American Handgunner July/August 1977

a great designUnique, exclusive QUICK-SHIFT interchangeable barrelassemblies are available in2!5", 4", 6" and 8" lengths A white outline on the rearas well as new 1012" andsight is standard equipment15" lengths and. for target re- b -n' all target models, offeringvolvers, in 4 styles of barrellooters a finer sight picture.shrouds lreaular. " . reoular ~"- - with -- -..Exclusive interchangeableventilated rib, heavy, heavyQUICKSH/FTfront sight \with ventilated rib).blades with red inserts are / Istandard on target models,offering the shooter evengreater opportunity for increased accuracy (Yellowand white are also available 1and a -commitment to quality /from- I I- getIUnique placement of the cylinderlatch close to the bar->l-cylinder gap stabilizes thefinder in its alignment toA h mAbBeautifully grained walnutand zebrawood grips are in-Wesson terchangeable fourevolver. styles: on Oversize any Choose Dan tar-(smooth or checkeredwalnut or zebrawood), Cornbatbmooth walnut), or Sac-ramento (smooth walnut).Also available, a walnut blankinletted to fit the gun, forthose who wish to cam theirown grip.Shown:4 Model 15-2VH8 Patent Pendingon the r-'-'For quite a while we've been telling you that we make the mostaccurate, the most versatile, the most dependable 381.357magnum double-action revolvers on the market. . .bar none.Now you're telling us the same thing! I IYour letters and phone calls show us that we haven't just beentalking horsefeathers and you're asking us, "How come, in this dayand age, you can make such a high quality product and sell it atsuch a reasonable price?"Well, for one thing, there's DanWesson, himself. Dan demands thatthe product that bears his name be thebest there is. This means precisionmachining. This means the strictestquality control in the industry. And,this means a first-class design.Our exclusive combination of a barrel under tension and secured atboth ends with a cylinder latch close to the barrel-cylinder gap anda flat muzzle makes Dan Wesson Arms revolvers the most accurateon the market.For versatility, we can't be beat because of the unique interchangeabilityof our barrels, shrouds, grips, and, on our target revolvers,colored front sights. And, to top it off, all parts inside the frame butone are interchangeable without filing or fitting, making DanWesson revolvers the easiest to repair.Afp a&AS for dependability, because of the unique lock work and thedesign and placement of the parts inside the frame, Dan Wessonrevolvers will function under the most adverse conditions. And, ofcourse, all frames, barrels, and cylinders are made of the finestquality alloyed chrome molybdenum steel, making them exceptionallystrong.So, if you're looking for quality revolvers. . .the most accurate, themost versatile, the most dependable ones on the market. . .maybeit's time you stepped up to a Dan Wesson.The Dan Wesson ArmsPISTOL PACTo begin, choose an 8Dan Wesson revolver inthe Series of your choice.Then add three moreinterchangeable QUICK -SHIFT barrel assemblies ;, e(2'/2", 4 " 61, an extrainterchangeable grip, ^\ - 4four additional coloredfront sight blades (2^syellow and 2 white) anda Dan Wesson Arms bylt buckle and emblem. Place them in ahandsome carrying case and you have the Dan Wesson ArmsPistol Pac ... a proud possession.ItAnd now, to accommodate long range handgun huntingand metallic silhouette shooting enthusiasts,Dan Wesson introduces 10" 12" and 15" interchangeablebarrel assemblies for all target models. 1For more information, write Dept. 16sAmis, bK. 293 Main Street, Monson, MA 01057 (413) 267-4081Five year warranty on every revolver

NEW!The newest and only magazine just for handgunners. Six issues a year eachcovering the editorial gamut from combat shooting to hunting, selfdefenseshooting, target shooting, collecting and reloading. Exciting featureswill be written by the best handgun writers. If you're a handgunneryou should be reading THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER.Six issues a year full of exciting features72 action packed pages each month Amust for everyone who owns a handgunTHE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER8150 North Central Park Ave., Skokie, Illinois 60076DEW. AH-7NAME$7.50 enclosed. Please send me a fullyear subscription (6 issues) toTHE AMERICAN HANDGUNNERADDRESSCITY STATE ZIP

THE AMERICAN% ..George E. von RosenPublisherCONTENTSFEATURESWORLD'S RICHEST HANDGUN MATCH ........................... .Massad Ayoob 18NORTH AMERICAN'S .22 MINI-REVOLVER ........................... .Chir Rçe 23LATEST WI LDCAT-THE .22 FLEA ................................. .Andy Barton 24INSTANT TRIGGER JOB FOR THE .45 ............................. .Terry Hudson 27CHAPMAN ON PRACTICAL PISTOLCRAFT ....................... .Ira A. Greenberg 28DAY ARMS 1500 CONVERSION .................................. .Walter Rkkell 32S&W MODEL 19 COMBAT MAGNUMGENESIS OF THE COMBAT MAGNUM ............................ .Robert J. Neal 38PEACE OFFICER'S DREAM GUN ..................................... .Bill Jordan 42LIGHT CUSTOM TOUCHES FOR THE M-19 ........................ .Massad Ayoob 46A CUSTOM GUN SHOP YOU SHOULD KNOW .......................Evan Marshall 52RELOADING THE .357 MAGNUM. ...............................George C. Nonte 54RETURN OF SUPER VEL AMMO ...................................Evan Marshall 64BOOKS FOR THE HANDGUNNER .................................. Staff Reports 68DEPARTMENTSINDUSTRY INSIDER ...Mnsad Ayoob 5 TAKING AIM .........Claud Hamilton 10THE PISTOLSMITH ......G. C. Nonte 6 HANDGUN LEATHER .....JertyAhem 12HANDGUN HUNTING ..Gq. Bredsten 8 COP TALK ........Col. Rex Applegate 14Jerome Rakusan ........................... .Editor Bill Bauer ....................... .Advertising SalesHerbert Gates .................... .Associate Editor Michele Somers .............Advertising PromotionThomas Parrett ...................Associate Editor Joan Tortorlcl ..............Advertising ProductionSydney Barker ........................ .Art Director Jane Davidson ............ .Adv. Customer ServiceBenton Covert ..................... .Art Production T. A. won Rosen .............. .Production DirectorAlbert Esklnazi ...................................................................SUBSCRIPTION OFFICE: D. Bennett, 8150 N. Central Park, Skokle, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-5611EDITORIAL OFFICES: Jerome Rakuian, 6150 N. Central Park, Skokle, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-5602NATIONAL ADV. OFFICES: 8150 N. Central Park Ave,, Skokle, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-6010WEST COAST ADV. REPS: Media Sales Aawclaf, 12121 WIlahIre Blvd., Suite 207, LosAngeles, 90026 (21 3) 826-8341.EAST COAST ADV. REPS.: BUCHMAYR ASSOCIATES, DARIEN, CONN. 06620 (203) 655-1639.Sub8cription/ClrculatlonTHE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER to published bi-monthly by Publishers' Development Corp.. 8150 N. Central Park Avenue, wle, Illinois60076. Application to mall atOOumdW rates is pending at Skokie, Ill. 80078 and at additional entry offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (6 inuel) $7.50. Single monthly copies $1 SO.clwaEOF-S: Four weeks' notice reauired on all chances. Send old address as well as new. CONTRIBUTORS submittinn nunuecriots. Dhotoaraohs ordrawingsdow1theirown rtek. Material cannot be returned unlessiccompanied by sufficient postage. PAYMENTwill bemadeat r&current~tinhof publicationmd wlll uwor mmductbn in w or ail AMERICAN Wl3QUNNER Maoa~in editions. ADVERTISING RATES IumW on muat ~roductim or urn of anyflortion ofthismagazine In any m~ner, withoutwritten permission, is prohibited.~ll rights reserved. Titleto this publication passesto subscriber only ondelivery to

HANDGUNNEWS FROM MANUFACTURERSAGNUM FORCE, the .44 to be spe-M cific, is in the news these days inNew England's "Gun Valley." Smith &Wesson's Model 29 will be sold at blackmarketprices no longer, if company execsDel Shorb and Dick McMahon and othershave their way, and it looks like they will.The company had been telling the gunwriters that they couldn't do anythingabout those dealers selling 29's for hundredsof dollars over list because of thescarcity, since the Sherman Anti-TrustAct prohibited them from squeezing offsupply to dealers who weren't cleaving tocatalogue prices. The only solution: to increaseModel 29 production, thus satisfyingthe demand from the. shooters thathad driven the price up in the first place.The company has made a productioncommitment this year: 80% more .44Magnums will roll out of Smith & Wessonin '77 then did in '76. In turn, '76 productionwas well above that of '75. It's hopedthat they'll be selling at list by the end ofthe year, everywhere in the country.Speaking of the Dirty Harry syndrome,a major factor in the Model 29 mystique,the rumor persists that in the first movie,Clint Eastwood was actually using an identical-in-appearanceModel 57 .41 Magnum,at least in some of the scenes. The29s were hard to come by even then, andaccording to the story, they couldn't getone by the time camera deadlines rolledaround; the director supposedly tookSmith execs up on the suggestion that theysubstitute a 57 until a 29 could be shippedto the producers. Whatever Clint Eastwoodsays about this anecdote, our sourceis very high up at Smith & Wesson ...'77 will supposedly see three times asmany double-action 144 Magnums as '76did. Maybe four times as many.High Standard Crusader .44 mags,we're told, should be ready for you to buyabout the time you read this, or before.DAN WESSON is ready to toss a bigfistful of chips into the .44 Magnum pot.The gun Dan plans to introduce will be, inBy MASSAD F. AYOOBAMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1 977essence, a scaled-up version of his increasinglypopular .357. The same slick, basicaction will be there, and the same distinctivesilhouette. So will the interchangeablebarrels and grips. Many of his advisors areurging Dan to go a step further with thebigframe gun and go for a "Giant Pistol-Pac" with interchangeable calibers aswell. This would be a boon to New Yorkshooters, who are limited to a certainnumber of handguns, and could thus havean almost infinite number of centerfire revolverscharged to one serial number asone gun.Only problem is that, with present productionmethods, each cylinder wouldhave to be fitted at the factory, making foran exceedingly expensive initial purchase.Dan is mindful of the fact that, though hesells more of his regular "Pistol-Pacs".each year both numerically and proportionately,still more of his customers liketo buy one basic gun and acquire the barrelsone at a time, later.Dan is chary about predicting an introdate; he's been burned before. His .22rimfire revolver was formally announcedto the shooting media, but has since beendropped into a limbo that this writer haslearned is probably permanent.A "newie" you can count on from thismanufacturer is longer barrel options:lo", 12", and 15". They'll be available inall four of Dan's present Pacesetter configurations.(It's interesting to note that,though the gun-buyers had just startedidentifvine , " with the "Pacesetter" sobriquet,Dan is dropping the name in favorof numerical designations like "12-HV".)Rifling twist will be either one-in-sixteen,IMPROVE ACCURACY^edtm.^ddTftwy^Uf^Wtft,WILL NOT CHANGE BALLISTICSor the present one-in-eighteen and a halfinches that duplicates the Smith &Wesson in the same caliber.As awkward as it sounds, Dan assures usthat the heavy-barrel variation in fifteeninches hangs like a rock. Experimentersand .357 reloaders should love it. A 16"revolving carbine is obviously the nextstep, though Dan just smiles mysteriouslywhen you suggest it; the stubby grip frameof the DW gun does lend itself to an idealshoulder stock. . .Before we leave the Monson. Mass.gunmaker, we should note that the popularityof his guns has increased to the extentthathe & once again putting on a secondshift of production workers to meetthe demand. He did that once before, acouple of years ago when Dan WessonArms was making the High Standard SentinelMk 111 .38s and .357s on contract.Quite avart from the subseauent loss ofthe ~ i Standard ~ h contract, the problemwas that Dan had put too many new peopleon the second shift, with too littlesupervision from the experienced gunmakerson the personnel roster. WhenDan talks about putting on the secondshift again because of increased marketdemand, we're not worried about it. Betweenhis hard-learned experience, andthe management talents of Dick Rosenfeld,the latest up-step in the company'svroduction should be fruitful . . .This column has mentioned the secondgeneration SMITH & WESSON 9 mm.autos more than once. Latest word is thatthe project is still in the plateau phase,and nobody's saying when it will reach climax.The ambidextrous safety has beenrelegated to "sometime." The fully adjustablesight really is in a fairly advancedstage of development, but is being heldpending redesign; it seems that extendedtests showed it lacked the durability tokeep its adjustments with a continuousdiet of full charge ammo. Our sources inthe field, who tested the prototypes, gaveS&W some specs that may fill the bill.More honest answers from SMITH &WESSON: Police Combat shooters canforget about that bull-barrel K-38 that hasbeen the subject of wildfire rumors inPPC circles. The popular NRA Distinguishedmatch demands a strictly-productionpolice revolver, and if S&W were toproduce a gun like the custom heavy-barre1jobs sanctioned by NRA for regulationPPC shooting, it would have been a boon.But demand is just too small to warrantthe company's commitment to the necessarylevel of production. Colt was able to

comply with the PPC shooters' demandseasily enough when they made the Elliasonsight a factory option on the Python;the Elliason simply drops into the sameslot and screw holes that would accept thestandard Accro, and the correspondinglyhigh post front sight is no harder to pininto place than the standard ramp, on specialorder. Barrels are another thing.Scuttlebutt was that California HighwayPatrol, which has finally decided to buyguns for their men who for years havebeen required to carry personally-owned6" .38s had specified a heavy-barrel K-38,thus giving Smith & Wesson a reason tomake it a standard item. This is not so.The CHP gun will be designated themodel 68. It will be nothing more nor lessthan a stainless-steel K-38 with 6" barrel.Rhode Island State Police are looking atthe same gun for adoption. That barrelwill have a shroud for the ejector rod, andwill therefore be suitable for the 6" Model66 (stainless Combat Magnum) that willbe a standard item in the S&W cataloguewithin two years.Since we started on a MAGNUMFORCE note, we'll end on one: Ruger stillhas no immediate plans for a stainlessSuper Blackhawk .44(their 9 mm. DA revolveris still not ready for U.S. introduction,though it's apparently selling wellabroad. and the low-awaited " over-underRuger shotgun will be teasingly introducedat the NRA show). However, thereare two other stainlqss steel SA .44 Magnumsready for April-to-June '77 introduction.Two New York State firms, U.S.ARMS and UNITED SPORTING ARMSare racing each other for the intro. Bothcompanies already have in stock bluedversions; the guns are what they call "improvedcopies" of the Ruger SA design,and show excellent workmanship and finish.The two guns are' almost identical,since they're the product of a team thatsplit up and went in' two similar-but-separatedirections after design had been finalized.U.S. Arms promises a lowerprice, but United swear their guns will beavailable sooner. We?!!, 1 e testing them inthese pages; prices, are projected as ex-Itremely competitiva I8PS to police auio ,buffs: Look forBIANCHI to introduce a breakfront holsterfor autos with a secret design to resistsnatch attempts, as does the current Mod-el 27 and Judge line of their revolver holsters,(which incidentally, has been redesignedto incorporate thumbsnaps andfake strap in all 27 versions). It will be thefirst high-security uniform holster forautoloading 9 mm. and .45 pistols.PS to wheelgunners: As far as weknow, we were the first to learn thatS&W's 125th Anniversary Commemorativerevolver was to be a special version ofthe model 25 (1955 Target) .45 ACP revolver.Don't ask us why. We don't evenknow why they asked us so earnestly tokeep it quiet 'ti1 the introduction to theirdistributors. And now you've already readabout it someplace else. Enough of this"Mr. Nice Guy" routine. . .Also in the "Don't ask us why" department:CHARTER ARMS is bringing outtheir .357 Police Bulldog in fixed-sight, 6"barrel configuration. The writer still can'tgrasp the purpose of a small-frame, longbarrel,fixed-sight .357 Mag, but Charter'sDave Ecker says the first. five thousandare already spoken for on orders. Whatthe hell, I never thought Fordthe Mustang over, either, sowhat do I know. . .?AN1A POSITIVE MAGAZINE EJECTORautoloading pistol to be used forserious social intercourse may sometimesrun dry before all the shooting is finished.When that occurs, the most rapidreloading possible won't seem fastenough.Every conventional pistol Iknow of contains a potential problem inthis respect: it depends on a combinationof gravity and follower-spring pressure topop out the empty magazine when youpunch the magazine catch button. If itdoes fall clear immediately, then speed ofreloading depends purely on the amountof practice you've had in seating thecharged replacement.Unfortunately, all too often, magazinesbind in stock autos and don't reliably andpredictably fall clear when they should.6Burrs inside the magazine well, bulges andwarps in the magazine, dirt, rust, etc.often cause the magazine to just sit there,blocking entry of the spare from your belt.Dirt, grit, or un-noticed damage cancause this, even if you've carefully cleanedup both magazine and well so the box fallsfree every time you punch the buttonhome. Any serious binding will be felt asthe magazine is seated-but things youdon't feel at that time can prevent themagazine from dropping clear. Caughtwith a half-out or still-seated magazine,you're stuck with a delay of at least severalseconds while the mess is cleared and thegun made ready to continue firing. Thoseseconds can be fatal.A magazine ejector can prevent thatsort of problem. It won't help with a badlyjammed magazine, but will take care ofany interference you wouldn't notice duringloading. In its simplest form, the ejectorconsists of a stiff spring under thegun's grip; the spring compressed by a lugon the magazine as it is seated. Then,when the magazine catch is disengaged,the magazine is thrown clear, even if thegun is held upside-down.To make this gadget, obtain a fewinches of '/M-inch diameter spring wire(music wire) from your local hobby shop.Bend the spring shown, altering to suityour particular gun if necessary. The oneshown fits the Colt GM series, but will fitbig-bore Star and Llama models as well.Position the spring so its lower leg fallsinside the butt cutout, just above the solidweb, as shown. Drill a inch hole to acceptthe turned-in tip of the upper springlimb. With this tip seated in the hole, outlinethe spring coil on the rear of theframe wall. Use a drill of appropriate sizeto form a cavity that will accept about halfthe width of the coil without allowing thespring to intrude inside to interfere withthe magazine or any other internal parts.If possible, use a drill ground with a veryshallow point, and do not drill clearthrough the side-wall. Ideally, this holeshould be flat-bottomed and made with anend mill.With needle files and/or small chisels(a hand grinder and rotary file will help),open up the front of this recess as shownso both limbs of the spring have room tomove.Position the spring and center-punchdirectly over web at the rear of the magazinewell. Drill a '/i&ch hole into theweb, then drive in a short length of rollAMERI CAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

Top: Closs~d of wing seat cut-out with anci.", pin drive in place.Below: Ejector spring as fitted to a LW Colt Commander. Note smallhole near magazine catch and lug soldered to side of the magazine.pin. This pin keeps the spring from jumpingout when there is no magazine inplace.Seat the spring and hold it tightly inplace, as it would be if the grip were inplace. Bend the lower limb inward, about'A the width of the magazine well, but notso far it will catch on the magazine feedlips as it is inserted.File a piece of '/m-inch steel to theshape shown. Locate it on the magazinewall approximately as shown so it willengage the lower limb of the spring. File aslight bevel on the upper edge to preventthe spring slipping off. Arrange this lug soit will compress the lower limb about 'Ainch,or a bit more, when the magazine isfully seated.Solder the lug securely to the magazinewall. Soft solder will do, but silver solderis better. For soft solder, make the lug abit larger for more joint surface.Next, file a passage in the inside of themagazine wall to clear the lug as the magazineis seated.All that remains now is to carefullybend the lower limb of the spring so it iscaught by the lug and compressed as themagazine goes into position. It should notrequire excessive force to engage the magazinecatch, but should be stiffly compressed.Then, when the magazine catchis disengaged, the compressed springasserts itself and literally hurls the magazineclear of the butt.When reinstalling the grip, be sure torelieve the inner surface for the upperlimb of the spring; also at any other pointwhere it might interfere.The spring can be made as strongly asyou want, but I caution against overdoingit If too strong, seating magazines can be-come difficult-and magazines can bedamaged by too-forceful ejection. In myopinion, it's best if the spring is just stoutenough to toss an empty magazine completelyclear of the gun when held vertically,butt-up.Once installed, the magazine ejectorcan be simply lifted out after removingthe grip. Unaltered magazines may beused in the gun, with or without the ejectorin place. The modifications to the gundo not effect it functionally. The slot inthe frame for the lug on the magazinedoes weaken that area; however, there isno load there unless the gun is dropped orstruck heavily. On the other hand, magazinesmodified by adding the-ejector lugcannot be used in any gun not altered forthe purpose.In my opinion, that's a small price topay for positive and unfailingmagazine election.;-200 models & 15 bronds- INational TreasureHunters LeagueMesquite, TX 75149-write for free catalog-AMERICAN HANDGUNNER * JULYIAUGUST 1977

QUESTION people as to the effectivenessof handgun bullets on big gameand, unless also experienced big gamehandgun hunters, their answers are apt tobe based on hearsay and contain misconceptions.A similar situation exists pertainingto most big game handgun huntersand their professed knowledge of handgunbullet performance on big gamelarger than whitetail deer.Only a small segment of the handgunhunting fraternity has the interest, opportunityand wherewithal to hunt the largerspecies of big game. What with the dis-By GEORGE BREDSTENtance, time and expense usually involved,one would hardly expect it to be otherwise.A somewhat larger percentage ofhandgunners hunt for big game like deeror even black bear, but relatively few ofthese hunters are successful in taking biggame with the handgun. It can be said,without serious risk of contradiction, thatthe hunting experiences of most handgunnersare limited to small game and/or varmints.A perusal of handgun hunting literaturereveals the rather disturbing fact that veryfew of the authors have experience takingthe larger species of big game with thehandgun. One should not shoot rockchucks,jack rabbits or similar animalswith a handgun and then claim to knowwhat the bullet(s) will do in big game.Also, while it may be interesting to shootinto pine boards, metal plates, modelingclay, or 'clean, sifted beach sand', thehandgun bullet performance in suchmedia is a very poor indicator of how thesame bullet performs in big game. Yetmany authors, lacking field experience,use the foregoing techniques as a basis forpostulating handgun bullet performancein big game.As a result, some authors are not hesitantto cite as fact that which is coniecture.J ~-For example, what other rationale explainsone author's claim that the 256Winchester is an adequate (?) handguncartridge for big game out to one hundredyards, yet at the same time he restricts theusefulness of the 44 Special and 45 Coltto approximately half that distance? Ofcourse, the same author believes onlyjacketed handgun bullets are suitable fortaking big game, and he also maintainshandgun bullets do not penetrate as deepinto big game as do rifle bullets. Thosehandgunners who have taken big gameusing the Elmer Keith design, cast bullet,full power load in .41 Magnum, .44 Special,.44 Magnum or 45 Colt will chortleat such ignorance.While the 45 Colt bullet (Keith load)gives penetration in big game as good orbetter than many rifle bullets; it is a matterof demonstrable fact that the .41 Magnum,.44 Special, and .44 Magnumbullets (Keith loads) penetrate considerablydeeper into big game than do mostexpanding bullets from commercial riflecartridges under forty caliber!As a point d'appui, the reader is referredto the photographs of the mooseand of the bullets recovered from themoose taken with a sixgun. This moosewas taken at about seventy-five yards byABGHA president, Larry Barnes whoused a Ruger, Super Blackhawk, .44 Magnumand handloads (Hensley & Gibbs#503 cast bullet over 22.0 grains of2400). While the details of this hunt arenot pertinent to the subject of handgunbullet performance in big game, it is interestingto note this moose was taken incidentalto a waterfowl hunt.A summary of the bullet(s) performance-olacement.,oenetration. . recovereddiameter and recovered weightisshown in the table.Lest someone question the efficacy ofthis .44 Magnum load, it is mentionedthat the moose immediately droppedwhen hit with the first bullet This bullet,having perforated the upper lungs, was orwould have been adequate to kill theanimal without the following shots. This isdue to the fact that once an animal dropsfrom the effect of a lung shot, it is veryrare for the animal to regain a standingposition-let alone get up and move.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

