American Handgunner May/June 1978

72 Pages·2008·21.54 MB·English

OFFICIAL MAGAZINEO F THE OUTSTANDING AMERICANH ANDGUNNER AWARDS
LEATHER-COVERED
TEST R LB ORE
When America was a younger country, the For further information on our complete
better craftsmen all made their gear line of gunleather and law enforcement
dependable. It had to wear well, to perform products, see your authorized dealer or
in lonely dangerous situations where there send $1.00 for our 1978 color catalog.
was no chance of repair or replacement. Write Bianchi Catalog Offer, 100 Calle
For many people, these are somewhat Cortez, Dept. AH5,T emecula, California
softer times, and some manufacturer's 92390.
products seem to reflect the modern age.
They make their holsters quick, fast and
cheap. But not Bianchi. At Bianchi, we
make gunleather the Old West way - as if
your life depended on it. Our holsters are
famous for their perfect gun-to-leather fit.
They're carefully tooled and crafted from
the finest leathers; and the large amount of
hand labor that goes into each holster
reflects the pride we feel in making our
The best's worth reaching for
products right. Sure, the best costs a little
more . . . but what kind of price could you
put on your life?
Colt service.
Our network of Authorized Colt Service Centers is broader than that of any handgun
L
manufacturer in the United States.
These Service Centers observe the highest Colt standards. They guarantee you genuine
Colt parts' the qyality of highly skilled craftsmenya nd the precision engineering that
makes every Colt worthy of its name. That Colt legend means unparalleled reliabilityy
accuracy and goodlmks.
We've invested over 140y ears in creating and refining Colt superiority. Our Authorized
Service Center network is just one of the ways we're working to maintain the quality that
befits a legend.
Important product and service literature accompanies
every Colt sale; be sure to ask for yours.
THE AMERICAN
,
p-HANDGUNNER
# :
MAYIJUNE, 1978 George E. von Rosen
VOL. 3 NO. 3-1 1 Publisher
CONTENTS
FEATURES
..............
INTRODUCTION TO HANDGUN SILHOUElTE SHOOTING Elgin Gates 22
...................................
HAMMERING THE OMC BACKUP J. B. Wood 24
..............................
SAFETY FOR THE S&W REVOLVER Massad Ayoob 27
...............................
HIDE COVERED HANDGUN GRIPS Russ Gaertner 28
...............................
THE LIlTLE MATCH THAT COULD Massad Ayoob 32
.........................................
THE SSK MAGNUM PAK .A. H. Staff 35
PISTOLSMITH PROFILES
..........................
RON POWER-CUSTOMIZING THE S&W Masad Ayoob 38
.................
ARMAND SWENSON-MASTER OF THE -45 AUTO Walter Rickell 44
................................
TOOLS OF THE GUNSLINGERS George Virgines 48
...........................................
THE CUSTOM SHOP .John Osgood 50
......................
TEST REPORE BIANCHI'S PISTOLERO RIG Michael Barach 54
..............................
COMPLETE GUtDE TO UN-LOADING Gordon Stark 60
Cover Photos: Ron Power revolver by John Hanusin. Audie Murphy's cus-
tom .45 done by Armand Swenson, photo by Walter Rickell.
DEPARTMENTS
... ............
INDUSTRY INSIDER Massad Ayoob 6 COP TALK Massad Ayoob 18
........ ...
PISTOLSMITHING Geo. Nonte 10 HANDGUN LEATHER ..Jerry Ahern 58
.. ........
HANDGUN HUNTING Geo. Bredsten 16 TAKING AIM Karl Bosselmann 66
Jerome Rakusan ......................E ditor Bill Bauer .................A dvertising Sales
Herbert Gates ............. .Associate Editor Michele Somers .........A dvertising Manager
Robert C. O'Quinn .......... Associate Editor Nancy Grove ........ .Advertising Production
Sydney Barker ..................A rt Director T.A. von Rosen ..........P roduction Director
Benton Covert ...............A rt Production Albert Eskinazi ......S ubscription/Circulation
SUBSCRIPTION OFFICE: D. Bennett, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego,
CA. 92108 [phone]
EDITORIAL OFFICES: J. Rakusan, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA.
