The Pistol and Revolver (1908)

Class.

ill

Book.

\

r

n

w rUS

Copyright}^^ CORfRIGHT DEPOSIT.

THE

and Revolver

Pistol

By

A. L. A.

HIMMELWRIGHT

President, United States Revolver Association ; Director and Life Member, New York State Pdfle Association; Captain, American Team, Second Franco-

Ainencan International Revolver Match; Chairman, Revolver Committee, Manhattan Rifle and Revolver Association, etc.

ILLUSTRATED

% NEW YORK PRINTED BY

J.

J

LITTLE & CO. 1908

UBRARYofCO^saeESs] Two Copies H&c&)t^&

MAR 5 1908 ci)iry

'.x:

Copyright, 1904,

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Copyright, 1908,

By

Note. in this

a. L. a.

—A

HIMMELWRIGHT

large portion of the subject matter

volume was published

originally in Gu7ts,

and Tackle (American Sportsman's Library), copyright, 1904, by The MacAmmi4.nition^

millan Co.

NC

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF

ARTHUR CORBIX GOULD

" Every right-minded and patriotic citizen of the United States should be a inan.

It is

good marks-

a duty he owes to his country

under her present liberal institutions, which do not exact military service, but presume reliance in a large measure on citizen soldiery in case of

war."

PREFACE Interest in pistol and revolver shooting has

increased very rapidly in recent years and particularly since

smokeless powder has been intro-

duced. revolver and the magazine pistol

now

constitute part of the regular equipment of

army

The

and cavalry troops.

Regulaand navy tions governing practice shooting with these arms have been issued and adopted by both officers

branches of the service and by the National Guard of the various States. In the National Rifle Association

and

in

the various State Rifle

Associations that have recently been organized,

and revolver shooting has an important place, and the matches provided are largely In the numerous civilian shooting patronized. clubs scattered throughout the country pistol and revolver shooting has become extremely popular, and in many cases the majority of the pistol

members

practice

more frequently with

smaller arms than with the

the

rifle.

Practice with the pistol and revolver affords

training in sighting, steady holding and pulling

Preface

6.

the trigger, which are the essential features of rifle

shooting

and the

also.

fact that skill

instantly utilized in

ment

On

account of this relation, with these arms can be shooting, the develop-

rifle

marksmanship with the pistol and revolver properly assumes national importance. While numerous standard works have been of

written on the subject of

comparatively

little

rifle

shooting, there

information

available

is

on

and revolver shooting. The object of volume is to supply practical information

pistol this

on

this subject.

The author

has attempted to

and concise manner, of the volume as small as prac-

treat the subject in a clear

keeping the size ticable and so as to be conveniently carried in Particular pains have been taken the pocket. to give sound advice and elementary instruction to beginners.

The author extends ments

to

Messrs.

his grateful

J.

Humphrey, William E.

B.

acknowledg-

Crabtree,

John

T-

Carlin, Chas. S. Axtell,

Walter Winans, Walter G. Hudson, Ed. Taylor, J. E. Silliman, M. Hays, Baron Speck von Sternburg, and the various arms and ammunition manufacturers referred to herein, for valuable suggestions, information and data in preparing this volume. A. L. A. HiMMELWRIGHT.

CONTENTS Dedication Preface

3

.

5

Contents

7

Illustrations Historical

9 II

.

Arms

15

.

Military

i6

Target Pocket Ammunition

24 31

.

34

Rim-fire Cartridges Central-fire Cartridges

Sights Position

.....

35 3^

53

Target Shooting

55 61

Revolver Practice for the Police

82

Pistol Shooting for Ladies

S6

Clubs and Ranges Hints to Beginners

90 100

.

Selection of Arms

.

Manipulation Position and Aiming

Target Practice Cleaning and Care of Arms Reloading Ammunition .

Primers Shells Bullets

100 105

106 III

121

124 125

125

.....

Powders Reloading

126 132 136

Contents

8

APPENDIX PAGE

Annual Championship Matches

....

of the United

States Revolver Association Rules and Regulations Governing the Cham-

143

pionship Matches Methods and Customs Followed in Conducting THE Annual Championship Matches Instructions to Range Officers in Charge of THE Annual Championship Matches Records of the United States Revolver Asso-

146

.

.

.

ciation

INDEX

.

........ -

«

149 151

152 155

ILLUSTRATIONS Revolvers

...

PAGE .

.

19, 21, 23,

.

Pistols

;^;^

23, 25, 27, 33

Pistol and Revolver Cartridges Sights Shooting Positions:

and Bullets

^6 to 47 53,

54

Walter Winans, C. S. Axtell 57 Thomas Anderton, C. S. Richmond 58 E. E. Patridge, Sergt. W. E. Petty 59 .60 J. E. Gorman, Dr. R. H. Sayre Standard American Target 78 Combination Set. — Smith and Wesson .38-CAL. .

.

.

.

.

.

.... .

.

Revolver, .22-CAL. Pistol, Utensils, etc, in Case 89 Details of Alternating Targets, Pit, etc., for 50-YARD Range 93 Trolleys," Details of Booths at Firing Line, AND Butt for Gallery Ranges 95 Correct Manner of Holding the Revolver 102 Correct Position of the Sights in Aiming at

....... *^

•

•

.

.

the Target 108 The Travel of the Line of the Sights about THE Bull's-eye in Aiming. 108 Moulding Bullets 128

....

.

.

.

.

.

.

THE PISTOL AND REVOLVER Pistol-shooting as a pastime has been practised the time of the

since It is

discovery of gunpowder.

only recently, however, that

it

has been rec-

ognized as a legitimate sport.

The

useful

and

practical qualities of the pistol

and revolver have been developed almost wholly during the

last half-century.

Before this period

the small arms designed to be fired with one hand

were crude and inaccurate, and were intended to be used only at short range as weapons of defence.

The

single-barrelled muzzle-loading

nevertheless, been officer's

These

part

the

army and navy

pistols

were

of large caliber, smooth-bored,

The

and a large charge

load was a spherical of

powder.

man

accuracy was obtained to hit a

20

has,

equipment since the sixteenth century.

heavy, and unwieldy. bullet

of

pistol

paces,

which was

deemed

Enough at

sufficient.

usefulness of these arms in action

to

The

was limited

the firing of a single shot, and then using II

15

to

them

The

12

Pistol

as missiles or clubs.

considered

and Revolver

The

pistol in early

gentleman's

a

arm

—a

days was

luxury.

It

was the arm generally selected for duelling when

was

that code I

o

to

in vogue, the contestants standing

20 paces apart and firing at the word of

command.

The development

of the pistol

has been con-

temporaneous and closely identified with that of the

With

rifle.

barrel, the

the grooving or rifling of the

accuracy was greatly improved and

arm adapted to conical bullets. Although numerous attempts were made to devise a multishot arm with flint, wheel, and match locks, it was the

not until the percussion cap was invented that a practicable

arm

this character

of

was produced.

