Intro

all texts and some pictures
copyright © 1999-2009
by Max R. Popenker
and can not be used without author's permission

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Book is published by Crowood press, UK
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From the editor of the book:

The handgun, of all firearms, has attracted the strongest mystique. Everyone has heard of the Colt .45 and the Luger, and most will be familiar with other famous names such as Smith & Wesson, Beretta and Walther. Why is this? Probably because the handgun is the ultimate personal defence weapon of modern times, used in face-to-face combat with individual skill deciding the outcome. It is the weapon of first resort for armed police officers, yet the weapon of last resort for soldiers. In fact, the military has usually had an ambivalent attitude to pistols, often regarding them more as badges of rank than serious combat weapons; an attitude which has been changing recently in the light of the intensive use of pistols in the close room-to-room fighting so common in Iraq. Most police forces similarly used to pay little attention to their pistols but the rise in violent armed crime, often involving the use of stimulant drugs, has focused minds on selecting the most suitable guns and ammunition for the task.

This book provides a comprehensive account of the modern military and police semi-automatic pistol. It describes its development since 1945, the distinction between offensive and defensive pistols, and the different criteria used by military and police forces in choosing their weapons. Special-purpose handguns – silenced, fully-automatic and underwater weapons – are also covered. Appendices describe the basic elements of the modern pistol and how it functions, detail the ammunition used, and deal with the often misunderstood concept of "stopping power". The bulk of the book is concerned with a country-by-country review of post-war military and police pistols, including detailed descriptions of their method of operation.

Book details

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Content of the book:
Introduction
Part One.
Offensive vs. defensive handguns.
Military and police pistols – what’s the difference.
Special purpose handguns - silenced.
Special purpose handguns - underwater.
Special purpose handguns - automatic.
Overview of the development of combat pistols before 1945
European combat pistols before 1945.
American combat pistols before 1945.
Trends in the development of service-type pistols since 1945
The future of combat pistols
Modern combat pistols

Part Two.
Argentina
Bersa Thunder 9
FM GP / Browning modelo Militar and Detective
Austria
Glock
Steyr GB
Steyr M and M-1A
Belgium
FN Grande Puissance Mle. 1935 / Browning High Power / FN HP-SA
FN 140DA / Browning BDA-380
FN HP-DA, HP-DAO, HP-DAC / FN GP-DA / Browning BDA9
FN Five-seveN
FN Forty-Nine
FN FNP-9 / Browning PRO-9
Brazil
Taurus PT 92 / PT 99 / PT 100 / PT 101
Taurus PT 909 / PT 911 / PT 940 / PT 945
Bulgaria
Arcus Model 94 and Model 98DA
Canada
Para-Ordnance P14-45 and P14-45LDA
China, People Republic of
Type 64 and Type 67 silenced
Type 77
Type 77B
Type 80 machine pistol
Type 84
QSZ-92 / Type 92
Croatia
HS2000
Czech Republic / former Czechoslovakia
Vz. 50, Vz. 70 (CZ 50, CZ 70)
Vz. 52 (CZ 52)
Vz. 82 / CZ 83
CZ 75
CZ 85
CZ 100 / CZ 110
France
Modele 1950 (M1950)
MAB P15 / PA-15
Germany
Heckler & Koch HK 4
Heckler & Koch P9S
Heckler & Koch VP 70
Heckler & Koch PSP, P7, P7M8, P7M13, P7M10
Heckler & Koch USP, P8, P10
Heckler & Koch Mark 23 model 0 US SOCOM pistol
Heckler & Koch P2000
Heckler & Koch P11 (underwater pistol)
Walther PP and PPK
Walther P38, P1 and P4
Walther PP Super
Walther P5
Walther P88
Walther P99
Hungary
PA-63
FEG P9M and FP9
FEG ACK and P9R
Israel
Jericho 941
Kareen
Barak SP-21
Italy
Beretta model 1951 / M951
Beretta Cheetah models 81, 84 and 85
Beretta 92 and variants
Beretta 93R
Beretta Cougar 8000 series
Beretta Storm PX4
Bernardelli P018
Tanfoglio T95 and Force-99
Jordan
Viper
Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Type 68
Korea, South (Republic of Korea)
Daewoo К5 / DP51
Poland
P-64
P-83
WIST-94
Russia and former USSR
Tokarev TT-33
Makarov PM and PMM
PB silenced
Stechkin APS
APB silenced
MSP silent
S4M silent
PSS silent
SPP-1M underwater
PSM
OTs-23 “Drotik”
OTs-27 “Berdysh”
OTs-33 “Pernatch”
P-96S / P-96M
Serdjukov SPS / SR-1 “Vector” / “Gyurza”
Yarygin PYa
Gryazev – Shipunov GSh-18
Serbia and former Yugoslavia
Zastava CZ-99
Zastava CZ-999
Slovak Republic
K-100 Grand Power
South African Republic
Vektor SP1 and SP2
RAP-401
Spain
Astra A-80, A-90, A-100
Llama M82
Star Super
Star 30M
Switzerland
SIG P210
SIG-Sauer P220
SIG-Sauer P225
SIG-Sauer P226
SIG-Sauer P228 / P229
SIG-Sauer P230 / Р232
SIG-Sauer SIGPro
SIG-Sauer P250
Sphinx AT2000
Sphinx 3000
MTE 224V / 224VA
USA
Browning BDM
Colt Government model / M1911A1
Colt Double Eagle
Colt All American 2000
Colt SOCOM OHWS
Smith & Wesson models 39, 59 and later
Smith & Wesson Sigma
Smith & Wesson Military and Police
MBA Gyrojet
Ruger P85 – P94
Ruger Р95, Р97
Ruger P345
Ukraine
Fort-12
Fort-14

Appendixes.
Appendix 1. Design and functioning of a semi-automatic pistol.
Basic elements of pistol design.
Major units and assemblies.
Feed unit.
Ejector and extractor.
Actions and barrel locking types.
Trigger units
Safeties.
Sights
Appendix 2. Basics of sound moderators (silencers).
Appendix 3. Modern pistol ammunition
Calibres
The most widespread cartridges for combat pistols
Bullet types.
4.5x40R SPS
5.45x18 MPTs
5.7x28 FN
5.8x21 DAP92-5.8
7.62x25 TT (7.63x25 Mauser, .30 Mauser)
7.62x41 SP-4
7.65x17SR (7.65mm Browning, .32 ACP)
7.62x17 Type 64
7.65x21 (7.65mm Luger / Parabellum, .30 Luger)
9x17 Browning Short (9mm Short / Kurz / Corto, .380 ACP)
9x18 Police / Ultra
9x18 Makarov PM
9x19 Luger / Parabellum, 9mm NATO
9x21 SP-10 / SP-11 / SP-12
.357 SIG (9x22)
9x23 Largo (9mm Bergmann-Bayard)
.40 S&W (.40 Smith & Wesson, 10x22)
10mm Automatic (10x25)
.45 ACP (.45 Automatic Colt Pistol, 11.43x25)
Appendix 4. Conversions between metric and inch system
Appendix 5. The elusive stopping power.

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