92108 [phone])
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THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER IS pubhshed bl-monthly by Publishers' Development Corp., 8150 N. Central Park Avenue, Skokie, lll~no~s
60076. Second class postage paid at Skokle, Ill. 60076 and at additional entry offlces. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (6 issues) $9.95. Slngle
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AMERICAN. HAN.DGU.NNER MAYIJUNE 1978
.,*' .:.% ,, L 4 .< :,%: ." k .- ,, . -. -. >
FOUNDATION, INC.
30016 S. RIVER ROAD MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN 48045
As promised, things are picking up. Several newsworthy ing considered. How would you like an opportunity to
items should be brought to the attention of those who have own such items as Elmer Keith's personal Single Action or
not yet signed up as members. George Nonte's custom Skorpion auto? While these
First, we have now completed work on our membership particular guns may not be offered, those that will be are
package (illustrated below) which includes: a 10" x 14" sure to have equal significance. Keep reading, and iust as
membership certificate; a wallet size membership card; a soon as any of these proiects are finalized, you'll read
decal for car or home and a 3112" multi-colored shoulder about it here.
patch for your shooting iacket. All of this is in addition to Membership in the OAHA Foundation has been increas-
the one year's subscription to The American Handgunner ing rapidly since its introduction in this magazine, and the
magazine, Quite a package for only $15.00. support has been appreciated. With these new programs,
There are several other special programs in the plan- I'd like to see the membership double, even triple in the
ning stage, programs that will be available only to mem- next several months. If you are a member, or are iust ioin-
bers of the OAHA. The first of these will be the offering of ing the organization, you can help this drive by telling
limited edition handguns. While several handguns are be- your handgunning friends all about the present benefits
ing considered, we would welcome suggestions from read- and the plans for the future. If every member signs up iust
ers. What kind of special edition handgun would you like one more member, that's the answer to our goal of dou-
to see? bling membership. Why not give it a try-peak up at the
Also in the planning stage is a program whereby Foun- next-club meetini or handg"n match and we'll make the
dation members will be able to bid on unique handgun OAHA "Twice as Great in '78."
items from the collections of well known enthusiasts.
Specially built handguns actually used by past recipients
of the Outstanding American Handgunner Awards are be-
YES, I want to become a member of the Outstand-
ing American Handgunner Foundation
Enclosed is $1 5.00 for annual membership
which includes a year subscription to The
American Handgunner Magazine
I am already a subscriber to The American
Handgunner; enclosed is $1 0.00 for my annual
membership
(Note: Life and Endowment memberships are avail-
able, please write for details)
Mail to:
OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANDGUNNER FOUNDATION
30016 S. River Rd., Mt. Clemens, MI 48045
......................................
NAME
.....................................
CITY
................ ..................
STATE ZIP
This volume thoroughly explores all the
facets of the various military and civil-
ian models, from use, disassembly,
maintenance and detail repair to history
and accessories. With nearly 50 pages
NEWS FROM MANUFACTURERS
and nearly 40 clear illustrations, this
volume is undoubtedly the most com-
prehensive work in print on these pistols.
Instructions on how to take it down to By MASSAD F. AYOOB
the last pin for inspection and repair,
how to zero it, virtually every aspect of
this arm is covered in finely illustrated
detail. The best source of Hi-Power in-
formation available.
"The Browning HI-POWER Pistol". . . $2.95 I T'S that time of year again. The NSGA employee, but offering permanent jobs to
mmm=- ==m= show is coming up, and all the 1978 his two capable sons. The price offered
DESERT PUBLICATIONS goodies that have become closely guarded was said to have been excellent in addition
Dept. AH Cornville, AZ 86325 secrets are approaching the great unveil- to the sinecure jobs and perks. Joe turned
I have enclosed $- . Please rush me ing in Houston. Industry sources are more it down, probably out of pride; a company
.copy (5 ) of: close-lipped than ever. I hate this time of you build from nothing is precious to you,
"The Browning HI-POWER Pistol" year. and you don't let somebody else adopt it,
Gotta dig for scraps. . . lessee.. . did I even if they do promise to take better care
already tell you Colt was planning on a six of it and still give you visitation rights.
