mi; AMERICAN OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANDGUNNER AWARDS FOUNDATION Â¥- "', .t *. New Contributing â 9MM Nt i Revolver from France., r HANDGUN .- Kg: THREE FEATURES- PLUS ExeCuAuie 9nteuueut:-- \ -l-7 A Look at the ;.!È,,L.--. A MILITARY MAF*; Super-X, the shortest distance between two points. Whether you're a match target- rifle or pistol shooter, or a high-power hunting enthusiast, you know that when you're working with super- or super-~atch~cartridgesyou've got it all going for . you; from primer to case to powder to bullet design, as fine a set of matched high performance com- ponents as Winchester and Western engineering can offer in its sporting ammunition- and that's the very best! , *and TM refer to rradernarks of Olin Corporation Winchester Wesrern 275 Winchester Ave, New Haven Ct 06504 I, . FOUNDATION JNC. 30016 S. RIVER ROAD MT. CLEMENS, MICHIGAN 48045 NEWSLETTER his page is new to 'The American Handgunner," and ROBERT PETERSON: Los Angeles, California. Publisher of T we've looked forward eagerly to its baptism. American "Guns and Ammo" magazine and a handgun, hunter. Handgunner magazine and the Outstanding American SKEETER SKELTON: Deming, New Mexico. Former federal Handgunner Award Foundation are now working togeth- agent, author, and handgun aficionado. er, and doings of the Foundation will be reported on this HAL SWIGGETT: San Antonio, Texas. Well known author, page in every issue. The two haven't merged physically; photographer, and handgun hunter. they are quite distinct separate organizations, but AHG is now the official organ of OAHGAF and as such, the editor These nominees represent a broad spectrum and have Jerry Rakusan will be supporting the Foundation editorial- all done much to promote the sport of handgunning. Their ly. Furthermore, new OAHGAF members will receive, for accomplishments are too numerous and varied to list here, their $15 annual dues, American Handgunner magazine but perhaps next issue we'll be able to tell you more as well as the identifying material of the Foundation. about them. The Outstanding American Handgunner Award Founda- Keep an eye out for this section of the magazine from tion has been completely reorganized under the very cap- now on. Here is where you'll find all the latest informa- able direction of Larry Kelly (President of Mag-Na-Port) tion on Foundation activities, especially including plans and a small, flexible board of directors. We are in better for the bigger-than-ever 1978 Awards Banquet and shape than ever and are looking forward to great things Ceremonies. in the future. We do need more members, and now is the time to sign up and receive American Handgunner maga- zine as a bonus. It's the only periodical devoted purely to handguns, and we don't see how any pistolero can do without it. Our nominating committee has just turned in the names of the 'Top Ten" from which the 1978 Outstanding Ameri- YES, I want to become a member of the Outstand- can Handgunner will be selected. Here are the names, ing American Handgunner Foundation and one of them will carry away the bronze handgunner statuette next spring. Enclosed is $1 5.00 for annual membership which includes a year subscription to The WARREN CENTER: Rochester, New Hampshire. Known American Handgunner Magazine principally as the designer of the very popular Contender I am already a subscriber to The American single-shot pistol. Handgunner; enclosed is $1 0.00 for my annual JIMMY CLARK: Shreveport, Louisiana. Pistolsmith par ex- membership cellence and one of our best competitive shooters. (Note: Life and Endowment memberships are avail- JEFF COOPER: Paulden, Arizona. Author and foremost pro- able, please write for details) ponent of "Practical Pistolcraft," director of the Interna- tional Practical Shooting Confederation. ELGIN GATES: Needles, California. Outstanding big-game Mail to: hunter and proponent of long-range handgunning. OUTSTANDING AMERICAN HANWNNER FOUNDATION DEAN GRENNELL: Dana Point, California. On staff of Gun 30016 S. River Rd., Mt Clemens, MI 48045 World magazine, an author of note and handgun lover. I TANYA METAKSA: Washington, D.C. Chief lobbyist for NAME ....................................... NRA on Capitol Hill and head of ILA State Liaison pro- I gram. ADDRESS ................................ I.. I GEORGE C. NONTE: Peoria, Illinois. Our most prolific 1 CITY ....................................... shooting author, worldwide handgun hunter, and technical expert on handguns. AMERICAN HANDGUNNER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 197 THE AMERICAN NOVEMBERIDECEMBER, 1977 George E. von Rosen Vol. 2 NO. 6-8 Publisher CONTENTS FEATURES BROWNING BDA DOUBLE ACTION .45 .........................George C. NOnte 23 THE MAUSER MILITARY PISTOL ............................Donald M. Simmons 28 FRANCE'S NEWEST REVOLVER - THE M-73 ..................Michel Josserand 33 THE TIC INSTA-SIGHT ............................................J. D. Jones 53 SPEED RIGS FOR COMBAT SHOOTING ..............................Rick Miller 62 THE THOMPSONICENTER CONTENDER By Massad Ayoob GENISIS OF A PISTOL .......................................................40 INTERVIEW: WARREN CENTER ............................................... 