Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i Man Magnum

IN THE MARCH 2019 edition, Paul Scarlata a introduced us to the new Beretta APX pistols – Beretta’s attempt to win the US Army’s Modular Handgun System competition. The APX is a chassis-based design with a focus on modular features such as interchangeable grips and ambidextrous controls. Beretta did not win the contract, but the APX was made available to the civilian market. In addition to the full size service pistol (17-round capacity) they have the smaller Centurion and Compact. Both feature a shorter slide, slightly shorter than that of the Glock 19, while the Compact has a short grip and a magazine capacity of 13 rounds. The Centurion’s grip length is in between that of the Compact and full size, and has a 15-round capacity. Beretta also opted for…

THE ARTICLE “Quest for Big Ivory” by Dr Henk Rall in Magnum’s February 2020 edition drew reader response pointing out errors both real and perceived. This previously unpublished photo of four extraordinary tusks has exposed a truth which I have kept secret for a quarter of a century, and did not wish to reveal for reasons that will become clear as I proceed. This photo became a Pandora’s Box, placing me in an invidious position – obliged to reveal information that will doubtless cause sadness and disappointment. It’s a long and complex story… Dr Rall’s text and captions indicated the tusks were shot by the ‘German’ appearing centrally in the photo, the two sets weighing 240lbs and 220lbs a side. Reader Dries Gouws responded to say the bigger tusks were…

THE G3 IS overshadowed by its contemporaries for reasons that perhaps have more to do with politics than functionality and reliability, and could make for a good story on its own. As a battle, it is quite easily one of the best out there; it saw extensive service across the globe with some 40 countries, having been made under licence by at least 18 different arms manufacturers, together producing some 7 million G3 type rifles. Even today, it is still being used as a primary battle rifle by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and many other security forces, including various specialist roles with the German Bundeswehr. The development and acceptance of the G3 followed an obscure path that is reminiscent of the way German weapons technology was exploited by the Allies…

Baobab Death I much enjoyed the Baobab Tree article by Gregor Woods in your February 2020 edition. On page 42 he mentioned the death of a baobab tree, and how quickly the wood disintegrates. A few years ago, I went on a hunting trip with a good friend of mine in the Messina area, where I saw the remains of one of these dead giants. On our arrival at the farm “Caliente” south of the Messina-Pontdrift road, the manager, David, who was also our guide, mentioned that he would like to take us out the next morning to show us something that had occurred on the ranch about 12 days before. That was it... he gave no explanation or hint of what it was. David, who was born in that…

WHEN A MAN does something that has negative consequences, his natural reaction is to look for someone to blame. In the 1950s, as a school cadet, my ears were first pounded by loud gunfire when firing .303 rounds on the shooting range. Long before those high school days I had hunted with firearms, but the pop of a .22 did no discernible damage. Later, hunting with bigger rifles did, but wearing ear protection was a fairly new practice and even today, is not widespread in hunting. As a young man born in Rhodesia, fate decreed long years of close contact with large calibre rifles, artillery, grenades and mortar bombs. My ears took a battering for a cause I believed in. In addition to military service, I had hunting aplenty, for…

ALTHOUGH OFFICIAL FIGURES are not yet available of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hunting industry, initial indications are that it is already tragic. It is estimated that overseas hunters contribute more than R1.9 billion to South Africa’s GDP (according to the latest figures I could find) while contributions from local hunters are estimated to be more than double this. Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) President, Dries van Coller, says indications are that the situation will be catastrophic for its members. He says many outfitters returned from American and European hunting shows at the beginning of the year full of hope for a good hunting season. Now it is a different story as a lot of overseas hunters have postponed their hunts indefinitely or cancelled. Many…