ADDRESS
inch Diamondback? OK, then, never Will the Security revolver be reborn?
CITY STATE- ZPI ,- mind, you knew already. What else . . . ,Some of us had hoped so, but it looks in-
There's always the bad news, of course. creasingly doubtful. The auction of the
Security Industries, according to the in- manufacturing layout should be over by
siders, is dead. We knew that the plant the time you read this, and the several in-
closed up a few months ago, right after dustry people I've talked to are convinced
M500 CHRONOCRAPI this column came out announcing that that the Security production line will be
I company's planned move to Alabama, but sold piecemeal to this firm that needs a
VELOCITY TEST YOUR RELOADS we were keeping our fingers crossed, even Bridgeport lathe or two, and that one that
though that padlock and the poster on the could use a milling machine.
door signed by the sheriff looked kind of Ironically, a cabal of well-financed gun
ominous. buffs that wanted to try and buy Joe back
Joe Lee, president of Security Indus- out of receivership and re-establish the
tries, has been unavailable for comment. plant in northern New England, with him
WRITE FOR FREE
TEST REPORT: His fine little stainless-steel "J-frame" .38 still at the helm, wasn't able to get through
CUSTOM CHRONOGRAPCHo . and .357 snub nose guns were never fa- to him because he secluded himself when
3518-A 1st Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 mous for great workmanship. But Lord, the financial roof caved in. For consumers
they were slick. Trouble was, some pro- the word is, it would be a good idea to
duction runs would come through spark- hold onto any Security Industries revolver
ling and perking, and others would have a you have, because it will eventually be a
high number of guns that were out of collector's item. A good one is an out-
time. standing "user's" gun as well. This writer
What went wrong? Probably a lot of has three, and carries his Security Police
things, but one we can point to is cheap la- Pocket Magnum, a Chief-Special-size
bor. Joe never was able to get a good 357 in stainless, more often than his
skilled craftsman team together, and peo- model 60 or his Detective Special.
ple paid minimal wage or less produce On to better news. A new Massachu-
equivalent quality goods. Joe had hoped setts-based firm, Yankee Hill Machine
Hctndgun Grip for to go someplace where labor was both Co. 20 Ladd Ave., Northhampton, MA,
champions Molded plastic cheap and good, and apparently couldn't 01060 is coming out with a new line of
HEAL WOOD now hold out long enough to make the transi- gun cleaning gear under the Kleen-Bore
tion. trademark. They're also planning on get-
Engionf eyeoreudr cgouunn.to urs make your hand part The death of a fine or potentially fine ting into the firearms industry full blast
handgun is sad news, and we go into it (forgive me, puns are an occupational ha-
The best for Lawmen. Combat. Field -
Target only because there may be a few lessons to zard for gun writers.) Muzzle-loaders will
Also - Cartridge boxes, powder funnel, those who follow. We hear through the be their entree. They've already, accord-
primer flipper. grapevine that an established firm had of- ing to arms-industry whispers, been
FITZ P.O. Box 49697 L. A ., Coliiomia 90049 fered to buy Joe out, not only keeping him awarded a contract for three hundred spe-
U. S. A. for life as a high-salaried management cial charcoal-burners that will be used to
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAYIJUNE 1978
one&
Not ever crazy about
refurbish an historic Canadian fort.
Nothing definite yet, but word is that
Charter Arms is thinking of upgrading a the a00 ol'~s'obsession
C r
couple of its revolvers. One will be their
6" .357, which would sport a vent-rib and wiâ‚ bullet performnce.
precision adjustable sight if company
management takes the plunge. The other
change would be a "factory custom" Bull-
dog .44 with superslick action, maybe a
heavy barrel or a standard one with a vent
rib, and classy adjustable sights. A hard-
chrome finish like the one on the out-
standing "Backpacker" special edition of
the Bulldog, might also be part of the as
yet un-named deluxe -44. Larry Kelly the
Mag-Na-Port honcho whose special-edi-
tion revolvers have always been so pop-
ular, got exceptional rave reviews with his
slicked up, ported, and plated Bulldog,
and a factory gun with the features we de-
scribed above should be a terrific seller.
