22nd May : Heckler & Koch P7

Name     :     Heckler & Koch P7 M8, M13 & M10


AKA       :     The Squeeze Cocker, PSP, P7 M8,M13,M10,

Calibers      :     9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W,


Capacity     :     8 and 13 Rounds (9mm), 10 Rounds (.40 S&W)


Weight       :     27.25oz or 785g (P7M8)


Length       :     6.75in or 171mm (P7M8)


Action        :     Striker Fired, Semi automatic, gas operated locking


Origin         :     Germany


The terror that ensued during the 1972 Munich Olympics resulted in a major shake up within the West German Law Enforcement community and especially the West German government, with a directive being issued to research and revise arms used by Law Enforcement and internal security forces.  Technical specifications were drawn up and sent to arms manufacturers specifying that the new pistol weight under 1000g, fire a more powerful round than the 7.65mm (.32ACP) that was being used by Police at the time and various other requirements.  Heckler and Koch of Oberndorf, started development on a new pistol in 1974 and prototypes were completed in 1976.  The new prototype was put through its paces with a variety of West German departments for evaluation.  Meanwhile other pistols were also being tested, the Walther design, a SIG Sauer P220 derivative and a Mauser pistol. West German officials decided to accept the Walther entrant as the P5, the SIG Sauer P225 as the P6 and in 1979 the Heckler and Koch entrant called the PSP (Polizei Selbstlade Pistole) as the P7, all pistols were chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.


Ground breaking at the time the new PSP P7 had a number of unusual features, such as the safety device found on the forward section of the grip.  Known as a squeeze cocker this device, with a initial heavy squeeze and a lighter pressure to hold the device depressed, the striker is cocked position, which can be visually checked by the striker itself protruding from the back of slide, when pressure is released the striker is de-cocked.  Another interesting feature of the P7 is the locking and operating mechanism.  When the pistol is fired gas from the round is tapped off through a small hole in the bottom of the barrel into a cylinder where it acts against a piston in effect retarding the slides rearward movement until the projectile has left the barrel and pressures within the barrel have dropped to safe levels, bleeding back into the barrel once again to aid cycling of the action.  One advantage of this system was that the barrel of the pistol was fixed to the frame, unlike most pistols that require a locking system, the gas retardant system does not require the barrel to move during firing, thus it is always in the same position shot after shot, aiding accuracy. The barrel itself borrowed from the earlier P9 pistol by Heckler and Koch is also interesting in that is of polygonal design.  This design does away with traditional lands and groves in favor of polygon shape that contains a twist.   


Heckler and Koch saw the need to improve the PSP, and in 1985 production of the pistol was switched to its successors the P7 M8 and the P7 M13 remaining in 9mm parabellum, the most notable changes were the re-positioning of the magazine release from the heel of the grip to what is now standard on H&K pistols, an ambidextrous push down lever directly under the trigger guard.  And in the case of the P7 M13 a double stack magazine containing 13 rounds.  The P7 M13 entered the U.S. Military trials to replace the venerable Colt M1911A1 but was unsuccessful in its bid, though it passed with 100% reliability during dust tests and was rated highly for overall conditional reliability.  


Heckler and Koch turned instead to marketing the pistol for personal defense and sports shooters, thus following the public interest - the P7 M10 was born.  This new pistol was a caliber revision, it was chambered in .40 S&W.  It differed from the M8 & M13 in both that it no longer had the polygonal barrel, but more traditional lands and groves.  It also due to the considerable pressure increase over the 9x19mm parabellum was slightly larger and heavier.  


INTERESTING FACT :  German military special forces team GSG-9 had a special version of the P7 M13 made especially for them known as the P7M13SD which had a threaded barrel and supplied suppressor for covert operations.