This was a "revolver'' invented by Colonel Colt of Hartford, Conn.,

and consisted

of a single barrel

with a revolving cylinder at the breech containing the charges, the

mechanism being such

that the

cocking of the piece after each discharge revolved the cylinder sufficiently to bring a loaded in line with the barrel.

The

chamber

greatest advance in

was the introduction breech-loading, employing am-

the development of firearms of the

system

munition

in the

of

form

of cartridges.

rendered the operation of loading

This principle

much

simpler

Historical

and quicker, and and general

The

improved the

vastly

efficiency

utility of the arms.^

popularity

present

volver shooting

provements

is

in the

of

and

pistol

re-

due, no doubt, to recent im-

The

arms and ammunition.

arms are now marvels

of fine

to manipulate, durable,

With

13

workmanship, easy

and extremely accurate.

the introduction of smokeless powders, the

smoke, fouling, and noise have been reduced to a

The

minimum. not

has been,

effect of these

only

to

increase

improvements the

efficiency

but also the pleasure of shooting

of the arms,

them.

As a mend it.

sport, pistol It is

shooting has

much

to

com-

a healthful exercise, being practised

out-of-doors in the open

There are no un-

air.

desirable concomitants, such as gambling, coarseness,

and rough and dangerous

excel, regular

play.

and temperate habits

of

In order to life

must be

formed and maintained.

It

more

to act in unison

alert

and

trains

them

renders the senses

For a detailed history of the evolution of the

and in

pistol and revolver, the "Text-book for Officers at Schools of Musketry," Longman & Co., London; "Kriegstechnische Zeitschrift," Heft I and II, 1901, Mittler & Sohn, Berlin; "The Modern American Pistol and Revolver," Bradlee Whidden, Boston. Many interesting specimens of ancient and modern pistols and revolvers are owned and exhibited by the United 1

reader

is

referred to

States Cartridge

Company

of Lowell, Mass.

14

The

harmony.

But, above

Pistol

and Revolver all,

in

skill

shooting

is

a

useful accomplishment.

Any

one possessing ordinary health and good

become a good pistol shot. Persons who are richly endowed by nature with those physical qualities which specially fit them sight may,

by

practice,

for expert shooting, will, of course, master the art

sooner than those less favored

shown

conclusively

that

;

but

excellence

it

is

has been

more a

question of training and practice than of natural gift

Some

of

the most brilliant

shooting has.

been done by persons possessing a decidedly nervous temperament; but those of phlegmatic

temperament and It

reliable is

will generally

make more uniform

marksmen.

much more

pistol or revolver

difficult to

shoot well with the

than with the

having a stock to

rifle.

rest against the

The

latter,

shoulder and

steady one end of the piece, has a decided advantage in

quick aiming and in pulling the trigger.

The

former, without a stock and being held in one

hand with the arm extended so

as to be free from

the body,

is

without any anchor or support what-

and

is

free to

ever,

sequently the least

move jar,

in all directions.

Con-

jerk in pulling the trigger,

puff of wind, or unsteadiness of the hand greatly

Arms Intelligent practice will,

disturbs the aim. ever,

to

1

overcome these

difficulties

how-

and disadvantages

such a degree that an expert shot with a pistol

or revolver under favorable conditions can equal

a fair shot with a

When

up

at the target

rifle

200 yd.

to

the novice essays to shoot the pistol or

the results are generally disappointing

revolver,

and discouraging; but rapid progress invariably rewards the efforts of those

when once thoroughly shooting, there

who

and

persevere,

interested in this style of

comes a fascination

for

it

that

frequently endures throughout a lifetime.

Arms The term

"

pistol "

is

frequently applied indis-

criminately to the single-shot pistol and the volver.

A

marked

re-

between these arms

distinction

has gradually been developed.

The

pistol is

now

recognized as a single-shot arm, adapted for a light

charge,

accuracy. to target

and designed

Its

use

is

to

secure

extreme

limited almost exclusively

and exhibition shooting.

The modern

revolver

is

an arm with a

re-

volving cylinder holding five or six cartridges,

which are before

it

at the instant is

command

necessary to reload.

of the shooter It

is

designed

The

1

and Revolver

Pistol

heavy charges, and

for

a practical and for-

Revolvers are made in great va-

midable weapon. riety,

is

and adapted

such as

for various purposes,

military service, target shooting, pocket weapons, etc.

The

best

may be had

grades of pistols and revolvers

grades with which the market flooded should be avoided. of

The cheap

at a reasonable price.

at

is

They

all

times

are incapable

doing good work, and frequently are positively

dangerous, on account of being

made

of inferior

materials.

Military Arms.

— The revolver and the magaTo

zine pistol are used for military service.

ful-

must be strong, very durable, and withstand a great amount of fil

the requirements these arms

hard usage without

becoming

The

disabled.

effectiveness,

or "stopping power,"

importance.

The

is

of

prime

caliber should be large,

and

the charge sufficiently powerful to give a penetration of at least 6

in.

There has been

in pine.

a tendency in recent years to reduce the caliber of military revolvers.

While

this

has resulted in

increased velocity and penetration, and reduced the weight of the ammunition,

it

has not im-

proved the stopping power of the arms.

The

sights

must

in all cases

be very substan-

Arms and

tial,

solidly fixed to the

from 4 to to

7^- in.

lb.

2f

powder

is

frame or

barrel.

The

from 4 to 8 lb., the barrel length, and the weight from 2

varies

pull

trigger

1^

in

Ammunition loaded with smokeless now invariably used for military

service.

The States

and

service revolvers as issued to the United

army and navy

Colt,

munition.

both .38

cal.,

are the

Smith

and taking the same am-

They have passed

the

prescribed

by the United States

series of tests as established

government,^ and

& Wesson

represent,

without doubt, the

highest development of the military revolver.

The arms shown

in

Figs,

i

and

2

have solid

frames, and the actions are almost identical, the

cylinder swinging out

when

to

released by a catch.

the

left,

The

on a hinge,

shells

may

then

be extracted simultaneously by pushing back the extractor rod.

The Smith & Wesson has an

ad-

ditional locking device

in front of the cylinder.

The

between these arms

principal difference

is

in

the shape of the handles.

Other

Smith 1

excellent

& Wesson

military

revolvers

are

the

Russian Model and the Colt

See Ordnance Reports, Department of War, Washington, D. C,

complete details of

tests, etc.

for

The

1

New

Pistol

and Revolver The ammunition

Service, both .44 cal.

these

was

arms

powder;

formerly

loaded

smokeless cartridges

but

for

with

black

have

been

adapted to them, which give slightly increased velocity

and approximately the same accuracy.

The Smith & Wesson Russian Model has hinge "tip-up" action, with an automatic

The

ing device.

action

eject-

operated by raising a

is

catch in front of the hammer.

on account

nipulate, and,

a

easy to ma-

It is

of the accessibility of

the breech, the barrel can be readily inspected

This arm

and cleaned.

single action.

is

New

Service

to that of the .38-cal. revolver,

shown

The

action of the Colt

with a solid frame.