BULLET PLACEMENT1 8" behind left brachium1 0 down from dorsum2 Right brachium anglinginto neck3 Right brachium anglinginto neck4 Right brachium anglingintolacross thorax5 Right side of neckMEASURED RECOVERED BULLETPENETRATION DIAMETER WEIGHT17" with 2 ribs None-thru moose26" shattering .712" 227.6 grshumerus32" no bone .431" 245.8 grs37" with 2 ribs .474" 239.7 grsNone-thru mooseEven though the moose dropped with theimpact of the first bullet, it did thrashabout with its head and forelimbs-thus,the follow-up shots were made to affect aquicker kill.Living in Alaska, where many mooseare harvested annually, it has been mygood fortune to take a few moose, observeother hunters take several more, and topersonally check-in dozens of successfulreturning moose hunters. Being an inveteratefirearmdhunting enthusiast, it isnormal operating procedure to questionthese hunters as to cartridge (bullet) performance,and where possible to examinethe animal to observe terminal ballistics.This might disrupt the mental somnambulismof those who harbor the delusionthat foot pounds of energy equates to cartridge(bullets) performance, but certainlarge caliber handgun cartridges, properlyloaded, have generally proved to be moreeffective on large big game than rifle cartridgesof the .270 Winchester class. Discountingthe fluke hit in the brain orspine, the observecj/reported performanceof this class of rifle cartridge indicates twoand three hits in the thorax to be typicalyet,most of the moose so hit were able totravel some distance before dropping.Conversely, a disproportionate number ofmoose taken with handguns have beendropped with a first shot thorax hit.To minimize misunderstanding, oneshould recognize that the existence of certainconditions together with various patternsof hunter field behavior makes itpossible for the handgun cartridge to producesuperior results. First, rifle bullets ofthe .270 Winchester class, even with premiumbullets, do NOT penetrate as deepin big game as do certain handgun bullets.Even though rifle bullet penetration isample for the so-called 'classic' broadside,behind the shoulder lung shot; the penetrationfactor quickly becomes marginaland finally inadequate when various an-AMERICAN HANDQUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1 977gling shots are considered. The small boredevotee usually replies with a rather naivecomment to the effect that 'one should bypassor forgo any extreme quartering orraking shot-thereby reducing to anacademic subject the problem of inadequatepenetration.' Superficially, this appearsto be good advice, but it containsone serious flaw that cannot be disregarded.For most persons a guided moose huntrepresents a substantial investment oftime and money, and after eight or ninenonproductive days of a ten day hunt, itwould be unrealistic to expect most huntersto forgo a raking type shot if it was offered.Whether or not such shooting isethical begs the issue, because like it ornot, many hunters will attempt such shotsout of sheer desperation. If the rifle cartridgeused is a .270 Winchester, or its ilk,the chances are high that a wounded andlost animal will be the results.Second, no pretense is made that thesubject of wound ballistics is thoroughlyunderstood, but such factors as sectionaldensity (initial, transitional and final),cross sectional area, dwell time, shapeand extent of the temporarylpermanentwound channel, and the wound track'sproximity to or contact with various bodyorgans all contribute to the actual terminalballistics achieved. However, whenall types of shots are considered, the largecaliber handgun bullet (SWC configuration)gives more reliable results. Naturally,the distance at which big gameis taken with the rifle versus the handgunhas an important bearing on their relativeperformances. Moose shot with nfle cartridgeswere taken at two hun&pd ormore yards, while the mpose taken withhandgun cartridges were shot at seventyfiveyards and less. The point made is thatunder the conditions of actual field usethe handgudcartridge combinationproved more efficient!There's a thrillin bringing a crook tojustice through Scientifichave taught thousands this exciting,w profitable, pleasant profession. We canteach YOU, too.. . in your spare time, throughinexpensives step-by-step home study lenaons!Start NOW preparing for a responsible, steady,well-paid position in scientific crime detectionDr investigation.OVER800 AAMERICANBUREAUSOFIDENTIFICATION --monomica1 I. A. S. home-study way!The game op rtunity is open to ou. Jut giv u*a dpnce-we'fkinyou for a foodjob in thu (aoci-Dating work. It's neither expensive nor difficult tolearn. Don't delay! Cash in on the constant need forfingerprint technicians and criminal investigator*."BLUE BOOKr^S - - OFCRIME"Pa- WU~ UW&J! Reveals exciting, "behind the~cenes" facts of actual criminal -.Tells how mi-entitic invest; atom solved them through the gamemethods youlearn at I. A. S. 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.- . . , .. , - ..DESIGNsERRORSome will argue, and with much merit,that changed circumstances absolvethe designers to some degree in certaincases. One case which I don't think falls inthis category is a post-war imported 9 mmauto I have recently fired. This fine gunhas a light, stamped metal hammer. Withexcellent American ammunition, thispistol will usually not fire on the first trydouble action. The light hammer is justnot heavy enough to give positive ignitionin that mode; it does work faultlessly oncethe hammer is cocked. I have seen a newMauser Model P '061'70 of late manufacturerecently which was a masterpiece ofbeautiful hand work. But, as Luger ownershave long known, this pistol is highly sensitiveto ammunition power levels, andthis example is no exception. It flatly refusedto function with any Americanammunition loaded to SAAMI standards,but functioned beautifully with stiff handloadsand foreign loads. Another designproblem involved the large and highly effectiveextractor made part of the originalSmith & Wesson Model 39-1s. Some ofthese, unfortunately, had a tendency tobreak under hard use.A sensitive area for all pistols is the feedramp which guides the nose of the cartridgefrom the magazine up and into thechamber. Many fine, older pistols weremade when only full metal jacket ammunitionwas available, and their ramps werenot shaped to handle modern, soft point,and often bluntly shaped bullets. Usuallysmoothing and changing the shape of theramp will- overcome this problem.Some pistols of the Browning type havea small retaining plate at the rear of theslide which holds the firyg pin in position10HANDGUN RELIABILITY-PartIllin its well. Occasionally this plate fitsloosely and can, on firing, slide down asthe firing pin goes forward and the slide tothe rear. When the slide again moves forwardthe plate will catch and prevent completionof the cycle. Many .45 devoteesroutinely pin the plate in all new guns topositively prevent this malfunction.CONDITION OF THE GUNImproper care can be devastating to revolverreliability. Dirt and grease can collectand harden in cylinder latch cuts preventinglockup and proper alignment withthe barrel at the moment of firing. Thiscan be very dangerous to both the shooterand bystanders. The cylinder latch itselfcan become stuck out of engagement bydirt and crease accumulations.",Cold weather and excess oil and greasestiffened by temperature, can so weakenhammer fall or dampen firing pin movem.entas to prevent firing. Cold also causescondensation when handguns are broughtin out of the cold, and this can cause rustovernight under optimum conditions.Revolver chambers kept loaded seem particularlyvulnerable,' and once it happensit's bad if you clean them and bad if youdon't! Either way a roughness is introduced-eitherthe raised rust or the pittingwhere it's been removed-nd firedcases are going to tend to bind and preventextraction.Plastic ammunition components canalso cause rust, and in unexpected ways.Under the heat of firing, a tiny amount ofthe plastic melts and forms a wash coating,usually near the chamber forcingcone. When this happens, it seals in the afterproducpof firing and prevents subsequentcleaning from getting them out.Usually a shotgun problem, this can hapiento handguns using plastic capsulejhot.Gunk, burned powder and grease residue,inevitably accumulate as sludge inguns as they are fired. Last summer I hadoccasion to do an extensive test of pistolspare magazines in which many roundswere fired. One clear impression withwhich I came away was that this sludgedoes not enhance reliable function. Nobig thing, of course, but it does point upthe fact that duty guns need to be keptclean and dry.MECHANICAL DAMAGEThe last cause of failures I look for inexamining a gun is mechanical damage.Handguns-Ithink revolvers particular-ly-are rather fragile tools. They do notstand up well under abuse no' matter whoclaims they do . . . yeah, I know. I haveseen the odd .45 used to pound ip tentpegs too, but I am not going to stake mylife on one that has been used that way.Handgun sights are specially vulnerable,with the target variety being by far theworst offenders. The very small adjustablerear sights made to go with the issue frontsight are the most easily damaged. Highfront sights for 9 mm and .45 pistols oftensnap pff at the base. But,'like a shotgun, ahandgun with a smashed sight is far fromout of the fightHaving given my gun as good a v'isualinspection as I can, with the help of a goodgunsmith if needed, what do I really knowabout its reliability? About all I know isthat of the possible causes of failures 'I'vediscussed and looked for, I haven't foundanything that looks wrong. That's notenough to bet my life on.Maybe it would be a good idea at this~oint to ston a minute and be sure that weare all on the same wave length when wetalk about handgun reliability. What Imean when I use the term is this: I want avery high degree of assurance that, if anemergency arises, my gun will function asit should on the first try. I think I need agun that is 95% reliable, as a good goal,and I need to be about 95% confidentthat it is in fact that dependable!AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977

CONFIDENCE NUMBER OFLEVEL FAILURES99% 0123change in ammunition could bemade during the test-The test would begin with the guns ingood order and properly cleaned.-Therewould be no cleaning duringthe test; stoppages, if any, would becleared but no other action would betaken.A young friend and I fired the test, sheusing the .45 and I the Smith. I can't say Iwas really surprised by the results. TheSmith came through without a single failurein the 150 rounds fired. The .45 hadone failure at round 92, when it failed toeject the empty and stovepiped it betweenchamber and breech face. Technically, Icounted this a failure, though the gun didfire, and the bullet did strike the target. . .it would have done its job. So, whether itwas a malfunction is, I think, at least debatable.What did I move? Well. as it turned outNow the question becomes:-what sort guns in the hands of homeowners and if you will enter the table at the 95% levelof test can I subject my gun to which will businessmen probably fall in this same of confidence and move across to thetell me whether br not I have these objet- class-along with quite a few police hand- right along the zero failures line, you willtives? It is a truism to say that in most all guns as well. see that the Smith & Wesson Model 10fields of human endeavor we sooner or Before shooting the test certain ground actually gave a reliability of between 97%later find ourselves in a situation in which rules had to be set to eliminate outside in- and 98%. The .45, with its one failure,there is a driving need to strive for perfec- fluences to the degree possible: still fell only 8 rounds short of giving 97%tion. And, there seems to be a law of life -Ammunition must be compatible reliability too!that sooner or later in that drive toward with the weapon. This approach to determining reliabilityperfection you reach a point where the -Ammunition must be new, of com- seems pretty well suited to the averagecurve of cost, or effort, or whatever you rnercial manufacture, and all of the homeowner or businessman who, after all,must spend to make progress, turns same kind and lot for each arm. No does not reasonably expect to face a largealmost parallel to the goal. Cost shoots upfor each small increment of progressmade. This happens in reliability testing,and the first thing I needed to know waswhether or not I could afford to run ashooting test of reliability that would giveme a decent level of confidence, keepingin mind the limited resources I can affordto spend.For the answer I turned to Navy BuAiraero engineer and good shooting companionClif Wrestler, who prepared the roughtable presented here.The entries, of course, being the numbersof rounds required to be fired based uponthe number of failures encountered. Thus,Exclusive new"Auto Flex" gunretainer of moldedsurgical rubber forRig for .45 Auto, Browning 9mmto achieve my 95% reliability level withabout a 95% level of confidence I would~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ; ~ ~ ~ ~ $ t - c h a n n e lprotects your sights. g8Cliphaveto fire between 59 and 156 rounds, Grip," adjustable tension,depending upon how many failures I had. quick-draw mag. hold-I couldn't ~redict the failures, so opted for er and fully contoured A Adn even 150, hoping for the best. Three ~ ~ $ &\$ $ ~ ~boxes of cartridges, after all, was an ex- belt complete thispenditure within reason!fantastic rig. Price:Actually, in the event, I selected to test '^s9-95 'two guns of different kinds to see what the At franchised dealersoutcome might be, and because Ihabitually use two rather than one for the Send cash, check or moneyorder (sorry no Addemergency role. The two I chose were a $1 for postage and handlingnew, unfired Smith & Wesson Military Calif Res add 6% sales tax Stateblack or tan, right or left handand Police Model 10 in .38 Special cali- Immediate deliveryber, and a .45 Colt Government Model ofpre-Series 70 Mk IV vintage but still anew gun. It had never been fired beforerecently having a custom barrel bushing,buffer and target sights installed. Theseire service guns in wide use and it is goodhat they were both new, for most of the

number of emergency situations. Thingslook quite different seen through the eyesof a police officer in some of our largecities where the officer may have to facesuch situations as often as once a week ormore during certain portions of his service.Here the problem quickly grows toobig for the individual to handle. Departmentswhich can afford the larger ammunitioncost-it's going to be shot for traininganyway-and keep the detailed recordsneeded over a period of months, canpush reliability and confidence levels wayon up and use this technique possibly inthe selection of service arms and ammunition.The final consideration is how to maintainyour gun in the utmost readiness andat the reliability standard you've established.Obviously it must be kept cleanand free of excess preservatives. Some officerswho must be out in all sorts ofweather prefer to use a tough wax ratherthan grease as an external preservative.Stainless guns offer real advantages here.I never like to leave a handgun in aleather holster for any length of time whenit is not in use. It's an open invitation torust. Soft, lined pistol "rugs" are verygood for protection but also pose the dangerof rust. I keep ready guns stored inthese rugs but always in light plastic bagswhich tend to slow the evaporation of thincoats of oreservative.In the next issue, I hope to concludethis discussion with some thoughts on associatedequipment for use with handgunsand its impact uponhandgun reliability.BREAKFRONT RIGSBy JERRY AHERNHE breakfront holster is not a new in-T vention. No source at my disposal indicateswhen it was originated, but certainlyone of the most famous of the earlybreakfronts is the "Lightning" made bythe venerable firm of Berns-Martin. A fewyears back, Bianchi (100 Calle Cortez,Temecula, Cal. 92390) bought out Berns-Martin and shortly thereafter went intoproduction of several breakfront dutyholsters and redesigned the already famousBianchi 9R shoulder rig to workdouble duty as an ambidextrous belt holsteras with the Berns-Martin model.Few other well-known makers offer anactual breakfront, but these interestingand effective holsters are once again cominginto vogue so more should be availablein the future. Three companies, besideBianchi, come to mind, one of themthe respected old firm of Bucheimer-Clark (Valencia, Cal. 91355) with theiroutstanding model 231 Enforcer, a highride breakfront concealment holster featuringa metal reinforced thumb snap, forward of the grips-hammeravailable for two-inch Colt D-Frame Revolvers,two-inch S&W J-Frames, thefour-inch M-19 and the four-inch Python.The second company is the new firm of-Rogers (P.O. Box 8028, Jacksonville, Fla.32211) featuring a paddle-style thumbsnapbreakfront made of synthetic materi-al. Lou Reno (P.O. Box 253, Okeechobee,Fla. 33472) makes only breakfronts.These last two I have not seen, but intendto.Bianchi, however, with several duty holstersand the redesigned Model 9R, currentlyhas the widest selection. Beforeexamining John Bianchi's breakfronts individuallyas representative types, it wouldbe well to examine the construction of atypical breakfront holster. A breakfront ismost analogous to a right-side-up snapdraw shoulder holster, utilizing a leathercovered spring clip which holds the gun inthe envelope until forceably withdrawnthrough the bite of the clip. The differencelies in direction. The snap draw goesout trigger guard first, the breakfront goestopstrap first.In appearance, the breakfront is mostsimilar to a clamshell holster with all theadvantages and none of the drawbacks.The clamshell completely covers the revolver,in most cases from the frame justspur andtrigger guard included. To get the gun outof the clamshell a spring must be activatedin one way or another which opensthe actual pocket of the holster on hingesaway from the extension of the shank orbacking. However, in the clamshell, oneof the two things was wont to happen.Either the holster opened every time itwas bumped or jarred, dumping the gun,or the holster wouldn't open reliably whenthe gun was needed.I said earlier that the breakfront has allthe good points of the clamshell as far ascovering the revolver and none of the badfeatures. The typical breakfront also completelyencloses the revolver from the gripframe forward, affording maximum protectionattainable without a full flap. It isproof against unwanted withdrawal byanyone but the wearer, whether jerkedfrom the top, from behind or to the side.And, more importantly, when holster sizeis properly mated to the gun, the breakfrontallows smooth, rapid withdrawal andno risk of the gun falling out unintentionally.I say "no risk" and this I believe. Thefew stories one hears of breakfrontsdumping the gun are usually all too similarto the one I will recount. A gun dealerwas swearing up and down that a police officerto whom he had sold an old-style Bianchi9R shoulder rig experienced the gunfalling out on several occasions. I pressedthe dealer on the matter because I frequentlyuse one of these holsters myself.The dealer finally admitted that the policemanhad been stuffing a 2-inch ColtLawman, nearly an N-Frame sized gun inSmith & Wesson parlance, into a holsterfor a two-inch Smith & Wesson J-Frame.Under the circumstances, few holsterswould have performed as well under sucha strain and it is a testament to the qualityof steel used in the Bianchi spring clip thatthe outsized gun didn't cause it to break.The breakfront draw is simplicity itselfand the easiest fast draw to learn. Onesimply positions the holster firmly to thebelt at waist level. Since the breakfront requiresas rigid mounting as possible onthe belt, a breakfront should not be slungon the hip. Bill Jordan's method of securinga holster to both trouser and gun beltmakes even more sense with a breakfront.To make the draw, arc the gun handdown firmly onto the butt, exerting pressuredownward and forward driving thetop strap through the clip. As the cylinderstarts to break, the muzzle, being narrower,has a natural tendency to slide out andup, naturally starting the gun into positionfor firing. The hand almost follows thegun as the butt is brought down raising the12 AMEF 11CAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

arrel. Note that the entire sequence ofsnatching the gun up, breaking the patternof movement and driving the gun forwardinto position is completely doneaway with, hence the remarkable speedthat can be attained with such a holster.In the Bianchi line, there are several excellentbreakfronts, the first of which isthe double duty 9R When not used as aright or left hand belt holster, it is slungupside down on a shoulder harness. Unlikethe more conventional upside-downshort barreled revolver shoulder rigs,where elastic is used to hold in the revolver,the Bianchi model is held in by thesame reliable spring steel clip. To draw,one merely snatches the butt of the revolverand pulls the gun through the clip.One sees why the original Berns-Martinversion was called the Lightnin'.Two excellent duty holsters are availableas well, among these the BianchiModel 2800, "The Judge". A truly uniqueholster, it is today's breakfront design atits zenith. The holster features a completelyopen muzzle, the front of the holsterlocked together by the spring clip. Tominimize bulk and aid retention, TheJudge features steel molded cylinder recesses.The butt of the eun " is comnletelv1 ./exposed for ease of grasping while thehammer is protected and the gun furthersecured in the leather by an integralthumb snap featuring covered and recessedsnaps. The belt loop on this shortshank holster is designed so that an Eisenhower-lengthjacket can ride between theholster and the belt. For rigidity on thebelt, a screw tightened belt lock allows theholster to be rigidly fixed to any positionon the 2'/4nch belt The Judge is availablein black, right or left hand, plain orbasket.Similar to The Judge but featuring aclosed muzzle end and complete coverageof the gun save for the butt is the ModelBianchi Model 27 shown with the standardstrap (left) and with modifiedstrapfor LAPD use.#27, known as the "Break-Front". TheModel 27 features the most unique safetystrap this writer has seen. The strap can beutilized as a thumb snap, looks like a standardhammer safety strap to further confounda prisoner or felon who wants tosnatch the gun and can be completely removedwithout the strap remaining to marthe appearance of the rig or get tangled inthe belt.Not content with these designs, John Bianchiconfided he has a new holster up hissleeve incorporating the breakfront system.But, more about that when it becomesavailable.The breakfront principle, as made byBianchi, Bucheimer-Clark or the Rogersdesign is a sound one, providing the nearmaximum in speed and security and protection.A totally different style of draw, itrequires a psychological change-over forthe average pistolero. Once this is overcomeand the breakfront design given atry, the results can really prove worth it.Every handgunner should be pleased thatthis unique concept's star isin the ascendancy.HELMET[NOT A REPLICA1PLUS $2.00 POSTAGEAND HANDLINGI 1 l/3 mOON CLIPSReadily available .45 APC ammo cm beused in your U.S. 1917 Model and newermodels of Auto Rim Type .45 Caliber Revolver.This new clip holds two cartridgesand has many advantages over the halfmoondip. For a FKEB ¥ample Bend-stamped. self-addressed envelope.Clip prices: 25 for $3.95; 50 for $6.95 ppd.RANCH PRODUCTS. PO BOX 145. MaliRtl, OHIO 43535GUN BLUEMake Your OldGun Look New!The #2800 S swivel breakfront from Biancni.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 19771NUMRICH ARMS CORP.Williams Lane West Hurley N.Y. 12491EL: (914) 6j9-2417 or 24'18L

GLASER SAFETY SLUG POLICE-ONLY MANSTOPPERBy COL. REX APPELGATEuntil last year, few police, firearms andballistic experts had any knowledgeof the existence of The Glaser Safety Slug.Its a different situation now, and althoughthis is currently a limited production, littleadvertised, police handgun round, its popularityin law enforcement circles is rapidlyescalating. A recent U.S. governmentevaluation, comparative demonstrationsagainst conventional police rounds, andword of mouth reports amongst policeagencies is "spreading the word" throughoutthe entire law enforcement community.The only existent piece of Glaser literatureaccurately describes the situation,Cutawa rendering of the GlaserSafety Slug shows features contributingto its high Rll rating: A.20% glass-Teflon nose. 6. Thin.copper jacket. C. Number 12 .chilled shot suspended in D. aliquid Teflon solution. Its light(96 grain) weight allow very highvelocities.mAberdeen, all existent written material onhandgun, ammunition ballistics and effectivenesson the human animal was compiledand studied. US. military, civil andpolice handgun wound data was studied,and noted handgun and ballistic expertswere invited to add to the pre-testing input.During the test program, 20% gelatinblocks were used as human tissue simulants,flash X-ray and high speed 16 mmcameras capable of filming 20,000 framesa second, and velocity chronographs wereall employed. In an entirely new approachto ammunition evaluation, a three dimensionalcomputer man was utilized. Thecomputer man consisted of a humancadaver divided into 150,000 parallelopipeds,called computer cells. These cellswere distinguished by their location andtype of tissue etc. A team of medical doctorsrated each cell with relation to the incapacitationwhen hit by a projectile.Allowances were made in the computerfor hit distribution, velocity, weight, depthof penetration and temporary wound cavitvdeformation. The combination of allthese factors enabled, for the first time, areliable measure of the amount of damagequote: "The Glaser Safety Slug gives the a given bullet type, traveling at a certainofficer the edge." In this case and as the velocity, would cause in different areas ofliterature implies, the main emphasis is the human body. During the test programplaced on the public safety-anti ricochet 142 different rounds of commerciallyfactor. However, equally and perhaps available police ammunition, of the varimoreimportant to the individual officer is ous brands, bullet types and calibers werethe fact that it makes him "safer" in an ac- fired from two and four inch police handtualfirefight with armed criminals. The guns. The summarized result of this procapabilityto deliver instant and in- gram was distributed to law enforcementcapacitating shock from his service hand- agencies in 1975.gun, or backup, with a single head or body The most important factor thathit is always present.emerged at the end of the testing was, thatThis round first came to national law bullet incapacitation (stopping power)enforcement attention through the aus- was definitely related to the diameter andpices of the US. Department of Justice. In shape of the temporary wound cavity at1972 this department sponsored a survey the time of impact, in relation to depth ofcovering the effectiveness of police hard- penetration. It was only possible to makeware, including lethal weapons. Based on this determination by the combined use ofa computerized representation of 13,000 high speed photography, and X-ray photopolice agencies, large and small, the sur- techniques in ordnance gelatin blocks,vey revealed that: 99% of all police duty followed by a computer analysis. Each ofhandguns were revolvers, 66% of the the 142 test bullets was judged and asstatepolice officers favored the .357 mag- signed a relative stopping power rating.num, 94% of all other departments had The various commercial rounds wereofficers armed with the .38 Special re- rated by brand name and caliber on a devolver,and that complaints relative to am- creasing scale. The highest rating of 54.9munition had mainly to do with the inef- was assigned to a Speer, .44 magnum 200fectiveness, lack of penetration and stop- gr. bullet travelling at a measured velocityping power of the 158 gr. lead round nose of 1277 fps. The lowest round on the in-.38 Special cartridge. The survey data, capacitation table was the MBA .38 Spepluspublic and departmental controversy cial Shortsop, 64 gr. bean bag type roundover the effectiveness and types of ammu- with a velocity of 671 fps and a rating ofnition that should be issued, resulted in a 0.4. "Off beat" rounds such as the MBA,government financed and sponsored test- the KTW, and the Glaser were included ining program to determine the true facts the program because they were being soldand provide a data base for police selec- and used in limited quantities to law entionof service ammunition.forcement and their capabilities were un-The National Bureau of Standards was known to police agencies, in general. Therequested to prepare and supervise a test- top rated .44 magnum round was recogingprogram thatwas conducted by the US nized as one infrequently used by policeArmv Ballistic Research Laboratory at but was included in the program to enable~berdeen Proving Grounds, ~aryland. better comparative values to be placed. ItPrior to the beginning of the program at (Continued on page 16)AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

