful of Contenderpistols were made with an experimentalengraving pattern that replacedthe second puma on the right side of theframe with a defiant-looking eagle. Up untirthen,the only critter on the Contenderwas the puma, the same animal theynamed their first scope after. Accordingto Warren Center, only four to six eaglesidedContenders were produced. A collector,however, assures us that it's closerto twenty-five. If you have one, check withthe factory on what caliber barrel was on itwhen it left the factory. This latter is somethingthat budding Contender collectorswill want to pay note to, since twenty yearshence, it will enhance the value of the gunif you can prove it's got the same barrel,or at least the same caliber barrel, as whenit left the factory.The NRA Contender. In 1971, whenthe National Rifle Association hit its cen-tury mark, gunmakers across the countryvied for the honor of producing the officialNRA Centennial CommemorativeHandguns. Daisy got it for BB guns, andColt got there first for real shootin' irons.You don't need me to tell you what anNRA Commemorative Colt is worth now,with six investment-fattening years in between.In any case, Thompson-Center got intothe race, and ran a small series of speciallyengraved and gold-inlaid NRA Commemorativeguns. There was a productionholdup, however, and Warren Center toldme sadly that by the time he got one readyfor NRA to look at, they had already giventhe honor to Colt.Four or five NRA CommemorativeContenders were completed. All had specialserial numbers with an "X" prefix.The gun shown in the accompanyingphotos bears the serial number X.3. Likethe Eagle Contender #I638 seen here, itis part of the Brad Marshall Collection.The .45/410. The innocent folks atTIC brought this out for sportsmen in aclassically sportsman-only gun, only tofind that maybe-just-maybe it was in violationof the Federal Firearms Act andcould be theoretically considered a sawedoff shotgun. The ATF people, who despitewhat you may have heard have a numberof consummate gun experts in their ranks,realized that anybody who wanted asawed-off .410 wasn't going to buy a $145Contender; he was going to buy a secondhand$30 shotgun and chop it . . . andwhile he was at it, he was probably goingto move up to 12 gauge and steal the basicgun anyway. Nevertheless, an agreementwas made (without any undue pressure byATF) and production of the .45 LongColt/.410 barrel option was halted. It wasreplaced with the Hotshot birdshot cartridgeand a series of choke attachmentsthat were designed to straighten out theshot payload after it left the rifling.There has been no official ruling on the.45/.410, again because ATF is a pragmaticgroup with a lot of experts in it, andthey know it's not a threat, especially becausethe things are becoming collector'sitems, are totally unsuited to criminal use,and are more likely to repose in a safe depositbox where nobody's gonna get at'em. If worse came to worse and somemartinet got into ATF and made a negativeruling on it, the collector value wouldRight side of super-rare NRA model;left side, showing the NRA emblem,is pictured on top of following page.

e worth the special $200 license to keepit anyway.How many of them are out? "A numberof them," says Warren. Center, and that'sall you'll get from TIC. If you have one,keep it.Other Collectibles. That's about itfor extra value right now, but look for therarer production variations to get valuablein the next ten or twenty years. If I had anearly Contender with the skinny triggerand long, arabesque trigger guard, I'd almostput it in a safe deposit box becauseit's gonna be worth a decent piece ofchange some day.The .17 Wildcat Contenders are also.worth hanging onto. Not that many weremade, and because of complications inproducing subsmallbore barrels, it'sdoubtful that they'll be made again. of thefive .17 calibers TIC chambered for, theMach IV, a .223 case necked down, appearsto be the rarest. .There are other minor changes, mostnotable the switch from the elaboratefleur-de-lis engraving pattern to a simplerand less finely etched one. Guns with theformer pattern might be worth anotherfive bucks now, but in twenty years, couldwell make the transition from your"recreation" ledger into the one marked'investments.''Contenders are just starting to bloom ascollectors' pieces. Start now, catch 'em inthe bud, and you might just have the fullblossomcenterpiece of a finecollection in the next few years.Average Contender owner has 2.5 bbls. Some, like Brad Marshall, have 40 or more.

,. *'?>' .,,, .It's Not Exactly a Scope or -an Iron Sight, but it is anAmazing New SightiThat's Quick and Accurate ,-., ? b .,?.,.:Â¥* + .-1. 7 Mounting the Insta-Sight on theis :;^ Contender is a simple 5-minute$A'' .I job and it's not bad looking.. .','**v -.. ' .'" V ..*' .., "iy'.-'< HE Insta-Sight is a compact, non- .,. X-->Tmagnifying optical sighting system for ,S^$ handguns. The sight is not a scope-thereis no limit to the field of view and the sight,.;*;- 7. -gives optimum performance when usedwith both eyes open. There is no obstruc- 2'+ion of the natural field of view of the eyes *, and a green tapered translucent cross-hair3;' with an open center appears to be super- ,imposed on the target. The shooters accu-- + - racy is correspondingly increased and the >-* , %. sight is fast and easy to use. I know that -?*:' ' sounds like a hell of an endorsement of:. : , the sight, and it's meant to be. The sight *,:+ . ' provides excellent performance and its : '- ,' -. . . ease of use compared to conventional iron a * f'8 ,, sights is outstanding. The sight does have - , -, . some disadvantages and they will be ex-. plored later.. er of optical equipment. The sight is. manufactured by Precision Tool and MachineCompany of New Bremen, Ohio., The sight was invented by Dr. G. E. Rick- Mounted on a revolver, the Insta-Sight amazed the author -,F ., . . Thompson/Center is not a manufactur-Ã ˆ l * ,.

.+ . ;- *;'s: :>.;scopes having magnification are parallaxfree at 100 vards. The Insta-Sieht is oarallaxfree at 50 yards. It does have a slightdegree of parallax at 100 yards and fairlyeasily detectable parallax at 200 yards. Beinga non magnifying handgun sight, Idon't consider this a particular disadvantageand have no quarrel with the manufacturersadjustment to provide freedomfrom parallax at 50 yards. Eye to tube latitudeof alignment is much greater than)that of any other optical sight I know.The sight itself can be mounted on justabout any handgun. Bases are availablefor the TIC Contender and virtually allpopular revolvers. To the best of myknowledge, mounts are not yet availablefor any auto pistols but it would be a simplejob to modify existing revolver basesto fit almost any automatic.Mounting the base of the TIC Contenderconsists of simply removing the rearsight and replacing it with the Insta-Sightbase-a simple 3-5 minute job. Thescrews should have Loc-Tite applied beforethey are installed.Installing the base on any of the popularrevolvers having adjustable sights re-For normal usage this extends to 100-125yards. For example, an ordinary tin can,depending on its color, light conditionsand surroundings may be impossible todistinguish clearly, at least for me, atsomewhere between 50 and 125 yards.With the Insta-Sight~assuming you, yourgun and ammo combination are capableof the required accuracy-you can hit thatcan just about as far as you can see it. TheInsta-Sight is, of course, useful for casuallong range plinking.With the general range capabilities ofthe sight in mind I first mounted it on aTIC .22 Magnum. Both the .22 Magnumand 5MM Remington TIC barrels deliverexcellent performance on varmints tosomewhat over 100 yards with a slightedge going to the 5MM round. After playingwith the .22 MagnumIInsta-Sight combinationfor a couple hundred rounds withexcellent results I switched the Insta-Sightto an old, well worn K-38. By some oddchance I just happened to have quite a bitof .38 stuff laying around that needed testing.Sighting in was no problem, simplyused a sheet of paper to rough it in at 15feet and finished the job on rocks in theface of a high wall at about 50 yards.Didn't get much ammo testing done thefirst day out as I made the mistake of taking250 rounds of wadcutters along andjust had so much fun playing with the Insta-Sighton the K-38 I shot them all atrocks, tin cans, anything else that lookedlike a decent target. I wasn't at all surprisedat the single action speed and accuracybut was frankly amazed at the doubleaction capability of the sight. It's the bestdouble action sight I've ever used; simplyput those green cross hairs on the target,pull and hesitate when the cross hairsmove off the target and pull again whenthey are on and you have a'hit. The reticleof the Insta-Siht allows you much morecontrol than iron sights simply becauseyou can see everything happening better.It's not much of a trick at all with a littlepractice to keep a tin can hopping doubleaction a lot farther than you can with ironsights. The trajectory of .38 wadcutterloads at around 100 yards reminds me ofthe trajectory of a pig jumping a fence.Accordingly a lot of hold over is needed tohit at long wadcutter ranges. It's necessaryto use the cross hairs like those of a scopefor holdover but without the aid of magnification,somewhat more difficult.Sighted in dead on at 25 yards, some ofthe wadcutter loads will print 3-4 feet lowat 100 yards and group very tightly.I found three outstanding wadcutterloads for the K-38. The Norma factory148 grain, the Zero remanufactured wadcutterload (selecting by headstamp) and ahandload consisting of Federal small pistolprimers, 2.5 grains of Norma R-1 powderbehind the 148 grain LRS hollow basewadcutter lightly crimped with anR.C.B.S. taper crimp die. These threeloads would consistently print six shotgroups of less than one inch extremespread at 25 yards from sandbag res! Severalgroups hovered close to the one halfinch mark but none made it. An experimental158 grain Hornady semi-wadcutterpropelled by 3.5 grains of Norma R-1is a full charge .38 Special load and itAbove: Here's what you see when looking through the sight.Below: A look at the Insta-Sight's simple optical system.DICHROIC BEAM-SPLITTERrquires removing the rear sight and drilling. , and tapping two holes through the top:a-,,.--. . < . strap. TIC includes the screws with the TARGET IMAGEy-!.*Â¥ifc c,$ base. I threw them away and used high,' 2.G :