The foregoing are capable of 3-in. circle at

The

It is

making groups

of ten shots

2,

on a

50 yd.

one

popular arms for hard service.

It

double action.

The

of the

most

has a solid

The arm

by opening a gate on the right-hand the cylinder.

in Fig.

arms, with good ammunition,

is

is

similar

double action.

Colt Frontier Model

frame and

is

is

operated

side,

back

of

cartridges are inserted in the

cylinder through the gate, the cylinder being re-

volved by hand until the

come opposite the

gate.

respective chambers

In the

same manner,

Fig.

I

.

— Smith & Wesson New Military Revolver,

Six shots; 6^-inch barrel; weight,

Fig. 2.

Six shots;

Fig.

3.

i

lb.,

15 oz.

;

.38 cal.

— Colt New Army Revolver.

6-inch barrel; weight, 2 lb.;

.38 cal.

— Smith & Wesson Russian Model Revolver.

Six shots; 6^-inch barrel; weight, 39 J oz.; .44

cal.

^o

The

Pistol

and Revolver

the shells are ejected by pushing the extractor

rod back into each of the chambers.

This revolver vice

weapon

in

45

cal.

was formerly the

ser-

United States army, and

of the

is

very powerful and durable.

The Smith & Wesson

Schofield Model, .45 cal,

was also formerly a United States service weapon.

The ammunition

for this arm, while less powerful

than the .45 Colt, was admirably adapted for military service,

and had much

The Webley, volver calibre

"

W.

G." or

less recoil.

"Army

Model,"

an English arm of much merit.

is is

.455.

re-

The

has a hinge "tip-up" action,

It

with an automatic extractor very similar to the

Smith

&

Wesson.

weapon adopted by the Joint War Office and Admiralty Committee for the British army and navy is the "Webley Mark IV," or "Service Model," revolver. This model is almost

The

service

identical with the

barrel

is

4

in.

Army

Model, except that the

long and the weight

On account of the

is

2 lb. 3 oz.

short barrel, the accuracy of this

weapon does not equal that of the Army Model. " Another English arm is the "Webley-Fosbury automatic

revolver.

The

cylinder and cocking the

recoil

hammer,

revolving the it

can be fired

Fig. 4.

Six shots;

5

Fig.

6.

1 -inch

5.

barrel;

weight, 2

lb.,

8 oz.; .45

cal.

— Colt Frontier ^lodel Revolver.

5j-inch barrel; weight, 2

Six shots;

Fig.

— Colt New Service Revolver.

lb.,

5 oz.

;

.45 cal.

— Webley "W. G." Army Model Revolver.

Six shots;

6-inch barrel; weight, 2

lb.,

8 oz.;

.455 cal.

The

22

Pistol

and Revolver

as rapidly as the automatic pistols.

It

cham-

is

bered for the 455 service cartridge loaded with 6^ gr. of cordite. This arm has been introduced since 1900.

The magazine operated by the

or automatic

pistol,

which

is

the latest type of hand

recoil, is

It

has been perfected and introduced

since 1899,

and has almost double the velocity

and range

of

firearm.

the

The

revolver.

Mauser, Mannlicher, and

Mors

Colt,

are

leading makes of this style of pistol.

Luger,

among

the

All of these

arms have been tested by the United States government.^

A

limited

number

named have been used

the

of

first

two

since 1903 in the United

States army.

In both the Colt and the tridges

are

inserted in

Luger

clips

breech through the handle.

pistols the car-

and fed into the

In the

Mauser

pistol

the cartridges are supplied in clips from the top

and forced into a magazine located

in front of the

trigger.

The magazine of

about

pistols

five shots

can be

per second.

fired at the rate

These arms equal

the best military revolvers in accuracy. 1

See Ordnance Reports, Department of War, Washington, D.C.,

complete details of

tests, etc.

for

Fig.

7.

— Webley-Fosbury Automatic Revolver.

Six shots; 6-inch barrel; weight, 2

Fig.

8.

— Colt

lb.,

Automatic

lb., 5 oz.;

.38 caL

— The Parabellum or '*Luger" Automatic

Eight shots; 4f-inch barrel; weight,

I

cal.

Pistol.

Seven shots; 6-inch barrel; weight, 2

Fig. 9.

SJ oz.; .455

lb.,

13.4 oz.;

Pistol.

.30 cal.

The

24

Many will

and Revolver

Pistol

persons believe that the magazine pistol

soon supersede the revolver for general use.

While

may

this

be the case eventually,

pistol

quently more care

for,

special

many

is

more complicated, and conse-

difficult to learn to

shoot with and

On

account of the

than the revolver.

problems to be solved

of

in the

mechanism,

them balance poorly and the

trigger pull

The

almost invariably long and creeping.

is

novice will also find

it

difficult to

in shooting these arms,

mechanism, louder

avoid flinching

on account

report, etc.

The

of the recoil line of sight

being considerably higher than the grip, are not held perfectly plumb, or in the tion at each shot, the shooting lar.

The

revolver.

not

The

few years.

likely to occur within the next

magazine

is

it

cost

is

is

if

they

same

posi-

liable to

be irregu-

about double that of a good

Until these undesirable features

and

disadvantages can be remedied or eliminated, the revolver will probably remain a popular arm.

Target Arms. est possible

many

— For target purposes the

accuracy

is

desirable.

To

features essential in a military

rificed.

great-

obtain

arm

this,

are sac-

Delicate adjustable sights are employed,

the trigger pull

is

rel is increased,

the charge reduced, etc.

reduced, the length of the bar-

Fig. io.

Ten

shots;

— Mauser

Automatic

51-inch barrel; weight, 2

Fig. II.

Fig. 12.

lb.,

— Smith & Wesson

lo-inch barrel; weight,

— Stevens

I

lb.,

Pistol,

lo-inch barrel; weight,

i

Pistol.

8J

7I oz.; .30

Pistol, oz.;

.22 cal.

Gould Model.

lb.,

12 oz.; .22

cal.

cal.

The Pistol and Revolver

26

The most accurate arms

available at the present

time are the single-shot pistols manufactured by

&

Smith

Wesson, Springfield, Mass.; The

J.

Arms & Tool Co., Chicopee Falls, Mass.; The Remington Arms Co., Ilion, N.Y. and

Stevens

;

These

William Wurfflein, Philadelphia, Pa. tols are

furnished in calibers from .22 rim-fire to

The

.38 central-fire. in

length

and the trigger

rifle

In

the

pistols are of .22

cal.,

pull

and chambered

specially bored

long

barrels are generally 10 in.

approved form these

latest

pis-

cartridge.

This

ant shooting charge, and

2

lb.

for the

a light, clean, pleas-

is

may

be fired

many

very

arms

of this caliber should, therefore,

Pistol

fatigue.

times

shooting with

with

little

rim-fire,

become a

popular pastime for ladies as well as gentlemen.

The Smith & Wesson and an automatic best materials fitting

pistol has a tip-up action

extractor.

