The development of handguns

he development of firearms is related to the discovery of gunpowder as the propellant for

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

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

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.

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

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

Agner M80 .22 caliber match pistol

In 1983 the Danish firm Saxhoj the Products compe by The the single-action introduced was Bent

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

tition Agner M80. This designed sport Agner. Danish shooter,

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 AutoMag was manufactured by a Mexican subsidiary of Remington, the Cartouches Deportivos de

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 logo

IO

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