The development of handguns

6

The development of firearms is related to the

discovery of gunpowder as the propellant for

projectiles. It is known that the Chinese were already

using gunpowder for their fireworks in the eleventh

century. Their knowledge of its composition probably

came to Europe via Arab trading routes. Another view

is that the well-known explorer Marco Polo brought

gunpowder back from China. From 1271 to 1292, he

traveled on a trading mission from Venice to China

and back. A third theory is that gunpowder was

developed in Europe itself. In this respect, one of the

people credited with its discovery is the German

monk, Berthold Schwarz, from Freiburg. In German,

the gunpowder was therefore given the name

Schwarzpulver (meaning 'black powder'). The usual

composition is 75% saltpeter, 15% sulfur and 10%

charcoal. The sulfur is responsible for the smell of the

black powder when the weapon is fired. In the

fourteenth century it was discovered that it could be used for other things than fireworks; it was also

suitable as a propellant for projectiles. The first simple

Hand-colored etching of Medieval mortars

hand cannon were designed at the start of the fifteenth

century. These were short iron or bronze tubes

mounted on a long wooden post. The black powder

was loaded through the muzzle. Then a stone or iron

projectile was pushed into the primitive barrel

through this muzzle. There was a small hole at the end

of the tube, the so-called touch-hole. The powder was

then ignited with a glowing chip of wood. When the

charge was ignited, the pressure of the gas that was created propelled the projectile forward. It propelled

the projectile in a fairly arbitrary way because the

production process was not very precise in those days.

In modern firearms, the precision is to a 100th of

a millimeter, but in those days an inch more or less was

not considered important. Up to the nineteenth

century it was quite usual for only one in twenty shots

to hit the target. Shooting was above all a matter of

goodwill, combined with a big dose of luck.

Halfway through the fifteenth century the first

real cannon and mortar appeared. They were mainly

used for laying siege to cities, forts and castles. The

Copper engraving of a siege from 1500

Foreword

In this reference work, I would like to provide anyone who wants to know more about

revolvers and pistols with the correct and most recent information about these handguns.

The short introductory chapter on the development of firearms is followed by a description

of the various makes and models, arranged alphabetically under each arms manufacturer.

An outline of the development is given of each weapon, followed by all the relevant

technical information. This is further clarified with color photographs and illustrations.

The most common makes and models are included in this book, and the latest developments

and new product releases are also described in detail. For example, there is a description

of the new Chiappa Rhino revolvers. This pistol was introduced in 2011 in three different

barrel lengths. Other examples of recent developments include the remake of the 1911 �A1

from Remington and the latest models of Smith & Wesson in 2011 . At the end of this

enc)·clopedia )'OU will find a very detailed and illustrated glossary of terms. This gives a clear

dejininon of all the technical terms which are used in the book. I greatly enjoyed writing

· nd I hope char che reader will enjoy it every bit as much.

5

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Contents

The Pistol 4

The Revolver 176

Rifles and Longarms 189

Sporting and Combat Shotguns 384

Machine Guns 480

Submachine Guns 498

Acknowledgements 512

An A-Z of pistols and revolvers

Agner M80

.22 caliber

AGNER

match pistol In 1983 the Danish

IO

firm Saxhoj Products

introduced the compe­

tition Agner M80. This

was designed by the

Danish sport shooter,

Bent Agner. The single-action

weapon is made of Swedish stainless steel. It has

a number of curious characteristics. The safety catch

is actually a small key which has to be placed in

a hole on the left of the weapon. The key can be

pressed in, and then works as a magazine catch. In

addition, the key can be turned from Safe to Fire. The

trigger is completely adjustable and this not only

applies for the trigger pressure, but also for the trigger

pull, the trigger stop, and even the position of the

trigger. The walnut grips of the weapon have an

adjustable hand rest.

Obviously, it also has an accurately adjustable

micrometer sight. The total length of this 10-shor

match pistol is 257 mm (10 in), and the barrel length

is 150 mm (6 in). The sight radius (the distance

between the rear sight and the front of the bead is

220 mm (8';4 in). The pistol weighs 1120 g (39Yz oz).

The Agner M80 was produced up to approximately

1991.

AMT

AMT stands for Arcadia Machine & Tools Inc. The

company has gone through a turbulent period. Initially,

AMT was established in Covina, California. It became

famous with the AutoMag pistol in .44 AutoMag and

.357 AutoMag. In 1989, the factory moved and

changed its name to !AI: Irwindale Arms Incorporated.

New models were given the name !AI, though the old

models continued to be called AMT. A few years ago,

the company got into difficulties. After a new start,

production continued under the name Galena

Industries Inc. The company is still located in

Irwindale, California. In the period 1965-1969, the

American designer Harry W. Sanford designed a large

heavy pistol. It had a completely new caliber: .44 AMP,

the abbreviation for AutoMag Pistol. He marketed this

pistol in 1969 under the name AutoMag. The auto

loader has a rotating bolt with six locking cams. The

locking system is similar to that of the Colt M16 Rifle.

Sanford's small gun shop was extended to become the

AutoMag Corporation (AMC). Special ammunition

made for the Auto Mag was manufactured by a Mexican

subsidiary of Remington, the Cartouches Deportivos de

AMT logo

A comprehensive explanatory glossary

ACP:

The usual abbreviation for 'Automatic Colt Pistol' for

particular calibers of ammunition. Examples of this are

.25 ACP (6.35 mm), .32 ACP (7.65 mm), .380 ATP

(9 mm Short) and .45 ACP.

ACP is short for Automatic Colt Pistol

393