Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн

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From all indications, in 1917 the United States Army wasn’t overly concerned about pin-point accuracy from their sidearms. Apparently, if a handgun could reliably place a disabling hit on a man-size target at trench-fighting distances, it was considered acceptable. There is no question that the three World War I-era Hand Ejectors demonstrated that capability. As a point of interest, the official handgun qualification target currently used by many law enforcement agencies is the NRA, TQ-19, man-size silhouette. On the TQ-19 the area of the torso where a hit is considered disabling measures 11-1/2 inches wide, by 15 inches high (not including the neck and head). The kill zone (heart and upper thorax) measures 6-1/2 inches wide by 4 inches high. All three of the Hand Ejectors kept their hits within those parameters. Even though the vintage revolvers might not win any competitive matches, they certainly posses a level of functional accuracy adequate for their intended purpose.

CONCLUSION

These three Smith & Wesson revolvers and their contemporaries are tangible pieces of history, having earned this distinction through stalwart service with British, Canadian and American forces during the first global conflict of the 20th century. Their duties long completed, the guns now quietly reside in my modest collection. Occasionally they are brought out to be admired for the craftsmanship that went into their manufacture, or to be subjects of conjecture over their role in past world events. However, this was the first time in untold years that they have actually been fired. Shooting the old Smiths was both enjoyable and enlightening. The experience also evoked a sense of personal connection with the Allied soldiers who fought, and in too many cases, made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War.