U.S. and cam

The Journal of Ammunition Reloading

i j 1

i

i

I

I

I

i

i

: ~

I

I I

1 I

i I t I ! I

I I I

i , I

i

The staff

Dave Wolfe President and Editor

Mark Harris Publisher

Tom Gresham Executive Editor

AI Miller Assistant Editor

Holly Mckan-Aldis Copy Editor

Jana Kosco Advertising Manager

Ted Curtis Promotion Manager

Dave LeGate Art Director

Becky Pinkley Production Supervisor

Tammy Rossi Circulation Manager

Mardell Harms Ruth Robinson Diana Corkery

Circulation Sharon Zalitis

Book Sales Manager Dave Culver

Photographer Ellen Fultz

Publication Assistant

mchnical Sam Fadala Bob Hagel Neal Knox Wallace Labisky Ed Matunas Ludwig Olson Dave Scovill Layne Simpson Charles R. Suydam Mike Venturino Ken Waters

ISSN 001 7-7393

.. .... . . . . .

Number 132 - March-April 1988 - Volume 23, Number 2

FEATURES Feeding a -577 Nitro Express ........... .Hugh Roberts 20

-340 Weatherby Magnum (Pet Loads). . . . . . . . . .Ken Waters 23

A Cheer for t h e 3%-1 l/4! Upgrading the Old “Live Pigeon“ Load. . . . . .Don Zutz 26

-38-55 Loads for the Model 9 4 ......... .Mihe Venturino 28

High Volume Bullet Casting .............. .Rod Brown 31

Testing Nosler Bullets in t h e .270 Winchester Accuracy Problems? Don’t Blame the Bullets ..................... .Layne Simpson 34

The Mach IV: A .17 Caliber Classic ......... .Steve Timm 37

The .458x2 in an XP-100 ............ .Joseph Donnelly 4 0

DEPARTMENTS Reloader’s Press . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Benchtopics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Cartridge Board . . . . . . . . . . .6 Reader Bylines . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 About Cast Bullets . . . . . . . . I O Handgun Feeding & Care . . . I 2 Capitol Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4

Aiming for Answers . . . . . . .16 Loading S h o t . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 7 Wildcat Cartridges . . . . . . . . 18 Reader Research . . . . . . . . . . 19 Product & Service News . . . .62 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . .63 ProducTests . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Propel Ian t Profiles . . . . . . . . .70

ON THE COVER

The PPC cartridges may be the darlings of the benchrest set these days, but for many longtime -,hooters the ,222 Kemington still has a special place. Whether it’s targets or varmints he’s after, the shooter using this Kemington 4 0 X B B R topped with a Leupold scope is well equipped. Besides being functional, the black KCBS benchrest dies add a touch of elegance. Photo by Stan Trzoniec.

COPYRIGHT 1988

The Handloader is published bi-monthly by the Wolfe Publishing Company, Inc. (Dave Wolfe. President), a 6471 Airpark Drive, Prescott. Arizona 86301. (Also publisher of Rifle Magazine.) Telephone (602) 445-7810 Second Class Postage paid at Prescott. Arizona. and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices’ U.S. possessions and Canada - single issue, $3.00; 6 issues, $16.00, 12 issues, $30.00; I8 issues. $40.00. Foreign - single issue, $4.00; 6 issues, $23.00; 12 issues, $43.00; 18 issues. $60.00 Advertis- in9 rates furnished on request. All rights reserved.

Publisher of Handloader is not responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur from use of published loading data, or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publica- tion may be reproduced without written permission from the editor Manuscripts from free-lance writers must be accompanied by stamped self-addressed envelope and the publisher cannot accept responsi- bility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.

Change of address please give six weeks notice Send both ‘old and new address, plus mailing label if possible. to Circulation Dept., Handloader Magazine, 6471 Airpark Drive. Prescott, Arizona 86301

”t *fs”p,.,T *53*.h

MARCH-APRIL 1988 3

I --1

Touching one of the big rounds off is quite an experience! Note that Roberts has been shoved completely off balance by the .577‘s recoil.

OT LONG AFTER I started hand- N loading I became interested in cast bullets, mostly as a n economy measure. Shortly thereafter, I realized that one sure way to ensure bullet per- formance was to shoot a bullet of suffi- cient diameter to inflict a killing wound, irrespective of bullet expansion. The result was an interest in big bore rifles, and led to the use of cast bullets in a series of .45-70s and .458s to hunt deer and elk. However, something was lack- ing. I wanted a really big, big bore rifle, one throwing a bullet weighing from one to two ounces at adequate velocity. As time progressed I came to realize that the solution was a rifle chambered for the .577 Nitro Express.