The best personalprotectiona youcan buy, nowwith afour-inch barrel.If you ever have to use your-personal handgun, you can't affordto miss. That's why you need all thebuilt-in accuracy you can get in alightweight .38. That is exactlywhat the new Colt Police Positivedelivers. On or off duty.Now aColt is evensafer. Foryears, thesafety leverin Coltrevolvers hasserved toassure thatthe firingpin cannotaccidentallystrike theNew Colt safety lever (right)assures greater margin of safety.primer.Now, an irnprovea, noicnea leverin the new Police Positive providesmore contact area to perform thissafety function even more effectively.But to fully understand what setsthe Diamondback apart, you have toshoot it. You have to feel its almostliquid smoothness - completelyforeign to any other gun of its caliber.Yet, like the new four-inchPolice Positive, the DiamondbackColt Diamondback .38 Special. 4"(shy1) or 2%"barrel. Target grips target hammer adjustable rearsight, velvet yxmothaction. Optionh nickel finish.Also available m .22 L.R. with4"bmel.Â¥Col Police Positive .38 Specialh 4e?*rnTz.A more accurate .38.The Police Positive has a four-inchbarrel. Those extra two inches meanmore weight up front, less muzzlejump, better overall balance andgreater confidence. The PolicePositive also'has a new gripdesigned to fit more comfortably inany size hand. Its "teardrop" shapebetter accommodates a smallerman's or a woman's hand, while anincrease in the gri s length createsa more certain fee f in even thelargest hand.Compare Colt quality. Manycompetitive .38's are made withaluminum alloy. The Colt PolicePositive is all steel. Some otherrevolvers have only a five-roundcylinder. A Colt cylinder always hassix chambers. The ejector rod onmany guns is exposed and can getsnagged on your holster or clothing.The shrouded Colt ejector rod completelyeliminates that problem.Naturally, anything less thanperfect alignment between barreland cylinder can impair a gun'saccuracy. That's why the advancinghand on the Colt Police Positiveholds the cylinder rigidly in linewith the barrel. There is absolutelyno play in the cylinder at the criticalmoment of fire. On most corn titiverevolvers, however, you will 7 eel acertain amount of cylinder slack.-Only Colt hat -of the tireless engineeringthat makes Colt the revolverother gun makers try tolive up to.Another safety design exclusiveto Colt: the loaded cylindercannot be closed with the hammercocked. This is a s*ple feature,to be sure. Which iftight lead you towonder why so many other gunmakers don't off r it.For additio 1 a1 facts onthe safety and use of handguns,send for Colt's freebooklet, "Handlin theHandgun." write &ItFirearms, Department 7 J ,Hartford, CT. 06102.Naturally, there is noobligation.The best .38 &all. Atfirst glance, the ColtEvery ~olt revolver mustpass several rigidDiamondback (inset photoabove) may seem like other"target-style" -38's. True, it hasthe wide target hammer,ramp front sight andadjustable rear sight,all of which unquestionablenhance comfortan J accuracy.inspections, All are doneby expens, by hand.offers the compact portabilityof a handgun weighing lessthan two pounds. As well asthe confidence that comeswith owning the finest .38money can buy.Americanheritage

was not unexpected the powerful .44 magnumwas at the top of the rating scale, butthe extremely high ratings of the Glaserrounds in conventional police calibers wasunforseen. Fired from a 4" barrel, theGlaser Safety Slug rounds rated in stoppingpower: second (9mm rating 54.5)fourth (-357 magnum rating 50.0) and fifteenth(.38 Special rating 41.8). The mostused 38 special, 158 &lead round nosebullet travelling at a measured velocity of600-800 fps averaged only 4.2. The poorperformance of this round was not unexpecteddue to police complaints and previousexperience. However, the 6.5 ratingof the .45 ACP, 230 gr. full metal jacketedround was very disturbing to its advocatesand those who have for years given italmost mythical status as a manstopper.The study concluded that the velociY.38special with 158 gr. lead round nose bulletwas inadequate. As of this date a largenumber of police agencies are revising,upward, their requirements for bullet performance.Many are changing to othercommercial rounds with different lighterbullets and higher velocities. Now, manyofficers who are able to make an individualchoice are carrying the Glaserround and their numbers are increasingby leaps and bounds.The vastly superior performance of theGlaser rounds is due to an entirely newbullet design combined with a lighter projectile(96 gr.) and use of higher velocitiesin the 1500-1900 fps range. This particularcombination does not produce severerecoil, pressure and accuracy problems.Good firearm control is possible under alltypes of combat shooting, including fastdouble action. The Glaser Slug is a prefragmantedprojectile, composed of cop-per jacket enclosing a metal fragment 1Ñfiller suspended in liquid teflon, andsealed with a 25% glass- teflon plug. Solong as the pressure remains constant onimpact the projectile will continue topenetrate. However, on the slightest varianceof impact pressure, the plug disintegratesand the jacket fragments, so thatthe metal fragment filler is dispersed in anever widening cone. The richochet problemthat is of so much concern to policeagencies operating in congested areas isevaluation program.Due to agency and other personal reasonsmost police officers have been reluctantto discuss their use of the GlaserSafety Slug against armed criminal targets.However, a number of informal reportshave been made. Three such incidentsare summarized:oracticallv non existent. The " governmentreport states, quote; "with the exceptionof the Glaser Safety Slug, all handgunbullets pose a serious hazard to bystanders".It is this writers opinion that there isan exaggerated concern about the ricochetpotential, but it exists and manytimes is the dominating factor in ammunitionselection. Certainly, more importanceshould be given to any projectile'scapability to develop irreversible shockand body relaxation accompanied by min- .- - -.imal penetration at the moment of impactin the head or torso area. The so called Maximum temporary wound cavity,"hydrostatic shock" effect and superiority (top to bottom): Glaser .38 Spl. @I858of the Glaser slug is graphically portrayed fps; 9mm 115 gr. JPH @1 160 fps; .38in the comparative gelatin block photos Spl. 158 gr. RN 0868 fps; .45 ACP 230taken at Aberdeen during the year long gr. MJ a750 fps. Measured velocities.A. An officer fired at the feet of an opponentarmed with a knife. The officerwas using a 38 special, the floor wasconcrete and the area a crowded busterminal. The offender fell to floorscreaming he had been killed. He hadonly superficial injuries from the fragmentsin his feet, and no one in the terminalwas injured.B. A criminal was running from anarmed robbery attempt about 0130hours. Several officers were firing athim with conventional ammo, and allmissed although they did get two automobiles,one plate glass window, and acoke machine with ricochets. An officerusing the Glaser ammo fired froma Python hit the gunman one inch infrom the edge of the body, one inchabove the belt at a 45 degree outwardangle. With any other ammo it wouldhave been just a grazing wound andonlv served to increase the offender'sspeed. The criminal was just turning acorner when he was hit. The officerssaid he went into the air when hit andlooked as though he was swimming,and rolled for 35 feet Incidentally, hewas hit at a range of 42 yards. Since itwas the first time they had used thisammo, they measured everything.When the officers reached him thev ~ - -thought he was dead, and he was sentto the hospital where he was found tobe in deep shock. The projectile hadpenetrated and disintegrated the rightkidney. The X-ray showed a spray patternof shot just under the surface onthe right side of the body. The outwardangle was all that saved this individual.As it was, he spent a couple of monthsin the hospital and was then returnedto the penitentiary from which he hadescaped.C. An armed criminal advancing on an .officer was shot center with 38 Special.He collapsed, didn't even kick, andwas DOA. The coroner first certifieddeath as caused by a .410 shotgun atpoint blank range but could not understandthe absence of powder burns.There was a neat entry hole and the X-rays showed a perfect internal shot pattern..-.--The effectiveness of this new ammunitionis largely unknown to the public, themany times hostile press, and those individualsand organizations that are antipoliceand dedicated to disarming themor requiring them to use 'harshmallow"bullets in encounters with armed criminals.It should be emphasized that the useof chilled shot can be considered legal andacceptable under the much quoted Genevaconvention. This prefragmented projectiledoes not yet come under prohibitionsagainst hollow point or so called"dum dum" bullets now in effect in manydepartments because of political or otherpressures. Furthermore it should be pointedout that if the department authorizesthe use of the riot shotgun with buckshot16 AMERI CAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

lead the rationale already exists forauthorization of the Safety Slug.The Glaser Slug functions satisfactorilyin semi automatic ,handguns with minorstipulations from the manufacturer. Targetaccuracy is possible at normal policeranges. Chamber pressures are well withinthe safety limits used by the manufacturersof conventional police ammunition.The Glaser Slug currently being loadedweighs slightly less than 100 grains, andvelocities are in the 1500-1900 fprange.Recoil is similar to that of current ammunitionbeing used for duty purposes. Asof this writing, limited orders are beingshipped in -357, -38 special, 9mm, and-380 calibers. .44 Special, -44 magnum,A5 ACP and -30 carbine loads arescheduled for 1977. At a later date riflerounds in conventional calibers will beoffered to sportsmen and police agencies.To reiterate, this round will not causemajor injuries from ricochet, nor will itcompletely penetrate a human body andinjure innocent bystanders. It is safer touse in and around congested areas, in andaround aircraft and expensive installations.After penetration, the projectile ex-Water-filled jug is shattered, but paperbackground shows no signs of pelletpenetration.pends its total energy, instantly, within theprimaq target. Sold only to law enforcementoficers, it is the result of many yearsof world wide combat and hunting experienceof Col. Jack Cnon, the inventor. Patentshave beefi granted, others pending.Although more expensive than regularamniunition, it is only necessary to carry afew rounds in the weapon. Practice andtraining can be done with standard ammunition.If the officer wants to "walk softly andcarry a big stick" a couple of Glaser safetyslugs, backed by more penetrating roundsare all he needs. If the police offker carriesa 2" barrel revolver or a .380 duty orback up weapon, the Glaser Slug shouldbe a must.Editors note: The US. govt. report on thepolice ammunition test program is availablefrom: The US. Department of Justice,LAW Enforcement Assistance Administration,National Institute of LawEnforcement and Criminal Justice, Wah.D.C. Ask for LESP-RPT-0101.01August 1975.Note:. Inquire from: Glaser Safety Slug,Box 1975, MeAllen, Texas 78501. ForPollce Only.solid $1.00lor our now catalogOf a Win. .erbPride! That's the feeling. The feelingyou get when you own the best. Thefeeling you get when you can reallyperform because everything isright. Mustang Grips are designedfor better control, accuracy andrecoil distribution. They are madeof the finest woods available, andfinished in oil or lacquer-theymake you look like a winner evenbefore you move it.. .wwm6Wlu ufi {IPS28030 Dd Rio RodTomocula, CA 02380 Phone 676-5416AMERICAN !iANDGUNNEFl JULYIAUWST 1977 17

The National Shooters League's Second Annual MoneyShoot Paid out Over $75,000 in Cash PrizesBy MASSAD AYOOBN THE PAST couple of years, competi-I tive pistol shooting has burst out of theconventional mold here and there. Perhapsthe most historical break was the formationof the National Shooters' haguein Laramie, Wyoming, centered aroundthe concept of shooting for big money.Bill Jordan was there for the first one, andhis article "Shoot for Loot!" in Feb., 1976GUNS Magazine was probably the mostread and re-read story of the year in thefirearms press.$10,000.00 laid out in cold hard cashprize money? Five thousand for the firstplace winner? And added t.0 this, the factthat only 20 competitors showed up forthe first match, and the winning score wasa 108 out of 200?Across the country, serious competitionshooters and committed non-professionalgun fanciers cocked their heads in doubtand speculation. In the northwest, shooters,whohad gotten programs for the shootand dismissed it as some kind of hoax orrip-off, banged their heads against theirgun cabinets in frustration when they sawin the media the smiling face of winnerBill Belts counting his winnings.In 1976, the biggies were there. Theword had gotten out to the serious shootingfraternity that it was on the up and up.It was. The police combat shooters werethe most strongly represented; then-NationalChampion, Royce Weddle, wasthere from Oklahoma, and women'schampion, Ida McKinney, from Denver,and Reeves Jungkind of Texas, holder ofmore PPC records than anyone else. TheYou don't see many trophy tables like this.That's over $15,000 In folding green stuff,guaranteed to make other award& l'ook pale.

fabled California Combat League waspresent, with names like A1 Nichols; thenational Army Reserve conventional pistolchampion was there too, with membersof his national champion team. Statechampions were there, mostly combatshooters and mostly from the northwest,but the ranks of the hopefuls were alsofilled out with less accomplished shooters,and even some who had never shot in amatch before. They had all come from as-- far West as Hmva~, as far East as Floridaand New Hampshire.Seventy-nine showed up for the preliminaries.AH paid a flat $100 entry feefor the privilege of trying out for the topforty who would make the final run for theprizes. A few had come up ahead of timefor their first couple of runs, to get the feelof the range and coordinate their practicea little better. Most, however, saw thecourse for the first time two or three daysbefore the final, Saturday shoot.The range consists of ten "shootingpads," concrete squares that serve as firingpoints. The National Shooter's Leaguerange is simply a shallow dish of Wyomingfarmland that has been fenced around,and fitted with backstops behind each ofthe ten asymmetrically laid out firingpoints.The range, and the match, belong to Dr.Robert Burgess and his brother Gifford.Doc is a prosperous surgeon in hramie;Giff is a man of independent means whochose a career as a firefighter purely foraction and helping people. Both are lifelongathletes and hunters and gun buffs,and deeply concerned about the future ofthe latter two sports. "We had both beenathletes all our lives," Doc explains, "andwe were looking for something that wouldoffer serious and competitive sport for aman over 25. Pistol shooting seemednatural."Giff and I had long asked ourselveswhy there is no favorable media coverageof the shooting sports. You and I and thereaders of this magazine support a multimilliondollar industry, and some of thatmoney and talent should be used to promotethe sport itself. We built the coursein 1973, developed the course in '74, andran the first match in '75. We had realizedthat if we didn't do it, we couldn't be sureanyone else was going to. We selected therunning course for the sole purpose ofcreating an exciting action that would appealto the media."The general media did not fling itself atthe Burgess' feet. Of the competitors andspectators who turned out for the '76shoot, almost all had learned of the eventfrom Bill's article in GUNS. Local and regionalTV stations in Deriver and Cheyenne?and area newspapers such as thewidely-circulated Kocky Mountuiu Newsgave excellent coverage, but it didn'tmake Wide World of Sports.It didn't in '76, either, but the regionalmedia representation was somewhat bet-Ad Clark of Kalispell, Montana models what the well-dressed moneyshooter wears. The gun is a Mag-Na-Ported M-29 with a Davis rib andElliason sights. Hot .44 handloads hang from HKS speedloaders. Theleather is custom made by George Aurit. The stopwatch is optional.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

3&

IIPBurgess, founder of NSL (left) and brother Giff. Note homemade crossdrawholster for Green's winning long heavyslide .45 auto by Day.All forty of the finalists went away withsomething, but as befits a professionalmatch, the real money was floating at thetop with the rest of the cream. Green'sfirst place won him a Power Custom .38, aClark long-heavy slide .45, a commissionedportrait of himself-and $5,000cash. Ad Clark's strong second was goodfor $2,000 and a custom Milt Sparksleather set. Jungkind's close third wonhim $1,500 and a Browning Vari-X scope.Royce Weddle was fourth with a 136-4Xfor $1,200. A 128-10X won HuntingtonBeach combat shooter Bob Dawson aneven grand, and with an X less, Ed Taylorcaptured $800 and a Ruger MI77 .30/06donated by Jim Clark. A 128-5 meant$600 for Tom Blizzard, an Iowa bullseyeshooter, and top military pistolero MelMakin's 128-3 stood up for $500. Defendingchamp Bill Belts took $400 with a127-5, and Frank Goza, a Tennessean,found his 117-6 worth $300. Cash in$200, $100, and $50 increments went onthrough several more slots below the topten.The first NSL shoot was won with aPower Custom .38, in the hands of ColoradoState PPC Champion Bill Belts.There were a lot of those guns in evidencein '76, because there were so many PPCshooters there. But henceforth, bigboreAMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977handguns are likely to rule. With the markso small, the bigger hole makes more importancehere than anywhere else. A shotthat misses cutting the line of the "9" ringby a centimeter doesn't lose one point, itloses nine of them. Frank Green, whotook it with a Day long-heavy slide .45(that had a custom trigger of his own designthat he wouldn't talk about), told thewriter, "To win this match, you need aone-inch gun. And .45 caliber is important.Even when you compare it withthe .44, you're talking .454 against .429,and in a game like this, that can make thedifference." One inch guns are rare; somewill tell you they don't exist. Most of thetop makers guarantee their PPC .38s andNMC .45s for two, two and a half inches atfifty yards.Custom pieces of large bore will be thechoice here. I don't know if Day guaranteesan inch, but the fact that Green tookit with a Day pistol should mean a lotmore orders coming in. Ron Power tookseveral orders for heavy Douglas barrelled.44 and .45 Smith & Wessons before heleft Laramie.The next two top guns were Clark'sModel 29 with 83/~" barrel and Davis rib,fired single action with monster .44 Maghotloads; taking third was Reeves Jungkindshooting double-action with one ofhis own custom Colt Pythons.Ad Clark used the heavy .44 load primarilybecause after extensive experimentation,it proved to be the tightestgroupinglong range formula he couldwork up. The speed gave him a flatter trajectory,too. With the varying distance, astraight line of bullet travel means a lot,Doc Burgess shows style, roundingthe comer between targets 5 & 6.21

Vince there's no time to change yoursights, but the problem is that since you'reshooting up and down hill, you're going tohave tocompensate your elevation slightlyif you're shooting &thing but a laserbeam. That being the case, your best bet isto select a load for pure accuracy, andpractice enough with it to know where toKentucky at each range and each angle.Scuttlebutt is that Ad's going to shoot anSA-only Power/S&W .45 next year.Flat trajectory is still valuable, though,because you'll need to be able to see theblack at all stages. Holding under won'thurt too much, but trying to hold over inthe center of the white can destroy youwith a scoring area as small as the oneNSL uses.If you shoot a sixgun, carry speedloaders.You want a holster that's quick todraw from, yet retains the gun whileyou're running across the uneven ground.A thumb-break isn't the best, 'cause ittakes you a second or two to fasten thestrap, and the gun has to be holstered beforeyou leave one pad for another. Mostshooters used open-top rigs, and kept a restraininghand on the gun as they ran.However, you can still lose the piece in afall, and holding one arm rigidly at theside makes you feel awkward running.You want your forearms hanging loose infront of you to sprint with minimum fa-tigue. A cheap spring-tension holster likethe Bucheimer Sentinel might, surprisingly,be the answer.Footwear is imoortant. More shootersseemed to be shod with sneakers than anythingelse. I found Nike cross-country runningshoes to be ideal for me, but I didn'teven place, so take that from whence itcomes.The ground isn't that uneven out there.The worst place is coming off the knollfrom the last firing position as you makeyour final run toward the finish line.Several people took spills there, in practiceand actual competition. A light, flexibleover-the-ankle woodsman's bootmight be the ideal footwear.Dr. Burgess is thinking of changing thecourse around for '78; the range properwill remain the same, but the sequence oftargets, or possibly the angles, may bechanged. Your best bet is to write him forthe current program, and ask specificallyfor details as to the uphill or downhillangles of fire on each shooting pad. Theranges will be spelled out in the brochure.The roast beef banquet had been heldalready. The winners gradually dispersed,taking a last look behind them at thebrightly sunlit pastureland where shootinghistory had been made a year ago and reinforcedagain just now.True believers, they were, and they wereHitting home plate, shooter holdshis long slide .45 in the holster.1California shooters display their competition guns. At right is a M-64stainless with 8" Douglas barrel and Bo Mar rib. Left: a S&W Model 10with 6" Douglas tube and sight hood; latter will be banned in 77 match.going back to their own games-backthe National Match and PPC shooters,back to thousands of committed pistolcompetitors to spread the word . . . and topropagate a new theory of sportshooting.The next shoot will be held on LaborDay Weekend, 1977. By then, the CampPerry crowd will have gotten the word.The combat shooters have gotten it al-.ready, in Jackson a month after the gunsof the NSL fell silent.Next year, it's anybody's guess howmany serious shooters will show up, butthe contingent is sure to be large. They'llbe people who understand shooting, andlove shooting, and want to support whatthe Burgesses are doing. The money willbe an important part of it, but only onepart.And the industry's ears will have perkedup, too. Bill Ruger was the only one whosupported it with cash this year. JohnBianchi and Safariland's Neale Perkinsfattened the pot with merchandise. RonPower, the acknowledged leader in PPCguns, donated one of his heavy barrelcustoms; Jim Clark, who enjoys the samereputation among bullseye shooters,tossed in one of his long-heavy slide -45s.The concept of the Burgesses' shootcannot be ignored by an industry embattledby socio-political forces thatwouldmake it extinct. Gunmakers, like gunbuyers, are ultra-conservatives who don'tstep into anything they don't understand,(Continued on page 67)AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1 977to

The .22 LR version of the minirevolverIs a little jewel In itsfitted case. Retail is $109.50.By CLAIR PEESAUWyears ago, a company calledRocky Mountain Arms Corp. introduced"the world's smallest revolver"-atiny 5-shot single-action gun digesting .22Shorts. Although this palm-sized wheelgunsold well, the company had otherproblems and went out of business afterthe first year or so of operation.An improved version of this little handgunis again with us~this time manufacturedby North American Arms Corporation,P.O. Box 158, Freedom, Wyoming83120. This company has been manufacturingthe .22 Short mini gun for morethan a year now, and has just introduced anew, slightly larger model that digests fullsize.22 Long Rifle fodder.With its ll/s-inch long barrel, the newgun measures but 4 inches from stem tostem (just a half-inch longer than its .22short-firing smaller brother), and is z3/ninches high. Empty, the diminutive singleaction tips the scales at a mere 4% ounces.In spite of its small size, the NorthAmerican Arms Corp. mini revolver is aprecision-machined, high-quality handgun.Made entirely of rust-resistant stainlesssteel, the gun features a highly polishedcylinder and frame, while the barrel,trigger and topstrap wear a non-reflectivematte finish. With its black, high-impactplastic grips, the little gun makes a very attractivepackage.To load this vest-pocket revolver,simply depress the plunger located at theforward tip of the cylinder pin (this unlocksthe pin) and withdraw the pin completelyfrom the frame. The cylinder canthen be removed from the right side, andloaded by hand. Reverse the process, andyou're ready to fire (the cylinder can actuallybe removed and replaced from ei-(Continued on page 66)a real kicker with .22 LR ammo.-Two fingers and the thumb are allthat's needed to control recoil.To unload empty shells, remove thecylinder and use the cylinder pinto punch cases out of each chamber.~ o t a target gun by any means, themini-gun produced this acceptable8lP group of five shots (one is notshown In the photo) at thirty feet.

-NOW HANDGUNNERS WHO HANDLOAD CAN PUNK AND HUNT WITH A NEW WILDCAT.. .ir Lrn wrn-IIIIond of all, the finished round should allowHE DAYS when almost every shooterT could afford to burn up two or threeboxes of .22 rimfire ammo in a few shorthours have gone the way of the nickel cupof coffee. Some 20 years ago when I shotin competition, I used to buy matchammo, and even then, I felt that the 45cents I was charged per box of 50 roundswas akin to highway robbery. Burning upthat much standard velocity rimfireammo is now almost as costly as keeping astring of polo ponies was in those days.Now, thanks to Dave Corbin, we have aneasily reloadable .22 centerfire wildcat forhandguns that, ballistically, is just a shadeunder the performance level of the WinchesterMagnum round and a whisker betterthan the high velocity .22 Long Rifleround.Dave. who ramrods the D.R. CorbinÂeither easy re-chambering or barrel replacementon many of the available .32ACP autoloaders. He also wanted a roundthat would not send its bullet over andbeyond the nearest horizon; one thatwould not blast the ears off the folks overin the next county; and one that neitherdeveloped a muzzle blast to singe the hairoff a woodchuck nor delivered arm-breakingrecoil; last, but certainly not least, theround had to be reasonably accurate forwill encounter enlarged primer pocketslong before you'll find either gun failuresBy ANDY BARTON or other cartridge - case failures because ofhigh pressures.For this handgun wildcat conversion,~anufacturin~ Co. (Box 44, North Bend, OR 97459), is a super- Dave selected, with malice aforethought, the Model 1922distilled gun crank, machinist and engineer, and the handload- Browning. The M1922 is the military offspring of the Modeling gent who in the last year or two has put bullet swaging back 1910. The mechanics of the Browning .32 ACP gun are suchinto the realm of reality for handloaders. In creating the .22 that a new slide bushing, longer barrel and the longer M1910Flea, Dave was first of all looking for a cartridge that would re- slide could easily be accommodated on the M1922 frame, andquire a minimum of case forming, rim or base alterations; sec- should the experiment bomb out, the gun could be converted

Author's 1922 Browning sports anew elongated barrel bushing andthe slide from a Model 1910 gun.Flea barrel is longer than normalbut does not extend out of the endof the newly installed bushing.back to its original configuration andchambering in less than a minute. Startingwith the longer M1910 slide, a homemadebarrel bushing that accommodatesthe slightly longer .22 Flea barrel, and asomewhat modified follower in the magazine-andpresto, he had created the firstFlea. And it is this Flea that bit me, andhard too!The Browning Flea, thanks to theheftier and longer bushing, has the firstglanceappearance of some of the now-defunctshort bull-barrelled target pistols. Ascan be seen, the gun carries the originalBrowning sights which should be replacedfor serious target plinking and huntingwith either Bo-Mar or Micro sights. Davedid not have the time to install differentsights on the Browning, and I did notfeellike fooling around with his gun, hencehad to live with the rather miserable originalsights during my testing of the Flea.After running some disappointing accuracytests from a sandbag rest, I set theBrowning into the Lee pistol rest and thenthe gun delivered reasonably good groups.Some years ago I had bought an unchambered.22 TIC Contender barrel withthe idea of dreaming up a .22 centerfirewildcat. After playing with the Browningfor a week or so, I shipped the Contenderbarrel and an action to Dave who chamberedthe barrel for me and then ran sometests. When this rig came back from theWest Coast, I topped the Contender offwith the TIC ll/zX Lobo scope, and pron-to-there was a handgun-cartridge combinationthat did everything you or anyoneelse could expect from it.The long barrel and the heavier slideextension' bushing of the Browning simplycontinue the military ideas that made the1922 Browning possible with slide modifications.These features are not absolutelyessential, but they do serve to reducestress on the frame when heavy recoilloads are fired. As a matter of fact, youcan even use the short bushing with thelonger barrel in this .32 ACP gun. Slowerpowders tend to function the Browningbetter than faster burning powders, especiallywhen the heavy. bushing and thelong barrel are installed. With Bullseyeand powders burning faster than Unique,the light bushing can be used for loads developingless than 1000 fps or the velocitiesdelivered by 1.5 grains of Bullseye.Making brass for the Flea is simple, andLeft: Group from the scoped T/CContender, shot from a rest. The37 gr. Corbin bullet and 2.0 gr.of Bullseye gaveffine accuracy.Original Browning barrel (withoutspring) is shown with a Fleabarrel. The same spring is used.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