It

is

made

and with the greatest

care.

of the

The

and workmanship are superior to that

any other machine-made

similar to that of the Russian

The Stevens

The

pistol.

Model

action

of is

revolver.

pistols are furnished in

two other

Lord " Model has a large frame and handle and a heavy barrel. Its weight is 2| lb. The " Conlin " Model

models for target-shooting.

The

''

r^a.

Fig.

13.

— Wurfflein

io-inch barrel; weight, 2

Fig. 14.

Fig. 15.

2 oz.;

lb.,

— Remington

lO-inch barrel; weight, 2

Pistol,

lb.,

Pistol.

8 oz.

— Gastinne-Renette

IOj\-inch barrel; weight, 2

.22 cal.

lb.,

;

.44 cal.

Pistol.

6 oz.; .44

cal.

The

28 is

the

same

Pistol "

as the

and Revolver Gould

"

Model, but has a

The Gould

spur added to the trigger guard.

Model

is

the most

All

popular.

models

these

have a tip-up action and an automatic extractor.

A

knob on the left side is pressed the barrel and operate the action. small

The

Wurfflein

tip-up action.

pistol,

It is

well

to release

like the Stevens,

made and has

has a

a handle

very similar in shape to that of the duelling pistol of

The

former days.

action

is

operated by releas-

ing the catch on the handle, back of the hammer.

The

Remington

strong action, and

had chambered

is

has

pistol

an exceedingly

the only pistol that can be

Russian cartridge.

for the .44

The

has a large handle and a heavy barrel. tion

is

when

operated

by throwing

the

back the

hammer

with

thumb, simultaneously ejecting the empty all

these

are

2-in. circle

50 yd.

A

very accurate pistol for gallery and short-

range shooting of

the

shell.

pistols

capable of placing ten shots within a at

ac-

at full-cock

is

breech-block

With good ammunition

It

is

made by M. Gastinne-Renette

Paris and used in

his

gallery in

that city.

These are muzzle-loading and very tedious and inconvenient

to

manipulate.

For

this

reason

Arms

29

A

they have not become popular.

arms have been made up

few of these

as breech-loaders, with

a tip-up action similar to the Stevens, and cham-

bered for the

44 Russian

the pistol has given very

The pistol,

revolver

is

on account

In this form

cartridge.

good

results.

not quite as accurate as the of the necessity of

cylinder detached from the barrel.

which the cylinder revolves

is

If

having the the pin on

not at right angles

with the end of the cylinder, there will be more space between the cylinder and the breech end of the barrel in

The

in others.

of gas

some

positions of the cylinder than

escaping from the different chambers of

the cylinder,

and consequently irregular shooting.

The accuracy

of

upon the degree chambers

the

revolver depends

the

of the cylinder align with the bore of

chambers do not align

off.

This

is

When

the

perfectly, the bullet enters

barrel eccentrically

shaved

largely

of perfection in w^hich all

the barrel at the instant of discharge.

the

amounts

result will be varying

and a portion

of

it

is

fatal to accuracy, especially

when smokeless powder is used. ment of chamber and barrel is

Imperfect alignalso the

most

quent cause of the "leading" of the barrel.

fre-

Some

very ingenious mechanical expedients are used in

The

30

Pistol

and Revolver

the best revolvers to reduce to a

wear

of those parts

minimum

the

which operate and hold the

cylinder in position.

The

revolvers generally used for target shoot-

ing are the military arms already described, cham-

bered for special cartridges, sights, special handles,

suit the

whims and

fitted

with target

and other modifications

tastes of

to

The

individuals.

best and most experienced shots are, however, careful to

keep the modifications

of all their

arms

within the rules and regulations of the various national organizations,^ in order that they

may be

used in the annual competitions and other impor-

These organizations control

tant events.

pistol

and revolver shooting, and conduct annual com"

petitions.

Freak

"

arms which do not comply

with the rules are not allowed in the competilittle

or no

value other than for experimental purposes.

Tar-

tions, are

seldom

practical,

and have

get arms are generally used for trick and exhibition shooting.^ 1

The United

States Revolver Association,

tion of Great Britain,

programmes and

The National

Rifle Associa-

and the United Shooting Societies of France.

details,

For

address the secretaries of the respective organiza-

tions. 2

For descriptions and

illustrations of this style of shooting, see

Art of Revolver Shooting," G. P. Putnam's Sons, This elaborate work contains also

T

much

New York

'*

The

and London.

detailed information, valuable sug-

yirms Pocket Arms.

3

— The most extensive use

revolver as a pocket

weapon

is

^

of the

for police service.

Special arms are manufactured to meet the require-

These weapons are generally similar

ments.

military revolvers,

the

but adapted for lighter

charges, and consequently weigh less.

such as sights, hammer,

jections,

to

All pro-

must be

etc.,

eliminated or minimized so as not to catch in

drawing the arm from the pocket or

The

holster.

barrels are from 3 to 5 in. in length, the trigger pull 4

lb.,

and the caliber usually

Of these two

calibers, .38 is

arm

the general purposes of an

The

difference in weight

and effectiveness

much

.32

or

.38.

preferable for

of this character.'

is slight,

while the power

of the larger caliber is

almost

double that of the smaller.

The pocket arms shown practically miniatures of in

Figs.

I

and

2.

and 17 are the military arms shown in Figs. 16

They have

solid frames

and

actions identical with those of the military arms.

They

are

made only

in .32 cal.,

and are double

action.

One Smith gestions,

shooting.

of the

most recent pocket revolvers

& Wesson

Safety Hammerless.

is

the

This arm

and many interesting personal experiences in relation to revolver

3-

The

Pistol

and Revolver

has a safety clutch in the back of the handle, so

designed that unless the piece is

impossible to operate

and desirable features

in.

This arm

With

to

It

is

4-in. barrels,

many

has

commend

The standard

pocket weapon. 4

it.

properly held

is

it

it

valuable

as a practical

length of barrel

is

also furnished in .32 cal.

the foregoing pocket weapons

are capable of shooting regularly within a 2-in. circle at 12 yd.

A

heavier and correspondingly more powerful

pocket revolver

is

This arm

revolver.

Colt

the is

"

Double Action

chambered

for the Colt

.41 cal. short

and long

frame, and

operated exactly like the Colt Fron-

is

tier

Model

ble,

and accurate.

(Fig.

cartridges.

It is

5).

It

has a solid

compact, strong, dura-

The "Single Action Army"

is

another Colt

revolver that has been extensively used as a belt

or holster weapon.

The mechanism and

action

are similar to that of the preceding arm, except that

A

it is

heavier and larger, and

very handy

little

arm

on hunting and fishing

mond Model

is

single action.

to carry in the pocket

trips

is

single-shot pistol.

the Stevens Dia-

This

pistol

very accurate, and can be depended on to grouse, ducks, rabbits, and other small game.

is

kill

The

Fig.

1

6.

— Colt New Police

Fig. 17.

