Makarov wrote:World record still belongs to TOZ35, 581 set up by Alex Melentiev in 1980.
Why Bill Demarest still use TOZ35?
The TOZ 35 is the most successful free pistol in history. For decades it has been the most common Free Pistol in ISSF and Olympic competition. First introduced in 1959 it was only available to Soviet block shooters. Later it became available around the world.
Free-Pistol Match-Up: We Say Buy The TOZ35M
Going head to head against the Pardini K50, the Russian-made .22 handgun gets our vote—but your choice may differ.
As already said, the statement that the world record belong to the TOZ is not true.
The other statement is also not true: even if the TOZ has been the most used free pistol, it is not the case anymore. The free pistol that most top shooters use is now by far the Morini CM84E (for remembrance, 60% of the shooters in the 2008 Beijing free pistol event used a Morini).
The comparison with the Pardini is useless since very few shooters use the Pardini, the only Pardini I ever saw is at the Pardini dealer shop.
Last point about the TOZ, almost all the TOZ used at high level are heavily modified and differ some much from a stock TOZ that their performance do not reflect the stock TOZ performances.
Another free pistol that is now slowily coming up is the MG5. This one might become a competitor for the CM84E.