42 CONTENDING WITH THE CONTENDER ........................................ 46 THE COLLECTIBLE CONTENDER ..............................................51 DEPARTMENTS COOPER'S COLUMN .... .Jeff Cooper 5 HANDGUN HUNTING ..Geo. Bredsten 16 KEEP SHOOTIN' ................... 6 HANDLOADING .......Dan Cotterman 18 THE COMBAT COURSE Mason Williams 10 COP TALK ............Massad Ayoob 66 INDUSTRY INSIDER .. .Massad Ayoob 12 TAKING AIM .........Claud Hamilton 69 , : .'b*. Â¥;?A : ,t7,$-% , ,^.:-' 4 & $';ft' . 'hrome Rakusan ............................Editor Bill Bauer ........................Advertising Sales Herbert Gates .....................Associate Editor Michele Somers ...............Advertising Manager Robert C. O'Quinn.. ............... .Associate Editor Joan Tortorici ...............Advertising Production Sydney Barker ........................ .Art Director Jane Davidson ............. .Adv. Customer Service Benton Covert ..................... .Art Production T.A. von Rosen .................Production Director Albert Esklnazi ..............Subscription/Circulation if. $ SUBSCRIPTION OFFICE: 0. Bennett, 8150 N. Central Park, Skokle, Ill. 80078 (312) 675-5611 !Â¥$ EDITORIAL OFFICES: Jerome Rakusan, 8150 N. Central Park, Skokie, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-5602 NATIONAL ADV. OFFICES: 8150 N. Central Park Ave., Skokle, Ill. 60076 (312) 675-6010 g,-g WEST COAST ADV. REPS: Media Sates Associates, 12121 Wllshlre Blvd., Suite 207, Los Angeles, 90025 (213) 826-8341 EAST COAST ADV. REPS: Buchmayr Associates. 19 Birch Rd., Darien. Conn. 06820 (203) 655-1639 a**^ THE AMERICAN HANDQUNNER is published bimonthly by Publishers' Development Corp.. 8150N. Central Park Avenue. Skokle, Illinois60076.AppllCationm mail at second clan postage rates is pending at Skokle. Ill. 60076 and at additional entry offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (6 issues) $7.50. Single monthly copies$1.50. CHANGE OF ADDRESSES: Four weeks' notice reaulred on all chanaes. Send old address as well as new. CONTRIBUTORS submitting rnahuscriots. Dhotograohs or drawingsdoaoattheirownrisk. Material cannot be returned unless~ccompaniedby sufficient postage. PAYMENTwillbemadeat ratescurrentattinieof publication and will cover raproduction in any or all AMERICAN HANDGUNNER Magazine editions. ADVERTISING RATES furnished on request. Reproduction or uee of any portion of this magazine in any manner, withoutwritten permission, is prohlbited.~llrights reserved. Title to this publication passastosubscriber only ondelivery to his address. Attacking the traditional 2.7 wadcutter load seemed to be something like attack- ing home and mother. I was not in fact at- tacking it. I was simply wondering out loud. But the response was the same as if I had trod upon the flag. In the months following this inter- change I received four or five more ex- amples of the problem, three of them coming from overseas, where powder other than Bullseye was used, but powder of very similar characteristics; one in Eng- land, one in France and one in Africa. It would seem that while the risk involved in this sort of load is extremely low, it does exist. Or something exists. Just what, I Blowing Up With Two Point Seven cannot say. Then &other customer wrote to me after he matter first came to my attention discharge to flash over the powder against having written to the company which T many years ago on a visit to the Colt the base of the bullet and to ignite the en- makes Bullseye powder. He enclosed their factory. There, on Don Mitchell's desk, tire charge almost instantaneously." The response. I had mentioned only two re- cent blowups in my column, and the an- lay a Python which was well and truly black-powder .38 Special case is overlarge burst. Three chambers were blown away, for the amount of smokeless powder swer that my correspondent got back the top strap had buckled and the muzzle usually used in this load. The .357 case is, from the company ran thus: was pointing about thirty degrees skyward. of course, larger stilL Bullseye powder~a "Since neither incident mentioned in Said Don, "The customer claims he was very dense, quick-burning compound- the magazine have been brought to loading the regular-target combination, a may indeed tend to get lost in a large case our attention (sic), we are unable to 148 wadcutter and 2.7 grains of Bullseye. if a very small charge is used. offer comments