PRO's   :   Accurate, reliable, curiosity, collectible, well made, 


CON's   :   Cleaning is a little lengthy, no external slide catch, PSP's had heal mag releases


      

14th May : Fabrique Nationale Model 1910

Name     :     FN Model 1910

AKA       :     Pistole Modell 626 (B) = WW2 German Military Designation

Caliber     :     7.65x17mm Browning (.32 ACP), 9x18mm Short (.380 ACP)

Capacity   :     7 Rounds (7.65mm)

Weight     :     21.25oz or 600g

Length     :     6in or 152mm

Action      :     Blowback operated, Single Action, Semi automatic

Origin      :     Belgium

Designed by world famous firearms designer John Moses Browning the FN model 1910 was a popular and well liked defensive arm found in many arsenals during the first part of the 20th Century.  John Browning made regular trips between the two major manufacturers of his designs, namely Colt for the U.S. market and Fabrique Nationale of Belgium for the European market.  Browning approached Colt to make his new pistol design that was to become the Model 1910, but Colt was not interested, perhaps due to the success of the Colt Model 1903.  Fabrique Nationale no doubt saw considerable potential for the design and the pistol went into production eventually arming much of Europe.

Though first produced in 1910 this pistol did not come into widespread availability until 1912.  John Browning's first financially rewarding venture into the defensive pistol field was also made by FN in the Model 1900, an unusual pistol in that the recoil spring was located above the barrel, it was a sturdy and reliable defensive pistol.  Combined the models 1900, 1903, 1906 and the 1910 had been sold in excess of one million by 1914, making vast fortunes for the large firearm distributors in Europe.  

The 1910 has a smooth overall appearance and semi-compact feel about it, this is due to a small trend that was started with this pistol, the recoil spring is positioned around the barrel instead of a traditional plunger or guide rod, making the pistol smaller than some of its contemporaries. The pistol's safety is nothing special in the respect it is simply pushed up into a notch in the slide to put the weapon on safe, and the pistol also sports a grip safety.  The sights on the pistol pictured are of non-snagging type and are a groove that runs in the top of the slide, and though not target shooter material they are adequate for defensive purposes. Some Model 1910's did have windage adjustable rear sights that are retained via a wedge base that are slid into traditional slide cut outs.  

A variant of this pistol appeared in 1922 this model was known as the Model 1910/22 after a Serbian Army requested that the 1910 have a longer barrel and slightly improved ammunition capacity thus FN lengthened the barrel and simply attached a large retaining ring in front of the slide and increased the magazine capacity for an extra 2 rounds.  The Serbian Army happy with these improvements made a large order.  During World War Two the German Army having occupied Belgium had FN make Model 1910s and 1910/22s for the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht.  The 1910 went out of production in 1983 and was widely copied by many arms manufacturers around the world.  Popular with civilian shooters it was also big in European Law Enforcement with some police forces choosing to keep it in front line service until 1985.  In the James Bond movie "Dr. No" the 1910 is used as a stand-in for a Walther PPK due to the movie makers having issues adapting the PPK to fire blanks, though the change over went un-noticed by much of the movie going audience.

INTERESTING FACT :  It is said that the great war may have been started by the pistol but it was the rifle that fought it.  Well the 1910 has an interesting part in that fact -  it was that pistol in the hands of Gavrilo Princip, who shot and killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the precursor to World War One.

PRO's   :   Compact and Easy to Use, Kinda accurate, Collectable, 

CON's   :   Magazine disconnect safety, some have rough trigger pulls.

COOL FACTOR : 7/10

April 19th : Beretta 3032 Tomcat

Name     :     Beretta Model 3032


AKA       :     Tomcat, The Flip Top

Caliber     :   .32ACP (7.65x17mm Browning)


Capacity   :   7 Rounds


Weight     :   14.5oz or 410g


Length     :    4.9in or 125mm


Action      :    Blowback operated, Double Action, Semi Automatic


Origin      :    Italy 


The Beretta 3032 finds it origins in the Model 950 "Jetfire" first created in 1952, a single action pistol that originally had no safety lever.  The success of the little Jetfire which was available in .22LR and .25ACP (6.35mm) spanned until 2003 when production ceased.  With the need for a more powerful chambering and/or incorporation of improvements the 3032 "Tomcat" was born.  The main changes from the model 950 lay in the caliber of .32ACP and the implementation of a double action mechanism.