After all, since there is no competition in a
small -44 Special, price won't be much of
an object.
The big news in ammo for the past year
or two has been the Treasury Load, the
high performance .38 Special cartridge
Some would rather not think 30 of the 105 bullets they make
Winchester-Western has produced for
about handgun bullets that can are made just for handgunners.
certain U.S. government agencies. Not
more than double their diameter Then there's pistol primers.
available for public consumption, it prob- on impact. Or handgun primers They're a prime concern for fie
ably will never be; it is what is known by that make sure those bullets get boys at CCI. So there's plenty of
insiders as a "Q Load," a round made up the perfect send-off. fussing to make sure their primer
solely for a single buyer who is going to But the good 01' boys at CCI- mixes match up just right with
use a lot of it. We should note that Trea- Speer have given them a lot of the powders'handloaders use.
sury people don't use mild .38 wadcutters thought, and their pistol primers For target and standard veloc-
for practice, and train their people entire- and bullets show it. ity loads, the #300 provides per-
That double-diameter expan- fect ignition for large pistols. And
ly with hot duty ammo. Until it went out
sion is the result of Speer's the #500 is just right for small
of business, Treasury (and Secret Service,
unique design for jacketed hand- ones.
and most of the government cops except
gun bullets. They start with a soft But for the kind of heat and
FBI) used only Super Vel for practice or lead alloy core. Then put it in a pressure needed for top velocity
duty. jacket that's thick at the rear of and Magnum loads, the #350 is
The Treasury loads we've seen are the bullet' and thin at the front. On the answer for big handguns.
made up on Government-headstamped impact, the jacket's contoured While the #5!X does the same job
cases, and are in effect well-designed 110- walls peel back uniformly for full for small ones.
grain .38 special semi-jacketed hollow- impact and good expansion. One other thing. These are the
points, loaded to quasi--357 magnum ve- Jacketed or solid lead' for exact same bullets you'll find in
plinking, practice or match, no CCI-Speer's factory-IoAded Law-
locities. What incidents have occurred
one gives handloaders more man Ammo. Manufactured to
with Federal agents using this ammo are
bullet choices in all popular cali- exactly the same strict law en-
not available to reporters, but word from
bers than the good 01' boys. And forcement and militarv standards.
the Feds we know is that the stuff per- So no wonder
forms like dynamite. Remember the indi- JACKETED PISTOL BULLETS they tend to be A
vidual who vaulted the fence and charged - Gal. Din. Weight Point Type popular with
the White House some months ago? He handloaders.
9mm ,355 88gr. Hollow Point ,
was dropped like a stone by a single .38 9mm ,355 100gr. Hollow Point Even though
Treasury Load through the &ht chest. 39m8 m .,335575 112150 ggrr.. . SHoofltlo Pwo Pinot int not everyone's
Speaking of the' Treasury Load, "con- 38 ,357 125gr. Hollow Point crazy aboilt
38 ,357 125 gr. Soft Point them.
