Pistol shooting on ranges all over the country has flourished over the past few years, adding a variety of new and interesting matches available to the club shooter. Through all of this Standard Pistol still remains the most popular match, probably because it was specifically designed to cater for the traditional "first gun" for pistol shooters, the 22 semi auto.
For those unfamiliar with the UIT (Union Internationale de Tir - International Shooting Union) match of Standard Pistol, it comprises three groups of timed series for five shots; 4 x 5 shots in 150 seconds, 4 x 5 shots in 20 seconds, and 4 x 5 shots in 10 seconds, all on a Free Pistol target at 25 metres. Ideally it should be shot on electronically timed turning frames, but many clubs make do with a stopwatch and whistle.
For the past 20 years FAS pistols (previously known as Domino) have consistently outperformed all other makes in Australian UIT competitions. Its low bore line, excellent pointability and multi stage trigger make it very user friendly in the faster series. The latest generation of this Italian marque is the FAS 607, first introduced in 1993. Even after all these years refinements are still being made, and the 1996 version is the most colourful yet.
The main differences between the earlier Model 602 and the 607 are the barrel shroud, which is now profiled square along the top, and the trigger and hammer units, now made in a single unit. Instead of having to buy a heavy barrel shroud to change the balance of the pistol it is possible on the 607 to add bolt-on weights.
Trigger is fully adjustable for the first and second stages both in travel and weight. Two allen screws above the trigger itself control the first stage and takeupwhile a further two screws, one slotted and one allen, are accessed through the rear of the grip to adjust the final stage or sear release. The trigger shoe can be moved fore and aft on the trigger bar to allow correct finger placement for most any sized hand.
The one modification I have often seen on the firing line that has not yet been tackled by the factory is a trigger stop. This stops excessive travel of the trigger after the shot has broken, which may adversely affect the fall of shot should the trigger not have been squeezed straight back. Most experienced shooters fit an adjustable set screw either into the frame or through the trigger shoe itself to stop any movement a fraction of a millimetre after the sear has released.
New for 1996 are colourfully laminated orthopedic grips. True to Italian form they point beautifully and don't look too bad either. Of course, no factory grip will fit all shooters perfectly, but having one which comes close makes it necessary to make only minor modifications.
A key element in the grip design is the rake angle, which allows a more natural pointing position of the hand while holding on target. This accentuated grip angle makes a bottom feed magazine impractical, so the FAS was designed as a top loader. It does pay to hold you hand over the breech while pressing the mag release button if you don't want to be picking the magazine up out of the dirt; its release spring flings it well clear of the pistol.
Another trap for young players is single loading. If you fire a shot without the magazine the empty shell will fall into the magazine well. This is because the ejector is part of the magazine itself. It can then be embarrassing trying to fit the mag into the gun when it will not seat due to an empty .22 shell lurking at the bottom of the well.
The sights are wide, blocky and genuinely attention grabbing. They are adjustable for both windage and elevation, two clicks per scoring ring on a 25 metre UIT Standard Pistol target. And for those needing a last-minute tweak on the line without a screwdriver in sight, the rim of a .22 shell or a five cent coin will work at a pinch. While different width front sights are available, two reversable rear blades come with the pistol, giving four different rear sight widths.
I tested several commonly available brands of ammunition for reliability, with two out of seven proving unreliable. German brands RWS Pistol Match and SK Standard were the most mild to shoot and gave the best groups in the better grades of ammo, while both PMC Target and Stirling Pistol worked faultlessly. The extra punch of the PMC ammo would not be ideal for the 10 second series, however.
Handling recoil with most target grades of ammo was a pleasure. At no time did the sights leave the target itself under recoil, as the low bore line transmits much of the energy from the shot up the arm instead of kicking the pistol skywards. Ten seconds seems an awfully long time when you do not have to wrestle the gun back into the aiming area after each shot.
Position of the trigger shoe was quite critical for maintaining a central group. It is important that it is set at the correct point for straight trigger finger movement at the moment of sear release rather than at the takeup of the trigger. Too far forward results in grouping to the right, while too far back and they will go left. This can happen with any pistol with long trigger travel.
Personally I prefer this type of trigger as I find it harder to freeze on the shot if I know that it has to keep moving to release. Crisp triggers with no movement are great for slow fire but far more difficult to control with time constraints, especially under stressful conditions like a competition.
A feature of the 607 has been the availability of coloured slide cover and/or frame. Never before has the fashion conscious shooter been able to accessorise on the line. Colours can be mixed and matched in red, blue, purple (popular with feminists), silver, gold, and of course boring old basic black.
It would be wrong to say that the FAS is the only choice for the serious UIT Standard Pistol shooter. There are four or five recognised brands on the market that offer the features and quality required to give excellent results in the right hands. I would advise trying as many as possible to find the model which best suits the individual.