The .577 Nitro Express three-inch car- tridge evolved around the turn of the century during the time of transition from black to smokeless powder. It became a direct replacement for the four-bore and eight-bore black powder cartridges used in dangerous places throughout the British Empire. John B. DelSavio wrote eloquently on the his- tory of the cartridge and its users in Rifle No. 78.

I admit that the idea of a rifle shooting one of the British “stopping” cartridges was intriguing, and at the same time it raised some personal and technical questions. Would it be possible to shoot a rifle that is said to generate the “bone crushing recoil” that the .577 has a reputation for, and, is it possible to build such a rifle? I concluded that the only way to answer the questions was to go ahead and build the rifle.

A typical group fired with Roberts’ favorite load.

20 HANDLOADER 132

I

I

1

I

~

I

I I

i I I I I

I

I

i

I

I i I i Nitro &press The idea of a rifle chambered for the

5 7 7 seemed destined to remain only a n idea. Brass, dies, etc, were available, but the question of an action remained un- solved. I did some calculations with a view to fitting a Ruger No. 1 or similar one-inch diameter barrel shank action with a .577 barrel, but decided that the remaining chamber wall would be too thin for safety. One day I received a catalog from Falling Block Works, and read about their model ‘‘E’ action, with a 1.125-inch diameter barrel shank, designed specifically for large rimmed cartridges. I sent off an order for two actions and was advised a short time later by F.B.W. that the company was ceasing operations, but had a final run of ‘‘E’ actions in the works, and would ship my order as soon as possible. Almost two years later to the day, the actions arrived.

I consulted Tim Bolinger at MATCO, and he shipped a 28-inch long, 1.5-inch diameter barrel blank, with seven land- and-groove cut rifling, one-in-20-inch right-hand twist.

JGS Die & Machine in Coos Bay, Oregon, supplied a chambering reamer, headspace gauges and piloted center drill.

The three-die set, form and trim die, and B.E.L.L. basic brass were obtained from Huntington’s in Oroville, Califor- nia. I obtained a rough-inletted stockwood set from Paul Butterfield of Maple Glen, Pennsylvania.

A close-up of the opened action reveals how crowded the breech is when one of the big rounds is chambered.

As I thought about putting the rifle together, I considered stock design, especially as it relates to recoil abate- ment. After reading everything avail- able on stock design and comparing examples of other heavy recoiling rifles, I applied all the tricks and lessons, result ing in a buttstock with a 145/,-inch pull over a Pachmayr solid black pad, and .5-inch cast-on at the butt. The cheekpiece drops %-inch at the comb, and %-inch at the heel. The cast- on, the cheekpiece dimensions, and the longer-than-normal length of pull result in a stock design which allows the rifle to move away from the shooter’s face on firing, reducing the apparent recoil. In addition, I trimmed the butt area of the blank only enough to allow fitting the Pachmayr large size recoil pad, trim- ming at most ‘/B inch from the sides of the pad, resulting in the maximum possible size recoil pad to spread out and soak up recoil.

As a n additional consideration in recoil reduction, I wanted the barrel to

be as heavy as possible. I left a cylin- drical shank forward of the receiver for a length of 3.25 inches. The remainder of the 27%-inch long barrel straight tapers to 1.075 inches at the muzzle. I installed a Williams Guide Receiver Sight originally designed for the Brown- ing BAR semiautomatic rifle - it has the correct radius to be a perfect fit to the 1.5-inch diameter barrel. A Burris patridge and Williams ramp serve as a front sight. The completed rifle weighs in a t 14.5 pounds.

After polishing, the metal parts were bead-blasted to reduce glare while stalk- ing through the game fields.

The directions enclosed with the RCBS form and trim die advised to simply run the basic case up into the die and remove the excess brass with a hacksaw or file. Wrong. The brass above the die is very thin and soft from the manufacturer’s final annealing process. The file or hacksaw method mangled the soft brass; after a bit of experimen- tation, I found that a sharp triangular deburring scraper neatly trimmed the protruding brass when used with a shearing action against the side of the die. The finished case mouths were neat, smooth and square, requiring only a standard deburring operation before further reloading operations.

