Swiss Hammerli FP 10 good vs bad ????

daotoys1 · Post by **daotoys1** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 5:15 pm

Im wanting some information about the Swiss made Hammerli FP 10 pistol. It is a single shot 22 LR free pistol made for 50 meter target .

Im aware that this pistol was made under contact by SAM another Swiss company who actually built the gun under license with Hammerli.

Personally I find the look of this gun as quite stunning. Ive never seen one in person, so all I know is what I can see in pictures. There is very little information about this gun.

Im looking at the possibility of adding one to my collection and to actually use it occasionally for target practice at the pistol range. Im not a competitive shooter. I am capable of shooting with some accuracy, and Im looking for a Swiss made pistol that will serve me well and be accurate enough to help me improve my shooting skills.

Ive owned a number of Hammerli pistols before and this is the reason that Im considering the FP 10, and not a Morini or something other.

Thanks for any constructive comments that will teach me more about this pistol. It looks like it is one of the more modern designs that replaced the older FP styling of the Hammerli 150 and earlier pistols.

DAO

conradin · Post by **conradin** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:58 pm

Cesare Morini has a hand on it as he worked for SAM for a period of time. Most noticeably, of course, is the grip. Sometimes later the pistol was marketed as "Cesare". As you can see this is one of the earliest examples of a pistol with movable rotational weighting rods. Cesare's Match Guns obviously developed this idea further by having multiple rods.
The pistol is very light, only weighs 1080g.

Neither the FP10 nor the Match Guns achieved much success over the years. I have no idea why.

Tycho · Post by **Tycho** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 11:39 pm

It had its share of quality problems, but all in all it's an interesting design. It wasn't produced at Hammerli, but at SAM (who continued building it after that contract expired, as SAM FP50). The "Cesare" sign is only on the grips, as the "Morini" naming rights are with Morini SA, and has nothing to do with the pistol itself. It's certainly not as reliable as the TOZ, but offers some interesting features, and those who like it generally seem to stick to it (and shoot good results, here on local/regional/national level).

The current Matchguns MG5 is a close cousin to the FP10, and while there aren't many around, some of the more savvy people in shooting seem to think a lot of it (can't disclose the source - but the pics over on Igor's blog of a Russian-tuned MG5 are no accident).

Reinhamre · Post by **Reinhamre** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:10 am

Yes, this is a free pistol I like. I have had two but sold them both times. There is a limit of how many guns you can have here in Sweden. (10)

Nice gun, one of few Hammerli that I liked. I have a MG5 now and it has a better trigger. Some samples of FP10 have had trigger problems.

The rods on a FP10 are nice, on a MG5 they are plastic and wibrate a lot.

daotoys1 · Post by **daotoys1** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 2:20 pm

Well I went ahead a bought the Hammerli FP 10.

From all of the information I was able to find, this pistol seems like a very nice gun with many more pros than cons.

Beyond the mainly positive feedback on the pistol I think that the design and looks of this gun is superb.

Im sure that it will make a nice addition to my Swiss gun collection.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my thread.

DAO

Marcos · Post by **Marcos** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 3:45 pm

Wow, you are really a quick guy. Yesterday you asked, today you have the gun. I usually take weeks to decide. :-)

Good shooting,

Marcos

daotoys1 · Post by **daotoys1** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 3:58 pm

Marcos wrote:Wow, you are really a quick guy. Yesterday you asked, today you have the gun. I usually take weeks to decide. :-)

Good shooting,

Marcos

There is an old saying ( dont ask how old I am...just take my word for it)......." Doors open and doors close".....

I jumped on the chance to get this pristine pistol before someone else bets me to it.......by waiting I have missed quite a few deals that I kick myself for loosing.....

DAO

Reinhamre · Post by **Reinhamre** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 9:42 am

Now when you are a proud owner of a FP10 it might be a good idea to see if you can remove the muzzle break assembly. It should have been greased with copper paste before mounting in order to facilitate future removing and cleaning. Use a tube and press the insert forward after the screw under the front sight has been removed. Always use copper paste when assembling this part.

daotoys1 · Post by **daotoys1** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 9:54 am

Reinhamre wrote:Now when you are a proud owner of a FP10 it might be a good idea to see if you can remove the muzzle break assembly. It should have been greased with copper paste before mounting in order to facilitate future removing and cleaning. Use a tube and press the insert forward after the screw under the front sight has been removed. Always use copper paste when assembling this part.

Thank you for the advice. I can use all of the advice I can get. Every time I get a new item for my collection, I start collecting information as well as spare parts and literature. But its practical information like this that is the hardest to find.

So the Hammerli FP 10, is one of the most unique designs I have seen of a 22 LR free pistol. It looks far ahead of its time. If I did not know better I would think that it was Italian ( or designed by an Italian ).

I have found that parts seem to be hard to find. The only blemish on the gun is a modified grip. The prior owner ruined the grip trying to make it fit his hand, but the rest of the gun looks unfired.

I was able to find the exact grip I needed at Larry's guns. Its a Morini walnut I think, in medium right side. Its a nice wrap around the hand style that pairs well with the futuristic design of the gun.

This pistol is so interesting looking that it could easily be used as a movie prop. it would make a good Klingon disrupter or space aged ray gun or something along these lines.

thanks again

DAO

P.S......any additional comments and/or advice is welcomed.

:)

Tycho · Post by **Tycho** » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:06 am

If I didn't know better... ...designed by an Italian

Well, it was designed by an Italian, which was part of the problem :-D

You need spares, try talking to SAM Lugano. They built it for Hammerli, and so far, I got everything I needed from them for all SAM pistols.

If you want to shoot it, watch the barrel screws. Some FP10 barrels tend to "wander" out of the gun. Tightening doesn't work, as the pair of screws adjusts the gap between barrel and block. Just needs some monitoring. And any SAM or Matchguns grip I've seen so far works on pretty much every SAM or Matchguns pistol. Friend of mine shoots a modified SAM M10 grip on his Hammerli FP10. I'd guess that a Matchguns MG5 grip could be mounted with very small work on a FP10 (it's not the original, of course, but it's available).