Hammerli Free Pistols

[mattswe]

I just got my hands on a FP60 (mint, just a few months old) with a new 7 degree rink grip. Original grip is crap (in my opinion) but combine FP60 with the rink grip and to me it is a killer.

Just remember that the grip angle can be altered about 10 degrees vertically. Without setting it to its lowest position, the gun/grip makes an awkward angle straining the wrist. Perhaps I will route out some more wood to allow for even 1-2 more degrees...

Build seems superb. Some people on TT have trash talked it, but I cannot see why.

Front sight/block is a bit on the big side. Perhaps it will be prone to catch the wind if shooting outdoors.

[afm]

Hi RMCA,

Many thanks for your message!
Sent you a PM the other day.
Abraco
AFM

[rmca]

Hi RMCA,

Many thanks for your message!
Sent you a PM the other day.
Abraco
AFM

Didn't get any messages. I'll PM you my email.
You have to put something on the subject line or else it wont send.

Abraço

[BobGee]

Moved to new post.

[MGFP10]

Hello All who are looking into FP10 free pistol:
Advice to the chap looking for a FP10 in Portugal:
I have shot ISSF for at least 60 years, have earned many medals of all three colours, and highly recommend anybody to learn to become "one" with their pistol through "mindful, purposeful" practice and training (there IS a difference between practice and training...!) It simply does NOT matter what pistol one uses - know your pistol, feel it, and know how to respond to it.
The mentioned "interestingly priced Portugese" FP10 needs to be looked at, handled in training, shot with at least three (3) different brands of ammunition - to see how it responds. Then make your decision to buy or not to buy. NEVER buy ANYTHING unseen/unhandled.
I bought my FP10 the year it came out in Australia at about $AUD 3500 - about 20+ years ago.(The Euro did not really exist then...)
It still is the BEST Free Pistol I ever used besides an antique Hammerli Free Pistol 150 from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
It is a pity 50m free pistol is no longer on the Olympic schedule - I still would like to show Jin Jong-Oh a few things...
I sincerely hope this helps...
Kindly,
MGFP10

[Ulrich Eichstädt]

Ahm, the Hämmerli 150 was definitely not used (nor made, not even invented) in 1964, it’s a child of the 1970’s.

[Rover]

Ulrich, mein Freund danke für die Informationen, aber ich bin hier für die kostenlose bier.

[spektr]

Well, a 160 Special is a pretty good FP, and beats the TOZ qualitywise by a mile.

I'm not sure if your thinking of quality and mine are the same, BUT my TOZ is stone reliable. It might lack the cosmetics of the the rest of the pistols, but they are very forgiving to shoot, and have many redeeming quality's. They have two simultaneous build qualitys happening at the same time. Where it needs to be a piece of close tolerance jewelry it is, and where a blacksmith hammering stuff on hollow tree stumps works, it is...... Im a manufacturing g Engineer by trade and that dichotomy is refreshing to me........

[Rover]

Tycho is right about quality. TOZ springs are utter crap. I've had to replace all mine with springs I've made myself.

I used cut down S&W revolver rebound springs for the striker and bent paper clips for the others. They are holding up better than the originals.

[scerir]

Ahm, the Hämmerli 150 was definitely not used (nor made, not even invented) in 1964, it’s a child of the 1970’s.

Haemmerli 150 (mechanical)

mod. 1, 1973-1976, serial numbers 15-0001 - 15-1980, trigger weight of 10 grams possible
mod. 2, 1976-1978, serial numbers 15-1981 - 15-2780, with ball bearings
mod. 3, 1978-1980, serial numbers 15-2781 - 15-3144, Haemmerli offered the trigger of the mod. 3 since 1981
mod. "151" ??? Possibly the evolution of 150 mod. 3 in production from 1978 to 1991 (the 160/162 appeared in 1992).

data taken from "Haemmerli Pistolen und Revolver", 2017, by N.U. Schweinfurth

[PaulB]

Is Haemmerli Pistolen und Revolver", 2017, by N.U. Schweinfurth available in an English translation?

[scerir]

Is Haemmerli Pistolen und Revolver", 2017, by N.U. Schweinfurth available in an English translation?

I do not think so, I'm not tonguish in Deutsch, but I can translate something (Google translator helps!)

[Tycho]

I'm not sure if your thinking of quality and mine are the same, BUT my TOZ is stone reliable. It might lack the cosmetics of the the rest of the pistols, but they are very forgiving to shoot, and have many redeeming quality's. They have two simultaneous build qualitys happening at the same time. Where it needs to be a piece of close tolerance jewelry it is, and where a blacksmith hammering stuff on hollow tree stumps works, it is...... Im a manufacturing g Engineer by trade and that dichotomy is refreshing to me........

Apologies, wasn't talking about "quality in use", but measurable quality. I have an excellent TOZ, does everything well, and it IS a much more forgiving free pistol than any of the Hammerlis and probably any other FP in general. I would never trade it. But it was welded together by two stoned monkeys. There was not one single 90 degree angle or straight line on the whole pistol except for the barrel when we started to work on it. So, quality-wise, IMO, YMMV, a H160S will beat a TOZ hands down. Would i prefer to shoot it over a TOZ? No. Would I prefer to shoot it, say, over a Morini? Any given day. And, again IMO, it is a better and more forgiving pistol than the 150 series, which I regard as a mean, sneaky, S.O.B., so, again IMO, Hammerli showed a learning curve. A slow one, but then, they were Swiss.

re: FP10: I had an interesting discussion via email with Anatoly Piddubny, some months before he passed away, about FPs. Among other things, what could one use if there were no more TOZ parts available. He then explicitely mentioned the MG5 as a potential "successor" in terms of being a FP that gives confidence to the shooter instead of lying in wait for his errors. And of course, the MG5 is the second cousin to the FP10...