I placed an order with Northeast

Left to right: the homemade .585-inch sizing die, the ram extension used to push the bullets through the sizer, the lubrication die, Northeast Industrial bullets 525586 and 670586. The massive 750-grain bullet was cast from a mould supplied by Dave Farmer of Colorado Shooter’s Supply.

MARCH-APRIL 1988 21

Industrial in Canyon City, Oregon, for two moulds, the 525586 (525 grains) and the 740586 (740 grains); they advised that the 740586 was no longer available, and substituted the 670586 (670 grains). Somewhat upset with the unavailability of a 750-grain mould, I contacted Dave Farmer, Colorado Shooter’s Supply, Fruita, Colorado, and left with him a drawing for a 750-grain bullet mould which closely duplicates the shape of the original Kynoch bullet. Dave is the worthy successor to Richard Hoch, and the quality of the completed mould is top rate. When cast in Linotype the bullets weigh 750 grains and are less than .0005-inch out of round.

I next considered bullet sizing and lubrication dies. Initially I made a .586 H&I die for my Lyman 450 Lubrisizer, and on completion it worked well but looked very thin. I finally hit on a push through die threaded 7/,-14 with a push- follower to fit the standard press ram in place of the shellholder. The die works very well and sizes the bullets by pushing them through the die from the base, thus ensuring square bases. The die was quite simple to make using an adjustable blade reamer. The lower part of the die is slightly larger than the unsized bullet, and has a gradual taper to the finished bullet size a t the top. The H&I die is now used for bullet lubrica- tion only.

On loading the first cartridges, I noted that with the recommended load of 100 grains of IMR-3031 there remained a significant space between the powder and the base of the bullet. A review of the sparse literature on reloading large cartridge cases revealed the use of cork gasket sheeting wads as bullet base wads to facilitate uniform powder igni- tion. Almost every source agrees that the wads should not be used as over- powder wads. The use of over-powder wads, and indeed the much touted Dacron fluff fillers, may cause the wad to become the primary projectile, and the bullet to act as a barrel obstruction, causing excessive pressures and possi- ble injury to the shooter. I recalled an article by Merrill Martin in Precision Shooting concerning his use of low density polyethylene bullet base wads which obturate against the bullet base and prevent gas cutting of plain base bullets. The polyethylene wads do seem to enhance accuracy, and I note that the bore is cleaner after firing with the poly wads than without. I manufactured wadcutter punches in the two sizes necessary to make the polyethylene and cork gasket wads, and now include both wads in all loads as standard procedure. Two slightly different punches were necessary to make correct size wads to ensure that the wads remain at the base of the bullet and do not migrate toward the powder.

The powder of choice in the 577 is IMR-3031. Based on my experience with slow ignition and hangfires with reduced charges in the .577, I believe that a slower powder would be too slow, and anything faster would not achieve anything near the loading density re- quired for consistent ignition. The stan- dard load of 110 grains of IMR-3031 with any of the three bullet weights is serviceable, and certainly adequate for almost any purpose. I experimented with loadings as high as 115 grains of IMR-3031 with the 750-grain bullet and found that recoil, while not uncomfor- table, is noticeably more than with the 110-grain load. There were no signs of excess pressure with any of the loads discussed. Primers were not flattened, and excessive case expansion is not evi- dent. I have one box of brass which has been reloaded six times, with no failures.

As soon as I had completed fitting and chambering the barrel and the rough in- letting, I raced to the range for a n ill- advised test firing session. The recoil pad was not installed; the butt was simply raw wood with a 90-degree edge. Ten shots resulted in a sharp-edged bruise and a healthy appreciation of the requirements for a properly fitted stock.

In answer to the questions first posed the “bone crushing recoil” has not been evident. Of course, shortly after the moment of firing, one is aware that an event has occurred, but the recoil is not sharp, and more closely resembles that of a 12 gauge three-inch magnum than the recoil of a big .45-caliber magnum of lesser power. I have been kicked harder by improperly stocked shotguns. I found that the caliber of the rifle posed no special problems; the gunsmithing work was standard for a falling block single shot rifle. I attribute the spar- kling accuracy of the rifle to two factors, the quality of the MATCO barrel and the Dave Farmer nose-pour mould (in- clude 10 percent for quality gunsmith- ing). The workmanship in the barrel and mould are top rate, a quality not seen often in the days of mass-produced guns and equipment.