ventional" law enforcement agencies are 38 ,357 140gr. Hollow Point
eager to try it, California Highway Patrol .38 ,357 146gr. Hollow Point
38 ,357 158gr. Hollow Point
has adopted it as their standard load; That 38 ,357 158 gr. Soft Point
38 ,357 160 gr. Soft Point
famous and trend-setting law enforcement 41 ,410 200gr. Hollow Point
agency had allowed its men to carry 6" 4t ,410 220gr. Soft Point
44 ,429 200gr. M num Holbw Point
.38s and .357s of their choice for years; 44 ,429 225gr. H%V point
we scooped the rest of the industry in this 4444 ,,442299 224400 ggrr., SMoafgt nPuomin tH ollow Point
k:'. ' column~severa1m onths ago when we re- 4454 ,,442591 220400 ggrr.. MHoalglonwu mPo Sinotf t Point
ported that the agency was buying its men 45 ,451 225 gr. Magnum Hollow Point
a new gun designed expressly for them; 45 ,451 260 gr, Magnum Hollow Point
:' *- the Smith & Wesson Model 68, a 6" ad- I 9mm ,356 12L5EgAr.D BRUoLuLnEdT NSo se
. :.:.< - jusWtabel eh-asvigeh mt -o3r8e Snpeewcisa lo inn tshtaaitn clehsosi sctee eolf. 1 3233888 ,,,33IS55888 111445888 ggarrr... SBHeeomvlloeiw-l Bwbaaasdseec Wu Wttaaeddrc cuutttteerr
* ,358 158ir. Rwnd Nose
gauren sg. eFttiirnsgt, tthheei Cr aclhifooircnei ao fr otahda tp laotnrogl mbaern- 45 1443i02 224000 &or.. S!%emmi-iw-waaddcuctutettre r 11
45 ,452 230gr. Round Nose
relled gun, or the familiar 4" version, the 45 ,452 250 Qr. Semi-wadcutter
AMERICAN HANDGUNNEFI MAYIJUNE 1978
Model 67 stainless Combat Masterpiece. controllable handling characteristics. ent and immediate past superintendent of
Our sources say that slightly over half of We mentioned special loads before. Illinois State Police. Illinois Governor Jim
these lawmen (who have always carried Ammo companies will take such orders Thompson, the big Republican star of the
long barrel guns in the past) have opted from large-volume buyers, if (A) the buy- 1976 elections at state level and heavily
for the shorter, more-comfortable-to-carry er makes clear his specs and (B) promises touted as the GOP presidential candidate
Model 67. They're also being issued the that the ammo maker won't be held liable for 1980 told me personally that he would
Griffis Second Six elastic seeedloader. if the hot load they ask for is too much for go with giving the troopers hollowpoints if
though we understand several are exercis- their guns. Don't expect those companies their ordnance department says that's
ing their option to carry instead the new to make those hot loads available over the what they need for safety on the job.
Safariland loader. The Bianchi Model 27 counter to somebody who might have a Thompson, a strong pro-gun politician, is
holster (as seen on syndicated reruns of junk .38 Special. This is why you'll, never a man to watch for that upcoming Big
"The Rookies") is standard with this de- see W-W's Treasury load in your sporting Race.
partment, though many of the officers goods store. It's also why you'll probably Next issue, all the cats will be out of the
favor the similar Hoyt holster. never be able to buy the special 9 mm. bag from the National Sporting Goods
According to one insider, who has Parabellum cartridge being produced by Dealers Association show. To tell you the
never been affiliated with the California Federal for Illinois State Police. It's built truth, the national wholesalers' show
Highway Patrol but has always been close around a 95-grain semi-jacketed Sierra comes sooner, and the subsequent NRA
to them, the switch to a .38-only gun was softpoint pill that expands to 60 caliber in show hosts more gun people, but for some
partially prompted by the infamous 1970 "flesh equivalent" when it hits the 13P-re- reason, the makers love those retailers,
slaying of four CHP patrolmen in a single quired 1400 f.p.s. It supposedly feeds as and keep a lot of stuff secret just for them.
gunfight. Their inability to reload fast was slick as hardball through S&W autos. Of course, since the people who ultimately
determined to have been one factor in Trouble is, the loaded round is short sell your product are the real barometer of
their deaths, which is why they were enough to jam in a Luger or some other whether you'll be eating next year if you
authorized to carry speedloaders a year guns, and the pressure might get a little make stuff that's sold retail, I guess we
7
later and issued them last year. Another spooky with a poorly made foreign gun can all see why
factor, some say, was that three of the produced of soft steel. They might have they feel that way.
downed "troopers" were carrying .357s simply settled on Remington's 115-gr. -- - - 1
loaded with hot 158-gr. Magnum ammo jacketed hollowpoint in 9 mm., which po- Build a 44 caliber
-shootable- '
and couldn't control the recoil enough to lice agencies across the country are begin- DERRlnGER !
fire accurately and take down their at- ning to agree on as the ultimate cartridge
tackers, who killed them with .45 autos. in this caliber, but that state is cool toward
CHP's feeling seems to be that a low-kick hollow nose bullets after the ACLU-in-
. . .
load like the fast but light Treasury round spired "dum-dum" controversy at
will give adequate stopping power with least, that's the word we get from the pres-
ing. Insert the cartridges into the reloader and a simple turn of
the knob on top locks them in. It gives a secure grip, with fast
out-of-case-and-into-revolver action. Trouble free operation, with
NO JAMS, has made our reloaders famous.