LOAD DATA FOR THE .22 FLEALeft: An original .3ZAW roundand the same case wildcatted toFlea with the 37 gr. bullet.it takes only a few minutes to form enough.32 ACP brass to make up a passle of .22Flea cases. The RCBS dies must be modifieda bit, according to Dave, especiallythe trim die. In its unmodified state, thetrim die has too sharp a shoulder whichleads to excessive case loss during theforming of the brass. The bullet seatingplug should also be modified for the 37grain bullet-you can either buy thosebullets from Corbin or buy his .224 bulletswaging dies and make your own at a fractionof the cost. Unprimed Winchesterbrass is by far the best choice, with otherbrands of brass often developing shouldersplits during the first firing. Although it isfeasible to anneal the formed brass, it isnot essential, and trying to heat only theneck and shoulder section of the shortcase without also heating the head of thecase is a bit tricky. An extension shellholder, a standard item in the RCBS line-UD. is also needed.& ,Case forming is started by first neckingthe case to about .270, then down to .22 intwo additional forming steps. Be sure tolube the cases lightly-I've found COPbin's Draw Die Lube to be excellent forthis and many other case forming jobs.Fireforming is best done with 1.5 grains ofBullseye and a 37 grain .224" bullet. Thisload will function the Browning and'theround-nosed bullet has been clocked at937 fps. If 37 grain bullets are not available,40 grain Hornet bullets can be usedwithout feeding troubles.For swaging these .224 bullets, Davesuggests that the jackets be drawn from6mm jackets and pinch-trimmed to lessPowder Charge Avg. fpsBullseye 1.5 gr. 9371.8 13182.0 13852.2 1449Green Dot 2.0 13302.3 1420HS-5 2.0 909Unique 2.03.02.5 11952.8 13053.0 1370Max. Ips100613521 3981 4991 364144010001200,13201371than 0.5-inch. This means that the bulletjacket is fairly thick and will not deform infeeding. As a matter of fact, in some 200rounds I did not have a single malfunctionwhen using the 37 grain home-swaged bullets.The overall length of the bullet is0.4522" and overall length of the loadedround is 0.948-inch.Dave uses barrels with six lands andgrooves with righthand twist. Lands on expendedbullets measure 0.0373-inch,while grooves mike 0.0721-inch.'Depending on intended Use and thetype of gun converted to Corbin's Flea,you can choose from a fairly good varietyMin. fps84212721375139912651400*-fl .81 2118112451329CommentsFireform load, may not functionsome guns.'Good plinking load, accurate.Max. for blowback actionguns.Primer cratering, case lifestill *,'gun functions ok.In Browning gun, crateredprimers, unimpaired case life.Good accuracy load, easierto load than Bullseye. Workswell in Contender andBrowning guns.Not very accurate, but willfunction Browning gun.Best load for all-around usein both guns.Performance identical to Bullseye loadsof loads. The 37 grain Corbin bulletcomes out of the dies as a round noseopen tip bullet which is equally suitablefor plinking, paper punching and smallgame and varmint hunting within its rangelimitations. I estimate this to be between75 and 100 yards, depending on the sightsof the gun, shooting position, and, ofcourse, your skill. With temperaturesbeing around the zero mark and the rangebeing inaccessible because of snow drifts,I skipped the 100 yard shooting and stuckto testing the Flea at 25 and 50 yards.All of the listed loads were fired in the(Continued on page 67)After using the Browning for testof the Flea, author had Corbin re-.do a .22 barrel tor the Thompson-Center Contender. Scope is T/CLobo designed for the handgunner.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

InstantTrigger Job forNew Replacement Hammer Is theAlternative to Trigger JobWith gun unloaded and hammer at half cockthe adjusting screw can be reached fromthe outside and sear contact changed withthe small Allen wrench supplied with kit.hIBy TERRY HUDSONT IS true, as has been said, that the Model 1911-A1 pistol isI a gun to swear at or swear by. Those who swear at it object,among other things, to its horrendous trigger pull that can bein excess of 8 lbs. in guns out of the box. Those who swear bythe 1911-A1-whether in .45 ACP, 9 mm, .38 Super, .22 LR1 Conversion, etc.-have filed, stoned and honed the full-cocknotch on the hammer to smooth and reduce trigger pull to3'12-4 Ibs.1 Now all you have to do for a trigger job is install a Silva AdjustableHammer and, with the gun reassembled, turn an ad-I1. justment screw with an alien wrench. All adjustments are external.itEThe principle is similar to that used in adjustable triggers onsome target rifles. The adjusting screw reduces trigger pull byregulating the amount of engagement between the sear and thefull cock notch of the hammer.The adjusting screw is held securely by a locking screw, witha neoprehe plug between the two that provides a friction lockwithout deforming the threads of the adjustment screw. Thelocking screw is set at the factory and generally should not bechanged., . .Installation of the Silva Adjustable Hammer is straightforward.Complete instructions are included by Woody Silva witheach hammer. Be sure your gun is unloaded at all stages of installationand adjustment.Strip your gun and replace the stock hammer with the Silvahammer. You may transfer your (Continued on page 62)The adjusting screw protrudes below The Silva Adjustable Hammer as it When necessary, disconnector shouldfull cock notch to regulate amount comes from factory. Sides are not be ground to radius. Disconnectorof contact between sear and hammer. blued; spur has course serrations. shown at top has been so altered.

By IRA A. GREENBERGPhotos by Mil Blair, Ray Chapman and W. A. "Buck" ToddyATCH SHOOTING, as all competitors know, involvesM more than a steady hand and keen eye, and this is evenmore so in practical pistol shooting contests. In such events,good shooting is merely one aspect of the whole, according toMaster Combat Shooter Ray Chapman, with the other importantparts being equipment and training."To help the novice become a winning shooter," he wid, "wemust first start with suitable equipment, then go into the trainingaspect, and finally shooting to win."As Ray insists, pointers for practical pistol shooting must beginwith obtaining the proper equipment before going into theother phases. And under the rubric of equipment are to befound the rig and accompanying gear, namely, pistols and niagazinesor revolvers and speedloaders, clothing, and for the reallyserious student, reloading paraphernalia.Probably the Rig Is Wrong"The chances are," Ray tells the novice, "it you haven't beenaround practical pistol shooting for any length of time and youalready have a belt and holster, they're probably wrong. Youshould have a holster to suit the condition; thus, you shouldhave more than one, and they should be of quality."For quality production leather equipment, Ray singles out Bianchi(100 Calle Cortez, Temecula, Ca. 92390), which recentlyadded a new competition belt and holster to its large list ofleatherequipment for law officers and sportsmen. For custom rigs,Ray recommends G. Wm. (Gordon) Davis (Box 466, Arcadia,

Ca. 91006) and Milt Sparks of Idaho (Box7, Idaho City 83631).The competitor should have a variety ofrigs; specifically, one for each type ofevent, such as fast-draw, concealed carry,or while driving (cross-draw recommended)."Special situations will probably requirespecial equipment, and if a competitorcannot find a production rig sufficientfor his needs he will have to go to a customholster maker and have his specialneeds built into one."Use Quality GunsAs to handguns, Ray recommends thenovice stay with quality, adding, "In thefirearms field, more than any other, youget what you pay for." He explained thatthe master shooter has already beenthrough the sorting-out stage and thereforethe novice would be well advised totake a look at the equipment the topshooters use before making his ownchoice. For autoloaders, Ray recommendsthe Colt Mark IV Government Model in.45 caliber, and cautions, "Stay away fromthe double-action autos, as they are hardto handle, unreliable, and usually comeonly in sub-caliber."The new Mark IV will usuallv reauired .some minor modifications when freshfrom the box; installing adjustable sightsand adjusting the sear to lighten the trigger-pull."Of course you can go all the wayand have a "full-house" accurizing jobdone," he said, "and for extensive alterationsI can recommend Pachmayr's GunWorks (1220 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles90015), Jim Hoag (8523 Canoga Ave.,Canoga Park, Ca. 91304) or ArmondSwenson (Box 606, Fallbrook, Ca.92028). A fully customized pistol likethose I use will cost between $700 and$1,000."The novice who decides to use a revolverin competition has a much widerchoice, but Ray emphasizes that the .357Magnum should be the very lowest caliberchosen, and his personal choice would beeither a S&W Model 19 or a Colt Python,each with a four-inch barrel. For hunting,of course, Ray would use either the 6-inchor the B3/n-inch barrel, depending on the',-'Preference in rigs is shown here(L to R) by Gordon Davis with hisown High Ride; Mil Blair with aDavis Low Ride; Chapman with aBianchi M-45 Pistolero and authorwearing products of .several makers.Snug fitting clothing, shooting capand sturdy, flexible shoes should bewnrn for mobility in combat shoots.

game and the field conditions. He says ofthe choice of revolvers:"There is a wide selection of very gooddouble-actions available, but again, staywith quality. A poorly designed or poorlymade DA is a waste of money and shouldbe avoided. When making your choice ofguns, keep in mind that the revolver is alwayshandicapped in practical pistolshooting. It is harder to control in rapidfire, considerably harder to reload, hasonly a six-round capacity, and usually isnon-combatant if a malfunction occurs."Extra AmmoThe ~ractical pistoleero should alwayscarry extra ammunition on his belt, Rayadvises. The semi-auto user should carryas many magazines as the match requires,plus two extra, while the revolver competitorshould carry two speedloaders in additionto those required. He then stated:'It is impossible to cover the thousandsof things that you should or should not doin this limited space, but of utmost importanceare (a) make sure the gun and themagazine or reloader function perfectly,(b) keep them clean, and (c) replace or repairthem if they become unserviceable orundependable."Ray feels that if the shooter can affordit, he should have two competition pistolsof the same model number, the samesights, and the same trigger pull, so as tobe able to substitute when needed. "I useone as a shooting pistol and leave theother in the gun box at all times as a backupin case I need it. I usually have a thirdbeing accurized, but the novice should beable to get by with two."Clothing and Ear ProtectionThe clothing Ray suggests for the prac-tical pistol shooter includes a good, sturdypair of shoes or boots with flexible soles tofacilitate running and climbing. He advisesthe shooter to wear a snug pair oftrousers so that folds of material will notget caught on obstructions, and a close-fittingshirt that one can wear comfortablywhile shooting or climbing over obstacles.One should always wear a shooting capwith a bill adequate to keep the sun andhair out of the eyes. Hats, he feels, are difficultto use with earmuffs, and they tendto be blown off by the wind or fall off duringviolent exertions."For ear protection, I believe in solidear plugs and earmuffs to provide adequateprotection. Should the earmuffs falloff while shooting, the ear plugs will atleast give minimum protection. However,"Ray continued, "I don't recommendshooting glasses, except whenshooting at metal targets at close range,because they have a tendency to come offunder violent exercise. Corrective glassesshould be worn, of course, if needed."Finally, for the novice shooter who, likemost in the shooting fraternity is a wageearnerwhose funds for this sport are limited,he or she probably will find the needto reload his own ammo in order to makeit economically feasible to shoot. Ray cautions,in this regard: "Be sure you knowwhat you are doing before you start reloading.If you aren't an experienced reloader,get a few good books on the subjectbefore beginning, and study themcarefully." Among those he endorses are(a) NRA Hanilloaderk Guide, edited byAshley Halsey, Jr., 1969; (b) Dean A.Grennell's The ABC's ($Reloading, 1974,and (c) Maj. George C. Nonte's ModernThis handsome rig was designed by Chapman and Andy Anderson as a dutyand competition rig. Mark Reed, master of fast draw, has the only onemade; at right he demonstrates the perfect "natural point" position.Larry Mudgett, of the L.A.P.D. Swatteam, draws at downrange target outof a typical double action duty rig.Handloading, 1972, all of which are availableat large gunshops or may be orderedthrough local bookstores."My suggestion is to stay about 10 percent under factory duplication loads fortraining " and oractice." he said. "You canalways go to factory loads for servicework, and the difference in strength willnot be enough to throw you off, while thelighter loads will be much easier on yourequipment. Improperly loaded ammo isthe cause of most malfunctions, so be meticulousin your loading habits."TrainingAs to training, there are three basicthings to learn in shooting a pistol, andthey concern (1) sight-picture, (2) breathcontrol,and (3) trigger-squeeze. All ofthem involve simple physical acts and areeasy to learn and understand, according toRay. But-andhere's the rub-incorpo-rating these simple procedures so thatthey become a part of one's being anddone without conscious effort is not easyfor most people (especially the author).Ray's instruction in this respect is:. "Focus your eyes on the front sight, getgood sight-alignment, and hold that untilyour finger pressure forces the sear to releasethe hammer. If you can do that,you'll be a good shot. Everything else concernshow just and under what conditionsyou can do it in practical pistol shooting."The sight-picture, of course, is the relationshipbetween the front and rear sight.The top of both sights should be visuallyon the same line with equal amounts ofIlight showing on both sides of the frontblade. The front sight will be in sharpfocus, the rear sight will be slightly out offocus, and the target will always beblurred.30 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

vr^ In instances where the shooter must Combat master, W. A. "Buck" Toddyvisually search for the target, the shooter demonstrates body control whileshould train the eye to focus on the front shooting and moving. Note bentsight as he lines it up with the target and knees; minimum upper body movement.the rear sight. People vary as to wherethey like to hold on a target and so shouldfind their natural hold and adjust the ing and don't let it all out, but let it out unsightsin order to place the impact of the til you reach a point where your breathingbullet or the hit where they want it. muscles reach a balance, and then begin"I like the impact to be three to four your trigger squeeze. You must keep an ,inches above my hold at 50 yards," Ray adequate supply of oxygen in your bloodsaid."I never like to cover the spot I want stream, so remember to breathe deeplyto hit, and so I shoot at 6 o'clock. In prac- when shooting a long string or duringtical pistol shooting, the trajectory for in- heavy exertion."termediate ranges will seldom put your The trigger-squeeze is nothing moreimpact out of the highest scoring areas." than the action of the finger on the trigger,Breath, Squeeze, Stance and so when applying pressure with theAs to breath-control, Ray advises, trigger finger, the shooter should not"Don't hold a full breath at the time of fir- change the pressure of his grip on the pis-tol; and, Ray stresses, "the shooter's gripshould be firm and solid but not tightenough to make the arms or handsshake."Ray advises that only in close rapid-firesituations should the shooter force around off, and even then the shootershould train himself to avoid jerking ormilking the pistol. Developing a good,strong stance and a firm two-hand hold onthe pistol will help the shooter, and thiswill be discussed next.But first, what is stance? Ray defines itas "the position of the body during the(Continued on page 60)Chapman demonstrates what he meanswhen he says that you must land withfeet positioned and ready to shoot.

By WALTER L. RICKELLHE PPC (Practical Pistol Course) has replacedT the standard NRA bullseye course for police pistolmatches, and as with any new game a whole newbreed of firearms, and the smiths who build andmaintain them, are created. One of these new breedis Bob Day, of Day Arms Corporation, 7715 StagecoachLane, San Antonio, Texas.The PPC course requires a revolver that hassmooth double action, excellent accuracy and a muzzleheavy balance. Since there are no factory revolversavailable in this configuration except the Pythonand if one likes the shorter action of the Smith& Wesson 'K' frame, a custom job is needed. MostPPC conversions are made in two styles, one with aheavy bull barrel utilizing the existing adjustable rearsight and another with a heavy barrel with full lengthrib which feature target sights, generally a Bo-Mar.The Day Arms 1500 conversion is a much simplerpackage and uses a rib and sights of Bob Day's owndesign. There are two package deals offered: one isfor the Model 10 or like revolver (with fixed sights)which cost $129.95; the other uses a Model 15 or 14S&W or like revolver (with adjustable sights) whichcost $119.95 to make your revolver into a PPC revolver.Both packages include your barrel and rearsight in exchange.To check out this conversion, I followed a Smith &Wesson Model 10,W through the Day Arms factoryone day last spring. First the barrel and cylinder wereremoved and the barrel was replaced with a 6 inchheavy (one inch in diameter) Douglas round one withthe sides milled flat to the width of the frame. Then aDay Arms heavy rib with a large square fully adjust-Standard six Inch version of the 'f1500'fconversion with heavy barrel and ribnow 58. ounces compared to normal 34Neatly designed retainer latclfor ejector rod is shown hereAMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977

Four inch version of the DayArms "1500" conversion job.Satisfied with the success ofhis 32 conversions for auto pistolsBob Day now sets his sights onthe needs of PPC shootersable rear and a winged front were affixedto the barrel with two Phillips headscrews. Next the ejector rod catch assemblyis added to the under barrel and the revolvertimed.After timing and alining the revolver isthen test fired to make sure that no leadwill splatter from between the face of thecylinder and the forcing cone. Next thechambers of the cylinder are chamfered atthe rear to relieve the sharp edges for easeof loading the .38 Special full wad cutterammo.ItThe front sight is winged and actuallylooks like three sight blades, but the out-' side blades protect the center or sighting3 blade and also add more weight. It comesin two heights, one for a head hold on thesilhouette target or a lower one for a centerhold. The rear sight is the same onehe rear sight is of Day's own design and affords a wide, black, squareight picture. Extra long elevation screw allows for full adjustment.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

usingthe Second Six loader, and inserted. men slide the Cylinder is loaded and Secondammo is lined up with chamber ring forward till it stops. Six is backed off cartridges.It:'fr..1.used on Bob's 30-X .22 rim fire conversionunit for the .45 auto and affords agood clean, square sight picture. It has anextra long elevation screw to allow for fulladjustment across the PPC course from50 to 7 yards. The low velocity .38 Specialwad-cutter round produces such a long,fast drop that this full adjustment is necessaw.Other accessories are available such asfull accuracy jobs and, to assure ignition,the firing pin is lengthened on the old warhorseModel 10.Aside from the standard 6 inch barrelversion that weighs in at 58 ounces, Bobhas built special 4 and 2'/2 inch versionsfor the hell of it. These little beauties reallyshoot and I had more fun with themthan I did the more serious styles.The conversion can also be added toany of the Smith & Wesson 'K' series or'N' frame series, Ruger Security Six or anyof the Colt double action models for thesame cost.After dry firing for several hours withthe new PPC revolver I loaded up the carwith 1,000 rounds of .38 Special wadcuttersand was off to the Burbank Rifle andRevolver Club range near Casteic, Cali-Left: Bob Day cuts forcing conein new barrel being Installed oncustomer's, Smith & Wesson M-10.fornia for some serious shooting. Settingseveral bullseye targets at the 25 yardrange I found the point of impact was afull 8 inches below my point of aim. Atfifty yards this would put the point of impactin the bull on a silhouette target witha head hold. Although not in the bull, thegroups were neat and round, and usuallyall the shots were touching. The recoil waslow with the sights barely leaving the targetdue to the excessive muzzle weight.To aid in the testing I used the SecondSix speed loader, a unique device thatholds six .38 Special or .357 rounds andallows you to load them simultaneouslywith one motion. This differs from otherloaders on the market in that it is not affectedby gravity. To load you insert thesix rounds into the chambers and slip thering located at the rear of the unit towardthe cylinder. This loads the cylinder, withthe sliding of the ring releasing the loadedcartridges.The combination of the Day 1500 conversionand the Second Six speed loadershould prove to be an excellentcombo for the PPC course.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

The Day "1SOO" performed well on the range.Here Thell Reed puts It through Its paceson the PPC course at the Burbank Range.

Handgun Profile:AMODEL 19COMBAT MAGNUM

if"IGENESIS of the MODEL 19-Robert J. NealANSWER to a POLICE OFFICER'S DREAM-Bill JordanLIGHT CUSTOM TOUCHES-Massao Ayoob

wslon, the Model 66 stainless. Photo m*here and on the cover by John Hanusln. f^%,?,-.Guns from 8111 Barton's Sport Center. 2, ,+Cy

the Combat MagnumA short history of Smith & Wesson revolversof the past and how they influenced the design ofthe now famous Combat MagnumBy ROBERT J. NEAL0 MOST modern handgunners theT name "Combat Magnum" brings withit the immediate mental picture of a beautifullyfinished and proportioned targetgrade holster gun manufactured by Smith& Wesson for the past twenty years ormore. Its ancestry goes back to the introductionof the 38 Military and Police revolverin 1899. and even with that earlvrevolver, target' sights could be factory installedupon request.The 38 Military and Police revolver increasedin popularity rapidly and in a fewyears it became the issue sidearm of morepolice departments in this country thanany other. Though few police departmentsprior to the end of World War I1 ever issuedtarget sighted revolvers, many beganto after about 1950.By 1942 the company offered .22, 32,and .38 caliber target revolvers built onthe 38 Military and Police frame. Uponreentry into the commercial market in1946, the company introduced the "KMasterpiece" line with revolvers manufacturedin .22 Long Rifle, 32 Smith &Wesson Long, and 38 Smith & WessonSpecial. All three calibers were upgradedand supplied with the latest features.Quoting from the 1946 All Model Circular:"Now - what the target revolversshooters have been waiting for. Thefamous K-22 Masterpiece which wassuch a sensation in 1940 has beenstill further improved ... and allthese features are now yours in acomplete line of Masterpieces: NewRibbed Barrel gives you more weightup front-still finer balance than before.. New S&W "High-speed" Hammerwith wide, deep-checked spurdevelopedfor rapid-fire shooting. .New Anti-Backlash Trigger Feature-further improved for absolutelypositive action.AMERICAN HANDGUNNERNew Short Cocking Action-redesignedfor even easier, faster handling.and don't forget, all three Masterpieceswill come to you with theS&W Micrometer Click Sight of theoriginal K-22 Masterpiece, whichgives you positive adjustment forboth windage and elevation."With this new post war line of revolversa new serial series was begun having a prefixletter of "K". All revolvers in this linewere numbered interchangeably withinthis same series. The company was strugglingto get back into full production inthis early post war period and it was late1946 before the K-22 went into productionand late 1948 before the K-32 andK-38 were available in quantity.The January 1950 All Model Circularintroduced a new "K" model, the CombatMasterpiece. This was a duplicate of theK-38 except for shortening the 6" barrelto 4" and use of the Baughman QuickDraw front sight. Chambering was for 38S&W Special and loaded weight was 34oz. The revolver was described as "Ashort action, target grade, holster gun forlaw enforcement officers." This representsthe companies first direct effort toproduce such a revolver, though they hadno doubt tilled some special requests forsimilar configurations based on the K-38.This circular also introduced the K-32and K-38 Heavy Masterpiece revolvers.These were made with larger outside diameterbarrels than the standard K-32and K-38 in order to bring their weightsup to 38'/2 oz. loaded, to match theThe original .357 Magnum revolver (1935) set the precedence for a wholeseries of high performance revolvers from Smith & Wesson.