I have not yet had a chance to take the rifle hunting, so I will have to content myself with using it on the gong at the range and the occasional man-eating ground squirrel which is reputed to be found hereabouts. The rifle is, a t least, a good conversation starter a t the range, and a solid hit on the gong provides entertainment for all. 0

The addition of a polyethylene wad against the base of the bullet, reinforced by a cork wad behind it, enhanced accuracy and scoured the bore.

t 750

I 4

@

3 14:; .577 Nitro Express 3”

- - k.050 &?7mm)

3.00 (%,ZOmm) 3.725/94,62rnn3

IMR-3031 in the ,577 Nitro Express bullet charge

(grains)

500 NE1 525586 100 110

620 NE1 670586 100 110

750 Farmer 100 110

velocity remarks Vpsl

1,800 lousy accuracy 2,115 3.25-inch group 1,942 6-inch group 2,157 5-inch group 1,933 3.25-inch group 2,131 average 3 inches, most accurate load

All bullets cast from Linotype, with 50/50 Alox-beeswax lube. B.E.L.L. brass with Federal 215 primers; ,250 cork wad plus ,125 low density polyethylene wad used with each load. All groups fired at 100 yards with standing front rest, velocities at 15 feet from muzzle with an Oehler 33 Chronograph. Temperatures, 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Be alert - Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.

HANDLOADER 132

Hodgdon Data Manual No. 25

Hodgdon Powder Co. Inc., 6231 Robinson, Shawnee Mission KS 66202; 542 pages. Hodgdon ReloadingManual for rifles (jacketed and cast bullet loads), silhouette, pistols, shotshells, Pyrodex and black powder.

The Hodgdon Data Manual No. 25 represents a landmark for handloaders in that it contains extensive rifle data for a l l applicable powders from Hodgdon, DuPont, Winchester and Her- cules. Moreover, as Becky Bowen points out in the introduction, this most recent edition from Shawnee marks the first time a reloader can achieve a realistic comparison for all canister rifle pro- pellants because the lion’s share of the data in the No. 25 manual was tested in the same equipment. That’s signifi- cant since even minor differences in guns usually invalidate any attempt to compare pressure and velocity data of- fered in two or more reloading manuals.

For the smokepole enthusiast, the Hodgdon Data Manual No. 25 may con- tain the most comprehensive review on Pyrodex and black powder to date. Of special interest are the articles “Custom Loading the Frontloader:’ by Sam Fadala, and “Sure-Fire Big Game Hunt- ing with Pyrodex,” by Layne Simpson. Both offer expert advice for anyone who intends to pop a cap on black powder or Pyrodex. Chris Pedersen’s piece, “CTG for Cartridge Rifles,” is a fine introduc- tion to reloading with Pyrodex CTG as well.

With the increasing popularity of the handgun silhouette game, pistoleros will be pleased to find a data section devoted to the discipline which covers a broad range of popular cartridges, in- cluding the IHMSA series, from .25 to .338 caliber. Hodgdon’s data for the .223 Remington, 7mm-08, .284 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester and .35 Remington in 14-inch test barrels also dispels the notion that faster burn- ing powders should be used in lieu of those usually recommended for top per- formance for these cartridges in 20 to 22-inch rifle barrels. With very few ex- ceptions, powders that generate top velocity at responsible pressures in rifle barrels are the same powders that pro- duce optimum results in pistol barrels.

The Hodgdon Data Manual No. 25 gains a step up on the competition by offering shotshell data as well. As readers are all too aware, reloading

MARCH-APRIL 1988

manuals published by bullet manufac- turers don’t contain shotshell data, and pamphlets currently published by Win- chester, DuPont and Hercules are limited to one or two loads with their powders and respective wads. The No. 25 manual offers a variety of loads with ap- propriate wads in several cases (low and high base, and 2% and 3-inch hulls) from Winchester, Remington and Federal.

Of course there is pistol data, albeit limited to Hodgdon’s powders. But where else will you find data on the .17 Bumblebee, .450 Magnum Express and .454 Casu11 Magnum along with stan- dard revolver cartridges and +P .38 Special?

