TargetTalk

I'm a reasonably good conventional pistol shot (master-range scores). As part of my practice routine, I shoot Air Pistol every day. Soooooooo, I've got this urge for a Free Pistol and I'm curious as to what to buy. I've noticed a lot of the TOZ 35 pistols in recent photos of the Olympic competitons and I'm frankly surprised.

It seems like the TOZ has been around for more than 35 years.

I have a small hand, if that is a relevant consideration. Comments please.

Thank you, John C.

Your best bet would be to go to a match and ask the competitors if you could handle and possibly shoot their pistols.
The TOZ is a very good free pistol even though the finish isn't up to the standards of the Swiss pistols. Most of the free pistols being used are very competitive but getting one that fits you is important. If you can't handle one before you buy, the TOZ is probably the most pistol for the money. Nothing wrong with a used one as long as it is checked over by a competent gunsmith. You may need to spend money on grips that come closest to fitting your hand and then modify them as you learn what is needed.
We are having a Free pistol/air pistol match down here in Virginia on the 6th of March. There will be Morini, TOZ Hammerli and possibly others available. Contact me at douglas@assemblyanddesign if you are interested. I'll send info.

Doug in Virginia

Are you anywhere near Newport News?

I may be down that way for a few weeks in April and I would very much like to see a FP match if the work schedule allows.

Thanks,
Ed

Like everything else you really need to look and hold as many different guns as possible and ideally shoot them. I tend to concentrate on the same manufacturers wherever possible for air and free - but there's no logic behind that. The Toz does appear to be very good still so it's certainly worth considering, and like Doug says it's probably the best value for money, especially if you can get a good used one.

Rob.

The morini fp 84 is a great free pistol, but if you have small hand it may not be the right choice for you. My rationale is quite simple; the thickness of the grip has to be so deep in order to accommodate the electronics inside. Therefore, while you can purchase a small grip, its still going to be thick. A Toz with a small rink grip maybe an answer for people with small hands.

My 2 cents

Brian

I have small/medium hands and found trigger reach on the Toz to be a slight problem, I have no such problems with the Morini...
The grip on the Toz was carved down so that the frame was exposed in the thumb web area but the frame of the Tos is large.
I know that one feature of the Toz is its swivelling trigger that makes a straight back trigger pull less important but I didn´t like pulling the trigger sideways.

/Anders

I stand corrected, thanks Andres. I have big hands and have just looked at small morini groips

Brian

Hi, John.
I am a shooter with slightly less than average (male) hands. but with relatively long fingers.
I have owned and testfired more free pistols since the 70s.
Some FPs are (very) heavy. like TOZ 35 and Morini 84, and the strange Steyr.

Some are both heavy, have large gripframes, and relatively long trigger reaches. Not good for small hands.

After all this "owning" and testfiring I have settled with the SAM/Haemmerli FP 10. It is light in weight, has a small gripframe, and a trigger reach adjustable from short to long. I have had no problems with the reach.
(I do not like the strange "spider" balancing weights, though. I will try to get mounted wieghts similar to that of the SAM 15, FWB 40 or Anchütz @ AP).

The FP 10 has a good, fully adjustable trigger. Trigger springs are interchangable with that of the SAM FPs, Morini APs and Matchguns MG 1 and MG 2.

When I first fired the FP 10, it was with an unit owned by the workshop of Haemmerli, I upped my personal record by 11 points in a competition! It was much easier to shoot well (for me) than the MU-55 i owned earlier.

The Matchguns new FP, sheduled to leave the factory soon, is a look-alike of the SAM/Haemmerli FP 10. Hope there will be interchangeable (spare)parts.

Just my 0,02 Euros,

MAS