grouped fairly consistently around threefourthsof an inch. The Norma R-1 powderhas practically the same applicationsas Bullseye but seems to burn cleaner anddrop a bit more uniformly from the measure.I've obtained outstanding uniformityand accuracy from it in several calibers.Like Bullseye, it can't be pushed too far orpressures rise dramatically.The sight created quite a bit of interestat the range and anyone who showed anyinterest at all-and many of them weren'thandgunners-were invited to try a coupleof cylinders full. Everyone who tried itwas quite enthusiastic about the sight, primarilybecause they were able to hit withit. Two guys said they were going to haveone on their muzzle loaders by next deerseason.Disadvantages? Sure. Put an Insta-Sight on a revolver and you have holsterproblems. The reticle is etched in glasstheimage magnifies the reticle manytimes and the edges could be sharper. Themanufacturer is working on that. Thesight is powered by existing light-no imagewhen the light is gone. It thereforeisn't suitable for police usage.The elevation-windage adjustments arecalibrated to change 1 inch per incrementfor a maximum adjustment of plus orminus 21 inchesat 50 yards. This max ad-:

terlocking parts. This statement has beenmade so often that some people havecome to believe it. The earliest Mausershad a pin assembling the trigger into itshousing, and if equipped with a tangentsight, they also had a pin holding the leafinto the barrel extension. Both these pinswere eliminated in later production.There was always one screw holding thegrip pieces to the frame. There is reallynothing wrong with pins or screws as longas they remain in place. On the otherhand, the Colt Single Action revolver,loved by one and all, has been plagued, lothese many years by nine or so screws thatwalk out during shooting.THE MAUSER MILITARY PISTOLS(Continued from page 31)CONCLUSIONWhat is so great about the Mauserthen? To my mind it lies in theintricatemachinery-the use of hardened steelparts to avoid wear, and the superb finishingof all metal parts. I also think that theillegal stock/holster added a great deal tothe Mauser's appeal. I remember longbefore I had ever seen a Mauser Military,in the pre-World War I1 days when therewere few gun books, I had seen the cut inBannerman's catalog showing a MauserMilitary attached to its stock. The picturehad these exciting words of explanation:"This is the Mauser automatic pistol,with detachable shoulder stock whichforms a holster for the piece whennot in use, the rear end being hingedforming an opening for the insertionof the arm-"So when I saw my first Mauser Military ina pawnshop in Tucson, Arizona, in 1937,with its stock/holster, I therefore knewwhat I was seeing. But before I could raisethe required thirty-five dollars, the policemade the broker get rid of the stock thusreducing my interest; in those days thirtyfivedollars was a lot of money. Today, theoriginal cone hammered,Mausers accompaniedby an original stock/holster areconsidered legal because they were madebefore 1898, also the large ring hammeredpistols with an original stock/holsterhave been found to be "curios andrelics" by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobaccoand Firearms. This enlightened decisionopens the way for, we can hope, a daywhen all these stocked Mausers may belegal and collectible. They are all too rareand expensive and in the case of the 7.63mm, too hard to find ammo for, to beused by a criminal. The 9 mm Luger caliber Mausers are all well over the fifty . yea] .old criteria.One final word to add to mine about theMauser Military. These were written during the Sudan campaign in 1899."Among the more recent improvementsin firearms none should attractmore attention than the invention ofthe magazine pistol. Several kinds -are already in the market, and all possessin varying degrees the same advantages.Perhaps the best and thebest-known is the Mauser pattern. Iwrite as almost the only British officerwho has used this weapon in actualwar. Its superiority to the revolveris plain. It fires ten rounds,whereas the revolver fires but six. It issighted to 1000 yards, and shoots effectivelyto 800. The revolver is neverof any use beyond fifty yards,although its bullet carries much farther.The pistol is self-loading, selfcocking,self-ejecting. Its rate of fireis as fast as the trigger can be pulled.Its muzzle velocity is almost doublethat of the older weapon. It can be rechargedwith ten rounds on a clip almostas quickly as a single cartridgecan be loaded into a revolver. By acunning arrangement the recoil is utilizedto eject, cock, and re-load; sothat the hand remains steady whilesuccessive shots are fired. It is cheaperand lighter. Finally, it is furnishedwith a case of light wood instead ofleather, and this fits into the pistolbutt,making a handy and accuratecarbine. In spite of all these complications,the weapon did not get out oforder in a country where the desertsand affects all machinery."So spoke young Lieutenant WinstonChurchill with a great deal of insight intothe future of the automatic pistol and specificallyto the quality of the Mauser Military.This obsolete eighty year old pistol isstill carried today in the back waters of theworld. The Mauser Military representsone of the early attempts to design a selfloadingpistol. In the Mauser case, however,the attempt was right in 1896 and soeighty years later it still can be enjoyedand even fired. It is this success that separatesthe Double M from all ofits contemporaries.IN NOVEMBER GUNSJames Mason tests thenew Detonics .45 autoON NEWSSTANDS OCT. 10th, AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1977

APPLICATION FOR MEMBI HIP IN TI AMERICAN PISTOL & REVOLVER ASSCXASSOCIATE $5, INDIVIDUAL $10, FAMILY $15, PATRON $25, LIFE $125, SPONSOR $250, ENDOWMENT $!(Associate is a non-voting membership, it includes nowcitizens and juniors over 12 yean of age, Individual members have full votingPatrons mav convert their memberships to a Life Membership. Sponsor and Endowment Memberships are also lifetime membershios)Please enroll me (us) as a(n1MEMBER of the AMERICAN PISTOL anaREVOLVER ASSOCIATION. I declare that I am a law abidinq citizen, over eiqhteen (twelve for Assoeiate) years of age, of sound mind, and I subscribe to the PRINCIPLES, PLATFORM and OBJECTIVES ofthe American Pistol and Revolver Association and to the Constitution of the United States of America.MAME (S)DATEADDRESSPHONE-A Pictorial Historyof the - - 18% ----Self-loading Pistol -by Breathed and SchroederCITY STATE ZIP CODEOCCUPATIONBUSINESS ADDRESSCOMPANY, I 1 MAIL TO DAY!^ 512 EAST WILSON AVENUE,Suite301 GLENDALE,CALIFORNIA 91206Still . . . the truly comprehensive book on the famous"Broomhandle" Mauser. Over 400 photos andillustrations of more than IOOvariations. Also included:major competitors' copies as well as many Mauser experimental~not on the 1896 pattern. 274 pages, heavyduty library binding.Only $15.00 postpaid U.S. FundsLUGERS AT RANDOM &-.-by Charles KenyonBIGGER PAGES - BIGGER PHOTOS -Over 400 of them! 11" wide Total over 500! Most models- 8%" high.. pictured full size.1 BIGGER COVERAGE -Includes. . . 1898/99 Transition, 1900 Bulgarian, Prototype Carbines,hhot "GL," plus many, many more previously unreported variations.Only $17.50 postpaid U.S. Funds.-FROM HANDGUN PRESSmNÃs-M0e-03uzu5832 S. Green St. ANEW!-7NEW!, 4 PRECISE REPRODUCTIONS OF . .Model I8M.FABULOUS OLD MANUALSRGMANN: 16 pages with two large fo~douts, inEnglish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . $4.001898 SCHWARZLOSE: 20 pages, profusely illustrated, inEnglish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S4.00PLEASE SEND ME C.O.D.copies of SYSTEM MAUSER . ea. $15.00copies of LUGERS AT RANDOM . . . . .. . . . ea. $17.50. copies of 18% BERGMANN manual. . . . . . .. . . ea. $4.00copies of 1898 SCHWARZLOSE manual. . . . . . . . . ea. $4.00.AddressCity State Zip.NOTE: Enclose your check or money order and we ship prepaid, saving youpostage and C.O.D. charges. SEND TO: HANDGUN PRESS 5832 S. GREEN ST.,CHICAGO, ILL 60621.MAIL TO: AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 8150 N. Central Park, Skokie, III.60076lYR.$7.50(6issues) 2YRS.$14.00(12issues) 3YRS.$20.00(18issues)NAMETotal Enclosed.ADDRESS Bill Me .-CITY STATE ZIP (Initial)

