Man Magnum Nov/Dec 2023

AS I write this I have received several invitations to attend year end functions. I found this somewhat depressing as it made me realise that yet another year has slipped by where I was unable to realise all my goals. Probably the most important to me, spending some time alone in the veld. Personally it has been a tough year, with many of my well laid plans going awry and some coming to naught notwithstanding me working harder than normal. However, all is not lost, as I have been blessed in many other ways. One was being able to spend enjoyable time in the veld and on the range with other like-minded individuals. I guess if you choose your companions wisely not being alone is not all that bad! One…

Unique Rifle/Pistol Combo I am writing to you about this combination rifle/pistol in my father’s collection. He is a member of SAAACA and has been collecting firearms for the past forty years. He acquired this Unique Combo in 2002 via my father-in-law’s best friend. I have no idea where the firearm came from as both these men have passed on. What I do know, is that my father-in-law and his friend used to hunt birds and the occasional duiker and steenbuck with it in Onderstepoort in the 1960s. Also, that the rifle was bought with the scope on it. The scope is the same as that in the advert for the Combo in Mag-num, January/February 2023 on page 34. The pistol does not feed properly with standard velocity and subsonic…

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MY MUSCLES were pleasantly tired from the day’s hunting. The fire was cheering, and as I swallowed my first sip of Scotch, I closed my eyes to appreciate its warm glow slowly radiating within me. My good friend Dave Westerhout smiled at this and remarked, “Savouring the aftertaste, and all that, are we?” I replied, “What would you know about that, Dave? You’re a teetotaller.” “Well,” grinned Dave, “my grandfather was a tea taster for a tea blending company, so I feel qualified to comment. And I’ve been involved in arguments among impassioned whisky drinkers – know all about you single malt types!” “I’m not really a single malt man,” I said. “I enjoy some of them, but my sundowner tipple is J&B. It’s a blended whisky with its own…

THE MC9, Canik’s first micro-compact, was introduced to the local market in April 2023 at HuntEx and the first few batches have since reached dealers’ shelves. Micro-compacts offer the best in concealment due to their diminutive size, yet, also offer high capacity magazines. In the case of the MC9, a 15-round magazine is offered, giving the same capacity as a Glock 19 but in a much slimmer, smaller package. The MC9 test pistol measured only 29mm at its widest point (measured across the ambidextrous slide release) and the slide is 24mm wide. According to the specification sheet the pistol is 155mm long, 115mm high and weighs 603 grams. With a reflex sight and the 12-round magazine with finger extension fitted, the overall height is 140mm. The slide has aggressive front…

BASED on the experiences of more than 40 lengthy safaris in Africa, I am convinced that the most challenging, dangerous and exciting hunt on the continent is for the forest elephant. In 2003 there were no concessions in the rain forest of Cameroon – you could simply buy a hunting licence and hunt. I went to a small place called Lokomo in the south eastern corner of the country. There, through a good friend, I was introduced to Etienne – an eminent pisteur (tracker) and true expert on elephant hunting in the forest. Within a few days, Etienne found a track shortly after dawn, just four or five miles from our camp. The circular footprints in the red clay were larger than gramophone records. The spoor was obviously quite fresh…