American Handgunner Jul/Aug 2011 - Jeffersonian

D.O Reichard S&W Armorer
Trained Exclusively by S&W with 30 years skilled
experience in the art of the S&W Revolver.
Actions Tuned, Cylinder work, sight systems
& much more.
We back our work!
Reasonable Prices and Turn around time.
Priority Service Available
Call or Drop a line to Sand Burr Gun Ranch
sandburrgunranch@gmail.com
Or
574-223-3316
2111 E 350 N Rochester IN 46975
www.sandburrgunranch.com
“For Revolvers that Work!”
Symbol of honest, competent,
quality workmanship
“LOOK FOR IT!”
Member list $2.00
1449 Blue Crest Ln.
San Antionio, TX 78232
Beauty might be in the
eye of the beholder, but J.B.
thinks the Webley Model 1909 is
the best looking of the Webleys.
Ammo is available from Norma,
and recoil is about like a .380.
he 9mm Browning Long cartridge is essentially a .380 with a
slightly longer case. It’s 9x20mm, just 3mm more than a .380.
John Browning designed it, and the FN Model 1903 was chambered
for it. The same pistol was adopted by Sweden as their
Model 1907, made by Husqvarna. Actually, there were only three pistols
made for this round. The other two were the Le Francais Model
1928 and the Webley Model 1909.
The sleek Model 1909 is, I think, the most elegant of the Webley
autos. It’s also one of the most rare, with only 1,694 made — and I
have two! One has been expertly restored to “factory new” by David
Chicoine. The other, which has seen much use, I shoot often. Oddly,
both of them were made on the same day, May 31, 1910. They were
two of the 46 made that day.
A Shooter
All of the Webley autos were designed by William J. Whiting
and they ranged from a small .25 to the big .455; the later being
used to a small extent by British military units. The 9mm Model
1909 also saw some military use, but only as a private-purchase
item for some officers.
For this relatively mild cartridge, the Model 1909 had an unlocked
action. The only safety was a grip-type, which functioned when the
external hammer was cocked. The slide locked open after the last
shot, and the release was on top — a push-button at the rear of the
extractor. As with most of the Webley autos, the recoil spring was a
heavy V-type blade, located under the right grip panel.
Shooting the Model 1909 is pleasant, with the felt recoil being
about the same as the average medium-frame .380. My Webley is
quite accurate, averaging 3" groups at 25 yards, and perhaps somewhat
surpring, has never malfunctioned! Ejection of fired cases is
upward and rearward, and they usually land right behind you.
Excellent 108-grain FMC loads by Norma of Sweden are still
available from Century Arms. I suspect they ordered this lot for
themselves since the cases are marked “CA.” They
are reloadable and moderately priced.
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For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/century-internationalarms,
(888) 448-6723
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