THE MUCH ANTICIPATED air rifle competition hosted by Magnum, Safari Outdoor, Air Arms and Bushill RSA was a great success A total of 86 shooters of all ages gathered at the Eeufees Shooting Range in Pretoria on 29 February for a day of fun, good shooting and excellent prizes. The final range preparations for the morning were done in the rain but this did not dampen the spirits of officials or shooters. There were 77 senior and 9 junior shooters, of whom 52 used their own air rifles and 34 chose to use the sponsored air rifles – Air Arms rifles in models S510 US, S410 or S400. The rain stopped just as the briefing for the shoot concluded and the rest of the day was enjoyably cool. Safety was…

MAGNUM RECEIVED TWO Speras flashlights to test, the mini-sized M1 and a small/ medium size E1 model. The small M1 has a single side switch and, with a CREE XPL2-W2 LED, has a maximum output of 1 000 lumens. The light is powered by a single 14500 (R145) rechargeable battery. A normal AA battery can also be used. The torch is small, slightly thicker than my ring finger (19mm diameter), and 91.8mm long. It comes with a pocket clip and lanyard. It has a single power switch and three intensity settings, low (1 lumen with 100h runtime), medium (70 lumen and 5½h runtime) and high (1 000 lumen and 1.25h runtime). Using a single AA battery runtime is slightly less. Set on low, it provides enough light to perform tasks…

THE STEELS USED for barrels, with their incorporated chambers and some of the co nents in the actions, are expected to endure extreme mechanical stress The purity and correct formulation of the alloys and an appropriate heat treatment are crucial in achie g the necessary strength and durability. However, one reads, usually on the internet, of catastrophic failures in guns, of which some may be attributed to faulty steel. In one instance, an allegedly flawed batch of 10 ML-II stainless steel possibly caused the catastrophic destruction of a firearm, a serious injury to the shooter and a subsequent lawsuit. But most of these reported failures remain unverified by a competent investigation. Fortunately they are rare. To establish the facts, a microscopic analysis of the crystal structure of the metal at…

SMITH & WESSON’S AR-15 variant, the M&P15 Sport II Optics Ready rifle, is chambered for the 5.56 and .223 Rem ca It has no factory-fitted sights, a 150mm long Picatinny the receiver and a 28mm rail and gas-block. S&W introduced their first AR-15 style rifle in 2006 and have since produced several variants for recreational and professional sport shooting. The M&P15’s roots lie in the late 1950s when the Armalite Corporation developed a military rifle called the AR-15. Colt bought the rights from Armalite and continued to produce a civilian version under the name AR-15. The military version, the M-16, became one of the US military’s best-known rifles, although not for reliability. THE M&P15 USES the direct impingement system which, during powder combustion, bleeds off just enough high-pressure gas from…

CHOPS Use only meat from a young warthog, preferably a female. You can also use pork chops. INGREDIENTS: • 1 large shallot, chopped • 3 garlic cloves, chopped • 3 cups light brown sugar, packed • 4 cups fish sauce • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper • 4 bone-in rib chops • coarse salt • lime wedges HERB SALAD • 3 firm peaches, cut into wedges • 2 spring onions, dark and pale green parts only, thinly sliced • 1 fresh small red chilli thinly sliced • 2 cups torn mixed herb leaves such as basil, coriander leaves and/or mint • ½ cup bean sprouts • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar METHOD: Blend the shallot, garlic, brown sugar, fish sauce,…

MECHANICAL ENGINEER FERDINAND Ritter von Mannlicher joined the Austrian Arms Factory at STEYR around 1877 and produced a multitude of diverse designs until his death in 1904. It has been said that no other small arms inventor has matched his prolific originality and mechanical wizardry. Everyone loves slim, lightweight little sporters Of interest to us are two Steyr military bolt-action rifles designed by Von Mannlicher; firstly the model 1895 Dutch Mannlicher (a slight modification of the 1893 Romanian Mannlicher) chambered in 6.5x53R Mannlicher (160gr 6.5mm bullet at 2 430fps). It employed a turning bolt with dual locking lugs behind a separate bolt head and a unique sliding ejector. The removable bolt head afforded easy headspace adjustment and replacement if damaged. Its 5-round en-bloc clip fell out the bottom of the…