K-22-thus all three calibers would bematched in weight. Both types were catalogeduntil 1954, when the lighter K-32and K-38 were dropped.In November of 1952 the Combat Masterpiecealso became available in .22Long Rifle chambering. The company didnot seem to want to push sales, of thismodel as the only mention in their AllModel Circular was a note under the .38kaliber model "This Model is also availablein .22 Long Rifle Caliber for trainingpurposes." They continued to list it in thismanner until May of 1961, at which timethey began to list it in the same manner asall other models.In April of 1954 a pilot run of K-32Combat Masterpiece revolvers was madewith the idea of pushing the series of threecalibers. Demand had never been high forthe K-32 Masterpiece and turned out tobe even less for the K-32 Combat. Theidea wtis dropped and no further K-32Combat Masterpiece revolvers were produced.The first .357 Combat Magnum wascompleted on November 15, 1955. Thelowest serial for this model was K260001and was sold to Bill Jordan of the UnitedStates Border Patrol on January 5, 1956.Bill Jordan was one of the people instrumentalin persuading the company tobring out the model. (See Jordan's articleon the following pages).As introduced, the model was describedas "A short action, target grade, holstergun for law enforcement officers. Patternedafter the Combat Masterpiece, butbuilt specifically for use with S&W .357Magnum Ammunition." The .357 Magnum*cartridge, most readers may recall,was introduced on December 28, 1934,Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnumby Smith & Wesson along with their heavyframe .357 Magnum revolver (now calledthe Model 27.)The Combat Magnum was available inS&W Bright Blue or nickel, with far fewerhaving been sold in nickel. The description"Bright Blue" indicated a higher lusterfinish than standard service type revolvers.Only the .44 Magnum, heavyframe .357 Magnum, and the CombatMagnum were finished in this high luster.Barrel length was 4" with '/n" BaughmanQuick Draw on-plain ramp. Grips wereoversize checked walnut target withmonograms. The wood was changed toGoncalo Alves in 1959.The Combat Magnum illustrated withcustom grips is serial K261269 shippedfrom the factory on June 25, 1956, andThis Combat Magnum, owned by theauthor, was made In 1956, and hasseen much use In police, target andhunting with nary a problem.

purchased new by the writer. The gun hastarget hammer and trigger and has seenmuch service in law enforcement. , on the~ ~~target range, and on the hunting trail. Inexcess of 25,000 rounds have been putthrough it with no indication of wear orloss of accuracy beyond some loss of blueon the corners.In the summer of 1963 a 6" version wasmade available. This gave a longer sightradius to those who wished a bit morelong range accuracy and did not object toa little more length. After many requestsover the years for a short barrel versionbetter suited for concealment, the companymade a limited quantity of 3" barrelversions in April of 1966. One of these isserial K622501 and was shipped on April29, 1966. It is now in the collection of RoyG. Jinks, noted S&W authority and factoryhistorian. Length was further reducedto 2'12" and this became the official shortversion. It was introduced in August of1966. Starting serials would thus fall inthe K623000 range.Most readers have noticed that no referencehas been made to this point of modelnumbers. When the Combat Magnum wasintroduced, the company did not usemodel numbers in retail advertising orcatalogs; only within the factory for productionand engineering control. It wasnot until March of 1958 that model numberswere included in advertising andÈEVOLUTION OF THE COMBAT MAGNUMMilitary & Police ........................ 1 899.357 Magnum .......................... .I935K-38 Masterpiece .......................I946 The standard Combat Magnum withCombat Masterpiece ................... .I 950blue finish (top) led to natural demandCombat Magnum ....................... .I955for a similar gun made of stain-Combat Magnum Stainless ............... 1971 less; thus the new Model 66.catalogs. It was at this time the CombatMagnum gained the added designation,Model 19. All guns in current productionwere assigned model numbers. No numberbelow 10 was used. This was done toavoid confusion with the numbers used ontheir pre-1900 products. During thatperiod the numbers 1, 1'12, 2, and 3 hadbeen used for both factory and retailmodel designations.rIn 1973 the company produced its firstcommemorative model, and it was a Model19 in blue finish with 4" barrel knownas the Texas Ranger- Commemorative.This revolver came in several combinations,all cased. It was available casedalone, cased with special Bowie knife, andfully engraved and cased with Bowieknife. The Bowie knife (also produced bySmith & Wesson) was also available casedalone. This was the 150th year of theTexas Rangers, 1823-1973.The revolver had several unique andspecial features. Sights were standardModel 19 type with the added red insertfront and white outline rear option as standard.Special smooth Goncalo Alves targetgrips with Texas Star Medallion wereused. Barrel markings were gold filledwith standard marks on the left side and"Texas Rangers" on the right side. On theside plate was the Texas Ranger Commemorativecommission Seal, roll engravedand gold filled. The hammer wastarget type,. The trigger guard was cutawayon the left side for quick draw and asmooth face combat width target triggerwas used. The back strap was non serratedto provide area for engraving. Specialserial numbers were used starting withTR1 and ending with TR10000.During production of the Combat Mag-num Model 19 three engineering changeswere made which required new parts notused in prior production orparts not interchangeablewith prior production.These changes were identified by a dashnumber behind the model numberstamped in the yoke cut of the frame. Thedates and meaning of each change is listedbelow.Model 19-Nov. 1955ÑOrigina design.Model 19-1-1960-Change extractorrod thread from right hand to left hand.Model 19-2-Dec. 1961-Redesigncylinder stop eliminating stop plunger andscrew. This eliminated the exterior screwjust forward of the trigger guard.Model 19-3-Dec. 1967-Relocaterear sight leaf mounting screw from 9/~s"back of the front edge of the frame to(Continued on page 66)AMERICAN HANDGUNNERJULY/AUGUST

S B W MODEL 19"The Peace Officer's Dream GunN

- -The Magnum (357) cartridge is the most powerful ever designed for ahandgun and will likely remain so for some time. While it would be possibleto develop one of higher velocity or greater energy, the gun that wouldchamber it and fire it without excessive recoil would be so heavy that noshooter could hold it at arms length and fire it with any accuracy.By BILL JORDANTHEcomment quoted above, liftedverbatim from what was at the time ofThat gun served me well. The semiwadcutterlead bullets available for itpublishing in 1945, a definitive text oncaused excessive barrel leading and re-"Smith & Wesson Handguns" by Roy C.quired heavy use of a wire brush plus anMcHenry and Walter F. Roper, reflects tooccasional treatment with mercury tosome extent the impact of this cartridgekeep it shooting accurately. But amongon the shooting fraternity at the time of itsthe many distinctions which accrued to itdebut in 1935. Article after article wasthrough the years, was the major role itpublished recounting its awesome powerplayed in the slaying of the famous Sheepand fearsome recoil. One that I recall ad-Killing Doe of Brewster County. An affairvised any would be shooter that it wouldI would happily forget if people like Harbemost unwise to shoot it without the pro-Ion Carter and others of his and my contectionof a leather glove lest the checker-temporaries would allow it. This gun wasing tear the skin loose from the shootingalso the first for which a Jordan Holsterhand. All this for a cartridge developingwas made.1515 f/s velocity with a 158 grain bullet! AMuch shooting, some of it with "ultracartridge now being called totally inade-violent" handloads, soon made it apparquatefor defense by many "experts." Itent that, although a fine, flat shooting loadwould be hard to picture the consterna-which hit with ample authority, the .357tion which would have followed if the .44was not the chunk of dynamite it had beenAutoMag had happened along in 1935!Bill's "working" Model 19 withdepicted. Its recoil was considerably lessTruly we shooters were a unsophisticatedmodifications described In text.than I was getting from an old .44 Speciallot fortv ,, vears aso. "Keith load or with loads I cooked un for aDid I say forty years? The impact of.45 Long Colt. Which brought on wishfultlwt has just hit me harder than a .357 Magnum!thinking for a smaller and lighter revolver that would be cham-At any rate,. I had to have one of those guns. And after much bered for this popular cartridge.scrimping and scrounging, an order went off to the W. S. Darley . I am not sure of the year but think it was in 1954 or earlyCompany for the Custom Model in 3'/2 inch barrel length. Al- 1955. I was talking to Carl Hellstrom, then Smith & Wessonthough the gun is long gone-traded to the old Master Gun En- President, when the subject of an ideal handgun for uniformedgraver, Cole Agee-I still have the certificate that came with it law enforcementofficers was raised. During the conversation,stuffed away somewhere.he had quite casually asked me for my conception of the perfectAfter an interminable wait, the gun arrived and it was a law e,nforcement officers'gun. I had formed some very definitebeautiful thing well worth the wait, both inside and out. Al- ideas along that line arid described my "dream" gun to him, inthough a bit fearful of its great power, I was anxious to test it. At- general terms, as having a very heavy, four inch barrel with intachinga regulation target to a large cardboard box, I backed tegral ejector rod housing, recessed cylinders, ramp front andoff 25 feet, put on the leather glove, carefully aligned the sights adjustable rear sight, on the K frame of the .38 Masterpiece andat six o'clock and just as carefully pulled the trigger. An ex- chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge.amination of the bullseye did nothing to establish my confi- Since this had been, according to my thinking at least, an idledence in the accuracy of the gunlcartridge combination. There conversation, my surprise was complete when Combat Magnumwas no hole in the target. In fact, there was no hole in the box, #260,001, along with a letter saying it was number one of theeither. Even after all these years I have not been able to figure new Model 19 .357, arrived in Phoenix where I was then stahowthis came about, since I recall quite clearly that I had a tioned with the US. Border Patrol. It came at an opportunebeautiful sight picture when I closed my eyes.time for a public unveiling. I had heen booked to appear onAMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

wadcutters, with heavy load firing confinedto familiarization and sight setting.This being the case, the Combat Magnumhas many advantages over its forerunner.It is more comfortable to carry, lends itselfbetter to concealment, can be drawnand fired faster due to its lighter weight,and the double action pull can be refinedto a markedly better degree. There is noway that the heavy cylinder of the Model27 can be incorporated into an action assmooth as can be attained with the smalllight cylinder of the Model 19.In suggesting adjustable sights for mydream gun, I was envisioning a single firearm;a separate entity, not considered incombination with any complimentaryhandguns. One which could be, withinreasonable limitations, all the handgunneeded by the one-gun man. Under thisconcept, adjustahle sights would be theobvious choice. Sights which would providethe adjustment capability requiredfor target shooting at different ranges andaiming points plus the flexibility of sightingfor widely differing handloads. Hadthe gun been planned for defense useFor combat situations at ranges from seven to fifteen yards, authoradvises using two hands, particularly if more than one shot will be fired.what was then a very popular national TVprogram, Art Baker's "You Asked ForIt," sponsored by Skippy Peanut Butter.During my part of the program, I held theCombat Magnum up for a full screen shotwhile I described it as "the answer to aPeace Officer's dream." I was told thatHellstrom arranged to borrow the film ofthe live show. flew it back to Springfield,and showed it during a lunch break to allthe Smith & Wesson employees.It was only after a month or so hadpassed that it occurred to me to wonderabout #260,002! Then I learned that ithad gone out with a regular shipment andthere was no record of its final owner. Ihave never learned what happened to it.Number 260,001, unfired, I still have.I would have liked the barrel of this revolvermade heavier for better pointahility.With practice, a good combat shooterlearns to sense the way his gun is aimed inpoint-shooting situations by the feel of thebarrel out in front of his hand. This evenwhen he cannot see the gun due to concentratingall his attention on the target. Along barrel gives this feel, which is comparableto pointing the finger. The longerthe barrel, the more definite sensing ofthe gun pointing becomes. In the @/"inch-.44 Magnum, this feel is intensified to aremarkable degree. It is like a fishing polesticking out there! By the same token, theshort barrel, such as a 2 inch "snubby"has very little of this quality. It could becompared to pointing with the fist insteadof the finger. To attain this sense of feel,weight must be substituted for anyshortening of the barrel. A very heavy fourinch barrel assumes the pointability of alight six inch barrel. Since the four inch isthe police standard length, as a compromisegiving comfort in carrying, adequatesight radius and speed in handling, itneeds this extra weight.Of course, one other advantage of theheavier barrel would be its dampening effecton barrel flip and recoil, giving bettercontrol to a lighter frame gun fired inrapid fire bursts.The " K frame is perhaps a bit light tostand up under a steady diet of full charge.357 loads. Anyone wishing to do all hisfiring with maximum loads would do wellto stick with the heavier frame of theoriginal .357 revolver. Actually, very fewguns are likely to be subjected to thispounding. For most-perhaps 90%-practice shooting will be with mid-rangeHere's a close-up of Jordan'sM-19 showing the side of thetrigger guard as cut away androunded for faster speed draw.

Here's Jordan's Combat Magnum,Serial No. 260,001, presentedto him by Carl Hellstrom of S&W.only, with other handguns available forsporting requirements, I would havespecified fixed sights. Although lacking inflexibility, adjusted to the load whichwould be carried for defense, fixed sightswould he preferable for their ruggednessand reliability.While actively engaged in enforcementduties with the Border Patrol, althoughexperimenting with other models as thevbecame available, I always came back tothe Combat Magnum. With the exceptionof some smoothing of the action, theseguns were carried as issued except forthree minor modifications. first, the hammerspur was cut off. This operation was rumors of the rear sight were roundeddesigned to remove a projection which and 31nootlied. Tliese niodifications werecould possibly become caught in clothing of special value when the gun was worn' or could cut the hand if hard hit in the art undrr a coat or shirt in plain clothes asofdrawing. For the same reasons, outside signinents.The third alteration was the thinningand tapering of the trigger guard on thefront of the right side,(l am right handed).This allows the trigger finger to slip easilyinto the trigger guard without any possibilityof being bruised by hitting the sharpedge of the guard. While not needed forsmall hands, this alteration is of great advantageto the man with oversized handsand a long forefinger.The 357 Magnum cartridge, whilenever the powerhouse it was originally acclaimed,is the logical choice for law enforcementagencies and a good choice forthe individual. As such, it has become thepreferred caliber for most enforcementagencies. It is actually more potent todaythan it was in the thirties due to the im-proved, jacketed bullets now available.r .1 hese have solved the problem of excessiveleading and have improved the lethalpotential of the caliber. Its adaptability tolight .38 Special target loads is a trainingadvantage to a department and to an individual.As for the Combat Magnum? Now 21years old, it has surely come ofage. That ithas proved itself is evident in its predominantpopularity with police and civilianalike. There have been changes since thefirst gun came to me. Some eood andc,some not so good. The best was its introductionin stainless steel as the Model 66.The worst are the dropping off of thequality only hand finishing could maintainand the price escalation from about $85to an even hundred more.However, in that twenty-one yearsnothing has changed my thinking. It is stillthe answer to a PeaceOfficer's Dream.As mentioned in the text, thecorners of rear sight have beenrounded and the hammer bobbed.

USE THE-- -out the left side of the target stock as shown here.Factory stocks will not allow full ejection of magnumcases or let you use many of the popular speedloaders.The Combat MagnumBy MASSAD F. AYOOB0 MANY seasoned experts, Smith & Wesson's CombatT Magnum is the ultimate .357 in terms of versatility, police/defensive combatability, and styling. But even if you concedethat it's the best of its breed out-of-the-box, that's not to say youcan't make it better.There are several little touches that can make the Models 19and 66 even sweeter. They can be added with a minimum oftools; at most, you'll need some good stones and perhaps thatubiquitous standby of the home gunsmith, the Dremel Moto-Tool.46Curing "Smith 81 Wesson Thumb"A lot of people with beefy fingers find that the sharply squaredcylinder latch of an S&W revolver cuts into the right thumbwhen firing heavy Magnum loads. My own digits are skinnyenough that I can shoot a " K or "N" frame Smith all day withouta scratch, though a "J"-frame will slice me every time, andI've got the scars to prove it.If you find your Combat Maggie bites the hand that feeds it,there are a couple of simple cures. You can acquire one ofS&W's grooved, rectangular cylinder latches like the ones usedon their model 12 Airweight M&P. Why these never caught onis a mystery to me; I can only assume the buying public was accustomedto the distinctively squared S&W thumbpiece, andthe rectangular one didn't look Smith & Wesson-y enough forthem. (When I suggested this remedy to one victim of "S&Wthumb," he snorted indignantly: "Are you kidding? I don't wantmy Nineteen to look like a cap pistol!")Another approach, which doesn't require the skill of a mastergunsmith either, is to round the bottom edges of the latch bygrinding. Ron Power did that on one of my S&W Combat's,and I thought it was a sleek touch that will get me an extra fewbucks if I ever resell the piece to somebody with hammy hands.. Grip ShapeCustom grips are no longer considered to be really customiz-AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

ing the gun, but choosing the proper oneswill go far toward adapting it to theowner's hands and purposes.The factory target stocks that are standardon the Combat Mag never appealedto me, being too narrow toward the topand too wide toward the bottom, and impossibleto conceal. I'm especially fond ofthe Pachmayr Presentation grips, particularlysince they brought out the newstyle with the speedloader cutouts. Evenif you don't bother to load all six atonce, any 19 shooter will appreciate thefact that all six empties will eject withouthanging up as they do on the S&W wood.Farrant stocks are another favorite.They're sleekly slim and flat, and they taperdown toward the bottom of the butt inboth width and thickness, permitting excellentconcealment in the armpit or underthe coat-tails. Best are those that requirethe front edge of the grip frame tobe cut away, though Fuzzy Farrant makesa set with a wider bottom to fit unalteredgriplframes in case you've got big hands,or are equipping a department-ownedweapon that can't be "surgically" altered.Guy Hogue makes my all-time favoriteCombat Mag stocks, the finest I've seenanywhere. Though there's a little flaretoward the bottom, the overall grip shapeis trim enough that you don't have to worryabout bulge when carrying concealed.Like the Farrant stocks, Hogue's have a~alm swell that fills the hand and permitsmaximum control of hot loads.While the square-butt " K frame has alwaysbeen thought to be an excellentfoundation of grip design, there are manyof us who feel the round butt "K" frame iseven more so, especially in average orsmaller than average size hands. Sadly, it'sin the Combat Magnum catalog only incompany with the Z1/2" barrel.The handful of these round-butt gunsthat were made in three inch barrellengths are collectors' items, not only becauseof their rarity, but because theyhave incredibly good handling characteristics,coupled with a balance of line andheft that is as graceful and natural as anyrevolver ever built.If you want to make a special order toS&W for a three-inch 19 or 66,I wish youluck. They've turned down requests forsuch guns by people a lot more influentialthan you and I. A four-inch 19 or 66 barrelon the round-butt frame is possible,and very nice, but still a special orderitem; you can probably get it, but don't't hold your breath.The alternative, if you have a couple ofCombat Mags including a four and asnubby, is to simply swap tubes. This willleave you with one superbly handling revolver. . . and one square-butt snubnose.The latter will be a nice gun for snubby.matches on the PPC tournament circuit(indeed, the 2'12'' 19 is the competitiongun of choice for these side events, when' adjustable sights are allowed), but won'tIdeal Combat Magnum trigger, in author's opinion, is 3A" wideRanger trigger fitted with set screw trigger stop device and thenrounded at edges. This one is on author's Model 19 by Ron Powers.Close-up shows two desirable Combat modifications. Hammer has beenbobbed for D.A. only shooting and cylinder latch has rounded edgesto prevent cut thumbs after hot load recoil. Both are simple jobs.

Ibe great for anything else. Of course, ifyou can find a PPC shooter who wants abig-gripped snubby for competition as opnosedto carwine. you can afford to sellhim that one, because your 4" round butt19 or 66 will now be every bit as concealableas the 2'12'' was in most holsters, actuallymore so on the belt because the ex-IT... '>--ts e.? ,. .:,tra 11/2" of barrel will ride against your

These are quite satisfactory for double actionwork, and adequate for single actionshooting. Wide, serrated target triggerswill reduce your double action control,though if your Combat Magnum is usedprimarily for single-action plinking orhunting, the wider surface will give you alittle better control. and the comfortine - illusionof a lighter trigger squeeze since itbetter distributes your finger pressure.No matter what kind of shooting youdo, but especially if you're into double action,the best choice is S&W's optional"Ranger" trigger, the smooth-finished onethat's about three fourths the width of thetarget style. Being more rounded, it allowsthe finger to slide smoothly across the surfaceas it changes position during the DAtrigger stroke, yet is perfectly controllablein SA shooting. In serious handgun circles,the Ranger trigger is the mark ofpeople who really know their sidearms.Advanced, competitive wheelgunners go astep further by putting a bright polish onthe trigger and rounding the edges stillmore. a Ron Power trademark that givesyou the ideal Combat Magnum go-bu'kon.Also worthwhile is a trigger-stop. Ahandy person can drill a hole through thetrigger and tap it, then install a correspondingpiece of stock with an Allenheadscrew hole on the trigger face end.This can be adjusted for a backlash-freepull, either for single action or for doubleaction only. Use a size 640 set screw, justunder 1'/4" in length. Another alternative,less cosmetically effective but moresecure and easier for some to install, isbrazing or soldering an oversize stud tothe back of the trigger, and then filing it toa precise fit so it contacts the back of thetrigger guard and stops rearward movementas soon as the hammer has beenlaunched forward. I set mine for doubleaction shooting, though a trigger-stop adjustedfor the SA letoff will also reduceDA backlash somewhat.I never liked a wide target hammer onthe S&W Combat Magnum or any otherrevolver, at least for hunting or combatwork when you might be drawing quickand taking an uncertain hold on the gun.If the web of your hand winds up too highon the back of the grip frame, the widehammer may be blocked by your ownmitt, preventing or delaying the shot.I'm partial to grinding off that casehardenedhammer spur. S&W hammersare shaped in a manner that allows an appealinglystreamlined flow of metal whenthis de-horning operation has been performed.Colts and Dan Wessons, by contrast,are often left with ugly nubbinswhere the spur used to be.Obviously, this makes tor a pretty muchDA-only proposition. Sure, you can startthe hammer back via the DA trigger pull,then roll the hammer back with the tip ofyour thumb. This technique is surprisinglyRoutine field stripping allows access to action for smooth -easy to learn, especially if the top edge ofthe hammer has been roughened. Buthave you ever tried to un-cock a revolverwith a bobbed hammer? Accidental dischargesare extremely likely, especially inthe emotional aftermath of a lost shot atgame or a tense defensive confrontation.Most of my de-horned guns have also hadthe mechanisms reworked to render themDA only; on the Combat Magnum, this isbest done by grinding off the full-cocknotch on the hammer. Here, though,we're getting into areas that should be reservedfor expert gunsmiths only.If you do choose to bob the hammer onyour Combat Mag, you'll find that it's anespecially forgiving gun: like almost allS&W's, the lopped-off spur doesn't seemto lighten hammer impact and endangerrealiability, as can happen when you bob aColt without making certain other compensationsin the mechanism or the hammerdesign. Quite apart from the sleekappearance and the snag-free draw, thebobbed S&W hammer actually seems tofall quicker, giving you better lock timeand a snappier impact that actually increasesreliability. Still, if you're notshooting double action most of the time,the regular S&W hammer seems to be thebest choice.ActionsThe uninitiated make two serious mistakeswhen they try to slick up a 19,66, orany similar gun: they weaken mainspringtension, and they cut coils off the triggerreturn spring.Really good revolversmiths most frequentlyleave S&W's mainspring alone; .the few exceptions like Fred Sadowskiwho do mess with mainsprings will reshapeit rather than simply weaken it, aprocess that requires experience in, andsophisticated knowledge of reheat treating.It's not for the home gunsmith unlesshe has a drawer full of spare springs.Leave that screw in the front of the S&Wgrip frame alone.(Contihued on page 63)AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 197749

mat's New. 7 Due CHANGE to the increaseOF CAMBERin popularity of the .I77. .caliber size, Crossman Arms announces that itis changing its models 38T and 38C from .22caliber to ,177 caliber. This modification willgive over 50 shots per C02 powerlet at an averageimproved velocity of 356 f.p.s. for the38T and an average of 312 f.p.s. for the 38C.' BROWNING'S CHALLENGER I1 Looks and operates enough like the originalBrowning Challenger that there is no mistakingits origin. Browning's chief gun designer,Joe Badali, designed this new 11 semi-automaticon a steel frame skirted by two-piece,highly-figured laminated grips. Unique lockingsystem (patent pending) secures barrelsolidly to frame. Ten round capacity in magazine,so with a cartridge in chamber willhandle eleven .22 long rifle shells. Ruggedconstruction, reliable operation, handsomedesign and gold trigger all say the ChallengerII is typically Browning. Write Browning,Morgan, Utah, 84050.Models 38T and 38C have both single anddouble action with revolving cylinder thatholds six .I77 caliber pellets. The 38T with sixinch barrel weighs in at 2 Ibs. 6 oz while the38C weighs 2 Ibs. 4 oz with a 3'14 inch barrelwith full adjustable rear sights. For more onthese better performing air pistols, writeCrossman Arms, 980 Turk Hill Road, Fairport,New York 14450.by George NonteOne of the world's best known writers sets the stage for thisbook which, because of even tighter government regulations,becomes more important to handgun owners every day. Theacquisition of skills necessary to do everything from the simplework of touching up a blueing job to the more complicated rebuildingand accurizing is made easier with the step-by-stepadvice. Pistols, revolvers and automatic pistols can be fixed,improved, and maintained properly following directions forwelding brazing, soldering, hardening, tempering, revolver tuningand timing, refinishing and more, completely illustrated withphotos and drawings.IAMERICAN HANDGUNNER BOOK CLUBI 8150 N. Central Park Skokie, IL 600761 Please forward ____ copy(s) of PISTOLSMITHING. Enclosedis $14.95 plus SO$ postage and handling per book.1 NAMEIi ADDRESSIIS T A T F Z I P -Allow 6 weeks for deliveryAMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULYIAUGUST 1977

RECEIVERS AND SLIDESEssex Arms is now producing Model 191 1-A1receivers and slides in 416 Stainless Steel,finished to a non-glare silver grey. Slides areof Government Model style with front sight installed,and are heat treated ready for assembly.Frames come complete with bushings installed.Slides and receivers are also availablein Carbon Steel (4140) with bluedfinish,are made to government specifications andQUALITY HOLSTERA medium weight leather holster to be worninside pant trousers has been designed by theGeorge Lawrence Company, manufacturer ofquality leather goods since 1857. This model,No. 23, has a leather-covered spring clipwhich slips easily over any width belt or belt-BOOK BLASTaccept either commercial or GI parts. .45Auto pictured was assembled by Terry Hudson,owner of Crown City Arms, on the firstEssex stainless receiver produced. Finish is Armoloy,barrel and bushing are by Bar-Sto,and checkered rosewood grips by Phylip D.Letiecq. For info., or to place order for framesand slides, send #10 SASE to Crown Cityless pants. It can be removed without unfasteningthe belt. Primarily designed for 2"revolvers and .25, .32 and .380 automatics, itis also available for other handguns at slightlyhigher prices. The holster is furnished inplain, unoiled leather only. For more informationand a free catalog write George LawrenceCompany, 306 S.W. 1st Avenue, Port-. .-Arms, P.O. Box 1 126, Cortland, NY 13045. land, Oregon 97204.JOHN OLSON'S BOOK OF THE RIFLEThis is the only truly complete book on the rifleever published. Covers every phase from designand manufacture to shooting performance. Everythingfrom muzzle-loader and rimfire to centerfire and magnum.... $5.95SHOOTING THE MUZZLE LOAOERSRated tops for the growing sport of black powdershooting. Complete coverage of loading and firingflintlock and percussion rifles and pistols. Includes16 pg. color section of last internationalblack powder matches.... $6.95(Hard Cover $1 1.95)THE FAMOUS AUTOMATIC PISTOLS OF EUROPEFrom military archives and manufacturer's vaultscomes this "must" book for handgun enthusiasts.The inside story of 33 famous European automaticpistols that made history. Complete disassemblyand operating procedures.... $6.95HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN FLINTLOCK RIFLE OR PISTOLHOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WHEELLOCK RIFLE OR PISTOLHOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PERCUSSION RIFLE OR PISTOLEvery component is drawn to scale and shownwith all dimensions. Thoroughly covering detailson selecting materials shaping fitting hardeningand finishing including the hock. ~hree specialbooks for the "do-it-yourselfer."EACH. $6.95..THE STANDARO DIRECTORY OF PROOF MARKSFinally a comprehensive directory of the proofmarks of the world. Symbols of virtually everycountry operating under the national proof housesystem. Includes German Manufacturer's codes.... $5.95GO WITH THE PRO'SAvailable at all better gun shops and sportinggoods stores.. . OR MAIL ORDER NOW.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977JOHN OLSONS BOOK OF THE RIFLE ............ $ 5.950 SHOOTING THE MUZZLE LOADERS .............. $ 6.950 MUZZLE LOADERS IN HARD COVER ............ $11.950 FAMOUS AUTO PISTOLS OF EUROPE ........ $ 6.950 HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN FLINTLOCK ...... $ 6.950 HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WHEELLOCK ..... $ 6.950 HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PERCUSSION ... $ 6.95STANDARO DIRECTORY OF PROOF MARKS..$ 5.95All Prices Post PaidName ............................................................................. IAddress .........................................................................ICity ................................................................................ IState ................................................ Zip ........................I

