A reasonably long barrel is therefore necessary for a beginner, and a reasonably heavy weight.
The cartridges may have light loads. Unfortunately the easiest pistol of all, to shoot, is now impossible to be had except from a dealer in second-hand firearms. I mean the “Flobert” duelling pistol, formerly made in France and Belgium, shooting bulleted caps of about .2 calibre.
The duelling pistol, in all its calibres, is the best balanced and easiest to shoot of all pistols (see Plates [2] and [5]).
The stock is at just the right curve and angle, is large enough for a big hand, and yet does not feel clumsy in a small hand.
By taking the grip of the hand higher or lower, the same effect is produced as in having a gunstock straighter or more bent; one can, therefore, by altering the grip of the hand, find a place to hold which makes the pistol come with the sights aligned on raising it, just as a well-fitting gun “comes up.”
Next this pistol balances perfectly. The length of the barrel does not make it top heavy, as the barrel is fluted, to lighten it forward, and the stock weighted.
Most pistols, automatics especially, are muzzle heavy. There is really no pistol except the duelling pistol which balances properly, and the automatic will have to be altered in this respect before it can become the ideal weapon for rapid shooting.
The ideal pistol is the Gastinne-Renette duelling pistol, which is of .44 calibre muzzle loader or shoots a centre fire cartridge, with French “Poudre J” and a round bullet (see Plates [2] and [9]).
This is the most accurate pistol in the world and a number of men have made a score of 12 shots in a bull’s-eye the size of a sixpence, in succession at 16 metres (17 yards 1 foot).
This pistol has very little recoil. If the beginner cannot get a “bulleted cap” duelling pistol the ordinary .44 gallery ammunition duelling pistol will do almost as well.