AMERICAN PISTOL 6 REVOLVER ASSOCIATION @REGD. T.M.WE COULDADD ASTAMPBUT EVERYCENTCOUNTSAmerican #3i$tolanb Wolbtr Wmiation, Jnc.512 EAST WILSON AVENUEGLENDALE, CALIFORNIA 91206HANDGUN PRESS5832 S. Green St.Chicago, Ill. 60621nPlaceNecessaryPostageStampaFIRST CLABBPERMIT NO. 170SKOKIE, ILL.IBUSINESS REPLY MAILBSARSTATESTHE AMERICANHANDGUNNER MAGAZINE8150 NORTH CENTRAL PARK-SKOKIE, ILLINOIS 60076

on mSixty years ago, you could hear the patter of little feet here aschildren from around the countryside came to learn their ABC's atthe school house on Main Street in Monson, Massachusetts. Thosechildren have since grown up -- as have their children andgrandchildren -- but the schoolhouse has remained, a reminderof the days when things were built to last.Today, the schoolhouse is the home of Dan Wesson Arms, Inc.,manufacturers of the most accurate, the most versatile, the mostdependable 381.357 magnum double-action revolvers on themarket - - bar none.Wesson family have a lot in common.Both have been around here for a long time. And both date back tothe days when people took pride in craftsmanship.Back before the turn of the century Dan Wesson's father (andbefore that his grandfather and great-grandfather) was hanufacturingguns with care and pride.Today, with modern precision machining techniques, Dan carrieson that proud tradition of fine craftsmanship by producing uniquerevolvers unmatched for accuracy, versatility and dependability. ,'!And, like the old schoolhouse, they're built to last.the features that make Dan Wesson revolvers uniqueTo begin, choose an 8 Dan Wessonrevolver in the Series of your choice.Then add three more interchangeableQUICKSWFTbarrel assemblies (2% ",', four additional colored front sightblem. Place them in a handsome carry-Unique, exclusive QUICK- Exclusive interchangeable A white outline on the rear Unique placement of the cyl-SHIfTintarchangeable barrel QUICKSWFTfront tight light h standard equipment inder latch d-to ttx baroasemblieÃare available in blades with red irwara are on all target models, offering rel-cylinder gap (tabitee* the2%", 4", 6" and 8" lengths standard on target mod&, shooters a finer tight picture. cylinder In UsÂ¥llgnmen toas wall as new 10,12" and offering the Â¥noote even the barrel, tiding bcwrscy.15" lengthsand, for target re- greater oooortunltvfor involvers,in 4 styles of badcreated &curacy. (yellowshrouds (regular, regular with and white ere ateo available.)ventilated rib, hsavy, heavywith ventilated rib).^And now, to accommodate long rangehandgun hunting and matalk sllhouetteÂ¥hootin enthusiasts, Dan We~onintroduces 10" 12" and 16" interchangeablebarrel a~ambllà for all tar-get md^s.Model 15-2VH8For more information write Dept. 16-WAm'& lnC. 293 Moti Street, Monson, MA 01057 (413) 267-4081Five year warranty on every revolverPatent Pending. ...j .. . . ; - 2 ;: Â¥At I' m^&f-yK '?';-J-.tSA^a^^iBeautifully gnkied walnutand zabrewood grips am in-.?2zfrom four (tyiw: Overeize tareatsmooth or chackomdwalnut or zebrawood), Cornbatbooth walnut), or Sacranwrtolsmoothvinut).Ateo available, a walnut blankIntoned to fit the gun, forthose who wbh to carve theirown grip.

THE AMERICANHAMMxUNNER8150 North Central Park Ave., Skokie, Illinois 60076^^>Dear Readers :The AMERICAN HANDGUNNER is now over a year old, and I thought it theright time to let you know how we are doing. In a word, GREAT! Theresponse to the magazine has been most gratifying. Sure, we did somethings wrong, and we'll freely admit to them. We printed too few copiesof our early issues and were unable to fill orders of those who wanteda complete set. We also bobbled a few of the early subscriptions untilwe sat down and had a long talk with our computer.Evidently we did do some things right. We now have more than 100,000readers (subscription and newsstand combined) and we're still growing.To keep growing we need the continued support of our readers. Thismeans a continuation of the letters with comments, criticisms and suggestions;support by our readers of the firms who advertise in the magazineand, most important, as many new readers as we can get. You canhelp by telling your handgunner friends about the magazine and urgingthem to subscribe.With this issue, you'll notice some things we have done to enlarge thescope and interest of the magazine. We welcome a new name to the masthead,Jeff Cooper. If you need an introduction to this man, you haven't beenfollowing the handgun scene lately. In addition to his magazine writingand books, Cooper is a founder of the International Practical ShootingConfederation and acting President; he is also the head of the AmericanPistol Institute with facilities at "Gunsite" in Paulden, Arizona.The AMERICAN HANDGUNNER has recently been named the official magazine of theOutstanding American Handgunner Awards Foundation. We welcome all of thosereaders who will be receiving the magazine as part of their membership. TheFoundation has been reorganized, with Larry Kelly of Mag-Na-Port as Chairman,and we think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the vitality of the programsplanned for the future. Check the Foundation's page in this issue and jointhe ranks of those dedicated handgunners who are working to perpetuate thesport of handgun shooting.Stay with us - - we've dedi-My sincerest thanks to all of our readers.cated ourselves to giving you the kind of magazine you want and deserve.