Where our readers and writers tell us1of a custom gunsmith you should know.By EVAN MARSHALLRACKING UP QUALITY AT THE GUN RACKThis Gun Shop Offers Top Quality Work At Realistic PricesAKING a handgun to a "pistolsmith"T for combat work can be a bitter experience.I recently had a Colt Commander.38 Super butchered by a local individualwho supposedly was top notch.1 was more than mildly surprised then,to find two top quality pistolsmiths underone roof. Dave Lawrence and Ed Wood ofThe Gun Rack, 1336 El Camino Real,Belmont, California, have more than thirteenyears experience in spite of bothbeing only in their mid-thirties.While Dave and Ed are both willing andable to work on any rifle, shotgun or pistol,at least 80% of their work is on combathandguns; the bulk of that combatwork is on the .45 Auto and Colt Python.They both consider the .45 Auto thebest police duty weapon; the Python istheir first choice for the NRA-type combatpistol competition circuit. While they'llbuild a gun to the customers specifications,they first try to find out what its intendeduse is. If Ed and Dave feel the customerdoesn't really need all those features,they'll try and explain how the workcan be done cheaper. They both feel thatmost combat pistol customers tend toover-modify, and the end result is thatthey don't like the finished product andThe Gun Rack has lost future business.The Gun Rack offers a basic packagefor the Colt MkIV .45 that they feel makesit ideal for police duty or self defense.They can either perform these modificationson a customers gun or provide aMkIV fully modified.The .45 combat package includes thefollowing;1. MMC Sights (installed) $37.002. Throat Barrel $10.003. Tighten Slide $25.004. Combat Trigger Job $45.005. Pachmayr Grips $18.00Totalà $135.00The above work, coupled with theMkIVs collet barrel bushing, will produce4-4%" groups at fifty yards. Furthermore,it's a gun that's totally reliable.An indication of the quality of the GunRack's combat modifications on the ColtPython is the fact that Officer Jim Cost recentlyout shot 700 competitors in a Californiacombat match with one of theirguns. Surprisingly, Ed and Dave don'tradically rework their Pythons. They feelthe trigger is at least 80% of the work theColt revolver needs.Because a growing number of police departmentsin the San Francisco area haveadopted the S&W Model 59, they havebegun to do a lot of combat work on thisMillAbove: The Colt Detective Specialnever looked so good. Finish Is aspecial beadblast with clear coat.Left: A Gun Rack Job on ColtCombat Commander with SeecampDA conversion and Herrott stocks.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977

Model 59 S&W as reworked by GunRack features MMC sights, triggerfob and inside polishing. Gripis the popular Pachmayr Signature.Igun. The trigger pull, as it comes from thefactory. is unsatisfactory. , and Ed andDave &in produce anincredibly light andsmooth trigger pull for $45. They havealso foundthatthe 59 will not feed allbrands of high performance ammunition,so they throat the barrel and rework the1extractor for reliable functioning.They also provide trigger work on a surprisingvariety of pistols. I handled both aColt Detective Special and Walther .380that had such light trigger pulls that Ifound it difficult to believe that theywould function properly. Both, however,functioned reliably with a yariety of factoryloads.The Gun Rack offers a variety of finishesfor handguns. A top quality deepblue is available, but their most interestingfinish is a bead blast with clear polyurethanecoating. They have found thisto be extremely durable under all conditions.They also offer black chrome ineither dull or bright finish. Both the beadblast and black chrome are available for pull by at least 30%' and that makes the$70. gun much easier to shoot accurately.A last service they offer is a trigger job If you've been looking for a place to doon the Seecamp double action conver- some combat work on your pistol butsion. The Seecamp conversion as it comes have been afraid of being stung, the Gunfrom the factory' is smooth, but rather Rack will make it a painlessheavy. Ed and Dave lighten the trigger experience.Interior view of The Gun Rack shows racks of long guns offered forsafe. Back room holds the shop where custom handgun work Is done.

PERFORMANCE TIPS FORTHE MID-SIZE MAGGIESÂHow cop's .357 (with proper ammo)looks to a felon-six devastatingand high velocity hollow points.By GEORGE C. MONTEack in the middle 1930s the greatestB handgun news, since cartridge revolvers,was the .357 Magnum-both thegun and the cartridge. According to ads ofthe period, the pair offered a blistering1510 fps with a 158-grain, lead bullet(that's 800 fp of energy at the muzzle), aperformance level that could hardly bebelieved by those accustomed to the .38Special, .45 Colt, and other contemporarycartridges. Even more impressive to theknowledgeable gunbuff of the period wasthe chamber pressure the .357 Magnumemployed to achieve that performancelevelÑ40,00 CUP (PSI then) and more.Many contemporary, rifle cartridges wereloaded no more heavily than that.It wasn't the best time for a new item,with a vast depression growing deeper,and most people more concerned withfood than guns-but maybe that's the reasonSmith & Wesson introduced it. Anythingthat would boost sales was worthwhileunder those conditions.Smith & Wesson made the gun, whileWinchester developed the cartridge andload. The ".357 Magnum" revolver was asuperb piece of work, a refinement of the1926 N-frame guns and fitted with targetsights. Materials, workmanship, and heattreatment were the best to be had so as tohandle those high pressures. In the beginning,the revolvers were issued with aseparate registration number. The pricewas high, nearly twice that of a comparableN-frame gun in other calibers, butpeople like George S. Patton, as well asgunbuffs, didn't let that stop them.Much was made of the .357's ability tocrack or penetrate an auto engine block;it could do this on a 1936 car if the shothit right, but most of the claim was just(Above left): High performance loads, .38 Special 110-grain JHP and 125-grain JHP .357. (Above center):Original forms of both cartridges, .38 Special 158-grain lead RN (top) and lead SWC .357 Magnum. Above(right): S&W case actually has a thinner web and weaker transition than the smaller R-P .38 Special case.AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

THE -357 MAGNU,Mpress-agentry. Even so, law officershungered after the new powerhouse, andmany of them did buy it.While many outsiders assisted, notableamong them the late Phil Sharpe, the definitive.357 loading was developed byWinchester. It utilized the basic .38 Specialcase lengthened about '/lo-inch to1.29 inches long. Some early cases areknown with large-diameter (.210" nominal)primers, but the small size soon becamestandard. A 158-grain bullet wasdriven at a claimed velocity of 1510 fps bya special, rion-cannister powder oftenidentified as a variation of Hercules 2400.The velocity claimed was obtained in aone-piece test barrel equivalent in lengthto an 8'b-inch barrel, plus cylinder in therevolver. For obvious reasons, then, theload didn't perform that well in a revolverbecause of the barrevcylinder gap andother factors. Genuine velocity enthusiastsbought the 8'/2" (later changed to/dl) barrel, but most pistoleros chose4" 5" or 6" tubes and so obtained muchless velocity. A 3'/s1' barrel was availableand popular among law officers, and itgave the least velocity of all.In any event, the .357 Magnum washeavily promoted, especially by Col. D. B.Wesson through widespread, big gamehunting. He took most North Americanbig game with the .357 Magnum and thiswas widely publicized.Thus the .357 Magnum became thepremier high-power handgun cartridge,and it remained so for 20 years, until theadvent of the .44 Magnum. Even then, becauseof the wide spread between the two,the .44 did not decrease the popularity ofthe .357. Even today, the .357 remains thetop-performitig round among all calibersunder .40, and is the hottest of all the9mml.38 class. It deserves the honorsheaped upon itOf course, since the 1935 Smith &Wesson, dozens of production-model revolvekshave been chambered for the .357Magnum; almost every domestic revolvermaker offers at least one such model.On the surface it would seem that the.357 Magnum is reloaded just like anyother rimmed revolver cartridge. Essentially,it is, but there are a few points oneshould give extra consideration if best resultsare to be obtained. Since these pointsvary according to the type of load beingassembled, we'll cover them that way aswe go through the different load classes.Because the .357 case is simply the .38Special case lengthened about '/lo-inch,any .38 Special factory or handload maybe fired in any .357 revolver. And, generallyspeaking, a load that performs well ina .38 will perform well in a .357. Theoretically,the difference in case length shouldincrease bullet deformation and this isgenerally deleterious to accuracy-but thepractical effect is apparently insignificant.It happens like this when a .38 Specialis fired in the .357 chamber: as it leavesthe case, the bullet upset, expanding radiallyto contact the chamber walls first;as it moves on, the bullet reaches thesmaller chamber throat and is swageddown. That first upsetlswage-down is inaddition to normal bullet deformation in aproperly-chambered revolver and can re-,You can't buy IigntAarget loads in.357 (right) such as the mid-rangewadcutter .38 Special, so handload!AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

duce accuracy.The use of .38 Special cases cancause problems with loads intended toproduce maximum velocity. Bullets canbe seated ahead '/Io" to produce powderspace in .38 cases equal to the .357. H'tiwever,this reduces bulletlcase contact andgenerally interferes with a proper crimp.The result is reduced bullet pull, andoften wider variations in bullet pull. Theresult is less velocity and less consistentvelocity than can be obtained in fulllength.357 cases.Generally speaking, then, .38 Specialcases are perfectly safe in .357 revolvers,but often are less efficient and may be lessaccurate. However, this doesn't at all precludetheir use for any but the most potentand most exacting uses.TARGET LOADSTypical cast lead lubricated bullets. Bullet on right basedwith gas check, bullet' on. left has been improperly resized.Beginning at the bottom, the traditional.38 Mid-Range Wadcutter load perfornisvery well in most .357 revolvers. With a145-150 grain, cast, solid-base, leadbullet, 2.7 grains of Hercules Bullseye orthe equivalent is quite accurate. Recoil ismild (especially so in heavy-frame guns)and it's great for plinking or close-in smallgame. Substituting a swaged, hollow-basebullet may improve accuracy, but not necessarilyso. Theoretically, the HB bullet ismore stable, but targets seldom read theories.This load seems to do equally well in.38 or .357 cases, and there seems to beno difference between new and much.fired brass so long as they aren't mixed ina given batch.Bullets should be seated to the crimpinggroove and the case lightly crimpedinto it When no crimp groove is present, I(Continued on page 58).357 Magnum LOAD DATA(Velocities in six-Inch revolver barrel)LIGHT LOADS: TARGET AND PLINKINGBULLET POWDER CHARGE VELOCITY BULLET POWDER CHARGE VELOCITY1. 148 gr., lead WC Bullseye 2.0 630 , 20. 173 gr., lead SWC Unique 4.5 9152. 14& gr., lead WC Bullseye 2.5 730 21. 173 gr., lead SWC Unique 5.5 11103. 148 gr., lead WC Bullseye 2.7 765 22. 173 gr., lead SWC Unique 6.0 11704. 146 gr., lead WC Unique 3.5 710 HEAVY LOADS: HUNTING AND DEFENSE5. 148 gr., lead WC Unique 4.5 880 23. 110 gr., JHP Unique 10.0 17006. 148 gr., lead WC Unique 5.2 980 24. 110 gr.. JHP AL-8 15.0 16607. 115 gr., lead WC Bullseye 2.0 630 25. 125 gr., Speer JSP Unique 7.5 12008. 115 gr., lead WC Bullseye 3.0 830 26. 125 gr., Speer JSP Unique 8.5 13009. 173 Qr., lead SWC Unique 3.0 620 27. 125 gr., Speer JSP Unique 9.5 142210. 173 gr., lead SWC Unique 4.0 770 28. 125 gr., Speer JSP Unique 10.5 154511. 173 gr., lead SWC Unique 5.0 965 29. 125 gr., Speer JSP 2400 17.5 1380MEDIUM LOADS: GENERAL PURPOSE, SMALL GAME 30. 125 gr., Speer JSP 2400 18.5 147512. 146 gr., lead SWC Unique 6.0 1120 31. 137 gr., JSP 2400 18.0 158013. 146 gr., lead SWC Unique 7.5 1375 32. 146 gr., JSP 2400 16.0 147014. 146 gr., lead SWC Unique 8.5 1520 33. 160 gr., lead SWC 2400 15.0 155015. 148 gr., lead WC Unique 4.5 910 34. 160 gr., lead SWC Unique 7.7 130016. 148 gr., lead WC Unique 5.5 1070 35. 160 gr., lead SWC 4227 15.0 135017. 148 gr., lead WC Unique . 6.3 1170 36. 173 gr., lead S WC Unique 7.0 126018. 158 gr., lead SWC Unique 5.5 1150 37. 173 gr., lead SWC 2400 12.5 116019. 158 gr., lead SWC Unique 6.5 1265 38. 173 gr.. lead SWC 2400 14.0 1340AMERICAN HANDWNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977

, Leupoldscopes passi'Krentz Test"more than 5,CZJ timesWilljam F. Krentz of of one brand had previously broken down u, 2000Alien Park Michigan after 600, 800 and 400 rounds of .22 LRhasdeveloped a fa.+ and the reticle in another brand tore outlSWcinating new test forafter 265 rounds of -45 ACP.) ! 1000scopes, although that Then, one day in the summer of '75, Bill 9 500is not what he in- showed up at our plant with a Leupoldtended to do. M8-2X mounted on the slide of his .45ACP. He casually mentioned that he'd firedabout 5,000 rounds, using Leupold scopeson several slide-mounted .45s-without a(1) ACP firing develops 2,000 G's. (2) Slidestopped in full open position creates 750 G's.single scope failure. That gave our people (3) Slide stopped in closed position producessomething to think about! Like, what kind~ $ ~ , % ~ ~ ~ ~ ; $ ~ e % >of stress does this put on the scope? So,we decided to rig one up and find out.(That's really ours in the picture. If youwant to see Bill's original, look on page 38of the May, 1976 American Rifleman.)Well. the results of the accelerometer testswere fascinating, too. We discovered thatevery shot subjected the scope to threeseparate stiff jolts-varying from 750 to astaggering 2,000 GIs. The simpliis from the actual oscilloscope rin3 up of a round .from the magazine,) In caseyou don't know, one "G- is the measure ofthe pull of gravity at sea /eve/, normallyshown as 32 ft./sec.Z. To fully appreciate thefigures, you should realize that 2,000 G's isroughly the same as the deceleration of a cargoing 135 mph when it hits an immovable wall.us that dnce heSo$~ $ ~ ~ d o ~ ~ ~ n ~ $ , $ ~ ~-without a single scope' failure. And, incase you're wondering, the Leupold scopesBill used were not specially selected forhim. Except for a prototype he tested inlate 1975, all came off a dealer's shelf.Which makes his following statement allthe more important: "Once they aresighted in, I have never had a Leupold(scope) lose its zero."Naturally we're pretty proud that Leupotdscopes can take this amount of punishment.Certainly, performance like this hasto staff on the inside. . .with the right design,materials and careful craftsmanship.You can enjoy a Leupold "GoldenRing@" scope, performance, too.There's one to satisfy every shootingor hunting need.See your dealer.Write for a catalog.Leupold & Stevens, Inc.Dept. AH-1, P.O. Box 688,Beaverton, Oregon 97005, USA.

'RELOADING THE .357 MAGNUMalways seat the bullet flush in the casemouth, then crimp lightly. Accuracy mayvary with cas^/bullet fit It may be worthwhileto try different-size, expander plugsuntil the best combination is obtained.Bullet alloy isn't critical toaccuracy, so awide range may be used. Everything fromLyman #2 to pure linotype mix seems toshoot well so long as bullets are properlylubricated and sized.Shooters sometimes want to speed upthese wadcutter loads for one reason oranother. With hollow-base bullets, notmuch velocity increase can be obtainedwithout danger of the base blowing out atthe muzzle. This 'produces wild shots.Solid-base bullets can be speeded upconsiderably, but over about 900 fps, afairly hard, lead alloy becomes desirable ifaccuracy is to hold up and barrel leadingis to be prevented. Actually, these 'hot'wadcutter loads serve no useful purposein ordinary target shooting, but are sometimesrecommended for defense use.Target-type loads are best for plikingand fun shooting. Conical bullets may bepreferred by some, but so long as bulletweight remains the same, target-loadpowder charges may be used safely. Ourtarget loads produce very low pressures,ACTION Omm ^3P9S DOUBLEACTION 9mm10 rounds of 9mm Iparabellum punching power-* Weighs two poundsReliable~accurateAlso features polygon bore anddelayed roller-locked slide.HK4 DOUBLE ACTION .MOW22 LK.32dlJ.25 dl.(Continued from page 56), '..' ...so even if a bullet substitution does causean increase, no problems will be encountered.SMALL GAME & HELD LOADSThis load class falls between target andfull-charge, magnum loads. It is probablythe most useful of all to the average shooterbecause it covers such a broad spectrum;yet per-shot cost is quite low, only alittle more than that of target loads. Cast,lead bullets of medium weight are best,and velocities of up to 1000 fps are easilyobtained with relatively small charges ofpowder. Yet, these loads can be effectiveto 100 yards or more and will kill edible,small game without excessive meat damage.Hard-alloy, cast bullets of 150-175grains weight and semi-wadcutter formseem best A 5/5/90 tin, antimony, andlead mix is hard enough, and on upthrough linotype metal. I've never seenany need for gas checks in this range solong as hard-enough metal was used. Norare hollow-base bullets of any particularadvantage. Bullets should be well lubricatedwith an Alox-base lubricant andsized to actual groove diameter or nomore than .0015" greater.P9S DOUBLE ACTION .45 cal.A real big game stopper!8 rounds instantly ready Weighsless than two rounds l PolvaonPSS DOUBLE ACTION .45 d l-HK~DOUBLE ACTION .380cal.l.22 LRl.32 cal.l.25 cal.l The perfect backup gun-4 guns in one.Shoots the high lethality 380 cal.(9mm short) cartridgeConverts to tow cost .22LR in secondsKits for .32 and .25 cal. also availablePerfect for the backpacker. Lightweight(16.902)Ask your doator about all of the exciting new H&Kguns or writ* for our W-OWH color catalog. Pleawinclude $2.00 for and handling. -Heckler & Koch, Inc.933 N. Kenmore St., Suite 218Arlington, Va. 22201Powder charges are greater than for targetloads and I've found Hercules Uniquewill do everything that is needed~and atlow cost Others are suitable, of course,for this range of loads, but why argue withsuccess?While .38 Special cases are usable withthese loads, I really prefer the full-lengthmagnums. Cases must hold bullets tightly,and a good, stout, roll crimp is necessary.If all this is done with .38 cases, you'll bereducing powder space about 15 percent,increasing pressures accordingly. If forsome reason you must use .38 Specialcases, select those bullets which have thecrimping groove properly located so thatthey may be seated to produce standard.357 cartridge length in .38 cases. In effect,this moves the bullet forward in thecase, duplicating .357 case powder space.When doing this, though, making thecrimp a bit heavier will help obtain moreconsistent ignition and velocity.BIQ GAME & DEFENSE LOADSThe "creme de la creme" of .357 Magnumloads. These tire the two purposes forwhich the cartridge was originally developedand promoted. For the very simplereason that the cartridge is the most powerfulwhich the average shooter can learnto handle really well, the .357 is our bestrevolver defense number, for much thesame reason, it is a superb hunting cartridgefor all but the biggest species.For both uses we need loads oroducingmaximum velocity and energy; and withthe capability of transferring as much aspossible of that energy to a live-animal targetHowever, this does not mean thathunting and defense loads should be identical."Big game" implies heavy, massiveanimals, while "defense" implies the targetwill be man, which is a relatively small,light animal. In defense, there are otherconsiderations of safety which requirelimiting penetration, reducing ricochetprobability, etc. Yet on big game we needmore penetration and do not encounterthose other limitations. This means thatfor defense we want light, frangible bulletswhich do not penetrate deeply or ricocheteasily and yet create massive tissue damage.For game, we need deeper-penetratingbullets.Both are best served by modem, jacketed,expanding bullets of the type pioneeredby Super Vel Cartridge Corporation.For defense, the lighter, hollow-pointbullets deliver maximum energy to thetarget without excessive penetration orricochet risk. For heavy game, the heavier,soft-point bullets at slightly lower velocitygive us what we need.The reasons are simple. A fast, lightlyconstructed,JHP bullet of around100-110 grains weight expands violentlyon impact, creating a very largediameterwound cavity; therefore, it transfers maximumenergy to the target and does notpenetrate deeply. Its light construction re-58 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

..duces ricochet probability. Thus, this is afine bullet for defense. A slower, 140-150grain, JSP bullet of heavier constructionexpands less and more slowly, therefore,penetration is deeper and so is more likelyto reach the vitals of a large animal. Thesecharacteristics make it a better, big-gamebullet.Regardless of bullet, the slow-burningpowders needed for maximum velocity requireheavy and consistent bullet pull.This means very tight case/bullet assembly,a deep crimping cannelure, and a veryheavy roll crimp. The expander plug mayrequire reduction in diameter to obtain atight enough case neck. In some instances,a tighter resizing may be neededfor the same reason. Because of the soft,fragile nature of such bullet noses, carefully-fittedseating stems are necessary toprevent deformation under seating pressure.Because of changes in case-mouth hardnesswith each firing, velocity tends todrop with each successive use of a givencase. A case fired several times with thesame load will produce significantly lessvelocity (we are talking about top loads)than it did when new. For this reason, seriousdefense and hunting loads should beassembled in new, unfired cases. Firedcases are okay for practice, but for thereal thing, use new ones. This isn't reallythe economic burden one might think, forrelatively few shots will be fired at big -game, and even fewer at people.Defense and big-game loads should alwaysbe run through the gun after assemblyjust to make absolutely certain there isno external defect that might interferewith functioning. When facing a woundedbear or an angry man is no time to findout that you have a dented case or thickrim that locks up the gun.Sure, there are countless other .357loads which you might find interesting.Every loading manual is full of them, andthey represent the pet ideas of dozens ofshooters. Yet, the loads we've described,and also listed in our table, cover justabout every real or imagined needa modern pistolero might have.1 THEBELT SLIDE 1This hand-crafted holster, a favorite of 1law officers is now available to thepublic Your gun rides high and out of theway but there when you need it Wetshaping of leather insures a perfect fitThe BELT SLIDE is designed for men whoinsist on maximum comfort and utilitySpecify pistol modelBLACK ONLY IS6 50 POSTPAIDUTISFKTION GUARANTEED.belt slide,inc.'Did AH8 PO Boa15303,Austin,Texas78761Dealers & Reps inquiries invitedAMERICAN HANDGUNNERJULY/AUGUSTIBill Jordan tells it like it is in 0 GUNShis fascinating book about gunfighting, how to do it and what LEATHERFAST DRAWequipment to use. InformativeCOMBAT SHOOTING1 sfiectat &W4 - All GUNS readers will receive aI personally autographed copy. Order yours today, and, 1I order one for a friend! Please send me __ copy(ies) @ $6.50. plus 500 (perbook) for postage and handling.Ii Name -Ii.- IIAddresscity State -Zip GUNS MAGAZINE 8150 N. Central Pk., Skokie, Ill. 60076 - IIl-ÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑÑ-ÑÃ97759i

CHAPMAN ON PRACTICAL PISTOLCRAFTshooting procedure. It should be a steadyand comfortable position with the bodyproperly addressed to the target or targets."He thereupon states:"Stand facing a target at approximately25 yards in the stance you would use tofire a shotgun or rifle, keeping your feetwell spread and your weight equally balanced.This stance will have your bodyturned away from the target some 30 to45 degrees. Now, close your eyes and drawan empty pistol and point it toward whereyou think the target is. Imagine that yourshooting arm is the stock of a shotgun andyou are sighting along it. Your shootingarm should be fully extended with the elbowand wrist locked."Your weak arm will be bent slightly atthe elbow, with the fingers of that handoverlapping the fingers of the shootinghand. The index finger of the weak handshould be around the trigger guard withouttouching the trigger finger. Now, pushL-. ' 8 8-.- 8 . . 8 , .(Continued from page 31)' ,- ' "Now you know why we don't put our finger on the trigger 'tillwe have cleared leather."60ited, he should dry-fire at home, both tofamiliarize himself with the equipment, aswell as to practice sight-alignment combinedwith trigger-squeeze and breathcontrol. However, Ray warns "Alwaysmake sure the pistol is empty beforedry-fire," he warned. "Don 't take someone'sword that it is, you check it. If youforward with the shooting arm and pulldon't know how to check a particular acbackwith the weak arm.tion, then don't handle it.""This will help you hold the pistol down Core Training Programduring rapid fire. With all this done, open Ray recommends the following exeryour,eyes and see if your sights are on the cises as the core part of a training protarget.If not, adjust your angle until they gram. It should be practiced each time theare, and then start the procedure over shooter goes to the range:again. Keep doing this until when you 1. Fire 12 shots at eight-inch bullseyeopen your eyes the sights will be on the target from 50 meters (55 yards). Firetarget. This is your natural point of aim, three-shot groups from standing, kneelandthis will be the stance you always ing, sitting, and prone positions. Concenshouldtry to assume when you are shoot- trate on sight-picture, breath-control, anding. With enough practice it will become a trigger-squeeze. No time limit.natural movement."2. Fire 12 shots at silhouette target.Ray urges the practical pistol shooter to From 25 meters, start with hands empty,always take advantage of any support palms touching (not necessarily as inavailable, including use of the prone posiprayer).Draw and fire one round. Thetion. "The all-important thing is hittingnovice should take as much time as needwhatyou are shooting at and not how youed. The expert should get a good hit in twodo it," he says. "There are no alibis into three seconds. Repeat 11 times. Firepractical pistolcraft."four each from standing, kneeling, and sit-If the amount of time the novice canting positions. Make smooth draw and tryspend in the field or on the range is lim- to touch the trigger off immediately aftergetting sight-picture on target.3. Fire two shots at each of three silhouettetargets 10 meters downrange, spacedabout one width apart. Start with palmstouching. Again, the novice should takeall the time needed. Repeat this, startingwith back to targets and hands shoulderhigh.4. Fire two rounds at each of three silhouettetargets, spaced one target widthapart, 10 meters downrange. Reload andfire two more at each target using theweak hand only. Experts should be able todo this exercise in 12-14 seconds with thesemi-auto and in 14-16 seconds with thedouble-action revolver.5. If you have an ample supply ofammo, move up to 7 meters and practicefiring from a one-hand natural point, withthe pistol raised just above the beltlineand well out in front of you."When you are practicing (training), doeverything smoothly and surely. Try toplace your shots as near the center of thetarget as you can. This is the time to developgood shooting habits that you canrely on when the going gets rough."Drawing the GunThe draw should always start with thegun in the holster and with the safety on, ifthe gun has one, Ray states, With the single-actionand double-action revolversand the double-action autoloader, thehammer should be down. With the singleactionauto, the safe carrying condition is"cocked and locked,"with the hammerbeing'at full-cock and the thumb-safety inlocked position.Ray recommends that the shooter wearthe holster in such a way that he does notAMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