The name says it all, this is a data manual, and it will probably remain the standard reloading reference for rifle shooters and cap and ball fans for some time. If you want trajectories and downrange ballistic figures, they aren’t included. Bullet manufacturers offer those tables in respective manuals anyway. Of the dozen or so reloading manuals and pamphlets I have con- sulted regularly over the years, the Hodgdon Data Manual No. 25 renders most of them obsolete. - Dave Scovill

Gun Digest Treasury New Sixth Edition

Editor, Ken Warner. Published by DBI Books, Inc., 4092 Commercial Ave, Northbrook IL 60062. Softcover, 312 pages, illustrated, index. Retail price: $14.95.

Way back in 1961, an important publication was released: The Best from 15 Years of Gun Digest. It was 384 pages long and had nine chapters of “The Story of European Proof Marks” by Armin, Baron Englehart, compiled from the eighth through 15th editions of Gun Digest. That alone made it a great treasure, indeed. There were other good articles, too.

In 1969 the second edition had the best from 20 years of Gun Digest. In ad- dition to its articles, this had an impor- tant new section: an index of Gun Digests, 1944-66. There were more edi- tions: numbers 3, 4 and 5 - not all of which are on hand for checking.

All of this is a preamble to the sixth edition, The Best from 40 Years of Gun Digest, just released. This edition covers Gun Digest from 1944-87, and there are indices for Handloader’s Digest, 1962-84; Guns Illustrated, 1969-87; and Gun Digest Hunting Annual, 1984-87.

John R. Clark’s

In le i la 3a s t c ~ r o g i a m AI, cflfrp.!? 03 s’ : var aoes dCCJJlev prea CI nc uieecn 3fcssurp UP oc !y cnarqr ae#qnfs ana mure Tne Ex t rna ?a 1st cs p i ) q i m n comp:e aervh n9 yo.. neefl 10 hnori am.! aownranqe 0al l~11cs S p e m Req.iremenrs 256< [RAMI PC XT A’ 0‘ coiripali3ez ’ Cos! $4995 PIJS 6250 ISBnr t i e x 9 a iesiaenis aac 4% sa PS tax The Ballislic Program Co.. John A. Clarke. owner. 2411 N. Patterson St.. Thomasville. Georgia 31792 (912) 228-1961

INTERNAL & EXTERNAL BALLISTIC PROGRAM

bowl Sizes 1 diameter throuah 10 diameter Write for

~ DESIGN . . . DRAW . . . FIRE! CORBIN ENGINEERING SOFTWARE PACK makes YOU an expert on bullets: turns your description into math and calculates everything about the bullet including twist rate. BC. Real- t ime fir ing simulation plots, a i r resistance, terminal velocity. Used by major defense agencies. For IBM compatibles. Four-disk set, $72

’PLUS VISA/MC WELCOME! SHIPPING 503-826-521 1

P.O. BOX 2659 I-Iy WHITE CITY, OR 97503

Mag-na-ports is the original muzzle venting process. It has become famous because thousands of shooters insist on having greater control of their g u n

without changing velocity or accuracy. For more information. ask

41302 Executive Drive Mt Clemens, MI 48045 Or caal(313) 469-6727

3 P d t ” P.< ‘80AjC Available in Ausfralia 8 Canad,

63

WINCHESTER Pre 64 Model 70 Parts

I New Renroduction I #10 SASE /or brochure

PRECISE METALSMITHING ENTERPRISES I (206) 748-374.1 Noon-5, Mon.-Fri. James L Wisner

146 Curtis Hill Road, Chchalis, WA 98532

T.#Hm€Y TRIGGERS Bring you o n target

Precision built-fully adjustable Mausers*Springfields*Enfields Rem. 7OO*Win. 70.Ruger 77 FREE brochure

3065 W. Fairmount Avenue 0 Phoenix, Arizona 85017

Your Sporting Goods Business Own a profitable business. selling a lull line of sporting goods. 23,000 sports-relaled, name-brand items: guns, ammo, reloading, hunting, camping. archery, fishing. boating, marine supplies. No inventory, sell from huge catalogs - huge discounts. Spare, or lull-lime, unlimited earnings. $29.95 puts you in business! MIC and VISA accepted. Outdoor Sportsman, Inc., Dept. 7HRM. 1015 Belvidere, Waukegan, Illinois 60085. (312) 623-2553.

9

BRITISH CALIBERS:? LOADED AMMO! ,600 Nitro ,577 Nitro SO0 Nitro

,470 Nitro ,416 Rigby Available now as loaded ammunition, either soft or solids, boxer primed. Components, bullets. boxer-primed cases also available. FFL required for all loaded ammunition.

