Widely believed to have originated in Europe in the mid 15th century and introduced back to China by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the matchlock saw military and civilian use well into the 19th century, despite the introduction of the flintlock in 17th century. Colonial america, Eurpoean armies and eventually Japanese Samurai all used matchlock arms.

Here is a Japanese replica matchlock from the authors collection:

A close up of the lock mechanism:

Random video from the the Internet of someone firing a Japanese Matchlock

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanegashima_(Japanese_matchlock)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matchlock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arquebus

They saw use from as early as the 1300s into the 1400′s, and in Asia, well into the 1600′s. A military weapon, probably used in sieges, it was slow to reload and fire, a bow would have been a faster field weapon. Siege and bombardment (with the attendant smoke and noise) in conjunction with larger cannon, would seem to have been an ideal application. Its European use was supplanted by the matchlock muskets in the 15th century.

A “linstock” was used to hold the slow match for safer ignition:

Here is a video of someone “rapid firing” a Handgonne (this is not the author, just a random YouTube video):

Modern reproductions can be purchased here:
http://kingsforgeandmuzzleloading.com/

Interesting links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_cannon
http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/handgonne.html

This particular example illustrates something that most American’s don’t really understand. In April 1942 the Germans had been at war for just over 2 1/2 years but were not yet on a full war economy. This pistol, produced that month by it’s serial number, was not made for the military or even the police – the only proof mark it bears is the standard civilian proof mark. In the middle of WWII, this was made for civilian purchase. At the end of the war it ended up in some GI’s pocket and was brought back to the US by him – there are no importer’s marks either – and at some point, probably in the 1950′s it was badly nickel plated destroying the original Mauser bluing. I ponder getting it refinished when I can afford to send it off I’d like to have the nickel stripped and have it parkerized. I’ll not have it blued again in case someone thinks the blue is the original finish somewhere down the road.

The holster in this image was originally made for a S&W 642 by [url]www.woodenleather.com[/url] and is, naturally, of his usual exquisite quality. If you know how big a J-Frame is, that should give you a good idea of the size of the pistol. While it is smaller than, say, a CZ-50 or PP, it is still a relatively large pistol for .32 ACP. The two spare magazines and tactical light are part of my everyday carry with this pistol. 

The grips are modern reproductions in plastic as the wood originals were almost ready to fall apart and have been put away safely in my gun safe. I also replaced all springs with a Wolfe kit before I started shooting the pistol. The old recoil spring was noticeably weaker and setback.

There are, to the new user, some peculiarities.

The European style slide mounted safety is “backwards” to most American shooters who expect a 1911 style down=off. The butt mounted magazine release is also something disliked by many Americans but was the expected standard for a European pistol of its day.

The DA trigger pull is long and heavy, though smooth enough after 70 years of use. The SA pull is as crisp and clean as one could hope for.

There is no slide release. You have to put in a mag for it go forward. Then, if the safety is on, the hammer automatically drops. Now that is safe because the safety physically moves the rear end of the firing pin to where it can not be hit by the hammer. This can be a bit unnerving the first few times you load the pistol…

If the safety is off, the hammer stays cocked and you can either begin shooting or put the safety on. You can then lower the hammer, if you wish or carry it in condition one. I usually lower the hammer since I am used to using a long deliberate DA pull for the first shot.

In addition, there is a magazine safety – you can’t pull the trigger if there isn’t a magazine in the weapon. In addition, in order to strip the weapon, you have to clear it then insert an empty magazine in to let the slide forward. Then you can put it on safe, take out the magazine and strip it by the button inside the trigger guard.

Let’s take a little closer look at the HSc.

First, this page has a good parts view: http://www.stevespages.com/ipb-mauser-hsc.html

Technical details can be found on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_HSc

To begin stripping the pistol, clear it.

Then remove the ammunition from the magazine. As you can see, this is an 8+1 pistol. You will need an empty magazine to finish field stripping the pistol.

Double check the chamber!
Now insert the empty magazine into the pistol to cause the slide to go forward.

Notice the hammer? It’s mostly enclosed in the slide but it does have a small protrusion with which to cock or decock the pistol. I have never gotten hammer or slide bite from this pistol (knock on wood, baby) because of how well this pistol is designed. The hammer is cocked which is how we want it.

At the front top of the trigger guard you can just make out the take down button.

Remove the magazine and put the pistol on safe.

Holding the button down, the slide will slip a little foward and come off the pistol.

Here we run into the limit of my len’s close focus ability however you can still make out the bar across the top of the magazine well? It hooks into the transfer bar and without a magazine in the pistol to lift it a little, the trigger can not be pulled. The slide stop is also part of it.

