What New Free Pistol

[spektr]

Ammo actually makes a difference..... I have guns that will not chamber CCI Paperbox SV without great effort because euro chambers in my Pardini and Hammerli's are too short. Wolf Match Target or SK Std + work in everything I have. Oddly enough, Federal Auto Match, which is SAAMI minimum everything, also fits in euroguns, but the junk just worries me since it is assembled so badly ........

[Rover]

Actually, the CCI bullet is kinda fat. If you force it in it works fine. This is engraving the bullet into the lands, an old accuracy technique. You can tell the case is not too fat (or long) because they eject easily.

[samg]

I have to almost agree with spektr. Federal auto match- AM22- is the only USA made ammo that chambers well in my Hammerli 150. Where I disagree is quality. Rarely do I have a misfire with it. The quality, for the price, is as good as any other ammo out there. The TOZ will eat anything. Results may vary. Beware, FP is a vice. Once you go down that road there is no turning back. Cheers...

[Hamster]

I have a variation on the question -- what USED free pistol? I have a TOZ which I picked up a inexpensively a couple of years ago. Now I love it, and want another, partly because the TOZ is starting to produce too many light strikes that don't fire. There's a used Hammerli FP60 on consignment in a local store, asking CDN$2,200 (call is US$1900). No doubt it'd go for less -- it's been there a few months already, and there is virtually no demand for free pistols in Canada. This one looks clean and well cared for. But that's a lot to pay for a pistol with zero parts support and a complicated (mechanical) trigger. Having a gunsmith fabricate new parts can get expensive quickly. I'd value any comments on how chancy a purchase this would be, assuming the pistol's been well cared for and works fine currently. Are they durable?

[spektr]

I would suggest a Hamerli 102/104/106 as a second gun...... They are TOZlike in that they are falling block guns, but the personalitys are very different. FWIW, my 106 was 650 USdollars equipped with a rink grip.....

[rkittine]

I certainly would consider a used pistol if the price was right, the condition looked good and the grips were a decent size for me. My friend just passed on a pistol that had beautiful grips, but no where near the right size for him and to replace them would have added over $300.00.

I may buy another TOZ if once I get the grips and shoot it, I really like it.

Bob

[Rover]

Hamster sez: "I have a TOZ which I picked up a inexpensively a couple of years ago. Now I love it, and want another, partly because the TOZ is starting to produce too many light strikes that don't fire."

Get a S&W revolver rebound spring and cut a coil or two off it. Replace the TOZ striker spring; they are crap.

Thank me, because I just saved you the price of a second FP.

BTW If your other springs start to go, think small bent paper clips. I just saved your ass again.

[william]

Hamster sez: "I have a TOZ which I picked up a inexpensively a couple of years ago. Now I love it, and want another, partly because the TOZ is starting to produce too many light strikes that don't fire."

Get a S&W revolver rebound spring and cut a coil or two off it. Replace the TOZ striker spring; they are crap.

Thank me, because I just saved you the price of a second FP.

BTW If your other springs start to go, think small bent paper clips. I just saved your ass again.

To anybody who wishes to express their gratitude in a concrete way, Rover drinks Johnny Walker Blue (note I said drinks, not buys).
You're welcome, Rog.

[Rover]

William knows I have expensive tastes, but I actually prefer bourbon. I become pathetically grateful for free booze.

[gimgim]

> I have a TOZ which I picked up a inexpensively a couple of years ago. Now I love it, and want another, partly because the TOZ is starting to produce too many light strikes that don't fire.

Either the spring (as other have suggested) or dirt accumulating on the firing pin. I had a similar issue with mine and just cleaning the firing pin was enough, but as you take it apart, changing the spring may be a good idea anyway. Make sure you store it with the spring uncompressed.

[David M]

New firing pin spring required, the rebound spring for a S&W m14 will fit.

[kyh]

I go the first copy of FP500 in the US, serial number 001. Took Earl 9 months to order it. He had to fly to Germany to do the paper work. How may gun dealer does that? DOJ want copy of the pistol to test (play with), since it is brand new pistol to the US. That took another few months. On top of the government shut down march of the last year. Pistol was sitting in the port waiting to be approved. That took another month. Over all, the wait was worth it. Earl sent me a free 2 volume set of walther German Success story book for the wait. Nice guy.

As far as I know, FP500 is Walther copy of the Hammerli with orange color rink grip. All accessory are the same, stabilizer, counter weight and the adjustable compensator.

I also owned GSP expert, SSP, Pardind SP, and Toz35. The only thing I don't like about the pistol is it is very light toward the front. I had to added 4 counter weight to balance the pistol. So far over one year of shooting, not a single malfunction. I do have to manually extract the case after each shot due to tight tolerance. I was using Eley ammos. It is still tight ever after over one year of usage.

