Throwback Thursday: SA MAN May 1976

In May 1976 the first editions of SA MAN hit the shelves. This magazine will eventually become the trusted and beloved ManMagnum which is celebrating 50 years this year. Right from the start handguns was part and parcel of the magazine’s offering. Here is a throwback to the first handgunning article they published.

The everlasting appeal of the short gun

The very special appeal the pistol has for most men, shooters and non-shooters alike, is a phenomenon not always understood by everybody. It behoves me to try and explain what that appeal is so that better understanding might help to explode the fallacies and warped myths sometimes expounded, mostly through ignorance, about the handgun. – BY THEO MARTINS

Few products of human ingenuity have captured man’s imagination as did the handgun. Because of its many appealing attributes and its deep involvement in the shaping of history, it has become a many faceted symbol of human enterprise. Besides its appeal as a functional and practical tool, there is an aura of romance and adventure which clings to the handgun, and this is but one of the enduring attractions the handgun will always have.

The short gun began life as a cavalry arm. It was designed and intended for use in war by a mounted soldier who at all times needed at least one hand to control his horse and could therefore not effectively handle a rifle in close combat. Hence the pistol. — This outdated notion that the pistol is a one-hand, short range device, is still with us today.

From its inception the pistol was a runaway success and it is easy to understand why. It reduced the frailty of the weak, it compounded the might of the strong, it bolstered the morale of the timid and it equalised the dangers of travelling alone at night.

It has been said man is a tool bearing animal. Well, there was a time when the handgun was a king among weapons. Just about every man of action carried one and the pistol became destined for fantastic development. Due to the ingenuity of Samuel Colt the revolver for a short time in the nineteenth century actually surpassed the rifle as a military weapon. In fact, Colt’s revolvers of the mid-eighteen hundreds were nearly as powerful and just as accurate as the military rifles of the day!

Although the handgun has long been ousted now from its place of prominence as a military weapon, its romance and its attraction lives on. In military terms the pistol is no longer considered efficient as a means of aggression; today there are much better tools at hand — so with the possible exception of police work and hunting, the handgun has become primarily a defensive weapon. Its most active involvement now is as a sporting and recreational device for which it is marvellous.

The appeal of the handgun must surely be based in its ability to give man the power to point the hand and smite at a distance. This is a fascinating aspect and anyone who has ever fired a pistol deliberately at inoffensive targets will know what it means. It is not difficult to get hooked on the handgun.

It must not be understood that the pistol is an easy instrument to handle. The handgun demands tremendous application from the shooter and many people become quite disheartened by it. However, in all cases I know of, perseverance has paid off in the end.

Few men are natural pistol shots and most of us ordinary mortals have to work hard for fair results. The rewards are enormous. There is nothing more pleasing for a determined pistol shot than to find a difficult mark and to keep repeating that performance with consecutive shots.

Above all, the pistol is a handy thing, and its compactness is very definitely part of its charm. It won’t do the work of a rifle, but it is so much more convenient. It is usually not as powerful or as accurate as a rifle, but its accuracy is often far beyond its owner’s ability to put it to optimum use, and it has enough power for any reasonable task.

There is little difference between a good and a mediocre rifle shot, but the difference in performance between a good and a poor pistol shot is so great as to render the pistol all but useless in the hands of a duffer. Nevertheless, a master shot can do things with a pistol that will astonish a lot of riflemen. It is the combination of a difficult challenge with a great reward that hooks many sportsmen on the handgun. Its mastery is undoubtedly a notable achievement, and there are many true legends about the handgun to bear me out.

Despite the difficulties of mastering the pistol, it remains a very satisfying instrument. As far as recreation (sport and hunting) is concerned, the handgun enjoys tremendous popularity, to the extent that it is very nearly as omnipresent today in the active man’s range of equipment as it was a hundred years ago.

Naturally, there are also people who dislike firearms and who cannot appreciate the idea of marksmanship. But the fact remains, shooting is a pleasure, and it need not be regimental to be appreciated. Informal shooting (‘plinking’) is a reasonable and innocent pastime and it does no harm to anybody.

Plinking is the most informal handgun shooting there is. It generally signifies shooting at a selected object in the veld with the simple intention of hitting it, without regard to the number of shots it takes to succeed. Serious pistol shots usually oppose this practice, because it is not thought to be conducive to great marksmanship. It is nevertheless a very enjoyable pastime and practised by many gun lovers who like to spend some spare time in the open veld.

Some people might find this type of activity quite pointless, but is there any reason why men should at all times do only what makes hard grim sense? For me that would be too dull a world to contemplate.

Target shooting, on the other hand, is an art that taxes human concentration almost beyond belief. It calls for only one thing, and that is perfection. Anything less, is disaster. It demands the best equipment and the ultimate in human dexterity. It is a magnificent sport; one whose champions deserve the highest acclaim.

Another interesting facet of pistol shooting, is hunting. In experienced hands the handgun is an efficient hunting weapon. Naturally, hunting with the pistol is infinitely more difficult than with a rifle. The challenge is therefore greater and the victory so much more satisfying. To take game with the handgun requires bushcraft and marksmanship of the highest order. That is why only experts should attempt it.

A man who takes an unreasonably difficult shot at any game, and thereby risks wounding his quarry, is no sportsman. All hunters should go about their work humanely and should never risk crippling either game animals or birds. The golden rules, of course, is a hunter should be at least 90 per cent sure of a clean shot before letting it off.

There are many other facets of the pistol: its role in combat shooting as a sport, in police work, in self defence and in war. Combat shooting is currently one of the fastest growing sports in South Africa. In future issues of MAN we will discuss the pistol in all its various roles. We will discuss types, calibres and techniques. We will also discuss the responsibilities owners of firearms have towards the law, the do’s and don’ts of firearms handling, safety, gun care, collecting and all other aspects of the handgun.

South Africa has a shooting tradition equal to that of any other pioneering nation and we are fortunate that our government is maintaining a very realistic approach to gun ownership. In the future we shall also discuss the great variety of good quality handguns available locally, and where to find them.

The handgun is not an instrument of the devil. It has earned its place in history and it has a definite purpose in modern society. Besides providing protection to a man and his defenceless dependents, it is a valuable source of healthy recreation and harmless enjoyment for many thousands of peaceful and law abiding citizens who like to spend some of their leisure hours pitting their skills against the challenge of marksmanship with the pistol.

Shooters also derive from their weapons a great deal of pride of ownership, for so many of the guns are beautifully crafted, or have some romantic or nostalgic link with great events of the past, or simply exemplify excellene in one form or another.

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It is true, handguns can be misused. So can an axe, a knife, a match or a cupful of petrol. People generally have a healthy respect for handguns and, as we know, many are afraid even to handle them.

Fact is, the handgun is a formidable instrument and it is not for children or timid people. One needs a fairly robust constitution to handle them effectively, even more so when it comes to the big calibres. It is essentially a device for men, and a very satisfying one at that.

In presenting the case for the handgun, I have borrowed extensively from the writings of the great Jeff Cooper who is one of the world’s foremost authorities on handguns. No doubt his name wil crop up again in these columns.

Not everybody can, or will, appreaciate the handgun’s attributes. Nor does every man see the point in smacking a little white hard rubber ball across acres of green lawn. Yet, golf is a great game. So are gathering nuts in May, fiddle sticks and croquet. But they are not for me.