HARLON CARTER:1977 OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANDGUNNERcincinnati was the place and the specificlocation was the Hall of Mirrorsin the Netherland Hilton Hotel. There wesaw over 200 paying guests-the largestcrowd ever-swarm in to participate inthe Fifth Annual Outstanding AmericanHandgunner Award.Knowledgeable folks know that thisaward program originated with Lee Jurraswho got it off the ground in 1973. Jurrasno longer has anything to do with the program;it's now under the direction of LarryKelly (president of Mag-Na-Port) and aboard of directors. From that first affair inShelbyville, Ind., it has grown until nowthe ceremonies are conducted in conjunctionwith the NRA Annual Members'Meeting.Harlan Carter, now executive VP of theNRA, was chosen this year to receive theprestigous award, a beautifully-donebronze statuette of a handgunner in a typicalfield shooting stance. Foremost in thereasons for Carter's selection was certainlyhis tireless effort in organizing and directingthe NRA's Institute for LegislativeAction (1LA)to fight anti-gun (especiallyanti-handgun) legislation. In an incrediblyshort time, Carter took ILA from a bareconcept to a dynamic and effective organizationwhich has been beating down theanti-gunners. He has also been known foryears as a pistolero of considerable note,and is a skilled author as well.Congratulations, Harlan; well done andwell earned.Carter was by no means the sole participant.The balance of the ten (the "TopTen") candidates for the award consistedof: Joe Benner, (National Pistol Championsix times and winner of five PanAmerican Games Gold Medals); BillBlankenship, (six times National PistolChampion); Warren Center (ThompsodcenterArms); Steve Herrett, whomakes Herretts Stocks; Senator JamesMcClure of Idaho, a pro-gun legislator,George C. Nonte, prolific author, ex-lawmanand author Skeeter Skelton; the ubiquitousJohn Wayne, forever smoking upthe TV and movie screen with SA Colt inhand; and Dan Wesson, founder of WessonArms and great-grandson of D. B.Wesson, one of the founders of Smith &Wesson.Only five of the ten candidates wereable to attend the ceremony, the otherswere kept away by assorted and unfortunatereasons. Those present of course,were called forward by Master of Ceremonies,Bill Jordan, to be presented witha special handgun by one of the participatingmanufacturers. Carter, Nonte,AMERICAN H GUNNER hWesson, Blankenship, and Benner werepresent to accept personally. Presentationguns for the absent candidates, were acceptedby stand-ins, probably the mostimpressive of the lot being Jack Lewis,publisher of "Gun World" magazine, whoaccepted for John Wayne.All of these men have contributedmightily in dozens of ways to handgunpromotion, though not necessarily byshooting. Shooting is just one of a greatmany waysin which the public image ofhandgunning may be enhanced.Lee E. Jurras, who originated the awardin 1973 after years of planning, washonored with a special award. This was amodified and customized Ruger SuperBlack Hawk .44 Magnum revolver preparedand presented by Len Trapper.Industry participation was greater thisyear than ever before, with presentationguns supplied by ThompsodCenter, Colt,Sturm Ruger, Smith & Wesson, NavyArms, Dan Wesson Arms, Harrington &Richardson, Charter Arms, Custom GunShop, and Interarms. In addition,numerous other manufacturers donateddoor prizes and raffle prizes of belts,'holstem,buckles, knives, books, magazinesubscriptions, and the like. Most noteworthyof this group was Remingtonwhich supplied a M700 BDL rifle.Bill Jordan did his usual great job asMaster of Ceremonies, and the Rev. RussMeek presided as Chaplain. The Rev.Meek is a badge-carrying preacher whobelieves in the Second Amendment andindividual rights. The ~rincinal addresswas delivered by Rock Rohlfihg, directorof the National Shooting Sports Foundation.All things considered, the 1977 OutstandingAmerican Handgunner Awardceremony was an unqualified success, thebiggest and best ever. Harlon Carterjoined past recipients Elmer Keith ('73),Col. Charles Adkiins ('74), Bill Ruger('75), and Bill Jordan ('76) as the elitegroup whose contributions to the sporthave been recognized above all others.In closing it should be noted thatthe Outstanding American HandgunnerAward Foundation is a more healthy, viable,and forward-looking organizationthan ever before. The board of directorshas been pared down to increase flexibilityand a consultant has been engaged to handleboth public relations and a myriad ofadministrative details that are so difficultto coordinate amongst volunteer helpthousands of miles apart. Perhaps evenmore important is the arrangementwhereby "The American Handgunner,"this magazine, will function as the officialorgan of the OAHGAF. Along with this,each new member will receive AmericanHandgunner regularly along with hismembership.More changes are in the mill forOAHFAF, all intended to make it moreviable and more responsive to handgunenthusiasts throughout thenation. This we like.Harlon Carter (center) with, L-R; Jordon, Askins, Keith and Bill Ruger.

The Author Takes a Lookat Some of the NewHolsters Designed ForWinning the CompetitiveCombat MatchesBy RICK MILLERTHEsubject of holsters is, without doubt, one of the mostfascinating areas of special interest to every serious handgunner.Perhaps this undying attention of the shooter stemsfrom the fact that most handgun leather is designed to fulfillonly one specific task. It is true that some gun rigs may be successfullyput to more uses than originally intended, but by andlarge, most are designed with one fairly narrow purpose inmind.This necessitates a collection of different holsters with varyingfeatures and qualities to suit an individual's tastes andneeds. As can be imagined, this variety can lead to some livelydiscussion when proponents of differing designs get together!One of the most interesting types to be developed over thepast fifteen years or so, is the competition speed holster. Theprimary mission of this equipment is simply to allow as quickand effortless a draw as is possible.Some of the early speed rigs were rather simple and impracticalaffairs that gave no consideration to any important char- .acteristics aside from the quick draw. The past few years haveseen some correction of this trend, however, and more recentexamples of what we shall call the "speed rig" are quite practicalin some situations, apart from competition shooting.This evolving improvement is due largely to the originalconcepts of the sport of practical pistol shooting, one elementof which is diversity. By posing different problems to theshooter through the simple expedient of using a wide variety ofcourses, the evolution of more practical equipment has beenencouraged. If an idea works out in competition, you can restassured that it will soon be emulated or possibly refined evenfurther. Likewise, if an innovation proves to be uncompetitiveor unsound, it will soon be dropped. The idea after all, is towin. and only the eaui~ment. ideas, and techniaues that workoutbest in unrestricted freestyle c&npetitiof true practical value.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERDECEMBER 1977

At the recent Columbia InternationalCombat Pistol Conference the forty-fivedelegates in attendance voted unanimouslyto keep holster rules to a bare minimum,so that progress already made in. this area will not be stifled When the bylawswere outlined at Columbia for thenewly formed International Practical' Shooting Confederation it was carefullystipulated that the shooter should be allowedto meet each problem with his omingenuity and equipment The IPSC wasformed to regulate the increasingly popularsport of practical pistol shooting on aworld wide basis, and these rules shouldhelp to keep the sport from becomingoverly restricted.The result of all this sifting and refiningBianchi's Model 56 features tnethumb break retainer and is quitepopular with DA revolver shooters.1Some models were so impractical in fact,that if the shooter sat down in a chair hispistol was in danger of winding up on thefloor!This sort of insecure foolishness is nowpretty much a thing of the past.The first really successful attempt at deasecure speed rig for revolverss*infv2 must credited to Berns-Martin. Thisgun rig predates the days of combat competitionshooting, but is none the lessIIRigs- H t t a'fof ideas has naturally had an importantimpact on the speed rig as we know it today.The equipment we work with now isfar superior in terms of practicality to thatwhich was in use only a few short yearsago. This does not mean that the originalconcept of all out speed has been compromisedin any way. Indeed, the rigs in usenow are every bit as quick into action asanything that has gone before.While we are on the subject of speed,we should re-emphasize that these modemrigs do serve some very useful andpractical purposes. The outfits now in useare very fast, but they do not sacrifice oth-A bit later we will take a closer look atthe speed rig's possible practical application,but first 1 think it would prove intereatingif we delve into the physical characteristicsof this piece of equipment.Probably the most important feature ofcurrent design falls within the area of improvedsecurity. Most early outfits madeno provision for keeping the pistol safelyin the leather while the wearer was enedin itmy type of strenuous activity.practical and worthy of mention. Theirbreakfront holster was so constructed (hatthe revolver was firmly held in place *by astrong leather covered spring grippingaround the cylinder from the bac of theholster.All die shooter had to do when drawingfrom a Bems-Martin rig was to simply&shove the wea on straight forwardthrough the split ont of the holster. Onequick forward tbrost of the gun hand didthe job. At all other times the revolver wassecurely held in place by spring tension.The first really practical retaining devicefor auto pistol holsters was the Carlfly off a/trsf~, or "pop off keeper", as it wassometimes called. Combat Master EldenCarl dm-igned this unique keeper in theearly 1960's as a better alternative to theconventional snap down retaining strop.' The conventional "safely" strap does Ãgood job of keeping the weapon in theholsterwhere it belongs, but whensnapped in place over the pistol it makesany kind of quick draw almost impossible.While this method of securing the pistol isstill widely used and accepted, it is a ratheroor system at 'best.Cari's off strap corn* of a loopwhich passeswer the hammer and tang ofthe pistdl and is attached under tension byone snap to the outride of the holster. Todisengage, the shooter simply brings histhumb up under the long tab ' low theMilt sparks' #I20 rig featuresmetal lines shank, a tension screwfor security ai slide rails.