[rkittine]

Thanks for the info. Tom from TML Guns let me know last night that Walther has one (1) left and he can get if for me. He said that it is the last one, it has been discontinued and they have not announced a replacement. Price is $2,400.00.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers, Bob

[j danielsson]

Pardini k22 or fpm are the most simple freepistols available. There are no weak parts except the extractor wich you will probably have to replace every 10 years after alot of shooting. Fingernail works too.

Any retard with a screwdriver and a punch can dissasemble the whole pistol into molecules and then make it work again.

The mainspring will also fit perfect in aToz. Same spring in other Pardini freepistols.
Also, you get 2 Toz mainsprings out of 1 if you have a Ruger mk2 to butcher

[sparky]

Thanks for the info. Tom from TML Guns let me know last night that Walther has one (1) left and he can get if for me. He said that it is the last one, it has been discontinued and they have not announced a replacement. Price is $2,400.00.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers, Bob

Hmm...$2400 for a gun that's already an orphan, with a relatively limited production run, that will be hard to get parts and service for in the future.
Unless I was rich, or willing to make my own parts when then things wear or break in the future, I'd pass and look at other options.

[rkittine]

Good points Sparky - I may look for a Pardini than. I guess the FPM , which is the latest iteration with a mechanical trigger?

Bob

[BobGee]

I bought my "Hammerli" FP60 new back in March 2003 for AU$2200 all up. It was, of course, made by Walther but still carried the Hammerli banner. I’ve been using it almost every week since then without any issues at all. I generally use CCI SV ammunition which quickly gunks up the chamber with its beeswax lube so a quick chamber clean is necessary at least once during a a 70 shot match. Clean chamber ejects cases with some vigour, the cases bouncing off the front sight. I use SK ammo in matches.

I too found the front end a bit light, even with the factory weight added, especially at the beginning of a shoot. I got Andrew Berryhill (Precision Target Pistol Grips) to make me one of his 3D printed barrel weight holders (US$17 or 24). It uses 2 or 4 .38 wadcutter pills as the weight and it just slips over the barrel. Adjustable for location anywhere along the barrel. His current design is different to the one shown on his website and is better - has a wing out each side so can be used on a pcp air pistol (or rifle?) above the air cylinder. This places the weights closer together. I tend to use it at first then remove it after I’ve settled down and am not waving the pistol all over the place. He made me one for my FWB P44 air pistol too.

I don’t think that Walther have discontinued the FP60/500 as it is still shown on the company website (https://www.carl-walther.com/products/s ... stols.html). Even if it has been, I’m sure Walther will maintain a supply of spare parts for some years.

I also have a Stey FP Match Which i like to shoot occasionally but the FP60 is my preferred free pistol.

Bob

[kyh]

FP500 is not discontinue, you can ordered it through Earl. As far as I know, The part for FP60 and FP500 are interchangeable. I had compared schematic diagram between both pistols. FP60 diagram from the web is not as detail as my FP500 diagrams. But the screw holes, parts looks the same.

Earl stocked every Walther part known to man kind. He has over 3000 walther pistols/rifles in his shop. He probably got the most walther collection outside of Germany. He also owned the holy grail of sniper rifle, the WA-2000. 15 copy was imported to US, I think he owned 13 copy of the rifle. It was going for $75000 each last time I asked.

check out the web site:

https://www.breachbangclear.com/earls-r ... -virginia/

He invited me to tour his place if I am near him. I would love to go. He know everything there is about Walther. When Walther SSP pistol first come out, there was problem with the magazine feed. He went to Germany and help them to redesign the pistol. No more feed problem since.

I would not worry about getting spare parts for the FP500.

[sparky]

FP500 is not discontinue, you can ordered it through Earl. As far as I know, The part for FP60 and FP500 are interchangeable. I had compared schematic diagram between both pistols. FP60 diagram from the web is not as detail as my FP500 diagrams. But the screw holes, parts looks the same.

Earl stocked every Walther part known to man kind. He has over 3000 walther pistols/rifles in his shop. He probably got the most walther collection outside of Germany. He also owned the holy grail of sniper rifle, the WA-2000. 15 copy was imported to US, I think he owned 13 copy of the rifle. It was going for $75000 each last time I asked.

check out the web site:

https://www.breachbangclear.com/earls-r ... -virginia/

He invited me to tour his place if I am near him. I would love to go. He know everything there is about Walther. When Walther SSP pistol first come out, there was problem with the magazine feed. He went to Germany and help them to redesign the pistol. No more feed problem since.

I would not worry about getting spare parts for the FP500.

Ask Earl how many spare electronic trigger circuit boards he has for Walther's previous free pistol, the Walther FP. For the previous poster who felt comfortable that Walther would "maintain a supply of spare parts for some years," you might want to check with those who owned Walther FPs in the mid to late 1990s, after they were discontinued around 1991/1992...you might hear some different opinions.

[sparky]

Good points Sparky - I may look for a Pardini than. I guess the FPM , which is the latest iteration with a mechanical trigger?

Bob

FPM would be the latest with a mechanical trigger.