~-have to "stretch" to draw, and this meansthe holster of a full-competition rig shouldbe on the hip with the gun slightly underthe hip point and over the front pocket.For a holster worn on the belt that supportsthe trousers, Ray suggests a crossdraw,as it is easier for the shooter to get atthe pistol. "You can get it out in any position,except lying flat on your stomach."As to the draw itself, Ray says:"The draw should always be smoothand sure. While the expert might be ableto take calculated risks, the novice shouldtrain himself to be safe and to always havethe pistol where it should be at the completionof the draw; that is, with the sightsaligned and the pistol ready to fire (thumbsafety off)."Try to use as little physical movementas necessary to draw the pistol. Usingmore movement than necessary requiresthat the movement or movements have tobe controlled, and this means that you arewasting time and energy."Keep your trigger finger straight whileyou are drawing the pistol from the holster.If you are using a semi-auto with athumb safety, release it and move yourtrigger finger to the trigger after you arewell clear of the holster. If you do thisthen the possibility of your messing up thefiring line with a lot of your blood andearning a lifelong limp will be lessenedconsiderably."After the pistol is drawn, Ray advisesthat the shooter use a two-hand hold ifthere is time; the reasons being (1) morecontrol of the handgun itself, (2) easier touse the sights, and (3) considerably lesssight-alignment loss during rapid fire."The natural point, or hip-shooting, asit's sometimes referred to, should only beused at extremely short ranges, such asseven yards or less, depending on theshooter's ability to hit from the naturalpoint," he stated. "The farther you arefrom your target or the longer the range,the more important it is to hold a sightpictureand squeeze."From 10 yards you might be able tojerk the trigger and still score a good hit,but from, say, 25 yards out, you must havea good sight-picture and a clean break ofthe sear or trigger. The farther you getfrom the target the more exacting youhave to be in everything: sight-picture,trigger-squeeze, grip on pistol, breath-control,and position."Speed vs. Accuracy"If time permits the shooter's assuminga more positive position, the kneeling orprone position will provide greater stability,and," Ray adds, "at long distances alwaystry to use the prone position, if youcan."Normally, in competitive shooting, allstages of fire will start from the standingposition, with pistol in the holster, and theshooting position will be "assumedW.afterthe starting signal is given. "You will haveto decide at once how much time youwant to designate for assuming a positionAMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977ftichiemieierLft* WESTERN * SPORTSMAN* COMPETITION * LAWGet a Grip on your4Thompson-ContenderOrder the New ~e~lacement Stock and Forearm Today$19.50 eachDesigned for large calibersPerfect fitfor two hand shootersAvailable in left or right hand, please specifyForearm to match stockForearm can be wei hted to lessen muzzle jump~enuine walnut-~ilfinishPlease specify caliber when ordering forearmExotic woods.available upon requestSend Check or M.O.Bankamericard or Master ChargePlease give exp. date and number on bank cards.&~lliernieier BOX 704 - AH Twin Falls, Idaho 83301SAFETY VAULTQsfffiK. HANDGUN DISPLAY CASESBeautifully-built cases for all sizes andtvoes of -- handcuns. --.~ Finished in simulateiculpturedSpanish Oakwith solid brass hardware.Has built-in changeable combinationlock, dust and moistureseal and unique velvet ,,interior that automaticdymolds itself to custom fit anytype or size of handgun. Interiorsare reversible red or black ACORROSION INHIBITOR preventsall rusting. Three Oldavailable at $1.50 extra.quality CASE to protectfavorite weapon............................7x4%x2%" ....$ 41.25r8x5%x2%" .... 43.501 GRIFFIN CASES, Oquossoc, Maine 049649%x6%x2%" ... 46.501 TEL: 207-864-3344Please send me, postpaid, case, . Dept.12x7Èx3 . . ... - AH-7 -7755.50:Size Quantity Price14%~7%x3" ... 63.50, Three Gold Initials___________Price $1.5012%xlOx3" .... 65.501Please send free color brochure.16% x 11% x 3% ... 91.00 1NameCheck or Money Order Imust accomvanu order. I Address

as 'well as the position you will assume,"Ray said, explaining, "this means you willhave to determine which firing positionwill be advantageous for a particular problem.''The decision thus involves whether ornot it would be better to shoot fast andpossibly miss or shoot more slowly andscore positive hits but possibly not get offall the required rounds in time. "You haveto decide that for yourself; thus, for thenovice, always try to stay under control,and try never to waste a shot."In shooting multiple targets, Ray advisesthat the shooter always assume theposition or natural stance for the hardestshot of the string. For example, in a reloadingstage or a weak-hand stage, theshooter should take his natural stance onthe target in that stage that normally is themost difficult to hit and, from that stance,aim at the other targets.Moving ShooterIMoving TargetsIf the shooter is required to move fromone firing point to another, "It's a goodpractice to move with the pistol in the holsterand in a safe condition." If a matchpermits the shooter to move with thehandgun drawn, then "you must makesure the pistol is always pointed in a safedirection, and-I cannot emphasize thisenough-with all safeties engaged andyour trigger finger outside the triggerguard."Ray suggests that when the shooter ismoving from one firing position to a newone, he always approach this new firingpoint so that he is ready to fire when hecomes to a stop. "A good procedure," henotes, "is to give a slight jump so that youwill be properly addressed to the target ortargets,or be prepared to go immediatelyinto your firing position if it is other thanstanding. This readiness can save you afew seconds."If shooting while moving is requiredthen the competitor should try to movefrom the waist down, using the knees asshock absorbers, enabling him to keep hisupper body and arms from bouncing."The rule is, shoot with your upper bodyand move with your lower body," Raystates, adding, "If possible, try to fire in asequence so that both feet are on theground when you fire."Moving targets present trajectory problems,Ray points out, noting that estimatesmust be made as to distance to and thespeed of the target. After making the estimatesquickly, the shooter will have to determinethe correct lead, the lead beingdefined as the number of inches or feetthe shooter will have to aim ahead of thetarget on firing so that the target will moveinto the path of the bullet. Ray has workedthis out mathematically, thus: ."By using the equation, L = DS/V, thecontestant can quickly calculate his lead(where L = lead, D = distance fromshooter to target, S = speed of target, andV = velocity of bullet). An example of thismight be: distance to target is 25 yards (75feet), speed of target is 10 feet per second,and velocity of load is 850 feet per second.Therefore, 75 x 101850 equals 0.88feet or a lead of 10'12 inches."These pointers, Ray feels, should helpthe novice through his first few matches.But whether the novice remains what he isor works his Qr her way up to Expert orMaster category in competition shootingdepends upon several factors, includinghow hard the novice is prepared to practicehis shooting and train for particularmatches, how well he takes care of himselfand his equipment, and how much thinkinghe does prior to and after the match."An Expert or Master can normally forgeta match after it is over, providing noproblems were encountered," Ray said."A novice, on the other hand, should tryto use match experience to develop shootingskills and eliminate mistakes. By mentallyhecalling his mistakes in a match acontestant can program himself to eliminatethem."A good time to do this, according toRay, is immediately prior to sleep or whiledoing self-hypnosis and thereby letting thesubconscious help in correcting or ineliminating these problems.Using whatever of these pointers are appropriatefor his needs and always practicingrange courtesy and safety proceduresshould not only enable the individual toenjoy and achieve success in the sport ofpractical pistol shooting but also to insurethat he is welcome at whatever range,club, league, or tournament he competesin. And when he competes, his mental attitudeshould be that of a winner. Heshould demand the best of himself, and heshould shoot toachieve this.INSTANT TRIGGER JOB FOR THE .45(Continued from page 27)hammer strut and strut pin to the Silvahammer, but I su est that you obtain anew strut and pin. "ft emoving and replacingthe same strut pin could result in anundesirably loose fit.To eliminate all creep, you may wish tostone any burrs or tool marks from theend of your sear.If you are installing the hammer on aGold Cup model, you should replace theGold Cup sear with a standard commercialor GI sear.The Silva hammer's full cock notch isadequately polished and I do not recommendstoning or modifying it. If your gunhas adjustable sights that protrude overthe firing pin stop, you may need to file orgrind the top of the hammer to avoid hittingthe rear sight.There is one modification you mayneed to make on your disconnector. Theadjustment screw extends into the spacein the center of the hammer that is in line.with the back of the disconnector. Withthe adjustment screw extended, the hammermay catch on the back of the disconnectorjust above and to the rear of the62rectangular hold the sear pin passesthrough. Silva Products says this happensin rare cases, but it happened in two of thethree guns I installed hammers on. Simplyradius the area involved on the back ofthe disconnector-illustrated directionsare included by Woody Silva with thehammer and a photograph accompaniesthis article.With thes minor modifications, reassembleyour gun with the Silva hammer.Put the hammer to full cock and adjustthe screw below the firing pin with the allenwrench supplied. Trigger pull is decreasedby tightening the adjusting screw(clockwise) or increased by loosening theadjusting screw (counter-clockwise).Directions supplied with the hammersay to turn the adjusting screw in quarterturn increments which is good advice onyour first hammer. As you get the feel ofhow the Silva hammer works, you willlearn to turn it in one-half turns or evenmore at first, then back off to quarter orless turns as adjustment is achieved.At all stages of adjustment you mustfind a trade-off between lightness of trig-ger pull and engagement secure enough tohold the hammer at full cock as the slidetravels forward. To test the former use atrigger pull gauge such as an Ohausthroughout your procedure. To test thelatter pull the slide back and catch it onthe slide stop. Then release the slide stopletting the slide slam forward. If the hammerfollows to half-cock, your pull is toolight and you need to turn the adjustmentscrew counter-clockwise until the hammerholds.Some connoisseurs of accurized pistolsshudder at the thought of a slide slammingforward as described above. In practicethe slide never moves that freely, buthas the added fesistance of stripping acartridge from the magazine, feeding itinto the chamber and forcing the extractorover the "rim" of the case. If the hammerwill hold without this normal resistance,however, it should hold well underactual firing conditions.The directions say that if the hammerfollows the slide, generally the trigger pullis less than 4 Ibs. This depends on severalthings, including recoil spring strength.With a 22 Ib. extra power recoil spring, Icould not adjust the hammer to less than5 Ibs. without slippage.Directions also recommend stopping"

. when you reach 4 lbs. which is usually agood idea. Sometimes, however, you canget 3% or even 3'12 lbs. with a standard orreduced recoil spring.Finally, check your thumb safety and besure it engages as freely as it did with youroriginal hammer. The adjustment screwof the Silva hammer will pivot the searforward at the top and back at the bottom.If there is any binding of the bottom of thesear against the lug of the thumb safety, orif you cannot remove and replace thesafety'readily, you need to turn the adjustmentscrew on the hammer counterclockwiseuntil such problems disappear.If you want the change to the Silva hammerto be permanent, there is an altemativethat will not sacrifice the light triggerpull you have achieved. You can stone thelug of the thumb safety until it fits the newsear position. * * * *The Silva Adjustable Hammers areavailable from Silva Products, 614 S.Gold, P.O. Drawer 270, Deming, NM-030, Phone 5051546-3335. They arealso distributed by Crown City Arms, P.O.Box 1126, Cortland, NY 13045, Phone6071753-0194. Retail is $21.95 and dealerinquiries are invited.What is otherwise a tedious, time-consumingjob of an hour or more with thedanger of ruining hammers at as much as$7.25 each. can now be done in minutesafter your Silva hammer is installed.The beauty of the adjustable hammer isnot only in saved time, but in a trigger pullthat can be changed at any time in &condsby external adjustment according toyour purpose, ammunition used, recoilspring employed, 'etc.CUSTOM COMBAT M-79(Continued from page 49)The quickest avenue to a light doubleaction trigger in the Combat Magnum isvia the trigger return spring. The mistakeamateurs make is chopping down thestandard spring that came with the gun.As simple as they look, springs are amazinglysubtle in their design and composition,and a cutdown return spring, moreoften than not, will cause more troublethan it solves. The pull may be lighter, butit may also feel a little lumpy, especially ifyou've cut the spring too short and tried tostretch it back out. I've seen home-cutSmiths whose triggers would return withthe slowness of an elephant swimmingthrough quicksand-if, like that unhappyelephant, they returned at all.Your best bet is to part with some smallchange and ask Smith & Wessonto sendyou one of their lightest weight, "policecombat competition" trigger returnsprings. Just drop it in, and it will takepounds off the pull, while remaining slick-ly smooth and-most important-it willsnap the trigger back forward almost asfast as the standard duty spring. If you'vespent a lot of time doing double-actionwork, you can feel a slight loss of returnspeed, but I personally believe the returnis quick enough for serious combat use,and would not hesitate to have this springin my duty 19 or 66.One bone of contention among S&Wspecialists is whether or not the hammerblock should be taken out. Those who favorremoval feel this eliminates one moreset of friction points, thus making the actionthat much smoother, and thatin anycase, the S&WYs design is such that an alteredgun couldn't possibly go off by accidentunless dropped. More conservativegunsmiths admit that they leave the bar inpurely as a defense against lawsuits if acustomer does somehow manage to let thegun go off when it shouldn't, but they alsomaintain that if the whole action has beenproperly honed, the hammer bar isn't goingto grate harshly enough on the surroundingparts to cause noticeable disturbancein thesmoothness of the triggerpull.I tend to goalong with the latter. I'vehad and used Combat Mags with and withoutthe bar, and all other factors in the actionwork being equal, I couldn't reallyfind that much difference. If the gun is goingto run the risk of any abuse at all-andI I1 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977that means any outdoorsman's weapon,any cop's, any serious civilian pistol packer's-thenit's wiser to leave it in and staysafe.As far as slickin' up the parts, the homesmith should do nothing more than verylightly stone the contact surfaces. You canpolish the inside of the frame if it makesyou esthetically happier; there is no need,however, to polish anything that doesn'tbear against anything else when the actionis in motion.The light touch is important, because ifyou go too far and remove the case-hardenedfinish from the trigger or whatever,you're exposing soft metal that is going towear rapidly and unevenly, quickly ruiningthe smoothness and ultimately the reliabilityof the handgun.The Combat Magnum. It wasn't thefirst mid-frame .357 (the Colt Trooperwas, by a matter of months), but it has certainlybeen the most successful. It combinessuperb handling qualities with a sizethat is ideal for constant carrying, and inherentaccuracy that's hard to beat out ofthe box. I've carried the Combat Mag onand off duty, won competition with it, andnever lost my appreciation for a designthat is both visually and functionallysuperb. When you tailor it for your ownshooting techniques and habits, it comeseven closer to being, for manypurposes, the ideal handgun.TNew.22 Caliber 5-Shot 'Mini-DemneerNow available in1 .22 Short and .22 L.R.m a in size.. .big on power!Accurate!, Not f-a toy.. .this is thereal McCoy! A qualityfirearm, designedalong the classic lines ofa 19th Century house pistol, it'smade entirely in the U.S.A.Easy takedown. Easy to load.\^.Stainless steel construction.2 models:.22 Short and .22Long Rifle. See onenearest dealer now!Dealers Inquire. Send. for FREE colorliterature!= Jorths Dept-wFreedom, Wyoming 831

PRECISIONEUROPEANPELLET AIRRIFLESPISTOLSAND RELATEDACCESSORIESiTHERETURNOFSUPERVELBy EVAN MARSHALLWorld's large~t dealer serving the discriminatingadult air gun market since 1963. Satisfaction guaranteed.Informative catalog free; write today.- If you believe it -wear it!aBEAR ARMS {Awell regulated militia, :I being necessary to the security 1: of a free State,the right of the :I people to keep and bear armsi: shaunotbei~.................................^^^^fa-The entire second amendment inred, white and blue on a 100% heavycotton T-shirt. (Not one of thosetissue-thin cheapiesthatshrinks like39C hamburger.) The gun controlfolks sure don't like to see thisshirt coming down the street. Unconditionalmoney back guarantee.Specify small, med., lar e X-large.White only. $7.00 (calif residentsadd 6% sales tax.) Write for quantitydiscounts toclubs and organizations.Makes a great fund raiser.P.O. Box P-88, HIWARBUCKS Huntington . Beach,HEAVY INDUSTRIES California 926471725 Promenade, Santa Monica, CAWatch for the Warbucks Lola T440 driven bv ' RichSpillman in '77 pro Formula Ford road raiesor decades the pleas of AmericanF handgunners for more effective ammunitionfell on deaf ears. The need ofpolice officers for high performance loadsfor the traditional .38 Special were also ignored.Those who needed more stoppingpower were forced to either handload orswitch to a larger caliber.This is how things stood in themid-1%0's, when Lee Jurras introducedthe Super Vel line of ammunition. Theinitial loads were for the .38 Special, butother calibers soon followed. Whether ornot you agree with the Super Vel approachto stopping power, there's no argumentthat this ammunition became verypopular. By the time Super Vel ceasedSuper Vel9mm 112 gr. JSPproduction in 1974, virtually every manufacturerof handgun ammunition was producingcoinparable loads.A couple of months ago, however, Ibegan to hear rumors that Super Vel wasresuming production. It took a bit ofwork, but one of my spies informed methat H&H Cartridge Corporation (P.O.Box 294, Greensburg, Indiana, 47240)would be the producers of the Super Velline. A letter to Bob Hamilton, Presidentof H&H, produced samples of this newammunition for testing and evaluation.H&H is producing Super Vel in thefollowing calibers; .380, 9MM, .38 Special,.357 Magnum, .38 Super, and .45ACP. The samples they sent me included;The .38Special 110 gr. JHPPROBLEMS???~>oE£OILMySOLUTIONS!!!-4Ior At write your local us: dealer¥ A$ -fl- NZIP AEROSOL PRODUCTS21320 Deering Court, Dept. H-7 . THE THE THE THE THETHECanoga Park, Calif. 91304 SUPER LUBRICATING DRY LEATHER WOODGLAREDEGREASER PROTECTOR LUBRICATOR GUARD GUARD STOPPER@ Mitann Inc. 1977'AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977

.38 Special 110 grain JHP, 9MM 112grain JSP, and .357 Magnum 150 grainJHP.The proof of any ammunition, ofcourse, is in the shooting. I loaded up myguns chronograph, and ammunition, andheaded for the nearest precinct range. Velocitieswere checked on my ChronographSpecialists Model CS-100, while expansionwas checked by firing into clean, drysand. While sand does not duplicate theresistance of flesh, it is an inexpensive testmedium that produces consistent results.Furthermore, it is readily available so thatreaders can conduct similar tests of theirown.The .38 Special and .357 Magnumloads were tested in 2" and 6" barrellengths, while the 9MM was tested in aearly production S&W Model 39 withfour inch barrel.The results of these tests are listedbelow;38 Spl. 110 gr. JHP2" bbl. a1087 fps expanded to .623"6" bbl. a1293 fps expanded to .691".357 Mag. 150 gr. JHP ' ,2" bbl. a1156 fps expanded to .672"6" bbl. a1346 fps expanded to ,813"9mm 112 gr. JSP4" bbl. @I253 fps expanded to .667"The original Super Vel ammunition wasnoted for its fine accuracy, and the newversion hasn't seemed to suffer at all asthe photos show. The Model 39 I used forthe 9MM tests has always been extremelysensitive about its diet, but fed the 112grain JSP load without a hitch.Bob Hamilton informs me that H&Hintends to add additional loads to theSuper Vel line from time to time. If yourdealer doesn't have this ammunition instock yet get him to order some, becauseit's worthwaiting for.25 yard accuracy of .38 Spl.Accuracy of 9mm load from M-39MINIATURE GUNSandI ARMS RELATED COLLECTIBLESBUY - SELL - TRADE - SEND $1 .OO FOR CATALOG #A-1 2, P-383V4" LongTOM MAUA "K", BOX #6, WINFIELD. IL 60190 U.S.A. ssoo w n IAMERICAN HANDGUNNER l JULY/AUGUST 1 977IJOHN OLSON'S BOOK OF THE RIFLEThis is the only truly complete book on the rifleever published. Covers every phase from designand manufacture to shooting performance. Everythingfrom muzzle-loader and rimfire to centerfire and magnum.... $5.95SHOOTING THE MUZZLE LOADERSRated tops for the growing sport of black powdershooting. Complete coverage of loading and firingflintlock and percussion rifles and pistols. Includes16 pg. color section of last internationalblack powder matches.... $6.95(Hard Cover $1 1.95)THE FAMOUS AUTOMATIC PISTOLS OF EUROPEFrom military archives and manufacturer's vaultscomes this "must" book for handgun enthusiasts.The inside story of 33 famous European automaticpistols that made history. Complete disassemblyand operating procedures.... $6.95HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN FLINTLOCK RIFLE OR PISTOLHOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WHEELLOCK RIFLE OR PISTOLHOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PERCUSSION RIFLE OR PISTOLEvery component is drawn to scale and shownwith all dimensions. Thoroughly covering detailson selecting materials shaping fitting hardeningand finishing including the hock. ~hree specialbooks for the "do-it-yourselfer.".EACH.. $6.95.THE STANOARO DIRECTORY OF PROOF MARKSFinally a comprehensive directory of the proofmarks of the world. Symbols of virtually everycountry operating under the national proof housesystem. Includes German Manufacturer's codes.... $5.95GO WITH THE PRO'Savailable at all better gun shops and sportinggoods stores.. . OR MAIL ORDER HOW.' AMERICAN HANDGUNNER8150 N. Central Pk., Skokle, IL 6007611 JOHN OLSONS BOOK OF THE RIFLE ............ $ 5.950 SHOOTING THE MUZZLE LOADERS .............. $ 6.95I Il MUZZLE LOADERS IN HARD ... COVER ...-.. ............ S11.91fi FAMOUS AUTO PISTOLS OF EUROPE ........ S 6.91DHOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN FLINTLOCK ...... $ . 8.15 IDHOW TO BUILO YOUR OWN WHEELLOCK ..... $ 6.95 10 HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PERCUSSION ... $ 6.9s- C] STANOARO DIRECTORY OF PROOF MARKS..$ 5.95 1All Prices Post PaidI1 Name .............................................................................1 Address .........................................................................1 City ................................................................................1 State ................................................ Zip ........................ Ib-----99-----.IIII

DIXIEItemsforWORLD'S LARGESTNUZZLEL~DINGOUT1flrhe Muzzleloading Enthusiast.Tons of Parts, Accessories, Kits,and Guns for the Dealer, Gunsmith,EoIlector and Shooter.Send $2.00 (or $3.00 if you likethis book) and see what Muzzle-loading has to offer you!Dept. 50UNION CITY, TENNESSEE 38261ACCURIZEYOUR OWN .45 AUTO, COMMANDERff ?!IOR BROWNING HI-POWERNew stainless steel barrel & accuracybushing to match. National11 Guaranteed.. ............New Stainless Steel Brownin Hi Powerare1 Match quality. ~7B.iOPP. 11BAR-ST0 PRECISION MACHINES. Victory Blvd AH Burbank, Calif. 91502Ã-'5/~e" back of it.In July of 1971 the Stainless Steel CombatMagnum Model 66 was introduced atserial number K900000. It was furnishedwith 4" barrel only and in other respectsdesigned the same as the current Model19, except that all parts were of stainlesssteel and the only finish is no finish, so tospeak. Actually it is called satin but is naturalstainless exterior with polished surfaces.Beginning in July of 1975 a 2'/z1'semi-square butt version became available.Also at about this time the rear sightwas changed to black stainless steel andthe front to red insert.In 1974 a "U.S. Border Patrol7' commemorativemodel was produced in theModel 66 series with special casing, andwith a special commemorative seal rollengraved on the side plate. The seal was areproduction of the Border Patrol badge.These were numbered in their own serieswith USBP prefix from 1 to 3243. This isTHE .22 LR MINI REVOLVERbut the cylinderpawl makes loading from the left sidemore difficultAfter firing, the cylinder is again removedand the empty hulls punched clearwith the help of the long cylinder pin.The five chambers are partially counterbored,but the rims of the ammo stillprotrude from the rear of the cylinder.Make sure you don't drop a loaded cylinder(as I once did), or it could result inan accidental discharge.The little gun features a fixed firing pin,and a "safety" half-cock notch that shouldbe engaged to keep the firing pin fromcontacting cartridge rims. The hammermust be manually 'drawn to the "full(Continued from page 23)the only non-standard Model 66 known atthis time. Barrel length was 4".The reader has no doubt noted all theCombat Magnums (except the two commemorative~)are serialed in the sameseries beginning with the prefix "K". Ithas also been mentioned that the Masterpiecerevolvers were also numbered inthis series. It should be further noted thatall target-sighted K frame revolvers producedsince 1946 are numbered in thisseries. This represents a large number ofModels and a large number of guns.When serials reached K999999 the prefixwas changed to 1K and numbers restarted.This system repeats as numbers reach999999 again.The writer gratefully acknowledges receiptof serial number and chronologicaldata for the preparation of this articlefrom Mr. Roy G. Jinks, Factory Historianand noted S& W authority.cock" position each time a shell is to befired.The spur-type trigger has a pull that isfairly light and crisp. In actual use, onlythe thumb and the first two fingers areemployed to hold and operate the gun.The small grip can be completely enclosedby a man's middle finger, while thethumb cocks the hammer and the indexfinger handles triggering chores.With high-speed .22 Long Rifle ammo,this mighty mite makes a lot of noise andrecoils sharply upward in the hand. It'snot just a cute noisemaker, either. Highvelocityhunting ammo generates a surprising780-800 fps at the muzzle, makingthis gun lethal at close range.ÂÂBUTTERFLY GUN CASEFor traveling with a gun or Spadfymake,modelof hand- Âstoring one. the Lawrence gun and barrel length.#93 Bunorfly Gun Case has Writetor Free Catalog for Âsoft pliable leather'with all details on completedeep pile lining and full Lawrence line of over 100 .zippered opening. Available holster styles and otherat dealers or by mail. shooting accessories.THE GEORGE LAWRENCE CO..rgg,97,d& ,.AH.66ÂAMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977