Old Bianch Cooper rig has theCarl fly-off strap. When released,strap leaves both holster and gun.Design by Bruce Nelson is a goodexample of a modern forward rakeduty rig for big bore autoloaders.The Snick is a black plastic breakfrontdesign. It is fast, durable,and lightweight with minimum bulk.snap. When released by the thumb thestrap instantly pops away from both pistoland holster, leaving nothing in the path ofthe hand that might cause fumbling.Of recent years the thumb break retainingsystem has proven to be even morepractical and popular than the fly offstrap. This design brings the strap up overthe pistol between firing pin and cockedhammer. The snap and thumb tab areplaced so that as the hand falls onto thebutt the thumb releases the snap just beforethe weapon is drawn. This arrangementis neat, quick, secure, and relativelyfumble free. As such, it has much practicalvalue in law enforcement work. Thethumb break's popularity with both revolverand auto users is reflected in themany different models currently available.Perhaps the ultimate retention device isthe friction set screw found on the customspeed rigs of Andy Anderson and MiltSparks. This arrangement holds the pistolsecurely in the leather for any strenuousactivity, yet permits an instantaneous drawby simply pulling through the frictionOn the Anderson Thunderbolt rig thescrew is positioned on the side of the holsterand when adjusted puts pressure onthe side of the istol's slide. With the MiltSparks #120 f ombat rig the screw is locatedin the welt near the toe of the holsterand puts pressure on the slide.With both there are no straps, tabs, orsnaps to release or fumble with. Theshooter just draws the pistol straightthrough the friction holding it in place.Tension may be increased or decreased bya simple turn of the screw to satisfy any individualtaste or need.Holsters incorporating the frictionscrew provide just about the best balanceof speed and security that is currentlyavailable. Tension holds the pistol positivelyagainst anything but the snitch, andit is every bit as fast as a holster with nokeeper at all. Since no useful holster is absolutelysnitch proof, I think this arrangementmakes a very good compromise.One feature that has very nearly becomea trademark of the speed rig is theforward rake built into most models. Inthis configuration, the butt of the pistol isusually raked back from the vertical abouteighteen or twenty degrees with the muzzleleading the breech. This positioning ofthe weapon allows more natural contactbetween the hand and pistol butt, with lessbending of the wrist Since the forwardrake puts the shooter in a less awkwardposition during the draw, both draw speedand control are enhanced.Some shooters tend to dismiss the forwardrake speed rig as being a frivilousand impractical nuisance. In reality, a welldesigned rig with forward rake can becomfortable, practical for police uniformwear, and very effective when put into action.The reason that almost all top competitorsuse this type of outfit is simple, itwins the matches in which speed counts.As far as practicality is concerned,Bruce Nelson, who happens to be a policeofficer as well as a top competition shooterin, the Southwest Pistol League, has toldme that he has regularly worn a forwardrake rig while on duty. His reasoning isthat if an officer ever needs his sidearm,he will need it very quickly. Therefore, usingthe best equipment available is onlygood common sense.Another feature that helps provide asmooth draw is the metal lined shankfound in most current speed rigs. Thismetal re-enforcement stiffens the holsterand helps keep the leather from bindingwhen the pistol is drawn. In addition, thismetal lining should extend up into the .loop and help to anchor the holster firmlyto the belt. A leg tie do- is completelyIunnecessary with this arrangement, and!this impractical and unsightly nuisancecan just be forgotten.On Milt Sparks' #120 Combat Rig twobrass screws pass through the metal in theloop from the back and anchor into thebelt itself, positively looking both together.This provides ideal rigidity and keepsthe pistol in exactly the same position atall times, an essential requirement forquick draw work. This metal re-enforcementis carefully contoured for comfort,and I've worn my Sparks' rig for seven oreight hours with no discomfort.The gunbelt itself is usually two and aquarter to two and one half inches wideand made UD of a double thickness ofheavy leather. The whole outfit when newAMERICAN HANDGUNNERNOVEMBE

A slow back roll is one of the standard tests of the InternationalPractical Shooting Confederation to check holster security. Thepistol must stay in the holster before shooter is allowed on the line.is quite stiff, but with a little use it limbersup a bit and soon fits comfortably.One minimum bulk rig that qualifies asa full race speed holster, and is also qu,itepractical for continuous wear is the"Hackathorn Special" as made by MiltSparks. This is a high ride forward rakeholster that is worn on a stiff waist belt inthe appendix position. It also featuresMilt's friction screw and sight rails.Among the larger holster companies,both Safariland and Bianchi market versionsof the forward rake duty rig. Theyboth utilize the thumb break retaining de-vice, and are good sturdy outfits for the-money.Another essential feature of any goodspeed rig is the fast grab magazine pouchThis handy little device rides on the gunbeltat the shooter's left side and usuallyholds two magazines ready for a quick reload.About one third of each magazine isexposed above the leather so that theshooter may easily grasp it with no fumblingor lost motion. A leather tab passesbetween the two magazines and providesenough tension to keep them in place untilthev are neededIn this area the wheelgun shooter hasnot been neglected. Various types ofpouches have been developed to hold thedifferent makes of revolver speed loaders,and most of them offer the potential ofspeed in reloading approaching that of awell handled autoloader. The only rub isthat it will take very dilligent practice torealize this potential.Another nifty item that deserves mentionhere really doesn't lookglike much atfirst glance. The Snick holster is a homelylittle black clastic carrier that is now madefor most popular autopistols and some revolvermodels. It is made of "spring" plasticand has a split front, in much the samefashion as the old Berns-Martin design.On drawing from the model the pistol issimply thrust straight forward through thefront of the holster in one quick motionI've been playing with one for my .45Commander for some time now, and onceyou get the hang of it, the Snick is surprisinglyquick and effective. The thing thatstrikes me most is the simplicity of this littleholster, it is a no nonsense, no frills,but very practical design. It is also one of-the few really quick outfits that is readilyconcealable, another plus.WHM Enterprises, (6535 WilshireBlvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048) the companythat manufactures the Snick alsomarkets an unobtrusive single magazinecarrier of the same black plastic that fitshorizontally on the belt. The magazinerides comfortably and unnoticed in thisposition. When drawing the spare magazineyou pull it forward instead of up tofree it from this holder.As can be gathered from all the foregoing,the evolution of the modem speed righas been continuing and extensive. Butthe question still lingers, if this sort-ofequipment has any practical applicationaside from the competition grind? I thinkthe answer has to be a definite yes.As a uniform duty rig for civilian ormilitary police this type of equipment hasa lot going for it. The gun rigs described inthis article are comfortable, secure, quickinto action, sturdy, and adaptable to awide range of duty situations. As the revolveris slowly and somewhat grudginglybeing replaced by the more efficient autoloadingpistol in US. police circles, so to,will the modem forward rake duty holstergain popularity over the olderstyles of gun harness.Ken Hackathorn makes quick reloadduring a match. Anderson fast grabmagazine pouch makes it a snap.AMERICAN HANOGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1977

THEoak- tanned leather. Rich ord do-van finish. Hand polished. Full top grainleather oermanentlv molded and form fitfor your gun. Plain and flowered models,for sin Ie and double action automaticsan] revolvers - natural or higlossblacks.HUNTER OFFERS-.SHOULD WE CHANGE THE PPC?-PARTBy MASSAD F. AYOOB HIGH QUALITYILOW PRICES, AST ISSUE, we looked at some of theL the rib, Douglas and the speedloader.Premium barrel, the BoMarreasons it's fashionable to criticizethe Practical Police Course as a meaning- The Douglas tube, usually an inch in dilessgame~and at some arguments in fa- ameter or a little more, works for thevor of the PPC as a training and practice same reasons such a barrel increasestool. This month, we'll look at The Guns sporting rifle accuracy: the weight makesof the PPC Shooters, and see how they've balance, hold, and "hang" all far steadier,evolved, and whether, for various reasons, the superb quality of the custom tube andits rifling often exceeds that of the gunmanufacturers; and the rifling can be adjustedfor a particular load, in this case, a148-grain hollowbase wadcutter driven by2.3 to 3.0 grains of Bullseye. Douglas'in Holsters for Automatics and Revolvers.Cartridge Belts, Rifle Scabbardsand Cases, Shell Bags and Carriers, ClipHolders, Cartridge Boxes, Slings, PoliceHolsters, Sam Browne Belts.See your dealer today.THE HUNTER COMPANY3300 West 71st Ave.Westminster. Colo. 80030T.C.Mountother caliber*. Under 2.502. -~- ~erianed- andtÑfdtoÇt on.SENDFrn OURNEW FREE CATALOG1 IB] SQUARE CO. K$%B2;:%they've gone too tar.When I started in '72, PPC hadn'tevolved a whole hell of a lot more than thedays in the early sixties when Colt's andthe University of Indiana started the wholething. Guns that won were six-inch Pythonsor K-385, usually with the mainspringslightened and the actions slicked,but otherwise, pretty stock. The samegenre of gun is seen today in the Distinguishedmatch, in which a strictly "factory"revolver is supposed to be all that's allowed.But in the seventies. PPC was becominga sophisticated science, and three things. happened to change the face of the sport:w "--"-" "-" .---.-" ---1:lO" to 1:14" twist throws a wadcuttertruer than the 1:18.75 twist of a standardS&W barrel designed for round-noseservice loads.The BoMar rib added still more steadyingweight, plus a sheer, flat, easy-to-seesight surface. Perhaps most important, itwas precision-adjustable to a much finerdegree than standard adjustable sights offactory revolvers, and these adjustmentsand the height of the tall, undercut frontIIPROBLEMS???~>Dos£OILSOLUTIONS!!!IAt your local dealeror write us:ZIP AEROSOL PRODUCTS21320 Deering Court, Dept. AH-1 1 THE THE THE THE THETHECanoga Park, Calif. 91304 SUPER LUBRICATING DRY LEATHER WOODGLAREDECREASE? PROTECTOR LUBRICATOR GUARD GUARD . STOPPER@ Mitann Inc. 1977AMERICAN HANDGUNNER . NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1977

