Atkinson & Marquart Ruger conversion to 32 wadcutter
For those who are confused, 32 wadcutter in a target grade semiauto pistol has long been the "Holy Grail" of Bullseye centerfire guns. Accurate, light recoil, close to their rimfire cousins, and fully competitive in American bullseye and UIT (International) competition.
I don't know about the S&W conversion, but Atkinson & Marquart Custom Rifles in Arizona did such a conversion on the Ruger MKI.
It is still straight blowback, so it uses a large weight added to the bolt. Total weight of the gun is 50 oz.
Attached is a photo of such a converted Ruger from George Nonte's book "Pistolsmithing".
Nowadays, there are several excellent 32 wadcutter target pistols. Besides the old Walther GSP-C, there is the incredible Pardini (available in 32 S&W wadcutter or 32 ACP). There was also the Erma 85, now discontinued. Matchguns, by Caesar Morini might be available in 32, and perhaps Benelli.
Sako made the fantastic all-steel Triace, that had conversion units for 22 LR, 22 Short (Int'l Rapid Fire), and 32 S&W wadcutter. You could buy that with a fitted attaché case complete with a nice tool kit and other accessories.
By the way, there is another important appeal to the 32 wadcutter target pistol. If you live in a tight gun control jurisdiction, buying a full kit with 32 & 22 conversion units only counts as one gun on a permit application. This is very important in many foreign countries.
Nonetheless, many American Bullseye shooters like the Marvel 22 conversion for their 1911, as it allows the same grip/trigger across the whole match.
Last edited by 6string; 09-20-2022 at 08:13 PM.
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