— Smith

weight,

Six shots; 4-inch barrel;

18 oz.; .32

Fig.

18.

— Smith

18^ oz.; .32

& Wesson

;

I lb. J

4-inch barrel

li oz.

;

:

Fig. i8a.

Safetv

weight,

.38 cal.

Fig, ip,

Wesson Pocket

4i-inch barrel; weight,

Six shots;

cal.

cal.

— Smith & Wesson Pocket Revolver.

Hanimerless Revolver. Five shots

cS:

Revolver.

Revolver.

-

Seven shots

3^-inch barrel

;

10 oz.

— Stevens Diamond Model

;

.22 cal.

Pistol.

6-inch barrel; weight, 8| oz.; .22

cal.

;

weight,

The

34 .2

2-cal.,

Pistol

and Revolver

hollow-pointed

short,

should

bullet

be

used, or the regular .22 short cartridge, with the front of the bullet cut off square, so as to leave a

This

flat point.

will increase the killing effect of

the bullet considerably.

Ammunition

The degree in the

of perfection that has

manufacture

of

ammunition

been attained is

remarkable.

Generally speaking, the smaller the charge the

more

difficult

standing

this,

it is

to

make

we have

it

Notwith-

accurate.

in the .22-cal.

ammunition

a tiny cartridge the accuracy of which falls litde

short of the marvellous.

Until very recently, black

powder ammunition was used almost exclusively for pistol and revolver shooting. In calibers larger than .22, smokeless powders are nowextensively used, especially in military shooting,

the regulation full charge cal. pistols,

is

fifty

In the .22-

the fouling of the black powders

a very serious matter, and

shoot

required.

it is

not

where

is

not

uncommon

to

or a hundred rounds without the neces-

sity of cleaning.

the fouling

is

In the larger calibers, however,

frequently so excessive that

the accuracy after the tenth shot.

cleaning that

is

The

it

affects

incessant

necessary in order to get good

Ammunition

35

powder ammunition was a great drawback, and detracted much from the results

with black

Fortunately this

pleasure of revolver shooting. objection

is

now

by the use

entirely eliminated

of

smokeless powders.

To

give good results, the proportions of any

given charge must be adapted to the caliber, length of barrel, and weight of the arm in which it is

to be used.

These proportions are generally

determined by experiment. cartridge

The accuracy

of the

depends largely upon the uniformity In ammunition for mili-

exercised in the loading.

tary service the shells are crimped on the bullets to

hold them

in place.

This

is

not desirable

black powder target ammunition, but

in

essary in the

all

is

nec-

smokeless ammunition to confine

powder and produce uniform

results.

In the following detailed description of the cartridges in general use the weight of the black

powder charges only Rim-fire

are given.

Cartridges.

— These

nate of mercury for priming

contain

around the outer

edge of the rim, or base

of the shell,

erally loaded with black

powder.

The

".22-cal.

extensively

long

rifle

'^

fulmi-

and are gen-

cartridge

used for pistol shooting

is

more

than any

The

36

and Revolver

Pistol

the most accurate of the .22-caL car-

other.

It is

tridges,

being well proportioned, the bullet well

and the

lubricated,

shell

uncrimped.

In addition to this, the

and has very clean shooting

sive

Fig. 20.

40

— Powder,

gr.;

exact

FiG. 21.

bullet,

3^

0.223.

This cartridge,

shooting. rel,

5 gr.;

cal.,

inexpen-

is

qualities.

It

adapted for pistol

therefore, particularly well

is,

50

ammunition

fired

— Powder, 3

S'^*?

exact

gr.;

cal.,

from a

bullet,

0.223.

lo-in. bar-

will shoot regularly inside of a 2-in. circle, at

and inside a

yd.,

5-in. circle, at

Another excellent cartridge the ".22 short." tridge fouls very

it is

in this caliber is

Like the preceding, little

this

car-

and gives almost equal

curacy up to 50 yd. report

100 yd.

preferred by

On

account of

many

its

ac-

lighter

for gallery shooting.

In both of these cartridges only the surface of the bullet outside of the shell in this

way, the lubricant

melted

if

warm

day.

this, as,

lubricated.

is is

easily

Exposed

rubbed

off,

or

allowed to stand in the sunlight on a

Great care should be taken to prevent

without lubrication, the bullets will lead

the barrel and cause inaccurate shooting.

Ammunition

The

Winchester

2 2-caL

rifle,

results

the

in

It is

suitable

ing,

making

game o

for

.22

The

pistol.

bullet has a flat point, it

a cartridge with in-

more powerful than the and gives good

side lubrication.

long

is

2>7

shoot-

fig. '''''''''

22.— Powder, ^^ ^'-

'''''

ygr.; '^''^

0223.

and the krbrication being

within the

shell,

may

these cartridges

be carried

loose in the pocket.

All the

.22-cal. cartridges

can be had with hol-

low-pointed bullets, which are to be preferred for

game-shooting.

They

are also furnished loaded

When

with smokeless powder. first

far

used in

.22-cal.

this

powder was

ammunition, the results were

from satisfactory, but as now manufactured the

smokeless ammunition approximates very closely in uniformity

black powder.

mory" and are special

and accuracy to that loaded with

The

Long Rifle ''ArSmith & Wesson Long

.22-cal.

the .22-cal.

makes

of the long

rifle

cartridge that

are furnished with a crimped shell, preventing

the bullet from becoming dislodged and thus

adapting

this

popular

cartridge

for

use

in

revolvers of this calibre.

The

.25-cal.

Stevens

is

a

much more powerful

cartridge than any of the preceding, and gives

The

38

Pistol

and Revolver

excellent results in the pistol.

who wish

those

than

is

a

more powerful

furnished in .22

selected

It is

by

rim-fire cartridge

cal.

Rim-fire cartridges in larger caliber than .25 are

used for derringers (large-bore,

single-shot

pocket-pistols

now seldom

used) and inferior grades I^iG.

23.

let,

— Powder,

II gr.;

,

,

of revolvers.

These

67 gr.; exact cal, 0.257.

tridges

sometimes

lack

uniformity in caliber

made by defective,

car-

bul-

when

different manufacturers, are frequently

and discharge occasionally

the action of the

They consequently

arm

in

in closing

which they are loaded.

lack the safety, reliability, and

accuracy of the corresponding calibers in centralfire

ammunition.

Rim-fire cartridges cannot be

reloaded. Central-fire Cartridges.

— This type

of cartridge

has a brass or copper primer charged with a small quantity of fulminate of mercury, and containing a skeleton anvil of brass.

The primer

fits

water-

tight in a socket in the centre of the base of the shell.

After being discharged, the primer can

be renewed and the shell reloaded.

In

all

the

central-fire cartridges the lubrication of the bullet is

inside of

the shell,

rendering this

ammuni-

Ammunition

much more

tion

39

serviceable and less liable to be

damaged.

The Smith

Fig. 24.

%%

.32-cal. S.

&

Wesson,

— Powder, gr.