post allowed you to crank the rear sightdown enough that you could "6 o'clock"the head or neck and drop your bulletsinto the diaphragm-area X-ring of the silhouette.This gave a precise aiming pointat fifty yards, instead of vague area-aimingat the center chest; at that distance, thetarget rings aren't readily visible to thenaked eye.Finally, speedloaders cut reloading timefrom ten seconds or so to five or six, lessin experienced hands. That left time tohold and slowly squeeze. The pressure wasgone. With these advents accepted intothe rules, the game had become, as manycritics pointed out, "Bullseye target shooting,only double action and a little quickerfor different positions."I'm not too thrilled about the rules thatallow these guns. I don't want it to soundlike I'm trying to put the many fine PPCgunbuilders out of business. I own two superbPPC revolvers, a full-house RonPower S&W .38 conversion with 1:14"twist Douglas barrel and BoMar sights,and a Moran-customized Python. I needthose guns if I'm going to compete againstothers who are similarly equipped; a stockMilitary & Police .38 might give me amore "realistic" shooting experience, butit would also lose the match for me before,-I stepped on the firing line.^Â¥ . ,:,I, Speedloaders? A lot of local match directorsban them on the theory thatthey're not really practical or acceptablestreet police equipment This is somethingI'd argue with, and though I was oneof the strongest opponents of mechanicalloading devices in my own local matches,[ eventually endorsed them as I saw morestreet cops going to them. In some partsof the South and Southwest, they're virtually standard equipment for all sixgun.packing lawmen. They are eminenti)practical, and it is no longer realistic toban them. Even if a cop's department uniform "regs" don't allow him to camspeed-loaders on duty, he can still bujthem for less than $5 a piece for thematches; cost is not prohibitive.Cost does get prohibitive when you talkcustom PPC guns. Not counting the prictof the basic revolver, you're well ovei$100 and closer to two or more once yoiget a complete barrel-and-rib job, plus cylinder tightening, action slicking, etc. I'vthad many cops come to our shoots as firstime competitors who would take ontlook at the Douglas-barrel guns on the firing line, look pathetically down at theifour-inch M&P or Combat Mag that the'carried on duty, and turn on their heel an(walk away. They couldn't compete againsthat kind of hardware, and they knew itWe were losing the people we were running the match to help.This is one reason I've always been iifavor of limiting PPC competition to fourinch barrel, stock revolvers, permittinjonly light customizing. Lots of street copwear custom grips and have coloretPistol Bullets bvThe performance you've been looking for from your handgun is asclose as your local Hornady dealer. Whether it's law enforcement,hunting, target or-general shooting purposes, there's a Homadyhandgun bullet that will meet or exceed your performance standardsof accuracy, dependability, expansion and stopping power.Now you can select your favorite caliber and weight from 15 differentjacketed pistol bullets. Load a box and try them under yourown shooting conditions. You'll see why more and more handgunnersare choosing Hornady for performance.,NEW!9mm cal.90 gr. HP45 cal.185 gr. HPACP .45 cal.1 ;3$gr.FMJI44 cal. 240 gr. HP45 cal.185 gr.Target ACPColt HPHornady has 6 greatswaged Lead Bullets, too.1 106 bullets for handloading. Write for information.--- mady BulletsP.O. Box 1848, Dept. AH-1 1 Grand Island, Nebr. 68801AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1977 67

sights; those should be allowed. So shouldaction slick-ups (really, there's no way youcould enforce a rule against them), andmany cops do have custom actions intheir duty guns. But stuff that's clearly impracticalfor duty-heavy barrels and ribsthat raise weight to sixty ounces sometimes-theseguns don't have the samehandling characteristics as what the coppacks on the street. The handle-shape andaction-feel may be roughly the same, butthere the resemblance ceases, and with it,the illusion that the cop is practicing todefend his life with his duty weapon. This,after all, is the raison d'etre of PPC shooting.Some have argued, "The officer shouldbe required to shoot his duty weapon, andfurnish proof at the match that the gun heshoots is the one he carries on duty." Anice theory, but it doesn't work in practice.Last year, I shot in the Niles, Illinois$3,000 purse combat shoot, an extremelyinnovative and well-run match that had alot of fast and darkness shooting, andwhich required you to shoot the gun youcarried on duty. Out of 130 shooters, mostusing 4" .38s and .357s, three of the fourof us who finished tops were using nonstandardguns. The winner, Stan Kubas,used a target-sighted 5" 111127, his dutygun; I used the BoMar sighted and accurizedNational Match .45 auto I carry onduty (and furnished a letter from my chiefstating that this was my approved servicehandgun); another man used his issue 6"Combat Mag and department-approvedHKS speedloaders. Guys with standardservice revolvers and belt ammo pouchescouldn't have hit the scores we tallied withour specialized but department-approvedguns. And they didn't. The notable exceptionwas Don Evangelista of Chicago PD,who used a 4", fixed sight, stainless M&Pto come in third. Don is a superb marksmanwho, had he used hardware on thesame level as the other three of us, wouldhave quite likely finished first.A true master shooter can adjust to thechange from custom PPC gun to 4" serviceweapon. Our Granite State shoots havefor years had "open revolver" categoriesand "service revolver" categories, the latterfor 4" stock pieces. A Jim Cirillo orJohn DeChellis would shoot the same 588out of 600 with the M&P as with the $400custom weapon, but the average shooterwas often fifty points between guns.What I'm saying is that the really toppeople wouldn't be losing anything if therules were changed to 4" stock serviceguns, and the "little guys" would be gettinga hell of a lot. The average cop wouldnow be able to enter a shoot with the gunhe carries on duty and not be hardwarehandicapped.I'm also saying that makingthem shoot their officiat duty weapon isgoing to bias the scores again in favor ofhardware, because some cops can carryanything they want, and some can carryonly a 4" fixed-sight .38. I know one cop68who competes in one of the few areaswhere the "you must shoot your duty gun"rule is applied. He got department permissionto carry on duty a Bill Davis-builtK-38 with 5" heavy barrel and Davis' ownrib with Elliason sights. He packs it in aBianchi breakfront, and it is his duty gunofficially, and it will outshoot almost anythingany other cop in the county is allowedto bring to an area match.A similar rule was suggested in mystate, and I was one of many who turnedthumbs down on it. My department lets uscarry anything we want, and my partnerDick Brown and I, the top two shots onthe force, wear highly customized and super-accurate.45 autos. A much larger cityadjacent to us allows the officers to carrynothing but the model 10 S&W, and theycan't even put grip adapters on them.(Ruins the uniform appearance, youknow.) A match under those rules wouldfavor us enormously, and people are surprisedthat we oppose the change. But weknow that nobody is going to come out toshoot against our .45s, and the whole conceptof PPC competition as a training aidfor the,.spectym of police officers wouldgo out the window.What we did manage to do was get permissionfrom NRA that in our StateChampionship PPC match, we could restrictthe State Resident Champion titles,individual and team, to officers from withinthe state who fired 4" revolvers withoutheavy barrels or sight ribs. The turnout wegot in response to that rule change wasphenomenal. Dick Brown won the shootwith a 467 out of 1500, posted with aWWII-surplus, fixed-sight Victory S&W.Make the PPC mor;realistic?~ake itmore inviting to the average cop in thestreet, the guy it was designed to help inthe first place? I think it's a terrific idea,and I think the way to do it would be tolimit the guns to factory format, four inchbarrels, custom grips and actions optional;allow sight guards, colored sights, andprecision adjustable low profile sights-Elliasons on a Colt and Behlert's on aSmith, but not BoMar or Davis ribs, orDouglas barrels-and permit any kind ofleather suitable for duty use. The relativelysmall number of officers who carry 6"revolvers, or auto pistols, could adapt tothis format more easily and cheaply thanthe vast majority of cops who carry 4".38s or .357s, and don't have a salary conduciveto the several-hundred-dollar customPPC guns now needed to win.I'd like to change the PPC. I'd like tomake it faster, and I'd like to have moreone hand (especially weak hand) shootingin it, and I'd like to eliminate the really extraneousthings like the sitting position.But I think that if we change the format ofthe weapons themselves, we'll be going along way toward the universal practicalityof gunfight training that PPC shootingwas supposed to bein the first place.EaBROWNING BDA(Continued frornbpage 27)chanisms, then adapting them and combiningthem into a functional whole.We were a bit handicapped'in that whenthe sample BDA was received not muchvariety in the way of 9mm Parabellurnammunition was immediately available.There were odds and ends of severalmakes and lots, but no great quantity ofanything except several hundred roundsof just-received, Dynamit Nobel, serviceloads. This clattered through the BDAwithout a single hitch. Recoil was moderateand functioning was ' flawless; andwhile no great stress was laid on accuracy,at 50 yards it hit where it looked. Smallquantities of assorted other makes andloads were tried next, and attempts weremade to shoot the tightest possible groupswith a small batch of Smith & Wessons'115-grain, FMJ, semi-wadcutter loads.From standing, shooting two-handed, thisload grouped inside three inches (fiveshot groups) at 25 yards. An international,slow-fire shooter might not think much ofthat level of accuracy, but I have encountereda great many military and police type9mm autoloaders that would not do nearlyas well. Certainly accuracy of this orderis more than adequate for the uses towhich a pistol of this type will ordinarily beput. Remember, in its current form it is aservice pistol.Because of the great popularity of highvelocity,expanding-bullet ammunitionthese days, several varieties were fired.1 PRECISIONEUROPEANPELLET AIRRIFLESPISTOLSAND REACCESS - .-World'8 largut dealer Èervin the discriminatingadult air gun market since 1963. Satisfaction gum.and. Informative catalog free; write today.AIR RIFLE HEADQ,UAIITERS INCDEPT. #eO SrillbV 11Ç W. 26/47AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1977