The little Tomcat features a tilting barrel, not fixed like most blowback pistols,  the barrel is released by pressing forward on a lever located above the rear of the trigger guard on the left hand side of the frame.  This allows the user to inspect that the pistol has no round chambered.  Though some people "top off" the pistol in this fashion by inserting a full magazine of seven rounds, releasing the barrel to tip up and manually loading a round into the barrel to give the pistol one extra round.  The Tomcat has a rather long double action pull, then every subsequent shot is double action. The double action mechanism in this pistol can be seen as an advantage over double action only (DAO) pistols when it comes to getting some reach, with the lighter single action pull available for those longer range shots can improve accuracy.  The lack of a decocker is unusual however, implying that the double action feature of this pistol could be just a double strike capability if the round fails to fire after the first pull of the trigger.  Releasing the magazine is an interesting process for those who have never handled a Tomcat or jetfire, the release button is found on the left hand grip just above the bottom grip screw, though it does need a positive push to release the magazine, preventing an unwanted magazine departure.

A Model 3032 with the barrel tilted

.32ACP is at the low end in terms of a self defense caliber, though interestingly that is what it was designed for, European police and even some military's around the world used this caliber for some time up until the 1980's.  Invented in 1899 the round has been around for a long time and in full metal jacket form is unsuitable for someone wanting to carry this pistol for personal protection, but with good jacketed hollowpoint rounds such as Winchester Silvertips it can have potential with good shot placement (shot placement is important with any caliber).  The Tomcat is capable of consuming large amounts of ammunition due to it's quality construction though it must be noted that it is not rated or recommended for +P rounds.


Available in stainless type finish Beretta calls INOX and a two tone finish, the Beretta Tomcat is a fun little shooter, and when it comes to self protection : A tomcat in hand is better than a .45 left at home.


INTERESTING FACT : NO EXTRACTOR, this pistol has no extractor to remove rounds, racking the slide will not remove chambered rounds, so use that tilt lever.


PRO's : Compact, Reliable, fun, quality, surprisingly accurate, windage on sights 


CON's : No extractor, unusual magazine release, no decocker, 


COOL FACTOR : 7 / 10
  

April 18th : Smith and Wesson Model 469

Name     :     Smith and Wesson Model 469


AKA       :     Chopped 459

Caliber     :   9x19mm Parabellum


Capacity   :   12 Rounds


Weight     :   27oz or 765g


Length     :    6.88in or 175mm


Action      :    Browning Type cam Locking, Semi Automatic, Double Action


Origin       :    U.S.A.


The Smith and Wesson model 469's origins lay in the model 39 created in 1970, this pistol was a key stepping stone for U.S. law enforcement for moving out of the revolver era into the new world of semi automatics.  The model 39 did however have some short comings namely the capacity of eight rounds, Smith and Wesson responded with the 14 round revision known as the model 59 in 1971.  Production of the 39 and 59 was stopped in 1981, and newer revised versions were launched as the 439, 459, 539 and 559, the 4 prefix indicated an alloy frame and the 5 a steel frame.  The other main revisions between the old and new were the a new extractor, addition of an automatic firing pin safety and improved feed ramps.  


The 459 was very popular with the public as well as law enforcement but there was a trend amoungst some to have gunsmiths cut down a full sized 459 into a compact pistol, in 1983 Smith and Wesson joined this trend and bought into the market the model 469 a 12 shot compact 9mm with bobbed hammer, lightweight alloy frame and slimline grips to remove bulk found in grip of the 459.