;

& W.

exact

10 gr.

cal.,

;

cartridge

Colt, or other

bullet,

Fig. 25.

100

0.313.

is

adapted to the

pocket revolvers.

— Powder, gr.;

exact

13 gr.; bullet, cal.,

0.313.

Occasionally single-shot pistols are chambered for this cartridge.

to

A

50 yd.

It is

fairly

gallery charge

shell consisting of 4 gr. of

or

"

round

The

"

bullet

.32-cal.

accurate at ranges up

S.

furnished in this

is

powder and

weighing 47

gr.

& W. Long

is

and powerful than the preceding

a spherical

more accurate cartridge.

It

gives excellent results in both the pistol and volver.

The

of the .32 S.

The

gallery charge

.32-cal.

New

the same as that

& W.

rate cartridge,

Colt

is

re-

Colt

New

Police

is

also

an accu-

and was designed specially

Police revolver.

A

for the

gallery charge

is

furnished in this shell consisting of a

reduced to

powder charge 7 er. and the Fig. 26.

regular bullet.

let,

— Powder, 13

100 gr.; exact

gr.; bul-

cal.,

0.313

The

40

The .32-44

Pistol

S.

designed for the

The

bullet

is

and Revolver

& W. is a special target cartridge S. & W. Russian Model revolver.

seated inside of the shell, which

The

and uncrimped.

straight

chambered either

The

shown. FiG.27.-Powder,iigr.;bui. let,

83

exact

gr.;

cal.,

two

lengths

17-gr. shell is

as

preferred,

^j^^j.^}!

be

to take shells of

the

of

may

revolver

is

^ ^ 11-83 charge

the

-^

0.323.

loaded in

it

may

also be

desired.

if

A

gallery charge, consisting of Powder, 17

gr.;

bullet,

98

gr.

4 gr. of powdcr aiid a rouud bullet

weighing 50

gr.,

may

also be used in both shells.

This affords a wide range 50

of charges in

gr.

one

special feature

tridge

is

that

charge at

gallery

11-83 charge in the

at

long shell

same

the

12

50 yd. is

yd.

sights

are

The

shot

making and a

from a

of

full

car-

used for

the

ten-shot groups in a

barrel,

for

the

charge (17-98)

the most accurate of

6^-in.

A

this

suitable

black powder revolver cartridges. nition,

shell.

all

the

This ammuis

capable of

2-in. circle at

50

yd.,

100 yd. The 11-83 charge, under the same conditions, will also shoot in a 2-iri, 5-in. circle at

Ammunition

I

good

results in single-shot pistols.

The

Colt,

much more

&

S.

& W.

.38 S.

Wesson,

.32

W., and

conse-

is

and

practical

When

revolver charge.

4-in. barrel,

Fig. 28.

The

50 yd.

powder and a round

shot

buUet,

— Powder,

146

& W.

cai.,

^-358.

20

at

and

yd.,

gallery charge

bullet

weighing

is

6 gr. of

to the Colt

The

Military revolvers.

in a 6-in.

71 gr.

These two cartridges are adapted S.

15 gr.;

exact

gr.;

groups of ten shots can be

in a 2-in. circle

circle at

^

.

better adapted for a pocket

made

It is

powerful than the

-

from a

&

adapted to the Smith

is

and other pocket revolvers.

more

quently

and

shoot in a

will

This cartridge also gives

20 yd.

circle at

-in.

The 4-50 charge

50 yd.

circle at

41

first is

the

Fig. 29.

Powder, i8

gr.

;

bullet,

150

gr.

Powder. 1\\ exact

gr.; cai.,

bullet, 158 gr.;

0.358.

regulation service charge, and the second

more powerful accurate.

special cartridge,

From

placed within a

a

and exceedingly

a 6-in. barrel six shots

6-in. circle at

is

lOO yd.

may be

Smokeless

The

42

Pistol

and Revolver

ammunition

in

and uniform

results; fifty to

may

caliber gives equally

this

good

one hundred shots

be fired without cleaning and without sensi-

bly affecting the accuracy.

The .38-44

& W. & W.

S.

signed for the S.

F IG. 30.

— Powder, 20

146 gr.; exact

It

is

gr.

cal.,

;

is

Russian Model revolver.

146

bullet,

another cartridge de-

gr.

iiogr.

100

72

gr.

gr.

0.360.

more powerful than the .32-44, but on

account of the excessive fouling of this charge as

now manufactured, the

is

impaired after

With an improved

seventh shot.

shooting charge

the accuracy

it

would be accurate and

tremely popular for target-shooting. tridge

was

cleaner-

originally designed

and

This car-

made

Chevalier Ira Paine, the noted pistol shot. the .32-44, the shell

and the bullet

is

flush with its

mouth.

is

straight

seated in

it

ex-

for

Like

and uncrimped,

so that the point

is

Several reduced charges

have been developed for this

shell.

The

Ideal

Manufacturing Company can furnish moulds for a conical bullet with a square base weighing

no

Ammunition

43

or with a concave base weighing 100 gr.

gr.,

powder charge for either bullet charge works well up to 50 yd.

A

smaller load

the regulation gallery charge of 6 gr. of

is

and a round bullet weighing 72

The

Russian^ was until recently the

.44-caL

While

it

tary service,

has sufficient power to

same

accuracy. AXr

& W.

In •

-D

l\/r

the J

Fig. 31. 1

Russian Model,

or the Colt

New

an

is

— Powder, 23 cal.,

gr.; bullet,

0.429.

not so great as to be unpleas-

is

black powder begins

with

exact

gr.;

much less than that of many The fouling of the full charge

and the fouling

smaller charges.

246

Service

revolver, the recoil

load

it

time, remark-

C S.

ant,

make

possesses,

it

able i?

for target-shoot-

charge for mili-

effective

at the

powder

gr.

most popular revolver cartridge ing.

This

9 gr.

is

The

"

to

cake

''

or

harden in the barrel after the twentieth shot, and, to

get

the

best

results,

the

cleaned after every ten shots. records

in

revolver

barrel

Nearly

shooting have

should be all

the great

been made

with this ammunition, and most of the important

matches have been won with ^

So named

cavalry.

after its

it.

A

great deal of

adoption as the service ammunition of the Russian

The

44

Pistol

and Revolver

experimental work has been done with this car-

and many reduced charges

tridge,

The

evolved.

Ideal Manufacturing

have

been

Company can

furnish moulds for the following bullets

:

—

23 gr.

60

205

121 gr.

gr.

12 gr.

gr.

15 gr-

7 gr-

175 gr

10 gr.

Fig. 32.

Fig. 33.

250

— Powder, 40 gr.;

exact

gr.

cal.,

;

bullet,

0.454.

Fig. 34.

The weight powder charge,

of each, with is

given.

the corresponding

These various loads

adapt this shell to almost any conceivable require-

Ammunition ments

The accuracy

in revolver shooting.

of the

charges fired from a 6|-in. barrel

various follows

45

:

is

—

Diameter of Circle Enclosing Group of

10

as

Shots

Charge 20 yds.

