TargetTalk

I am interested in getting into Free Pistol and am looking for an economical way to start. There is an Air Match Free Pistol for sale at my club at a very low cost. I understand that this pistol could be an 80's model but apparently is in perfect working condition. Would there be any disadvantage in purchasing this pistol as a starter? I assume parts will be hard to get but I don't believe there is too much that can go wrong? If I progress well, I will purchase something better in 6 months or so and let my son use this pistol so the investment won't be wasted.
Appreciate any advice.

Yes, I remember this pistol. As far as I remember it was very light, about 1,000 grams, or even less. But I do not remember of any free pistol shooter using it, in Italy I mean. So there was something wrong about it, I guess, mechanical problems? Italian shooters used (Toz, MU, Hammerli, and) the old Pardini free pistol, the 'short' one, which was very good indeed (the old Pardini is, still now, a good, simple, not expensive free pistol). I cannot help more than this, sorry.
-scerir, Rome

The features of free pistols in general are:
1. Custom grip fitted to your hand.
2. Very light trigger pull.
3. Long sight radius.

The custom grip, you do yourself. If you want to minimize your work, or at least make sure it will be possible to achieve a good fit, the original grip (whether previously modified or not) should be reasonably close to what you need.

Some people set the trigger lighter than it should be. The shooter needs to concentrate on aiming accurately, not on avoiding accidental discharge. I insist that my FP will allow a couple of light taps against the table without firing, i.e. I can easily rest the gun on the table and try again if I don't like the shot, and I know it will not fire until I pull the trigger. Yet it is still a very light trigger.

The sight radius mostly means it is a fairly long pistol barrel with normal sights at the muzzle and above the grip, same as all the FPs you see in the for-sale pictures. It is important for the back sight to be solid so it won't move between shots.

Try the inexpensive used FP before you buy. If the trigger is light and reliable (and ignition is also reasonably reliable, although perfection is not required for FP as in RF), the sights look good, and the grip comes close to fitting your hand, then at a low price I wouldn't care who made it. If it's working when you buy it, most any gun should keep working long enough to be worth a discounted price. Repairs are always possible, though the cost of repair goes up if standard parts are not available.

For a new purchase at full price that I expect to be perfect, I might be more fussy.