No other reloader offers all these important features:
ON0 BULLET J I G G L E - c ~ ~ ~ali~gn~ p~er~fe~ctlsy with revolver
cylinder.
-
0 RELEASES CARTRIDGES TWO WAYS Push loader straight
into revolver and "WHAM-0 !", you're loaded - in one easy
motion-or turn the knob to release the cartridges!
-
@NOS PILL ACTION If dropped our reloader
will NOT spill ammo, as many others do!
-
Call TOLL FREE 1-800-354-9814
for DealershipIOrdering Information.
8 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAY/JUNE 1978
Here's why
-
'
-*
S&W
is the
standard
-
Smith & Wesson handguns are And our stainless steel models
made the way guns should be. For are stain~ess,i nside too. Where
shooters. corrosion resistance is critical.
The frame-solid. Barrel, lug by which Smith & Wesson means
and top rib-solid. Each 'machined "dependable." And our world-wide
from a single steel S&W forging. reputation for dependability is
literally in the hands of our fitters.
all
They're the best. Dedicated.
Proud. They "tune" every handgun.
It takes time to qualify as a Smith
handguns
& Wesson fitter. That's why
our handgun production
The sideplate. Fitted by hand.
Fitted so well you can hardly
find it.
The action. The standard of
smoothness. A crisp single action. Consistently the
best out-of-the-box double action. Ask the competitive
shooters. Ask your gunsmith.
This famous double-action was the basis for
unequaled performance in speed and performance
demonstrated by double-action shooting specialist
Ed McGivern who set all his big records with a Smith
increases slowly.
& Wesson. Including the time he fired five shots in '15
But surely. Because
of a second, into a group that could be covered by a
we won't compromise.
playing card, on a target 18 feet away! Even today,
Final inspection
S&W is the revolver selected by serious
covers more than 50 individual characteristics.
double-action shooters for competition.
Each handgun is test fired for function.
The finish. Renowned Smith & Wesson bluing.
en are we sure it's the best.
Done the same, slow way for over a hundred year
For You. Smith & Wesson,
Because nobody's found a better way. Done
field, Massachusetts 01 101
after even raw service gun frame and
grips are mated to each other.
^ '. y,.
Smith . .
\^"^^ 9 A Bangor Punta Company
most military manuals on such weapons
caution against the practice, even to the
extent of recommending if not directing
that the magazine never be filled to maxi-
mum capacity. To eliminate occasional
problems encountered when that 15th
round is crowded into the magazine,
S&W has changed the M59 follower so
that only 14 rounds may be inserted, and
that when the magazine is so charged, the
spring cannot be over-compressed. With
the new follower, it is not possible to insert
that 15th round.
The new M59 extractor (and it should
fit and function equally well in the M39-2)
has been modified from the original to re-
duce the possibility of it snagging on an
oversize case rim or malfunctioning be-
cause of other non-standard case-head di-
R ECENTLY, we've received a pair of some of the more recent high-perform- mensions. In addition. the extractor
releases from Smith & Wesson set- ance loads have a "fatter" bullet profile or spring has been changed toward the same
ting forth their offer to apply modifica- have the bearing surface extended sub- end.
tions to M59 9mm autos and M29 .44 stantially forward of the case mouth. Un- I might point out that the slide stop and
Magnum revolvers. First of all it should der some conditions, such bullets can extractor problems eliminated by the new
be pointed out that these modifications make minor contact with the inward pro- parts have been encountered in some
are not necessarily indicative that S&W trusion as they are elevated by the fol- M39's as well, and the modifications
considers guns in the field to be defective lower-with the result that on rare occa- made to those parts by Smith & Wesson
in any way. Actually, they are the results of sions the stop will be raised sufficiently to have been routinely performed by pistol-
an ongoing product-improvement pro- engage the slide while cartridges still re- smiths tuning those guns for maximum re-
gram that has been in existence for count- main in the magazine; an "early slide stop liability and have also been described in
less years at Smith & Wesson, just as simi- function." Current-production slide stops some of my own writings in recent years.
