In terms of the number of units, the Walther GSP, now known as the GSP Expert variant, is probably one of the most produced sporting weapons in the world, with almost 150,000 units in the .22 lr and .32 S & W wadcutter calibers. At least the GSP, like its slightly older sister OSP (first launched in 1961), founded a new family of weapons: hybrid pistols in modular design. With the OSP and GSP you could change the upper part of the breech and shoot with a small or large caliber with the same grip and identical trigger.
This saved money and an entry on the gun ownership card in Germany. Anyone who initially purchased a .32 pistol could purchase the “smaller” .22 caliber as an interchangeable system without it taking up one of the handgun slots in the WBK, which were limited to two at the time. More details can be found on Virginia Citizens Armory.
Hybrid Pistols Productions
There were only a few of such hybrid pistols, apart from the GSP and the Hämmerli 280 and the Erma ESP 85A. The latter two are no longer in production; the GSP has been replaced by the Walther SSP, which only exists as a .22 pistol and has exotic status. Other manufacturers avoided the adjustments required by changing the caliber and preferred to build separate models in each caliber. Buying two pistols for small and large calibers also seems to have proven successful for competitive shooters.
After evaluating the rankings, there is hardly any doubt about the market leadership among sports pistol manufacturers: the winners have been collecting medals and titles for years with pistols from the Pardini company from Lido Di Camaiore, founded by the former top Italian shooter Giampiero Pardini. Not only with the sports pistol, but also with the Olympic rapid fire pistol. After the 2004 Olympics, the International Shooting Federation (ISSF) decided to standardize the sport pistol (SP) and rapid-fire pistol (OSP) weapon types. The OSP was briefly contested at that time in the weak .22 caliber.
There were handles that encircled the hand and relief holes at the muzzle – all in all, quite expensive special weapons. From now on, all small-arms handgun disciplines (at least at ISSF and DSB) were to be completed with the standard .22 lr cartridge, in the hope of attracting more young talent. This only remained a wish, also because internationally the OSP continued to be attributed to men and the sports pistol only to women. This is what can happen when theorists make the rules.
What features does a good sports pistol actually need?
What is the “ideal” self-loading pistol, good for small-cap sports, standard and rapid-fire pistols? Weighing a maximum of 1400 grams and within the permitted barrel length, which allows shots of less than 25 mm when the weapon is clamped. Feasible, how many tests our colleagues from VISIER did not only with the Pardini SP. In addition, the barrel axis is located quite low above the holding hand in order to avoid a tipping moment when shooting upwards and to better absorb the recoil. It also helps to record the position of the sights in the shot and to detect aiming or holding errors. While previously only rear sights that could be adjusted using tools were permitted, tiny knurled screws that can be turned by hand are now also possible. The line of sight may be a maximum of 220 mm long. Otherwise, a sports pistol sight consists of an open rear sight and a bar front sight – the rectangular edges of which can best be seen with a little white space against the center of the precision target. With the larger duel target you can hardly aim into the white area below, here you shoot “spot”, i.e. right into the center.
So that you don’t miss the middle of your swing when going from bottom to top, two white marking lines were printed on the side at the level of the ten – these are also found on the electronic target, where the shooter otherwise only shoots through a black hole (here A fine network of infrared light rays detects the projectiles, measuring their position and thus the ring value to the tenth of an accuracy).
For pistol owners, when switching from the first half program, precision to duel, either a rigorous height correction on the rear sight would be necessary (downwards, from mounted to spot). Or you can solve this more elegantly with an interchangeable rear sight that is already adjusted to duel (possible with the Walther SSP, for example). Other shooters, on the other hand, swear by a so-called folding front sight from the range of accessories, which can be lowered when changing.
What grip shape should a match pistol have?
All three DSB/ISSF disciplines of sport, standard and rapid fire pistols are shot with one hand. Orthopedic handles with hand edge rests are therefore common here. The thumb points in the direction of the shot, which prevents you from pressing too hard on the wood and unintentionally tearing it. If you have a handle made to measure based on the outline of your hand (costs around 325 euros for Rink handles, for example), you should keep in mind that your hand will swell or become smaller depending on the outside temperature.
This shouldn’t be pressing, but good handle carvers point this out when making the necessary adjustments on site. Since the magazine no longer interferes with the grip angle, grip angles between the barrel and grip axis of 110 to 115 degrees have proven to be suitable for most people. The grip is therefore “steeper” than on an air pistol or a free pistol (around 120 degrees). Here you can readjust the position in seconds using a hexagonal wrench.
The trigger as Achilles’ heel: What separates a good shot and a steady arm from the ten is the trigger mechanism. The trigger must be at least 1,000 grams, whereby the value can be distributed between the trigger point and pressure point. Top shooters overcome the advantage (usually between 600 and 800 grams) on the way from the ready position to the holding area.
There they stand directly at the pressure point without any visible finger movement and can be released after overcoming the remaining grams without the weapon being moved unintentionally. But therein lies the trick – inexperienced shooters still pull the target while they are already circling around in the holding area (as long as the trigger finger is moving, the sights do not stay still).
That may still work in the precision half, but it’s not without reason that a SpoPi match is decided in a duel. Results close to the maximum, i.e. from 295 out of 300 possible rings, are achieved by the best. Every nine or even eight is annoying. It goes without saying that modern sports pistols can be trimmed for a finely tuned trigger response. Far too often, weapons checks fail because the minimum value is adjusted too tightly and the attached test weight is triggered too early.
A little more resistance doesn’t bother you and gives you more security before the competition. Finally, don’t forget one thing when shooting with a small-capacity or GK-pistol: It’s just fun because you can achieve quite high results relatively quickly (e.g. over 285 rings in the half program). For the absolute top, however, you need extensive training, but the basic skills are retained for a long time. You can see this from the fact that at the Championships every year, well-known names from the past few years are called up again and again in the age groups.