AAccidents,100,107,126,133,135Accuracy of Cartridges,39Accuracy of Revolvers,23,46,50Accuracy of Pistols,29Accuracy Muzzle loading Pistols,14Adjusting sights,132-133Aiming,127-128Air space for dense powders,157Annual Matches,97,171-180,197-205Ammunition,37-61,182“Any” Pistol defined,180“Any” Revolver defined,180Arms,18-36,182Arguments and Controversies,139Artificial Light,66,118Automatic Pistol,18,25,26,34,35Automatic Pistol defined,19Automatic Pistol Tests,206Automatic Revolver,24BBalance of Arms,125Ballistical Table,60-61BB Caps,135Bisley,93Blacking Sights,141“Blazing away” ammunition,138Bore, to measure,153-154Bullet holes, clean cut,50Bullets, exact diameter of,60,61Bullets,44,149-155Bullets, flat pointed,41Bullets, hollow pointed,42Bullets, mantled,44Bullets, soft nosed or “dum-dum,”55Bullets, self-lubricating,52Bullets, weight of,60,61Bullets stuck in barrels,134CCare in handling arms,107,126,127,135Carlin-Reynolds tests,74-75Carrying arms,105Cartridges, automatic pistol,54-58Cartridges, center fire,43-61Cartridges, rim fire,39,43,60Championship matches,171-180,197-205Charges,60-61Cheap arms to be avoided,122Classification of arms,180Cleaning and care of arms,143-146,181Cleaning fluids,144Clubs and Ranges,111-121Coaching,132Colt, Colonel,14Competing in matches,138-143Confinement of powder,158Corrosion,145-146Cowboy shooting,137Crimping shells,39DDisputes,139Disqualification,139Double actions,126Drawing arms,136Duelling,14“Dum-dum” bullets,55EEquipment and paraphernalia,140-146Exhibition shooting,18,31Exact diameter of bullets,60-61FFinish of arms,124Firing,128-132,181First Pistols,13First Revolver,14Fit of arms,121Fit of bullets,155“Flinching,”26,110,125Fluids, cleaning,144Fluxing lead,150Fouling,37,52,54Franco-American matches,79-83“Freak arms,”31GGallery charges,47-51Gallery ranges,116-121“Gas cutting,”153Gould, A. C.,72“Grained gunpowder,”13Grand aggregate medals,171“Gun men,”137Gunsmithing,213HHandles or stocks,123-124Hardening bullets,154Hat for shooting,141Hints for beginners,122-146Holding position,131Holster weapons,23Hunting charges,42,55IInternational matches,79-85Indoor Revolver championship,178Indoor Pistol championship,179Indoor Pocket Revolver championship,179Indoor Novice match,180Instructions to Officers in charge of U. S. R. A. championship contests,187KKeeping records,138LLadies’ clubs,109Ladies, pistol shooting for,107-110Large calibers,32,35,90,92Leading of barrel,134League, U. S. R. A.,97Lesmok Powder,156Long range shooting,94-95Lubricant,155Lubricating bullets,154,155MManipulation,126-128Mantled bullets,44Marking,114-116,183Match shooting,139Matches and Competitions,96-98,138-143,171-180Measuring powder,161,162Metal cased bullets,44Methods and Customs in conducting U. S. Revolver Association competitions,184Military arms,20-26Military arms, requirements of,20,21,55,56,181Military championship match,175Military record match,174Military revolver team match,175Misfires, .22-cal.,134Moulding bullets,149-155Muzzle loading Pistol,13Muzzle velocities,58,60,61Muzzle energy,60,61NNational Guard revolver practice,204National organizations,31National pistol match,107-199National Rifle Association,97Night shooting,65-66Novice Re-entry match,180OOils,145Olympic Games Matches,83-85Opening mouth of shells,161Organized Militia target practice,204Outside lubrication,41PPaine-Bennett match,73Paine sights,63Patridge sight,63Penetration,60-61Physical condition important,143Pistol championship match,172,179Pistols,27-29Pistol, definition of,18-19Pistol muzzle loading,13Pistol shooting for ladies,107-110Pocket arms,31-35,181Pocket Revolver championship match,176,179Police, Revolver practice for,99-106Position,127-128,182Possibles,92Powders,37,155-159Powder charges,60-61Powder measures,161Practice shooting,94-98Practical shooting,136-137Primer difficulty,42Primers,147Proportion of charges,38Protection from rust,145-146Protests,139,183Pulling the trigger,129-130Pull of trigger,133QQualifications for shooting,16Quick drawing of weapons,135RRapidity of fire in automatic pistols,25Rapid fire shooting,126,142Ranges,111-121Range officers,139Records,77,184,191-196Record, definition of,76Reduced charges,60,61,163,165Reloading ammunition,147-166,213Repairs,215Revolver championship match,170,178Revolver practice,94-98Revolver practice for the police,99-106,132-138Revolver, definition of,18Rim fire cartridges,39-43,60Round bullets,164Rule to correct sights,132Rules, shooting,106,120,121,127Rules and Regulations of the U. S. Revolver Association,180-191Rust,42,145,146SScore, defined,86Scoring,92,183Second-hand arms,122Selecting arms,122-123Self-lubricating bullets,52Shells,148,149,160Shelter for contestants,112Shooting matches,139,171-180Shooting equipment and paraphernalia,140-146Shooting position,67-69Shooting rules,106,120,121Sights,21,59,62,67,132,133,141,182Sizing