23-246

I

in.

U

in.

7-1 10

I

in.

2

in.

7-130 12-160

i\ in.

12-175

7-120

i\ in.

15-205

10-175

50 yds.

30 yds.

2\ in.

100 yds.

6

200 yds.

in.

15 in.

2\ in. 2

in.

2\

in.

2^

in.

2

in.

3

in.

3

in.

7 in.

i\ in.

Revolvers are sometimes chambered

the

for

.44-40-200, the .38-40-180, and the .32-20-115 rifle

cartridges.

These charges are not

as accu-

rate as the .44 Russian, but

can be relied on

shoot inside a

50 yd.

5-in.

circle at

tridges are desirable only to

use

the

when

same ammunition

it is

These

to

car-

an advantage

in the

and

rifle

r^olver, or in certain localities where only a few varieties of

ammunition are

powder charge makes the cartridges

named

to be had.

The

large

recoil of the first

rather unpleasant.

two

The 32-20

The

46

-115

the most accurate of these cartridges, and

is

gives

and Revolver

Pistol

the best results in the pistol or revolver.

All these

having flat-pointed bullets

cartridges

game

are well adapted for

shooting.

There are

no gallery loads for these cartridges.

The

.45 Colt

Army

the most powerful of

is

revolver cartridges.

the

It

w^as

all

formerly the

The

United States army service ammunition.

charge w^as so heavy, and the recoil so excessive, that

it

w^as

almost impossible to shoot

The

flinching.

charge was

service

without

it

afterward

made it much With the latter

modified to 28 gr. of powder, which

more desirable and

serviceable.

charge this cartridge

-250 Scofield Model of these

very similar to the .45-30

is

S.

of

The

them

bullet

caliber of the service

revolver of the British

army

and

suitable for military

gallery load for the .45 Colt

powder and a round

The

Both

cartridge.

sufficiently powerful, accurate,

are

clean-shooting to render service.

& W.

weighing

1

39

ammunition is

.455.

is

7 gr.

gr.

for the

This

is

a

very accurate cartridge, but not as powerful as the

corresponding military cartridges as used in this country.

A

special cylindrical bullet wdth a deep

convex hollow point

is

known

"

and

is

as the

furnished in the same shell

man

stopper."

Ammunition This form cal.

of bullet is

English cartridge that shoot.

450 and .38

used in the

The 450-13-225

cartridges also.

It is

47

is

accurate,

is

another

and pleasant

to

used largely at Bisley in the annual

revolver competitions of the National Rifle Association of Great Britain.

In

order to

avoid

excessive fouling,

a

self-

lubricating bullet has been invented and intro-

duced by Smith

& Wesson, which can be furnished B. Plunger

C. Ducts.

D. Metal Lining.

Fig. 35.

— Self-lubricating

Section showing details of construction.

cartridge.

in all calibers

core open the

above

.32.

which

core, after

bullet has a hollow

Lubricant

the rear.

in

The

it

is

closed

filled

is

into

with a lead

Four small ducts communicate from the forward end of the core to the exterior of the plunger.

bullet just

the

ahead

moment

of its

bearing on the barrel.

of discharge the

plunger

is

At

driven

forward, forcing the lubricant through the ducts into the barrel

ahead

of the bullet.

This bullet has given excellent it

a hundred or

results.

more shots may be

fired

With with

The

48

and Revolver

Pistol

black powder ammunition without causing sufficient fouling to

Nearly ferred

to

powder.

impair the accuracy.

the cartridges that have been re-

all

were originally designed for black The various manufacturers can now

supply them loaded with smokeless powder at a very slight advance

The

price.

in

cartridges

are loaded so as to give approximately the

same

velocity as black powder.

The accuracy and uniformity powder was not

at first equal

black, but with a better

with smokeless to that

knowledge

of the

of the action

and behavior of smokeless powders, these difficulties have been overcome and the smokeless ammunition now gives not only superior accuracy and reliability, but also causes much less fouling and smoke and has a lighter report. In ''gallery"

ammunition

light

conical

bullets

entirely superseded spherical bullets, less

powder

The cities,

is

and smoke-

almost invariably used.

following table gives the muzzle veloetc.,

the

of

principal

factory-loaded,

smokeless pistol and revolver cartridges. factories

aim

to

keep the muzzle

uniform for each cartridge. result

hav^e

with

the

velocities

To produce

various brands

of

The this

smokeless

Ammunition

49

more or less in strength, the weight of the powder charge Even when purchased in necessarily varies. powder,

of

all

which

differ

large quantities, different blends and packages

same brand

of the

of

powder occasionally vary

MUZZLE VELOCITIES, PENETRATION, ETC., OF FACTORY-LOADED SMOKELESS PISTOL AND REVOLVER CARTRIDGES s

.

Case or Shell.

OJ

bcv>, 53

JJ

CC5 ^ 3

.22

Long

Rifle

(Rim

Fire).

.

.

.30 Lug-er Automatic

.30

Mauser

.32 Colt

40

28

983

86

5

1134

266

10

Si

1308

322

12

4

lOIO

161

6

10

902

159

4

6

^37

4

6

794 768

105

3

847

129

4

139 217

3f

93

4*

"

85

"

71

88

.32

Smith

&

W^esson

.32

'*

"

"

Long...

*i

.32

Short Colt

98 80

.32

Long

81

6

100

4

790

146 158

4 6^

798 885

275

150

4

722

170

125

6

651

117

148

6

786

203

336

.32 Colt

New Police & Wesson

.38

Smith

.38

"

.38 Colt

"

"

*

New

Police

Special.

.38 Short Colt .38

Long

.38 Colt

"

Automatic

130

6

1070

.41

Short Colt

163

6

693

174

.41

Long

195

6

729

230

.44

Smith

246

TO

831

377

776 816

334 296

"

& Wesson

.45 Celt... .45 Colt

Automatic

Russian

250 200

71 5

.

;

1

The

50

somewhat

and Revolver

Pistol

For the^e reasons

in strength.

is

it

impracticable to designate the exact weight or

volume of any brand of powder which will in all cases produce the muzzle velocities referred to in the table.

The

following additional smokeless charges

have been developed by some of the expert revolver shots and will give excellent results.

Loads No. 6 and lo are recommended for gallery and 20-yd. shooting only the rest will give good results at 50 yd. No. i and 5 are hunt;

ing charges

ADDITIONAL SMOKELESS POWDER CHARGES 2

1.

1 Case or

shell.

OS

3

il zS a-

1

I

I

.32S.

3

&W. -

2 .38

.38S.&W. -

4 .38

HandEj.

6 .44 S.

.313

tt8

3118

I

to 30

.

.360

130

360271

I

to 30

Special

.

.360

114

36072

I

to 30

-

.

.360

130

360271

I

to 30

''

.

.360

150

360271

I

to 20

& W. Russian "

7 •44

"

.