Reliability was very nearly as good as withthe service load, and while firing of alarger quantity might have shown moremalfunctions than were encountered withthe service loads, I wouldn't have reallyexpected it.The only handloads available at thetime utilized a 95-grain, round-nose, leadbullet seated to an overall cartridge lengthof 1.05 inches, and driven at a velocity ofapproximately 1300 fps. The gun functionedproperly with this load, so wewould expect it to do the same with anyother, lead-bullet load whose bullet shapewas chosen to facilitate feeding.After all points are considered, we findonly two criticisms to offer of the BDA.First is the abominable location of themagazine catch at the butt, where twohands are essential to reloading; this simplytakes too much time and introducestoo much error when the gun must be rapidlyreloaded in a combat situation Oursecond criticism is simply the price. Withstate and local taxes thrown in, hardly anyonewill be able to walk out of his favoritegun shop with a BDA having spent lessthan $400. Really, that is one hellavabunch of money for even the most modemservice pistol which has been designedto take advantage of theeconomiesoffered by the latest developments i nparts fabrication that modem tecnnoiogycan give us. I have no doubt that a greatmany people will gladly pay $400 plus forthis gun, but I'm equally certain that agood many of them will mutter undertheir breath and grit their teeth as they doso.Aside from all that, I personally feelthat the BDA cum SIG-Sauer is a most excellentdesign, one upon which I wouldnot hesitate in the least to stake my life ina shooting situation. I will, however, qualifythat by stating that I wouldchoose either the .38 Super or .45 ACversion in preference tothe 9mm Parebellum.WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS- -By CLAUD HAMILTONprominent American politician onceA remarked to the Chief Clerk of theUnited States Senate that "What thiscountry needs is a good 5< cigar." Hisname was Thomas Riley Marshall, andwhat prompted his comment I'm sure I'llnever know. But, were I in his position,and prompted to make such a remark today,I thiinkj'd say that "What the lawmenof this country really need today is a good.40 caliber pistol!"As I leaf through each new issue of abbgunzine" these days I know in advancethat I stand at least a 50-50 chance of findingat least one article or commentary on"the inadequacy of the .38 Special as a policeservice cartridge." There's a lot offeeling about this, and it has been buildingfor a lot of years, I guess since soon afterthe Korean War though I didn't becomeaware of it until somewhat later on. Andyet, after all those years, Smith & WessonModel 10s and comparable Colts still fillthe holsters of 90% of American lawmen!To understand why, I think it's well tolook back at what's happened over aboutthe last two decades.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1977There are many lawmen and otherhandgunners who, faced with a shootingsituation will opt for a revolver every timeno matter what the statistics being quotedabout relative reliability. Bill Jordan Ithink is one, though he'admits that hemight just stuff an auto in his hip pocketas some extra insurance. I'm another andwould do exactly the same thing and forthe same reasons. After thirty-three yearsof Army service and dealing with the .45,I'd still go for a revolver because I wasraised,on a fine one of my dad's, and theyhave a certain "right" feeling in my hand!Well, over the years the revolver mencast about to find something better thanthe .38. They tried the .357 Magnumwhen it came along, and few liked the .44Special-though it was mighty slow-andthe .45 Colt. They welcomed with openarms the new jacketed soft and hollowpoint bullets loaded to "Plus P" velocitiesand pressures, and more than a few espousedthe .41 Remington Magnum ofKeith fame when it came on the scene.There was another school. of lawmen,too, and these gentlemen were fully asconcerned but not so much with stoppingpower-or lack of it-of the .38 Specialas they were with the inadequate firepowerand clumsv loading characteristics ofrevolvers in general. he^, too, welcomedthe new and improved bullets and some ofthe departments they controlled havegone to the Smith & Wesson Models 39and 59 using the 9 mm Parabellum.Lastly, there was a third group whowanted not only a better manstopper thanthe .38 Special, they wanted more firepowertoo. These fellows, unfortunately,had just one choice, and they had to takeit: the .45 ACP. Not that it was all thatbad, mind you . . . it wasn't . . . and isn't. . . and lawman interest in that fine oldgun seems to be growing all the time thesedays.I know some very gun-wise young lawofficers who have explored all three ofthese answers and come away frustrated,as have I. There is a feeling that somethingis missing, that there must be somethingbetter. I can't of course speak forthem, but for me.The new bullets are a real improvementbut they still just don't quite "hack it".The .38s still pass through most humantargets at usual engagement ranges, andstill do not seem to stop them reliably.The .357 seems even worse, and a realmenace on city streets. And, the big frame .revolvers like the New Service and the"N" frame Smiths in .44 Special, .45 ACPand Colt and, yes, the .41 Magnum, justaren't for me.What I said about the "new" bullets inthe .38 and .357 seems to go for the 9 mmP and the .38 Super in spades!The .45 ACP boys probably, in myhumble opinion at least, have the best ofboth worlds. I don't care what has beenwritten and said over the years about thatold gun, no one's ever said it wasn't aman-stopper and, when tuned and loadedproperly, it'll hold it's own for accuracy,too. In spite of my revolver upbringing, Ihave a gut feeling that for me the old .45is quicker into action than any revolver. . . how's that for being ambivalent? I admitit But, on the other hand, the .4569

