....,Remington is.a'trademar1< registered in the United States Patent & Tradem<M High Velocity are trademar1<s{lf Remington Arms Company. Inc.• Bridgeport. Conrt. MAY/JUNE,1980 Vol. 5 No. 3-22 FEATURES STAFF THE DEFENSIVE DUO, James D. Mason ..•................. 28 GEORGE E. VON ROSEN The COP And The TP-70 ... Two Stainless Publisher Packages of Power . .. One Small, One Big Caliber . JEROME RAKUSAN HANDGUN HUNTING-AFRICAN STYLE, AI Venter 32 Editorial Director Ever Wonder What It Would Be Like Shooting A .44 Maggie Deep In The Dark Continent? MIKE THILL YOUR ACCURACY JOB, John Lawson , 38 Managing Editor This Author Turned Gunsmith Tells It Like It KEVIN E. STEELE Is To Make Sure You Really Get An Accuracy Job. Associate Editor COACH A WOMEN'S PISTOL TEAM, A. C. Greenstein . 40 Author Lets It All Hang Out In This Personal SYDNEY BARKER Confession Of A Man Telling Today's Woman What To Do. Art Director THE 19791HMSA INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, FERNANDO M. MARTINEZ Philip C. Briggs .............................. .. 44 Assistant Art Director Who Took Away All The Marbles At The Steel Turkey JOAN HUBERT Shootout And Just How It All Happened. MAGGIE LOOS SLING, SLANG, SLUNG, Philip C. Briggs 47 Art Assistants By Now You Might Have Found A Holster For That Silhouette Gun . .. But What About Using A Sling? STEVE LIPSKY 547 YARD RAMS, J. D. Jones . 66 Advertising Sales Manager· Can You Imagine Shooting Animal-Shaped Steel GLENNA A. EIDEN MILLER Targets With A Pistol . .. .That There Is Rifle Range. Advertising Production Director . SPECIAL ..• WINNING TECHNIQUES TOM A. VON ROSEN BULLSEYE, James D. Mason 48 Production Director FREESTYLE, Rick Miller .......................... 50 BOWLING PINS, Massad Ayoob 52 TOM HOLLANDER DOUBLE PONE C, J. D. Weller ................... 54 Circulation Director FAST DRAW, Bob Arganbright 56 DEPARTMENTS INDUSTRY INSIDER, Jerome Rakusan .r. .................. 6 COOPER'S COLUMN, Jeff Cooper. ...................... .. 8 HANDGUN HUNTING, J. D. Jones (""'" 14 SILUETAS, Philip C. Briggs 16 HANDGUN HANDLOADING, Dan CottermCin ~ : 20 COMBAT COURSE, Dave Arnold 24 SIGHT SETTINGS, Lucy Chambliss. p-. ............... 36 HANDGUN LEATHER, J. D. Jones ..-; 42 TAKING AIM., Mike Fichman ....................... .. 70 COVER: The COP and the TP·70 Photo by SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER: Marilyn Bramsen, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108 James D. Mason. EDITORIAL OFFICE: J. Rakusan, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108 NATIONAL ADV. OFFICES: 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108 WEST COAST ADV. REPS.: Media Sales Associates, P.O. Box 66365, Los Angeles, CA 90066 (213) 822-5566 EAST COAST ADV. REPS.: Buchmayr Associates, 19 Birch Rd., Darien. Conn 06820 (203) 655-1639 THE AMERICAN HANDGUNNER (ISSN 0145-4250) is published bi-monthly by Publishers' Develop,ment Corp., 591 Camino de la Reina, San Diego, CA 92108. Second class postage paid a1 San Diego, CA 92108, and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year (6 issues) $9.95. Single monthly copies $2.00. CHANGE OF ADDRESSES: Four weeks notice required on all changes. Send old address as well as new. CONTRIBUTORS submitting manuscripts, photographs or drawings do so at their own risk. Material cannot be returned unless accompanie by suflicient postage. PAYMENT will be made at rates current at time of publication an'd will cover reproduction in any or all AMERICAN HANDGUNNER Magazine editions. ADVERTISING RATES furnished on request. Reproduction or use of any portion of this magazine in any manner, without written permission, is prohibited. All rights reserved. Title to this publication passes to subscriber only on delivery to his address. 4 AMERICAN HANDGUNNER· MAY IJUNE 1980 9mms in a systems concept with the si­ lencer or silencers that emerge from the development program. Midway in 1982, INDUSTIlYINSIDER the decision on what pistol and what si­ JtROME RAKUSAN lencer will be finalized. It is not yet certain, to the best of our investigation, whether the appropriations will come from the 1982 or the 1983 budget. In any case, there will be a "break-in" LET'S DO SOME UPDATING AND THROW IN period during which the first, say, 50,000 guns will be meticulously inspected and SOME STRONG RUMORS THAT KEEP GUN tested, to make sure that the product the government is getting is the same one that BUFFS IN ANTICIPATION was ordered on the basis of the Eglin evaluations, in terms of metallurgy, toler­ n our july/August issue we will give you has already driven most stateside gun ances, workmanship, functioning, etc. In I an insight into the San Francisco makers to insuring themselves. Ridiculous 1984, if all goes to schedule, the phase-in SHOT Show, but for now let's