bullets,154-155Small bullseyes undesirable,93Smokeless charges,60-61Smokeless powder,156-159Spectacles,141Splatter of bullets,118Sport of pistol shooting,15Spotting,115Squadded competitions,141Standard American target,86Stopping power,20,57Strain in match shooting,139Supervision,183Supplies,213TTargets,86-93,183Target arms,26-31Target, definition of,86Target practice,94-98,102-104,132-138Target shooting,70-85Tests,74-75,206-212Ties,183Timing,181Tin for bullets,150Training,143Trick shooting,18Trigger pull,124-125,182“Trolleys,”116UUnited States Army Medals,199United States Army regulation practice,200-203United States Army Pistol target,91United States Navy regulation practice,204United States Revolver Association,78-79,167-191U. S. R. A.Bulletin,167""Constitution,168""League Contest,167,189-191VVentilation,120WWar Department Tests of Automatic Pistols,206-212Weather conditions,141-142Winan’s trophy,76Wind,141,142Winners and scores in past championship matches,171-180Wrong ammunition,133
Footnotes:
[1]The first pistols of which there is any authentic information were made about 1540 by one Caminelleo Vitelli at Pistoia, Italy, from which place the arm took its name.
[2]For a detailed history of the evolution of the pistol and revolver, the reader is referred to “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 States Cartridge Company of Lowell, Mass.
[3]See Ordnance Reports, Department of War, Washington, D. C., for complete details of tests, etc.
[4]See Appendix for digest of these tests.
[5]The United States Revolver Association, The National Rifle Association of Great Britain, and the United Shooting Societies of France. For programmes and details, address the secretaries of the respective organizations.
[6]For descriptions and illustrations of this style of shooting, see “The Art of Revolver Shooting,” by Walter Winans (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York and London). This elaborate work contains also much detailed information, valuable suggestions, and many interesting personal experiences in relation to revolver shooting.
[7]The difficulty is probably caused by the priming composition used at the present time in smokeless rim-fire ammunition. These compositions vary with different manufacturers, but most of them contain fulminate of mercury, chlorate of potash, powdered glass, etc. The trouble is probably caused principally by the chlorate of potash and perhaps by the fulminate of mercury. At any rate, a corrosive residue is left which attacks the barrel and causes it to rust. A priming composition free from deleterious substances, and which will not leave a corrosive residue, is urgently needed for both rim-fire and center-fire ammunition.
[8]So named after its adoption as the service ammunition of the Russian cavalry.
[9]California Powder Works. This brand of powder is not retailed to small consumers.
[10]Sold by American Specialty Co., 198 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
[11]See “The Modern American Pistol and Revolver,” by A. C. Gould (Bradlee Whidden, Publisher, Boston, Mass.).
[12]See Appendix for Constitution, Annual Matches, Rules and Regulations, etc.
[13]The position of a shot accurately indicated by a marker from a pit or safe place near the target. A disc of sufficient size to be seen easily from the firing point attached to the end of a pole is used for this purpose, the marker placing the disc over the shot hole for a few seconds immediately after each shot is fired.
[14]For a complete detailed description of range construction, including illustrations, practical working drawings, etc., the reader is referred to “Rifle Range Construction,” published by the E. I. du Pont Powder Company, Rifle Smokeless Division, Wilmington, Del.
[15]See Appendix.
[16]Under this subject the author aims to give helpful practical information and advice for the benefit of all who wish to acquire skill in pistol and revolver shooting.
[17]The Ideal Manufacturing Company (Marlin Firearms Co., successors) of New Haven, Conn., publishes a handbook containing full information in regard to moulding bullets, reloading ammunition, tables, and other useful information relating to shooting.
[18]See Gunsmithing, Repairs, etc., in the Appendix.
[19]In 1900 and 1901 the military target with a 4x5-inch elliptical bull’s-eye was used. The bull’s-eye counted 5 and the possible was 375. Since then the Standard American target with the 8-inch bull’s-eye has been used. Prior to 1904 twenty-five shots were fired at each of three ranges—25, 50, and 75 yards. That year the other ranges were discontinued and the 75 shots have since been fired at 50 yards only.
[20]Penalized best shot in this string for over time.
[21]The tests for revolvers were similar, with suitable slight modifications.
[22]Reproduced from “Small Arms Firing Regulation U. S. Navy, 1917.”