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| Target Pistol Evolution - 1 |
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| The Free Pistol |
| Free or Match pistols are the most exotic of the target pistols, because they have been allowed to develop relatively free of rules and restrictions. They are single shot pistols designed for the greatest possible accuracy at 50metres. Their origins lie in the early duelling and target/saloon pistols. They were a peculiar development of Europe. The USA initially went a different route by adapting their S&W revolvers for precision shooting. In the early years the USA shooters dominated the Olympics but as free pistols developed, the Americans lost their ascendency and the Europeans, and in particular the Russians started to dominate. The modern free pistol is a superb shooting instrument capable of grouping into .5 inch or less at 50m. |
| European Development |
| USA Development |
| Russian Development |
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| The Free Pistol Match in progress at the 2000 Olympics held in Sydney at the Sydney International Shooting Centre |
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| Swiss Hammerli 160 electronic free pistol |
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| The defining pistol for all other modern free pistols |
| The Modern Stable of Free Pistols |
| Early European percussion target pistol - ancestor of the free pistol |
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| Late 19th century European breech loading single shot target pistol in .22 calibre |
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| Early 20th Century German free pistol in .22 calibre |
| Early to mid 20th Century German Anschutz free pistol in .22 calibre |
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| Mid 20th Century Swiss Hammerli free pistol in .22 calibre |
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| Baikal MC55-1 free pistol in .22 calibre |
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| TOZ 35 free pistol in .22 calibre |
| Swiss Morini 162 electronic free pistol |
| Italian Pardini K22 free pistol |
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| USA S&W single shot pistol in .22 calibre |
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| Austrian Steyr free pistol |
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