Brass Extrusion Laboratories, Ltd., 800 W e s t Maple Lane, Dept. H M 8 8 ,

Bensenville, Illinois 60106 Phone (312) 595-2792

5

64

Inflation has driven the price of the cur- rent edition higher than the earlier ones (as it has everything in the last 26 years), but these indices alone make this volume worth twice the price to any stu- dent, collector, shooter, or arms maker. Rather than a disorganized stack of tables of contents for 40 Gun Digests, all of the material is right here at hand. The great tragedy of information found in any periodical is that it is ephemeral, because there is no way to remember where it is without extensive files. In- dices of this type make those articles available again. There are 44 articles of various kinds, plus departments and other features in the 1987 Gun Digest. If the average over 40 years is only 35 titles, there are more than 1,400 in Gun Digest alone - an untold wealth of in- formation, all neatly indexed here. - C.R. Suydam

The Famous Automatic Pistols of Europe -

Volume 1 Famous Automatic

Pistols and Revolvers - Volume 2

John Olson, Compiler. From Black- smith Corporation, Box 424, South- port CT 06490. Each volume has 272 8x10-inch pages, illustrated. Soft- cover. $6.95 each, both $11.95 & $2.00 postage and handling.

How do I take my Ortgies auto pistol apart? What does the barrel retainer of

HANDLOADERS ! The latest edition of PROPELLANT PROFILES is now available. It is a convenient reference (from the features in Handloader - 1966 through 1987) of the powders available to American reloaders. Our staff gives us the benefit of their observations and tips on applications of each powder. A com- pilation of manufacturer’s recommended loads for various calibers, and very often, the author’s pet loads are featured. The major powder makers are represented in this handy reference.

Softcover, $14.95 plus $1.50 shipping & handling U.S. & Canada, $3.00 foreign.

Wolfe Publishing Co., Inc. 6471 Airpark Drive Prescott, Arizona 86301 (602) 445-7810 (Arizoii(i rr.sir1rnt.s utlrl 2% tux)

the .32 Mauser look like? What is the barrel length of the Sauer & Sohn M1913? The distance between sights on the Reising .22 Target Model? What does the Webley-Fosberry Automatic Revolver look like in cross-section? These and similar questions about 67 semiautomatic pistols and three revolvers are answered in these two volumes.

“During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s it was the custom of handgun manufacturers to publish handbooks for each new model. . . (which) evolved into a complete shop manual detailing takedown procedures, parts, mainten- ance, adjustments, and reassembly.” So the introduction to the second volume explains the origin of the materials in the two books. There are a number of good trouble shooting and assembly- disassembly books for handguns on the market, but what can be better than the original factory manuals if they are reproduced well? (And these are well reproduced.) This is the concept which led to the publication of these two volumes.

Many of the manuals were originally in languages other than English, and compiler John Olson tells of the prob- lems getting translations from persons who are experts in the languages but not familiar with guns. Lionel Seaton was chosen. He has done excellent work. The manuals are written in sharp, ac- curate, colloquial English that is easily read and understood. Volume 1 has brief introductory notes for almost every model, technical data, and an illustrated list of parts and their numbers. The in- troductory notes are missing from many entries in Volume 2, which is a real loss (who made the I.G.I. Domino pistol?) but the other data is there.

What guns? Included are Beretta, Browning, Parabellum, Dreyse, Mann- licher, Mauser, Mikros, Ortgies, Vienna Arsenal, Sauer, Seam, Simson, Star, Steyr, Walther, Astra, Bayard, Bergman, CZ, IGI, Hammerli, MAB, Melior, Manurhin MR43 revolver, Pieper, Reck, Reising, Savage, Sauer M38, Schwarzlose, Swiss Service and Army revolver, Webley & Scott and Webley-Fosberry.

Original drawings, photos and charts have been carefully reproduced and are large and detailed. The factory manuals are complete: there are 10 pages for the Mauser Rapid Fire Pistol (Schnellfeuer) and New Model Pocket Pistol, 11 for the Savage and Webley-Fosberry - others are almost as long. Printing is on good paper, clear, easy to read - and the price is reasonable! No collector, student, gunsmith, or gun dealer who has any interest in automatic pistols can afford to be without these two volumes. - C.R. Suydam 0

HANDLOADER 132