The 469 was designed for concealment, featuring a bobbed hammer that has no facility to manually retract it as it slips into the slide cut out relatively flush.  The pistol's decocking lever is located on the left side of the slide at the rear, rotating a steel disc in front of firing pin when engaged also lowering the hammer. The trigger system is essentially the same as earlier Smith & Wesson pistols, it would be expected that it would be carried with a round in the chamber with the hammer lowered, and the first shot would be in double action mode and every subsequent shot would be fired in single action.  Due to the size of the grip the standard magazine features a spur to aid the shooters grip, though in reality one should put a flush magazine plate on instead and learn to shoot well without the spur as the spur may lead to snagging at the most inconvenient moment.


The model 469 is a very well made pistol, and many have been tested on bench rests and pistol vices and have proven the great accuracy potential of this little gun.   


In 1988 with the introduction of the third generation of the Smith and Wesson pistol range the 469 was superseded by the model 6904 (pictured below).

Smith and Wesson Model 6904, note the new sights, grips and revised trigger guard.

INTERESTING FACT : The 469 will accept its parent the 459's 14 round magazines.


PRO's   :   Very accurate, quality construction, good capacity


CON's   :   Magazine spur, magazine disconnect safety, 


COOL FACTOR : 6/10

15th April : Sig Sauer P238

Name     :     SIG Sauer P238


AKA       :      SIG's Mini 1911

Caliber   :     .380 ACP (9x18mm Short)


Capacity :     6 Rounds


Weight   :     15.2oz or 430g


Length   :      5.5in or 139.7mm


Action    :      Single Action, Semi Automatic


Locking   :     Browning sliding lock, (not swinging link)


Origin     :     U.S.A. / Switzerland


As concealed carry permits are on the rise in the United States the need for concealable, easy to handle and shoot well pistols has increased.  SIG Sauer who has a considerable marketplace presence has heeded this call with it's new "Mini 1911" called the P238.  With no less than 17 variations SIG is looking to find something for everyone.  As an example you may purchase the P238 with a matt black, bi-tone, rainbow, Equinox, natural stainless, or even red finish.  


Introduced in 2009, this compact .380 has some resemblance to the Colt Mustang, which itself was designed to appear like a mini 1911.  Unlike a standard 1911 however the P238 does not have a swing link below the barrel or a barrel bushing.  Surprisingly for a .380 caliber pistol the P238 has a locked breech which has advantages such as a lighter recoil spring so that anyone can easily manipulate the slide and the barrel can be easily replaced. The only real disadvantage with this system of locking a breech on a caliber that doesn't require it, is that you no longer have a fixed barrel like the Walther PP, which does contribute to accuracy.  After much consideration I feel that for the ranges that this pistol is designed to be used in and seeing some shooting results, this disadvantage would be negligible.  


The safety switch on this pistol is interesting when compared to the 1911.  On inspection of the slide you will see there is no cut out for the safety lever to move up into when the weapon is made safe, thus when it is engaged the slide may still be manipulated.  Sights, much is said about pistols and the visibility of their sights, SIG for as long as I can remember has always put quality sights on their pistols and the P238 is no exception.  SIGLITE Night Sights are fitted as standard, these sights have white circles with tritium inserts which glow during low light conditions.  SIGLITE Night Sights are said to have a 10-15 year life span before they should be replaced.


The trigger on the P238 has received some criticism for it's heavy pull weight of 7.5-8.5 pounds.  For a single action pistol it is a little on the heavy side though it does have a clean break without or little stacking when the trigger is pulled, certainly better than lighter mushy trigger. 


INTERESTING FACT :  In the short period of time this pistol has been out it has had one significant safety recall and is now in its third magazine revision, though people that like it :  "LOVE IT" 


PRO's     :    Easy to maintain and use, Good quality finish, Great brand


CON's     :    Sensitivity to some ammo, heavy trigger, Some bad mags


COOL FACTOR : 5/10