As you can see, the barrel is not attached to the frame. This probably sacrifices some absolute accuracy but I’ve shot better groups with this than with any PPK or CZ I’ve shot. Mauser’s folks, I found, usually knew what they were doing… Now push the breech of the barrel forward and then pull it down (I usually push through the ejection port) to remove the barrel. That is one heavy ass spring for such a supposedly wimpy cartridge.

Here we are, fully field stripped. No more is necessary for routine maintenance. It is not an especially difficult gun to smith if it needs repairs. I changed the firing pin (it arrived broken) easily enough but there are a large number of small parts and springs in the slide and trigger mechanism. Be sure you know what you are doing before going further.

As you can see on all these pictures, the nickel is rotten and peeling. I really don’t think a good job was done back when and that’s why I’d like to have the money to get the pistol stripped and parkerized. Alas, I doubt Kickstarter would allow me to fund raise for that project

It’s a nice pistol, reliable & more accurate than I am. It has fired every type of ammo I’ve thrown at it with only one choke that I attribute to a poor hold at the end of a fast fired string. It points naturally for me. The sights are tiny but more visible to me than many of the others in this category. It was designed for police use and the reality is that it is capable of excellent accuracy for a pocket pistol.

The pistol is almost as small as some of the modern pocket pistols – 4″ tall, 6″ long – about the same as a J frame. I like the .32 Auto for a daily carry pistol as the majority of bad guys don’t want to get shot by anything and the other real threat up here is dogs/coyotes & like sized rabid mammals, it is more than powerful enough for that. Buffalo Bore makes an excellent +P hard cast round in this cartridge that I heartily recommend. [url]https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=132[/url] Wish I had the money for a few boxes of it. I may have to breakdown and buy .32 ACP dies to duplicate the load. I usually buy Winchester White Box or Prvi Partizan for practice & plinking. Yes, it is a delightful plinker too and the bane of soda cans everywhere.

In the end, this is the finest pocket pistol I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting. I owe a thank you to that long ago vet who destroyed it’s collectors value with that bad nickel job – I probably could never have afforded it otherwise!

It is, however, a .32 ACP and having been made in April 1942 it’s getting long in tooth. I should probably find a newer pocket rocket – I have been looking at the Kel Tec P32 as a result – but there’s just something about it even in it’s post war badly done nickel that appeals to me more than the new ones and it remains my EDC.

Any questions?

Come tell us on the forums if you think we missed something!

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The Ruger P90 is a much misunderstood and often overlooked pistol with remarkable virtues. It operates with a similar firing mechanism to the 1911A1, but with a SA/DA slide-mounted safety/decocker. It was initially developed to accommodate the then up-and-coming 10mm round developed for the FBI. Before production began, the 10mm was already losing favour and the team at Sturm Ruger decided keep the basic design, rechambered for the venerable .45acp. The result is a massively over-engineered handgun that is built like a tank, is reliable beyond belief and able to take whatever abuse you can throw at it. And then some. The trigger is smooth and light, even in double action mode, while accuracy is better than most comparable stock .45s.

Though it is feed from a singlestack 8rd magazine, the grip is big and wide and unsuitable for small, delicate hands. Constructed of stainless steel with an alloy frame, it is still a heavy pistol unsuited to concealed carry for most of us mortals. The ambidextrous safety/decocker is big and has a smooth, easy operation and a reassuring positive ‘click’ that lets you know when it is engaged and disengaged.

Now replaced by the ubiquitous line of polymer framed modernist pistols, the old Ruger P90 is often overlooked and under-valued. If you feel the need for a .45 for the home, vehicle or just for fun at the range then this one certainly warents further investigation.

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http://www.theliberalgunclub.com/lgc-merch/

I really hate internet threads about if you can only have one handgun what would it be. I’ve never been in a situation where I could only have one handgun. But back in 1976 my future wife and I made a move from Mpls to Two harbors Mn because of my job plus we both wanted to get away from Mpls. By that time I had accumulated a small collection of guns including 5 handguns. Something had to go, the first to go was a little Colt 25acp, next was much harder my Colt MKIV 1911, then my Browning Hi Power and my Marlin 444. What I kept was my Blackhawk convertible in 45, and my MKI target with a 5.5 in. barrel. The Blackhawk had a 7.5 in. barrel and it was a sixgun that could do anything. It now has a much handier 5.5 barrel and can spend a day without fatiguing me on my hip. The single action is the most iconic handgun in the Americas, its the handgun that people think of when they think of the Americas. I feel that the Ruger Blackhawk is the best buy of all the different single actions available. Depending on the area some one lives in there is a caliber that will fit any situation that calls for the use of a handgun whether for protection from man or animal a single action all though not the first choice will still save your bacon if you know how to shoot it properly. Plus it is truly a premier hunting handgun. It is very robust and has its own loading tables in reloading manuals because of it. I guess if I was restricted to only one centerfire handgun it would be my Blackhawk. I feel it is Bill Rugers crowning achievement in handgun design.