As the rudimentary front sight is higherthan the hammer notch that serves as therear sighting equipment, the bullet printswell below point of aim at any distance tospeak of. While this gun is obviously notintended for use on small targets at longrange, I was pleasantly surprised at beingable to put all five rounds inside a 6'12-inch circle at 10 yards.- .very closely with those Dave obtained.Aside from having a Contender barrelchambered for this wildcat, you can havemost of the .32 ACP and .380 ACP gunsconverted for the Flea. Corbin will notundertake custom work, so your gunsmithhas to get reamers and chamber data fromCorbin. Loading dies, suitably modified,bullets and formed cases, and later on,STATE PISTOL LAWSJIixiklot ~Ifscrlbin latestIsto1 reBuIttlom per-lalniiix to iHMseRRinff. c~m'kn. and Durc)iasIng ofhand guns for all states $3.00.FEDERAL GUN LAWSllookirt oiilllnlnn latest federal laws mncemlnallii!~~r~ii~ $1.00. l:ltlll)i DCTKCTION EQUH'MENTCATAI.OU. 11.00. llem-Y Sclileainner. 415 K. 81St., New York Dept. 17 N. È 10022.For last-ditch self-defense or iust plain even ammo can be ordered from Corbin.1 1 THIS IS YOUR SPOTplinking fun, the stainless-steel mini gunoffers a unique package of pint-sizedpower. It's not a toy, but a fully functioninghandgun capable of doing considerabledamage, and it must be treatedwith respect.The North American Arms wheelguncomes in a fitted velvet jewelry case, andretails for a respectable $109.50 (the .22Short version costsbut as to the National Shooter's Leagueand its purposes, there is no longer anydoubt. All it needs is a little more PR, a littlemore media expertise. The industryhas professionals who can contributemuch of that needed. specialized talent.Those were the thckhtsain all ourminds as we left the range that Saturdayafternoon. We had that deep, silent satisfactionof having seen history in the making.Athletes and sportsmen of the daymust have felt the same surge of pridewhen they left Cooperstown, N.Y. afterthe first 1839 baseball game.The quaint little fenced off range in itsdishpan of Wyoming farmland looked soinsignificant, so innocuous, the wayPlymouth Rock must have looked beforethe Pilgrims landed.It was still high noon when we left thatplace, but to all of us, it seemed that wewere looking into abright new dawn.Editor's NoteFor more information on the 77match, write: National ShootersLeague, 504 Lyons, Laramie,Wyoming 82070. Please send astamped, self-addressed envelope,and just for the hell of it, whynot send a buck or two as your contributionto keep this match going.THE .22 FLEA(Continued from page 26)Browning gun as well as in the Contender,but no attempt was made to work.up specialloads for the latter gun. Cases-wereprimed with CCI 500 primers, andchronograph data, obtained from my indoorrange with Avtron equipment, talliedWith the exception of the dies, all otheritems must be ordered by FFL holders.There are a number of rifles which arealso suitable for the .22 Flea, includingrolling blocks and small actions based onthe Mauser design.If you are already swaging your own bullets,you can get .224 dies from Corbin,and all the other stuff vou'll need to makeyour own bullets. If you are not into the$89.95). ' swaging scene, you can either buy 37 grainbullets from Dave or use any of the commercial40 gr. Hornet bullets.NSL MONEY SHOOTHow good is Dave's Flea? Well, consideringthe fact that I was in the process of(Continued from page 22) dreaming up my own wildcat in .22centerfire, it speaks well for Dave's wildcatthat I had that TIC barrel chamberedfor the Flea. After burning up about 200of Dave's bullets and an equal amount ofold Hornet bullets, I can only repeat thatnow-banned TV commercial:"Try it, you'll like it!"Pistol shooters. These instant targetsmake a super aiming point. Sizes W, 1".lW, V, 3" & 6". Hi-lites sights, fluorescentred circles. Also replacement centersfor 50' slow fire targets - all selfsticking.Other items too. See your dealeror write: Peterson's Labels, PO Box186RP. Redding Ridge, Conn. 06876.rNU-UNE GUNS \f^"UNDER RIB"DLT PARTS $10.00 MIN. ORDER'wmim- NU-LINE . - -..- 6UHS --. -3727 JENNINGS ROADST. LOUIS, MO. 631211-314-383-3907THE JACKASS CONCEALABLEThis is notan ordinaryfla t-style holster!Custom fitted -Premium saddleleather - MastercraftsmanshipA '\HIGH-Stylesavailablefor bothautomaticsfor brochure andand revolvers,ordering information to:with models THE-LEflBEfiaStarting at $15.95 920 Waukegan Road, Glenview, IUinois 60025(312) 729-9290AMERICAN HANDGUNNER JULYIAUGUST 187767

Books of Interest to HandgunnersHANDGUN HUNTING, by Major George C.Nonte and Lee E. Jurros. Winchester Press,205 E. 42nd St., New York, N. Y. 10017. Price:$8.95 plus 35f postage.eorge Nonte and Lee Jurras are twoG of the most knowledgeable peoplein the world when it comes to handgunsand handgun ammunition. This book isthe first of its kind; profusely illustratedand dealing only with the subject of huntingwith the handgun. Both of the authorshave participated in this sport for quite anumber of years and in this book they relatevaluable inforhation and experiencesgained while hunting big game in numerouscountries.Handgun hunting is covered in detail;guns and ammunition, where, why andhow to hunt anything from varmints to biggame. Numerous short hunting stories areby-- *.-included along with a few humorous incidentsexperienced by the authors. Allthings considered, the subject is thoroughlycovered.Anyone considering taking up this fascinatingsport could well save himself agood bit of time and money from whatthey could learn from this book. Experiencedhandgun hunters should find thebook both enjoyable and informative. It'scertainly a welcome addition to my library.-J.D. JonesHIGH STANDARD AUTOMATIC PISTOLS1932-1950, by Charles E. Petty. Distributedby Mom's lowing, 1020 Central Avenue,Charlotte, NC 28204. Price: $12.95 postpaid.Ithough not thick by some standards,A the material in this book is not readilyavailable in any other text. In fact. thisONLY$7.95Pat. Pend.Write us for the complete story. . . $2.00 \Ei AFAR I I-AlM IDDept. F, 1941 S. Walker Ave., Monrovia, Calif. 91016 (213) 357-7902fA -1 SCORPION CUSTOMSSpecializing in Ruger, S&W, ColtCustom tunin , conversions repairs & refinishingDealers ~end82.00 for cadoff Ph. ~I~/ws-8750inquiriesTrapper Gun Inc.,Home of the Minie Scorpion 28019 Harper St., Clair Shores, MI 48081-is the only text on High Standard pistolsknown to this reviewer. Starting with thefounder of the firm-Carl GustaveSwebelius-the reader is presented withinformation on the various High Standardpistols. Serial numbers, takedown types,barrel lengths, boxes, Hartford models,exposed hammer designs, US. Martialmodels, the H-D Military and other lesserknown models. The text is printed ongood quality slick paper and the photographyis excellent, permitting the detailsof the various models to be examined.Patent specifications are illustrated, andso are a number of the experimental pistols,many of which have never beenshown before.Some collectors and shooters know ofthe .380 High Standard pistol known asthe G-380, and a few even know of the9mm Parabellum design developed shortlyafter World War 11, as they do of theelectric free pistol. But there were also experimentalmodels chambered for the .25ACP, .32 ACP, .32 S & W Long, .38 Special.and the .45 ACP cartridges. One ofthe .38 Special designs, marked the P-38,resembled the G-380 model, while the .45ACP pistol resembled the current AutoMag pistol in size, and the old Grant Hammondpistol in basic construction. That itnever reached the production stage is notreally surprising.This book is not the final answer to collectingHigh Standard pistols, and definitelynot to the various shotguns, rifles,revolvers, and machineguns produced bythis firm. It definitely is a good beginning,covering well the period 1932-1950, plusbrief coverage of the period up to about1958. The data is based on the research ofthe factory records, and the photographsare of actual pistols, including the experimentalmodels, making it a very worthwhilebook for the library of any firearmsstudent, gun collector, or handgundealer.-Larry S. SterettCOMBAT HANDGUN SHOOTING by James0. Mason. Charles C. Thomas, Publishers.301-327 East Lawrence Avenue, Springfield,Illinois. Price: $24.75.ike javelin throwing, fencing and manyL other sports, combat shooting hasgrown out of a martial skill that continuesto place physical coordination and mentaldiscipline at a premium. With this as astarting point and without apologies toanyone, Jim Mason delves deeply intocombat shooting. Few people, much lessthe traditional match shooter, have anyconception of the vastness and scope ofthe handgun shooting game. It is unfortu--1977 SURPLUSÃArmy, Navy store. 64 Page illustratedcatalog. Send $1 .OO toRUVEL3037 North Clark st., Dept. 7-HChicago, IL 6065768 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER 0 JULY/AUGUST 1977

~ ~-nate that the phrase, combat shooting, hasbeen so watered down in recent years thatthe connotation ceases to mean what itquite different from anything 1 had donebefore." Not only is the style of firing considerablydifferent, but the handguns andrect methods of fire control, stance andtwo-handed firing. All this is covered infascinating detail. Much of the informashould.their ammunition must be completely re- tion is applicable to both defense andRegardless, Jim Mason has explored valued because what works in traditional hunting, even though the book has as itsthe entire field of combat shooting as it match competition will often get the base or purpose the study of combatexists today and he has done a remarkable shooter nowhere in combat shooting. Jim shooting. Combat shooting is a very pracjob.This is a book of facts. The pros andcons are all there. The decisions are up tothe reader. Jim Mason has not attemptedto produce solutions to anything. He haslaid out the facts. The reader must makehis own decisions. He must evaluate. Hemust chew and worry facts and then decide.This is one of the major assets of thisbook. It is fascinating and stimulating. Itis fortunate that a man like Jim Masonwrote this book. Most so-called authorsMason devotes a lot of space to combatammunition plus handgun alterations. Allof it a must for the potential combatshooter.He also gets into the physiology and psychologyof shooting. These areas havebeen overlooked by most handgunnersbut are vital to anyone learning the use ofthe handgun for hunting or self defense.The match attitude of "relax, stand easy,take your time, take a deep breath" has notical business, just as are fencing or horsebackriding, because both have evolvedfrom self defense, martial arts and the desireto stay alive. The rapier and the cavalryhave gone their way, but the lessonsthey taught the human race continue tolive on in world wide sports.I could continue indefinitely extollingthe virtues of this book. Instead, let memerely advise40 out and buy it. If youare willing to acknowledge that there is awould have turned the book into a dis- place in even the most rudimentary type lot more to handgun shooting thanaster.of combat shooting or hunting.registered match shooting under NRAI am an old time pistol shooter. There- Hunting places a premium upon and ISU controls, then read this book andfore, I read the section on Revolver vs.Pistol with interest This is about as imparmuscularcontrol, top physical condition,complete physical coordination and inlearnthe challenges of an entirely newphase of the handgun shooting game. Thistial and factual an evaluation as I have stant reflexes. These, in turn, are activated book is for both the novice andever read. Even I cannot fault the author's by training and by having learned the cor- the professional.-G. C. Nontelogic. Which is better? Read the book andthen make up vour own mind. I IThe matchtarget shooter will need a lotof orientation when he gets into this bookIM5OO CHRONOGRAPHbecause this world of combat shooting is VELOCITY TEST YOUR RELOADS¥printed/lighmcompldo systçman entirely different ball came from con-$78cnçn avaltabla from Iventional ' NRA matchesand registered WRITE FOR FREE nil,REPORT AND DATA SHEETS:competition. As Bill McMillan states inCUSTOM CHRONOGRAPH CO.his introduction, "The competition was 3518-A 1st Av NW Seattle Wa.98107tough and the style of pistol shooting wasISIX SECONDREVOLVER RELOADER(Patente- FASTA reliable device that reloads arevolver in as little as 3% secondsEASY TO USEInserts easily into the revolver cylinder and a slight turn of the knobreleases cartridgesDEPENDABLE - SAFEWill not spill ammo. even if dropped or thrown. Cartridges are heldin by strong metal cam points that prevent accidental release.STURDYConstructed of tough, non-corrosive parts that should last for years.(Loader is guaranteed one full year).POPULAR ' (Favorite of champions)Used by numerous first place winners at the National Combat CompetionChampionship Matches at Jackson Miss. (Wad cutter ammo.)Ed byLabs.Spring loaded movement (A) betweenthe cross pin and bottom of cylinderactually absorbs shock when the loaderis dropped on the bottom end, minimizingdamage to loader and cartrldges.(This movement can be felt by pushingon bottom end of knob at point (C).When dropped on the other end theforce Is transmitted thru the knob tosolid surface of counter-bore, point(B) and no damage will result.Cut away view (below) showing howrim of metal on top of cartridge head(D) and metal cam points below (El,positively retain cartrldges until knobis turned.Full line of finest Quality leather carrying cases available-(singles-doubles, plain-basketweave, tan-black-brown)* See your local dealer * If he doesn't carry them yet, ask him to order them for youWrite for free ,lOL PRODUt 2 Fifth St., Dayton, Ky. 41074literatureD~WON-~ 1-800-354-9814.. . .. . . . .AFRICAN HANDGUNNER JULY/AUGUST 1977 . . . . . . 69

'. ,THE HANDGUN MARKETClassified ads 20# per word insertion including name and address. Payable in advance. Minimumad 10 words. Closing date November/December 1977 issue (on sale October 5) is July 15.Print carefully and mail to THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER Magazine, 8150 No. Central Park Blvd.,Skokie, IL 60076.BOOKSNEW PALADIN CATALOG-Comprehensive list ofUS. and foreign books: guns, unusual wea onsknife fighting, guerrilla warfare, ex losives, &mo!Iition, ordnance, self-defense, tecRnica1 manuals,field craft, survival. Many unusual, hard-tc-findbooks. Send $1.00 for fascinating catalog. PALADINPRESS, Box 1307H, Boulder, Colorado 80302.OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS ON GUNS, SHOOTING,HUNTING. FREE LISTS. FREE SEARCH SERVICE.MELVIN MARCHER, 6204 N. VERMONT, OKLAHOMACITY, OK 73112.SOVIET ASSASSINATION WEAPONS. CIA and MilitaryIntelligence Documents. Includes descriptions,nomenclature functionin etc. of Soviet AssassinationType wbapons. $4.&. Ml6Al Lower ReceiverDrawings. Complete Forgin Details and Machinin?and Drilling Dimensions. Tull-scale. 17" x 22'.S5.W pkr set. Thompson SMG MIA1 Machinist'sDrawings for Receiver and Trigger Housing. $2.00.Under The Apple Tree De t H, 5115 South Campbell,Chicago, Illinois kO63g .Order these fabulous books from our extensivebook club! Art of Engraving b Meek. $19.95-The Book of Colt Engraving by wiyson. $39.95. T&Book of Winchester Engraving by Wilson $$9.95.pistol smith in^ b~ Nonte, $14.95; No Second plac;Winner by or an $633; Gunsmith Kinks byBrownell, $9.95; The Book of the Rifle b Olson$9.95. Allow 5Oc y t a y and handling Tor eadbook, cash with or er. A low 6 weeks for delivery.Order from American Handgunner Classified kks,8150 N. Central Park, Skokie, I1 WX'6.STATE PISTOL LAWS latest pistol carrying purchasing,etc., regulati6ns !or all states and FED~RAL GUNLAWS, both booklets $3:00. POLICE EQUIPMENTCATALOG $1.00. Schles~nger, 415 East '52nd St.,New York, NY 19022, Department E.COLLECTORS .NAZI WAR SOUVENIRS1 Illustrated catalog $5.00. bill (refundable). Disco, Box 331-H, Cedarburg, Wl53012.MUST SELL fabulous collection. Genuine Nazi daggersand badges. Sacrifice prices. Send $3 (refundablewith purchase) for List 2. Frank Rector, Dept.AH, 102 West 05th St., New York, NY lW4.COLLECTORS-US. Shoulder Patches, Medals, lnsigma.Large list 25e. Qulncy, Box 7792-H, Tulsa, OK741 05.EMBLEMSEMBLEMS embroidered to your design. Finest quality,lowest cost. Pricelist and sample emblem$1.00. Send sketch for quotation. Dragon Emblems,Ltd., Dept. AH, Clarklake, Michigan 49234.GUNS & AMMUNITIONRuger .22 Automatic Pistol Owners: New safetyfeature! Aluminum magazine follower holds actionoyen after last round is fired. Easily inserted inp ace of present follower. Ideal for target shooters.Send for prices on this and other Ru er accessories.Ronald M. Persan, Box 292. Beth4 C? 06801.WANTED BROWNING RENAISSANCE PISTOLSMEDALLION & OLYMPIAN RIFLES, GRADE v BAR:& W K-32 WILL PAY UP TO $300) OLD MINT$ 0 NEW LARGE BORE S & W'S 44,45,357. MODEL51 22 MAG. CONDITION & PRICE 1st LETTERPLEASE. W. R. BLACK, BOX 28, 300 S. HAW-THORNE ST., WINSTON SALEM, NC 27103.SILENCERS for PISTOLS and w. Professionalplans simply detailed now available. Send $2.00.vlai16nt, Box lW, ~lhbush, Brooklw, NY 11226.Fireworks-Homemade, Details-SASE to: MKO, 418SW 3rd, Jamstown, ND 5B401.FIREWORKS. MAKE YOUR OWN ROCKETS, M,FOUNTAINS, MANY MORE. EASY INSTRUCTIONS$3.00. MICHAELS, 216A W. Jackson Blvd., #612,Chtcago, IL 60606.DANGER: SPORTSMEN. You are in serious ieopardyof losing your GUNS, HUNTING & TRAPPING privileges.We urge every reader to send $1.00 so thatwe may fight for our rights. SPORTSMEN, P.O. Box562, Moline, Ill. 61265.Maxim Silencer Counlina for Winchester. Remington,- TYLER'S "T" GRIP -~aiin -~osskri ~~te&ns 22 rifles. .State Gake;model'and barrel hiameter. $10.00 ppd. D.A.Q.,50269, Cicero, Ill. 60650.BOXTARGET AIR PIST LS. World's most accurate MatchAir Pistols and 8 flea at lowest available prices.Superb quality and accuracy. Fpr indoor or outdooruse. Largest selection: over 100 mcdels and variations.Complete catalog S2.m (refundable). K. J.David Co., Dept. H, Box 923, Oak Brook, Illinois60521.PELLET GUNS: Sturdy, reliable pdet pistols. Clearancesale, only $7.95. Send tm Glenhouse, Box BO3,Wilbraham, Mass. 01129.GUN EQUIPMENTMILITARY MAUSER RIFLES AND PARTS. STAMPEDENVELOPE FOR LIST. CHESAPEAKE GUN WORKS,4406 INDIAN RIVER RD., CHESAPEAKE, VA..23325."GUNSTEAR GAS HANDCUFFS POLICE EQUIP-MENT 'BY MAIL, N'O PERMITS ~EQUIRED. SEND$1.00 FOR CATALOG TO: LAW ENFORCEMENTPRODUCTS, 5200 S. SAYRE, CHICAGO, ILL. 60638.''. .GUNSMITHING 'HOT DIP GUNBLUING (Better than Factory) CustomStock Work & Minor Repair. Send S.A.S.E. for"FREE" Price List. Sherrick's Gun Shop, R.R. #2Box 220. Findlav, Ohio 45040.THE SEARCH FOR A PRACTICAL, SIMPLE, ANDITIVE REVOLVER SAFETY IS OVER! The patentedR. F. Safety is now available for most Colt, Smlth &Wesson, and S6W type DA revolvers. It works1With no "trick" holsters or rin s required. Rttedand returned in 24 h?rd l?stal?ed for $15 pl"s $2shipping and insurance. Discounts to police andmembers of NRA, CCRKBA. Send revolver, or sendcard for brochure to: Eric R. Wendt-(FF! #336 02!201 H7 10129) 2N436 Amy, Glen Ellyn, Illtnots 60137or phone 31246&8+l.KNIVES & SWORDSFREE CATALOG CRAZIEST KNIVES EVER. KNIFETRADER, 6434 RLDFORD, N. HOLLYWOOD, CA 91606.MlSCELlAN€OBEER CAN MORTAR. Complete informa?icy and detailedinstructions, no wmplicated machlntng, range?o 1000 yards. Information on bursting proiedesincluded. Send $4.m. Pioneer lndustrles, Box 36,108 Monroe St., Nashua, NH 03060.. . . I EntertainlnglIOO-CARD ADULT BIBLE G ~ EEducqt~onall $1.00. Scrlptgamea, 5837-J Stewart,Sylvania, OH 43560.PYROTECHNICAL: NOW AT LAST, detail construdonprocedures and formulas on many pyrotechnical devicesfrom Blockbusters to Roman Candles. Partsand chemical service. For catalog wnd $1.00 toPioneer lnd., Box 36, 108 Monroe St., Nashua, N.H.03060.REMEMBER WE OLD ASH CANS. M80 etc? Completedetailed instructions on above and manyothers. Send $3.00 to: Pioneer lnd., Box 36, 108Monroe St., Nashua, NH 03060.SPORTING GOODS AND POLICE EQUIPMENTCATAIOG-$4.95. FREE SPORTSMEN GO., BOX 156,INDIANA, PA 15701.Free! Police/Securl~ lnveatiqative schematics andequipment listings. Quimtron~x Box 3435, MldwayStation-Kent, Washington 98031.CRIMEFIGHTERS. C-Bers. Fast Draw Clqbs. Getour new Bad Catalog $1 00 (refundable withfirst order). TPEC, dent.'^^, 9889 Alondra, GLflower, CA 907WBETTER sHooTl~~w~th thm mprovedcast Alum~num Gr~pADAPTORCOLT and S 8 WMODERN Revolvers DURABLEPRACTICAL-EASY TO INSTALLTHREE ATTRACTIVE FINISH COLORSPolhhd or Black $335; Gdd M.25TYLER'S TRIGGER SHOEDurable hght wetght cast alumlnum for Colt S 6 Wand many other modern p~stols rifles and shot unsPOLISHED $2.S5, BLACK $2.95, GOLD 13.25AT YOUR FAVORITE DEALER or SEN0 DEALEU'S NAME.Genuine stag-lvorfzebra 61 Lee Loaders-Bu let Molds-GunHand-made Holsters 6 Belts, Leather 6 CladnoMELVIN TYLER MFG. AND DIST.1326 W. Brlliw Rd., Oklahoma Clly, Okh. 731147. NEWEDITIONFIREARMSINVESTIGATIONIJIENTIFICATIONAND EVIDENCEBy Hatcher, Jury and WellerThe classic reference book of the ballisticstrade is now available in a newprinting to ballisticians and tool markexaminers. This is a limited edition of1000 copies.This outstandipg reference work encompassesmany ballistics and tool marktopicsl including: a histoy of firearmsidentification! modern firearms manufacture!firearms and cartridges tool marks!photography in investigation of firearmscrimes, firearys identification laboratoryequipment, investigation of firearmscrimes, laboratory investigation and proceedingsin "no gun" work! automaticweapons and rifle identification.1000 Limited Editions Only!Orders processed by postmark!AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAGAZINE8150 N. Central Park =Skokie, IL 60076Enclosed is my check for - copy(ies) ofFirearms Investigation, Identification and Evidenceeach at $22.50 plus 50C postage andhandling. Allow six weeks for delivery.NameAddressci+-Ystat-ip-AMERICAN HANDGUNFR NLY/AUGUST 1977

22 mng R I or ~ .a win. mnumYou'll have iwo superb sporting calibers with H&R'snew Model 676 converti bles.. .Authenticwestern styiing, each is fitM with 2 cylinders, quictuyconvertible to use either -22 Long Rifle or -22Win. Magnum cartridges. 6 shot single-acti-. .Available in a choice of 4%, 5%7% or 12 inch barrels, eachModel 676 is handsomely finishedwith highly polished antiquecolor-cased frame, blue-blackcylinders and barrel.Harrington & Richard~oiI, InC.Industrial Rowe Gardner, Massachuselts 01440