take some claims are being made against the com­ period begins, and the 1911 .45 automatic old items that need updating. panies. In one incident, a hunter pulled a will finally bow out, taking with it the title First, the radical 9mm we reported on, loaded, cocked, off-safe shotgun out of a ofthe piece ofmodern military equipment built in prototype by a firm not noted for truck, toward himself. The trigger hit the that has remained in service the longest. this type of handgun, has been moth­ gunrack and the hunter was killed in­ Ruger has unequivocally stated that, balled. It was a little late for the tri-service stantly, a victim of his own violation of contrary to a rumor published as such in tests, in which the firm had hoped their several basic gun safety rules. But the gun this column some time ago, they have no entry might be the new 9mm selected for company was sued, and realizing what it design work underway on a large bore the US armed forces. Without that glowing would cost to send its lawyers and en­ semi-automatic pistol. A pity, since that prospect, the massive new tooling such a gineers back and forth across the country, was one of the most interesting rumors new design would need didn't look that settled out ofcourt for $65,000. Companies we've mongered. Don't forget, folks, if a promising cost-wise. that fight these outlandish charges rack up rumor has not been absolutely confirmed, Mossberg~s long-heralded new version we say it's rumor, so take it for what it's of the Security Industries stainless .38 worth, just like we do in the industry. snubby has been postponed until April or Gun acclclent civil The snubnose .38 drought continues un­ May, and their stainless .45 combat auto, suits are plaguing the abated. Colt says they're running more to September or October. This is the ump­ Colt Detective Specials, and will produce teenth pushback of the introductory date inclustry ancl not more yet in 1980. S&W says the scarcity of for these handguns, and as in the past, rightfully so its J-frames in calibers larger than .22 are there's a good reason: Mossberg had to caused partially by heavy use of J-frame divert their attention to their latest prod­ uct, the Abilene revolver. staggering legal bills even when they win, That's right, folks. U.S. Arms was and the costs are passed on to you, the The new service bought out by Mossberg just before gunbuyer who knows what he's doing. pistol will not Thanksgiving. The story goes back to 1976, (Latest example: one fellow who shoved when Harvey Kahn introduced an un­ his .357 into his shoulder holster so awk­ happen overnl,ht ••. abashed copy of the Ruger single action wardly that he cocked it, and then handed Sa.. Colt hacl the with remarkably nice workmanship at a the loaded, cocked weapon to a friend to remarkably competitive price. Though his look at, got shot. He is supposedly suing sa..e proble.. product was well received in the mar­ Smith & Wesson ...) ketplace, gun manufacturing needs big Some months ago, AMERICAN production lines for the immensely popu­ bucks for start up, and Kahn was under­ HANDGUNNER broke the scoop that lar model 63 (stainless .22 Kit Gun) and capitalized. Mossberg, in purchasing the the armed forces were testing 9mm Para­ also by the fact that sales predictions based existing tooling knew they'd be able to bellum handguns for uniform adoption, at on previous order patterns had shown that bring a proven, quality gun on the market Eglin Air Force Base. Testing has been demand would not be great, so few small rapidly; production should be well under­ narrowed down to three semi-finalists. .38s were scheduled for '79 production. way by the time you read this. It will be Due to the nature of modern conven­ Larger runs of these much sought after offered in .357, .44 Magnum, and .45 Long tional and counter-terrorist warfare, many belly guns are promised for 1980. Both Colt, in the usual barrel lengths, plus the believe that the handgun will often be used companies promise that they're not popular long-tubed silhouette model. (A as a special purpose weapon in future discontinuing their small frame defense Mossberg executive notes that while the military actions, and notjust as a last-ditch guns ... factory doesn't consider a 41's" .44 Mag­ defense tool. Accordingly, the services Charlie Kelsey at Devel Corp. is plan­ num a ballistically efficient instrument, want a gun that will adapt readily to a ning a new series of his M-39-59 conver­ there is enormous demand for such guns, highly efficient silencer. This adaptability sion. Feeling that his full house job may be especially in Alaska where outdoorsmen will be a key factor in the final selection of too expensive for some, he's wOfking on a carry them routinely for bear protection.) the new service sidearm.