Discuss this in the forums!

The G1935 Hi Power (or HP) pistol was initially designed by American legend John Mosses Browning, who brought us such iconic firearms as the Winchester 1892,Colt 1911, Browning machinegun and Browning Automatic Rifle. After Browning’s death, the design was further developed and then produced by FN of Belgium with production beginning in 1935. To this day, all Browning Hi Powers are produced by FN, though assembly has recently been moved to Portugal. It remains one of the most widely used sidearms in military history. Both allies and axis forces fielded the Hi Power in the Second World War. To this day it remains a classic, perhaps eclipsing the much-loved 1911A1 with a world-wide following of devotees. It has a beauty and martial elegance that you will not find in today’s crop of plastic ‘wonder nines’. But make no mistake, it is not simply a collectable relic, it is still a fine pistol for any avid shooter to own and enjoy and remains the standard firearm for many police departments and defense forces across the globe.

The HP provides an excellent single action trigger pull that can be further enhanced by a competent gunsmith and the removal of the magazine disconnect safety, should you wish. It remains perhaps the most accurate production military sidearm every produced. Though not light by modern standards, it is still slim and easy to conceal with a good holster. The grip angle and ergonomics give you a feel and intuitive ‘pointablity’ that makes snap shooting a pleasure. It just feels ‘right’ to most people the minute they pick it up. The factory 13rd magazine can be supplemented with reliable 15rd versions should you require 9mm bullets ready to go. A few people with wookie-sized monster hands find the grip too slim and some choose to replace the hammer with an after-market version in order to cure ‘hammer bite’ on the web of their shooting hands. The sights have improved over time, though I still encourage their replacement with Novaks low-viz aftermarket sights.

I would recommend the HP for anyone who appreciates modern military firearms, wants an accurate and fun range pistol. It is also very well-suited to home defense. However, I hesitate to recommend this handgun for concealed carry for anyone not already well accustomed to single action automatics. For me, the added risk of handling and carrying in the ‘cocked and locked’ position just isn’t justifiable given the minimal risks of my lifestyle. As well as over 75 years worth of FN production models, there are also some affordable clones on the market. Both the surplus Argentine FM90 and Hungarian FEG offer high-quality affordable alternatives for those not concerned about the ‘brand’ on the slide. The Bulgarians also have some rather ugly variants including a SA/DA version which has been adopted by the Iraqi national police force.

Beretta PX4 Storm .45 ACP

First thing I’d like to say is the overall feel and look of this firearm is exactly what it looks like. State of the art looks and feel with smoothe egronomics with a solid feel and the most advanced recoil system today. It’s a dream shooter with a futuristic look and a head turning accuracy rate per ammo, no matter what you run thru it. The inovative rotating barrel locking lug system is noticably accurate due to it’s reduction in recoil and solid line up upon firing. OK, now for the specs.

There are three Storm pistols, the full size, compact, and subcompact. The pistols are each available in 9mm, 40 Cal, and .45 ACP. All are intended for home defense, self defense, military, and law enforcement applications.

Mine is the Type F model with decocker-firing pin block, Double/single action. It comes in a C model as well which is a constent double action with a shorter and lighter trigger pull and no external safety or decocking lever. The Storm comes with an ambidextrous safety and a mag release button that can be changed to left or right hand position. I’m a lefty and I love this option. It comes with a set of extra backstraps for large hands, but I have large hands and it’s still comfortable without the change. Comes with 2 mags, a 9 and 10 round. The sights are fixed 3 dot. One of my favorite features is the egronomic slide release that is thumb easy even for me being a lefty. It has a picatinny accessory rail for your favorite laser or light. Field stripping is a breeze. Just pull down on the two “one on each side” tabs fore the trigger guard and the slide, barrel and spring assembly slides right off. You’ll find it easy and fast to disassemble and re-assemble when cleaning. For a tupperware gun, it’s fabulous! It’s a quality firearm at an affordable 650 range without the sacrifice of good looks and feel.

You can tell I use Drylube and that I haven’t cleaned this baby in a while. Sorry…

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