'NO SECOND PLACE WINNER"Bill Jordan tells it like it is inhis fascinating book about gunfighting, how to do it and whatequipment to use. Informativeand exciting reading.Â¥GUNLOADSa LEATHER4wCOMBAT SHOOTINGGUNFIGHTINGSfrttia( g~ - All GUNS readers will receive aI I personally autographed copy. Order yours today, and, 1I order one for a friend! !Please send me __ copy(ies) @I $6.50. plus 50Ã (per 1I book) for postage and handling. II !i Name - IAddressI1 City State ______Zip IGUNS MAGAZINE 8150 N. Central Pk., Skokie, Ill. 60076 - IIIL------------------------------------JAMERICANIACP doesn't give you all that much addedfirepower, and it has a peculiar psychologicalproblem. Believe it or not, thereare a lot of folks in the civilian communitywho just do not like to see an officer carryinga pistol that is obviously cocked in hisduty holster. Foolish it may be; true it is.That's the way it was always meant to becarried but no amount of built in safetiesand thumb straps seem to make any difference.So, old revolver men, let's face it. It'stime we joined the rest of America in thelast half of the Twentieth Century-evenif some of us have to be dragged kickingand screaming and leaving fingernailscratches on the door frame. This is theage of the double action semiauto pistol.The revolver is a beautiful, romantic, unforgetablepart of the American past . . .but today it is an anachronism. I don'tcrank a fliver to start it anymore. I haven'tdriven a car with a stick shift since 1950. . . why do I seem to have such a time acceptingthe modem double action pistol?Very simple: the calibers in which they'reavailable.I know. For those of you who read thenew loading manuals closely, it will comeas no surprise that Herter has presentlyunder development a rimless auto pistolversion of their ".401 Herter Powermag"cartridge, and I have it on the best of authoritythat a pistol is being built or modifledto handle it. Hopefully, we may know .,, ,*more about that before this year is ou*.:$1And, for those who are prolific readers;Guns & Ammo for February, 1977, reportsupon their in house development ofyet another "G & A" wildcat, this timeknown as the "G & A .40 Magnum", andmodification of a Browning Hi Power pistolto handle it. This number comes inthree, different loading ranges, thus goingthe .41 Magnum one better!Gentlemen, forgive me. What we andAmerican law officers need today is notanother Magnum, and the whole idea ofdifferent cartridge loadings for "service"and "training" use is entirely wrong in myhumble opinion. I'm convinced that thesetwo things: "magnumitis" and multipleloadings did more to kill the chances of .the Smith & Wesson Model 58 to make itbig than anything else. Many Army officerfriends of mine, and I, tried out the Model58 with an eye to carrying it to Viet Namin the early 60s if it proved to be superiorto the .45 ACP. In those days here nearWashington where I live the only ammunitionavailable was the full power magnumload. Without exception, experienceINewstainless steel barrel & accuracybushing to match. National Match qualiGuaranteed . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . $60.00:New Stainless Steel Browning 'Hi-Powerbarrel Matchaualitv. . . . . . . . . . . tTB.OOPP.

.'> .. . . . .. :&th it soured us all and I knowof no onewho bought a Model 58 or to&.one withhim: It was just too' unpleasant to shoot,too like the .44 Magnum to tell.the difference!If wi had had the police load available,the story might have been Very dif-ferent.No, what, ~merican handgunners adlaw officers in particular need is a short,light, compact and efficient double actionpistol with more than usual magazine capacity,which is accurate and neither noisiernor heavier in recoil &in the .45 ACP.Preferably both should be less; this becausewe need a pistol for all the law offi-cers, 1 6 and small, to be comfortablewith and have confidence in, and one thateven the ladies who are entering more andmore departments will find it easy to handlewell And, with all this, it must still be. about as good a manstopper as the .45ACP. Sound like a tall order? Not really Ithink.Yes, I know. I can see the executives atSmith & Wesaon and Remington throwingup their hands now and exclaiming"here comes another nut with an idea. . .!" But wait; I'm not talking about anew gun at all I'm simply suggesting thatthe tremendous void between -355 and.451 be filled by a new cartridge of asomewhat unusual type, and I believe thatthe Smith & Wesson Model 59 pistol isthe ideal vehicle for the job. The key, ofcourse, is the new cartridge, since the'gunalready, meets all the criteria above. Thecartridge I propose is the ".400 Smith &Wesson Police."It is not a magnum. It -is a true .400which fires avery, very blunt nosed jacket-1 revolver?. ,lineof sinole actto action. "y' R6 INDUSTRIES HC.' P.O.Box520862'* Biscayne Annex -I/Miami, Fla. 33152NameÂI \ÂState Zip- b.

COIN DETECTORS-200 models & 15 brands-National TreasureHunters LeagueWà A Mesquite, TX 75149' -write for free catalog-Send 500 and no. 10 SASE for price lists.CROWN CITY ARMSCorttand. NY 13048You've Tried The RestNOW GET THE BESTl THE FINEST ALLPURPOSE GUNLUBRICANTl SUPERIOR CORROSIONPROTECTIONl HARMLESS TO WOODl RETARDS FOULINGBUILD-UPa SELF CLEANINGLUBRICATING ACTIONI?sCUD Prices:J-TofHy OqmhUe Product*, Inc.r.a kx ma w m , M ism.l/3 (TIOON CLIPSReulllr available .45 APC unino can beuwd in your U.S. 1917 Model and i w rmodels of Auto Rim Type .45 CÇIlbe B*-wlver. This new CUD hold two cirtrldfaand has many advintages ovr thm halfmoonclip. For a FRBB Ñnmle Ñnatunped. ~If-Mlilreiwd envelopç25 for $3.95: 50 for $6.95 DDd.IMPROVE ACCURACYWILL NOT CHANGE BALLISTICS. .zine a little deeper front to rear so that alittle more of the power potential of thecartridge might be realized.An unusual feature of the cartridge Ipropose is the rebated rim and extractorgroove. These are exactly the same size asthe 9 mm P case. The advantage, ofcourse, is obvious: no change need bemade in -the breech face of the presentModel 59 nor in its slide. (When I originatedthis idea there were objections thatthe rebated rim might not extend highenough on the top cartridge in the magazineto insure reliable pick-up and feed.I've done some careful measurement andam sure such would not be the case.. . Ithink feeding would be normal.)Please don't overlook another specialaspect of this cartridge: the blunt bullet Ifyou'll look closely you should be able tosee that the mouth of the jacket is serratedto facilitate mushrooming on impact Ichose this bullet shape because both theresults of the recent LEAA study and myown experiments with flesh and bone targetslead me to the conviction that aboutthe best you can expect from modern bulletsin the way of expansion in human targetsat pistol/revolver velocities is thewadcutter shape. This is true except forthe case of the cup point and reversed hollowbase wadcutters which seem unique inARMS, INC.mOM:m11U*Ç72MINIATURE GUNS. andARMS RELATED COLLECTIBLESBUY - SELL - TRADE - SEND $1 .OO FOR CATALOGr -Tnud by H.P. White LtboratociwU.S. PtientÈ380e94#A-i 2, P-38TOM MAUA "K", Box #6, WINFIELD, IL 60190 U.S.A. Js';o^. -wr.400 DiameterBlunt-nosedJHPtheir performance at handgun velocities.So, it seemed wise to start with the wadcuttershape and, perhaps, sacrifice theaccuracy past 25 yards this imposes. Policeengagement ranges are usually muchshorter than thatWhat needs to be done to adapt theModel 59 to this cartrid e? I'd be the lastone to pretend to tell i3 mith & Wessonhow to build a magnificent autoloader,but the problem does seem simple. WhileI am sure many small adjustments wouldhave to be made to handle the more powerfulcartridge, these seem to be the mainpoints:First, the barrel would have to be boredto .400 and chambered appropriately.The feed ramp would have to be re-engineeredfor the blunt cartridge.Doubtless a stronger recoil springwould have to be installed, and a bufferala Bar Sto would be a nice improvementThe present magazine lips would haveto be opened and reshaped to handle thelarger cartridge, and the follower mightneed some minor reshaping. The magazine,by my calculations, ought to handlebetween ten and eleven of the rounds Ipropose. (The Guns and Ammo articlecited previously would tend to confii thisestimate.) This eives an eleven or twelve1 shot whichis a good manstopper. . .not a bad choice for a lawman at all.So, Smith & Wesson and Remington,come on vou euvs! Herter's effort and thatconstnictioi, leg & hammer tie-downs, has , conservative in design and incorporating24 bullat loops and Is fully lined. For 811 your standards of reliability and qualitysing1e action revolver* with lengthsfor both ammunition and gun. I know that ,of 4" to 6 1 B".gun make, barrel length Complete Catalogthings haven't always gone as$1.00and callbw when ordsriwDealers Please Inquire Only $35.00~~ them to in the past, but here is yourCASHIERS CHECK OR chance to team up just once more and ,.MONEY ORDER, PLEASE.AMERICAN SALES & MFG. CO. take the .38 revolvers out of the holsters . '.Box 677 Laredo, Texas 78040 DEPT. AH-1 1time you'll have a real winner!. . Phan specify waist. ... .,... +. . c mywmment,

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