•

8 •44

9 •44 TO .45 Colt

In

all

•431

no U,M,C,

I

•431

160

42Q106

I

.43^

175

429220

I

to 30

.431

205

429215

I

to 30

•457

144

H

6

-

''

5 .38

Brand of Smokeless Powder.

457130

I

the above charges the shells have a

to 30 to 30

to 30

Hazard No. 2 Rifle du Pont & Co.'s Bull's-eye.. u

u

n

il

C(

u

11

a

u

H

H

il

11

U

it

n

n

u

"

11

n

"

"

medium crimp on

Shot-g"un..

6.0 2.3

2.4 2.3

3.8 2.3 2.5 2.5

3-0 R

the middle of the

front band of the bullet.

With

the introduction of the magazine pistol,

Ammunition

51

special smokeless cartridges have

been devised

that are rimless and have a crease around the

base of the shell by which they

may be

held and

manipulated by the mechThis ammunition

anism.

4y|//AUT0M^^^

furnished loaded with

is

Powder, 8

full

mantled

nose

"

and "soft the

bullets,

let,

gr.

(smokeless)

;

bul-

105 gr.; exact cal, 0.358.

latter

for hunting purposes.

When

fired

from

the Powder, 5igr. (smokeless); bul-

regulation arms, this am-

let,

munition

capable

is

93

gr.;

exact

cal.,

.3016.

of

placing ten shots inside a 3-inch circle at 50 yd.,

and

inside a 7-inch circle at 100 ' yd.

P^^er.yigr. (smokeless) let,

These cartridges are

85 gr.;

exact

;

bul-

cal., .30x38.

fig. ^e.

hundred rounds may be fired without causing more fouling than is apparent after the first few shots. The full mantled or metal cased bullet ammuni-

exceedingly clean-shooting.

tion

Several

has been adopted for military and naval

by a number of foreign countries. Elaborate tests of ammunition loaded with such bullets have also been made in this country. service

The metal tages

in

cased bullet has undoubted advan-

rifle

ammunition,

in

which low

tra-

The

52

Pistol

and Revolver

jectory and extreme long range are desiderata

by high velocities. magazine pistols and re-

that can be obtained only

In

ammunition

for

volvers, however, the prime object

is

to deliver

the most effective blow possible at comparatively short range.

The

attainable

velocities

large

in

calibres

within the permissible weight of an automatic pistol are

of

any

comparatively low.

bullet

on striking animal tissue

direct proportion fore,

The deformation

to

is

in

is,

there-

extremely doubtful that a metal

cased

velocity.

ever prove as

bullet will

'*

factory in service,

its

It

effective

and

satis-

stopping power'' and for military

either in the automatic

pistol

or the

revolver, as the large calibre lead bullet

The metal

cased bullet ammunition for the

automatic pistols

now on

trial in

the U. S.

Army

and .45 cal. The .38-cal. arms and ammunition were issued in 1903, and the .45-cal. is

in

of .38-cal.

1907.

In the latter the metal cased bullet

weighs 250 grains. As neither of these charges have the muzzle energy or stopping power of the .44-cal. Smith .45-cal. Colt,

be adopted.

it

is

& Wesson

Russian, or the

not probable that either will

Sights

53

Sights

The purpose of sights is The national organizations sights in pistol

or

aperture

"

"

to assist in aiming.

"open"

allow only

and revolver shooting.

sights are barred.

The

"

"

rear sight

usually consists of a notch shaped like a U, the

Peep

V

or a

notch being as wide on top as at any part.

k

k End

Side view.

view.

Side view.

End

view.

Front Sights.

Rear

sight.

Appearance when aiming. Military Sights.

Fig. 37.

The

front sight

edge.

it

a piece of thin metal set on

Sometimes the

or section at

is

latter

has a special shape

resembling a pinhead when looking

from the breech, as

in

aiming.

Military

sights usually consist of a plain notch in the top of the

frame for the rear sight and a tapering

front sight fixed to the barrel near the muzzle.

The

54

and Revolver

Pistol

Target sights are made

The

suit individual ideas.

in endless variety to

used for target-shooting are the

named

after

most generally

sights "

Paine

who

Chevalier Ira Paine,

"

sights,

invented

1 Rear

End

Side view.

sight.

Front

Appearance

view.

when

sight.

aiming.

" Paine " Sights.

Fig. 38.

and was the is

a

flat

first

The

to use them.

rear sight

bar with a semicircular notch, and the

front sight

is

a

"

bead

"

sight

;

that

when aiming. that many of the

is,

a sight that

resembles a pinhead

Another sight using

is

the

''

Patridge

" sight,

End

Side view.

Rear

sight.

Front

best shots are

developed by Mr.

Appearance

view.

when

sight.

aiming.

Patridge Sights. Fig. 39.

E. E. Patridge of Boston, Mass.

has a wide rectangular notch

;

The

rear sight

the front sight

plain with a square top, as shown.

is

Position

These sights have been in which they are most

55

referred to in the order

necessary for individuals

used. to

It

generally

is

try various

sights

before they are able to select intelligently.

In

target

arms different-shaped sights may be used

in the

same base or

paratively easy matter sights

so that

fitting,

to try

it

any or

a com-

is

all

of these

on the same arm.

The notch bevelled

the

of

rear

edge concave toward the sharpness

have a

sight should

any

will

secure

The

front sight should also be distinct

found to

be

most

toward the eye

is

of

outline

satisfactory

This

front.

in

when

light.

and

the

is

side

a surface at right angles to the

line of sight.

Position

The

position in pistol and revolver shooting

is

In firing a long series of shots,

very important.

man with an easy, natural position will suffer much less fatigue, and will have a decided advan-

a

tage over another

uncomfortable.

was

whose position

is

straining and

Formerly the approved position

to stand with the right side

toward the

target.

This required the head to be turned ninety degrees from

its

natural

position,

and was very

The

56

Undoubtedly

uncomfortable. relic

and Revolver

Pistol

this

position

is

a

when it might have been mark was offered to the

of duelling days,

argued that a smaller antagonist.

The

positions adopted by the leading shots vary

Most

considerably. left

of

the

target,

inches ahead of

toward the

them

of

face a trifle to the

with the

the

left,

right

foot 6

or 8

and pointing directly

weight of the body sup-

target, the

ported equally by both legs and perfectly balanced.

Others shoot with the feet close together; some with one or both eyes open, and with the arm

The

partly or fully extended. tion depends largely

question of posi-

upon the physique and com-

fort of the individual.

Mr. Winans' position one.

His poise

firmly on both

down along

affords rigidity

an exceedingly strong

very good, and

is

The

feet..

the

is

left

when

side

left

arm

straight

falls

This

the body.

of

desired,

he stands

and imparts action

to the figure.

Mr.

Axtell

has

a

stanch,

natural

position.

Like Mr. Winans, he shoots with the right arm fully extended,

and he holds the weapon

in the

correct and most approved manner.

The

position of Mr.

Anderton

is

excellent.

He

d

W

G O s

U CO