Australian & New Zealand Handgun

Assistant Editor Dave Rose speaks with Tiffany Piper, a New Zealand handgun champion who’s taking on the world of international Action Pistol shooting. James Cheung discusses how he upgraded his Glock 17A Gen 3 pistol in search of better shooting accuracy, while Geoff Smith and Dick Eussen share some tips for reloading handgun cartridges and buying secondhand revolvers. Alek Wadi shares his fondness for the SIG-Hammerli P240 .38 Special Wadcutter pistol, Leo Laden reminisces about a .45-calibre Japanese smoothbore matchlock pistol, and Henri Lach uncovers a curious invention, a .22 Short-calibre pocket-knife pistol. Our team of reviewers also test the Smith & Wesson M&P9L Pro Series CORE and Shield, Walther SSP-E, Beretta U22 Neos .22, Tisas ZIG M1 9mm and Kimber 1911 Rimfire Target Black .22 pistols, the Alfa-Proj 3561 Stainless .357 Magnum revolver and Hogue aftermarket handgun grips.

New South Welshman Sam Medway, featured in Handgun 7 as a youngster to watch, has certainly fulfilled that potential by becoming 2013 Single Action World Champion. ‘Savage Sam’ tells Rachael Andrews how he overcame adversity to do it. We then look at the Steel Challenge, which has added a new rimfire pistol class to its already exhilarating repertoire. This will bring added appeal for juniors and beginners. Daniel O’Dea reviews the Pardini SK12 Absorber PCP air pistol, Roy Cassidy looks at the Colt Marine pistol and a pair of antique French pocket pistols are scrutinised by Leo Laden. In our historical section, Henri Lach examines the quirky Chicago Palm Gun, a tiny, concealable arm that was used by many on both sides of the law as a last-stand item during the American Prohibition era.

Ric Tester offers some timeless advice for improving your rapid-fire in four steps, from creating a process to shooting with rhythm. Up for review is the Colt Government .38 pistol, Ruger SP-101 .22 revolver, Berry copper-plated projectiles and SmartReloader products. Paul Barker takes a wander through the old goldfields of New South Wales and Victoria as far back as 1814, discovering how the gritty diggers used to arm themselves against any opportunistic villains trying to rob them of their hard-earned gold. Another slice of history is dissected as Royce Wilson comes across a Colt M1908 pistol that was owned by iconic British tank commander Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery aka ‘Monty’, which now resides in the London Imperial War Museum. A further link to World War II is Henri Lach’s peek at a Nazi belt buckle gun at a collector’s abode on the Gold Coast.

Australia enjoys a proud reputation on the sporting scene in various shooting disciplines, but Rachael Andrews explains how future success could be put at risk by calls to ban self-loading pistols. One athlete who has experienced the frustrations of anti-firearms legislation is British pistol shooter Georgina Geikie. She outlines the difficulties in keeping her Olympic ambitions alive. International competition is also on the agenda for Australia’s Sam Balin, who treks to the United States for Single Action events. Sam explains his passion for the genre, which includes using an alias persona as a cowboy. Also turning back the clock is Dick Eussen, who traces the evolution of handguns and their cartridges from the earliest flintlock period of the early 19th century through various wartime innovations up to modern sporting calibres.

The firearms of choice for Australia’s police forces are analysed by Rachael Andrews. She finds that over the past decade, there has been a move from Smith & Wesson .38-calibre revolvers to Glock and Smith & Wesson .40-calibre self-loading pistols. Modern equipment can help police protect and save lives. Daniel O’Dea continues the theme by comparing what law enforcement and security personnel need in their service pistols to what civilian sporting shooters are permitted to use. Law and order affairs remain to the fore when John Corcoran delves into the history of a Colt Frontier revolver used by a Northern Territory police officer during the 1960s. The review section focuses on the Walther Pistole 38 and CZ 75 TS pistols, Smith & Wesson 63 revolver, Fox Fury AWL-P pistol light and cleaning gear for you and your firearm.

Leo Laden steps back in time to explain how English flintlock duelling pistols from the late 18th century have become sought-after collectors’ items, while in another slice of history, Geoff Smith ventures 100 years later to the introduction of the unique Belgian and British Bulldog revolvers. Back in the modern world, Ric Tester teaches us how video recording and computer games can be utilised to analyse and perfect our shooting techniques. Continuing the learning process, Rob Jackson shows how to choose powder and primers for your pistols and delves into the process of reloading your own ammunition. Our reviewers put the Smith & Wesson Model 629-6 Classic and Ruger Super Redhawk revolvers, Taurus PT 1911 and 24/7-OSS DS pistols and Dillon RL 550B reloading press under the spotlight.