Real pistols

[gunslinger]

Colt 1911
Dan Wesson 44
Colt Python 357 6" stainless
Browning Hi Power 9mm
S&W 45 revolver used with full moon clips
.22 thingy with long rotary mag cant remember make
2x black powder revolvers

Plus numerous shotties including a 10 shot remmy with compensator and tactical grips.

Solid slug on ticket

Aah those were the days till the b*####**ds took them.
But still we are all a lot safer now,arent we

[markH]

In the good old days I had a Colt .45 1911, Browning Hi Power, S&W mod 19, .357mag, S&W chief special (5 shot .38, 2" barrel), Tanfoglio D/A 9mm, Uberti "rolling block" (single shot 8" barrel) M1 carbine, Rossi lever action .357 and a few others.

I used to work for a company called Parker Hale who made sporting rifles and one day had a chance to test fire a .458 winchester magnum. It's the kind of thing they use to shoot elephant........ MAJOR KICK.

[markH]

My 1911 was bought 3rd hand and the original owner was a guy called Colin Moore who was in the UK practical pistol squad. I met him at a competition once and curiously he immediately recognised his old pistol, even though it was in my holster.

He said that he had fired 250,000 rounds thru it. I must have fired about 10,000 during the time before the ban. It was still accurate and I never once had a jam... nicely run in.

[Woodie]

My 1911 was bought 3rd hand and the original owner was a guy called Colin Moore who was in the UK practical pistol squad. I met him at a competition once and curiously he immediately recognised his old pistol, even though it was in my holster.

He said that he had fired 250,000 rounds thru it. I must have fired about 10,000 during the time before the ban. It was still accurate and I never once had a jam... nicely run in.

The 1911 and Hi Power are great pistols, the only downside to them is that you have to spend additional money on them to customise them. Hi power has mag safety,thats needs to be removed, you will need to changed sights to high profile, trigger pull and creep is awful, extended slide release and extended stafety. The same applies to 1911 except for mag safety.

[markH]

The 1911 and Hi Power are great pistols, the only downside to them is that you have to spend additional money on them to customise them. Hi power has mag safety,thats needs to be removed, you will need to changed sights to high profile, trigger pull and creep is awful, extended slide release and extended stafety. The same applies to 1911 except for mag safety.

The Browning mag safety is a 2 minute job to take out or put back. I used to use mine for service pistol so everything else had to be standard. I Had a beavertail grip safety on the 1911, and extended safety, slide release and mag button. All the extended bits were actually standard bits with extensions brazed on then filed down to suit.

A mate did the mag button first but it was too long....... dead easy to accidentally drop the mag in the middle of a string so I filed it down till I could just press it without changing my grip on the gun. I was so pleased with that I bought a little brazing kit and did my own safety and slide release.

A lot of the custom stuff for 45s was relatively easy. It was possible to open the mag well out with a file and emery paper and I spent hours with rag wrapped round a dowel polishing the feed ramp with cutting compound and eventually T cut.

The biggest expense for practical was magazines. John Longstaff used to import some cheapies but they weren't very good. The best were Devel mags, they wer standard length but somehow they managed to squeeze an extra round in them........ 8 for the price of 7.

[Woodie]

A lot of the custom stuff for 45s was relatively easy. It was possible to open the mag well out with a file and emery paper and I spent hours with rag wrapped round a dowel polishing the feed ramp with cutting compound and eventually T cut.

.

I agree, the mag well can save alot of time of the clock, 1/10 of a second which adds up quickly per mag change.Unlike compeititions, I always reload with the gun in my face so my head is never down like in ispc, even though it costs me time, I rather not do that in the street.

[Arnold Layne]

pre ban, i use to have a Mod 17 6inch barrel in .22 and a Mod 686 in .38/.357 which were smithed to be the same weight, trigger pull, sight picture etc, for practical pistol comps, and in door practice with the .22. I also had a Mod 66 2 1/2 inch snubby in .357

All great fun to use, but the snubby was probably the most enjoyable, particularly with my hand loaded 357 rounds. I use to load differently to suit the barrel lengths, so the rounds for the 686 gave a very satisfying muzzle flash in the snubby

only just picked up a pistol again, a hw75 which is enjoyable but well just not the same .... but a step back to my shooting roots as i started out shooting air pistol comps,

[Jim McArthur]

Sounds as though you've come full circle, Arnold! That HW 75 is a great SSP, and I welcome you to our UBC matches, if you want to get involved in some no-hassle, no-expense, friendly competition.

I used to own a 2 1/2 Model 66: swapped it for a Uberti Cattleman .45 Colt, back when I was doing cowboy action shooting.

I was always content to shoot .38's from it, though!

Cheers!

Jim

[Nikkormat]

I managed to fit in three months of pistol shooting before the ban. I used to bunk off college on a Wednesday afternoon and head straight to the club. I started off with a .22 Colt Diamondback revolver, then a Ruger MkII semi auto, tried a Browning High Power (50 rounds and probably hit the target with 20, no reflection on the pistol, it was fine, the shooter was incapable) then a .38 Ruger GP 100 which I loved and could shoot fairly well.

I'm hoping to visit a friend in the Czech Republic in summer, and if I do I'm going to try to get a day at a range.