lar programs exist with other manufac- have this inward protrusion reduced Lest you think that the S&W has been
turers. Further, these modifications are slightly in length so that those fat bullets inattentive, let me assure you that the ex-
not repairs or alterations to the basic guns, can't contact it, but positive normal slide- tractor and slide-stop changes were made
but the installation of current-production stop function is retained. necessary by the appearance of new 9mm
parts on the M59 and reprofiling of the The original M59 magazine follower Parabellum loads. It appears that the
forcing cone on the M29. This simply up- has not produced any particular problems characteristics of the M59 were not given
dates existing guns to current production- in functioning; however, in a great many sufficient considerations during their de-
gun status. magazines it can move far enough down velopment; and, to the greater incidence
M-59's delivered to Smith & Wesson within the body to permit a 15th cartridge these days of over-size case rims and irreg-
service facilities to take advantage of this to be forced under the feed lips. The de- ular extractor groove profiles and di-
offer will be fitted with a modified slide sign capacity of the magazine is 14 mensions.
stop', new extractor and extractor spring, rounds, and when a 15th round is added, The M29 modification consists of re-
and a new magazine follower. As in most and even though it appears to enter with- profiling and refinishing the forcing
other autos, the M59 slide stop is forced out too much difficulty, the magazine cone-as is presently done in production
upward to engage the slide by the follower spring is over-compressed, and the tight- guns-producing improved transition of
after the last shot has been fired; an in- ness of that 15th cartridge itself may the bullet from the chamber throat into
ward protrusion on the stop is contacted cause a feeding problem. Shooters experi- the barrel. This reduces what is commonly
by the follower and forced upward. As enced with magazine-fed automatic weap- called "side spitting." With the new
long as conventional ball ammunition and ons are well aware of the hazards of forcing cone, there is a markedly reduced
commercial loads are used. the original crowding in the last possible cartridge. It tendency for propellant, lubricant, and
"
slide stop gives no trouble. However, often produces feeding problems, and bullet particles to be thrown out through
the barrel-cylinder gap.
NEW All these modifications are worthwhile,
Introducing a
PROGRESSIVE and gunowners wishing to take advantage
AI;\;;;;DNIG of them should contact the nearest S&W
service facility to do so. There are only a
few of these facilities across the country so
eou~ur A hunter it will normallybe necessary to ship a gun
Micro Pistol Master
to the nearest location for modification.
Fully Progressive. Cases, Primers And Powder Are Fed And Indexed Automatic- This is provided for in federal law, and
ally. No ExtrasTo Buy. you may safely ship a handgun to a li-
DoubleOutsideToggles For Extra Powder And Easy Operation.
censed gunsmith/dealer/manufacturer for
Capable Of 500 Rounds Per Hour. Four Station Operation.
repair or modification; however, the gun
Standard Equipment Includes Carbide Sizing, Speed Seating And Taper Crimp
nips may not be shipped through the US.
Cross Bar Handle Permits Left Or Right Hand Operation And Unobstructed View mails, so UPS or another common carrier
And AccessTo All Stages Of Operation. must be used. According to the releases
Easy Adjustments. Nocumbersome Die Lock Rings.
we have at hand, there is no charge for the
Bronze Bearings And Hardened Steel Bushings Located At Majorwear Points.
M59 modifications, and there is an $8.00
PRICE I Couyar A Xunter service charge for the M29 job. If your
COMPLETE Available In 381357 . JOBBER AND
395.00 Specify Bullet Style DEALER INQUIRIES GUNSMITHS - MANUFACTURERS gun is essential to your daily work, I think
And Powder Charge. INVITED G-6398P iarson Road Flushing, Michigan4 8433 it would be wise to contact the service fa-
AMERICAN HANDGUNNER MAY/JUNE I978