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Ref. Firearms developed and manufactured in Southern Africa 1949-2000. By Kenn Gillie. Credit for this information goes to Pretoria Arms and Ammunition Ass. All rights are reserved. No part of this information may be reproduced, stored, manipulated in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any mechanical, electronic or digital form or by any other means, without prior written permission of the publishers. Any person who engage in any unauthorised activity in relation to this publication shall be liable to criminal prosecution and cliams for civil and criminal damages On 10 May 1954 Piet Nagel and Jan Willem Dekker formed the company Pretoria Arms Factory Pty Ltd (PAF). They were appointed as its directors along with Harm Oost and Vivian LeslieHoureld, E Koelman as an alternate director. Piet Nagel and JW Dekker were Dutch imigrants to South Africa, who had served with the Dutch underground during the Second World War. They were able to arrange the import from the Netherlands, the machinery necessary to manufacture firearms. This South African firearm has a checkered reputation. It was designed by Piet Nagel and was the first semi-automatic pistol to ever be manufactured in Africa. Its appearance andoperation is similar to the FN Browning of 1906 or the Colt 1908 vest pocket pistol, minus the grip safety. To this Firearms detriment, the three barrel locking lugs found on the Browning 1906 were reduced to one, much as in the CZ Model 1936. The first PAF pistols were manufactured with very little material in front of the barrel locking lug. This resulted in a habitual shearing off during battery run up, which would send the barrel and slide down range during firing. This embarrassing quirk quickly earned the pistol a bad reputation and South African dealer shied away from them. There were reports of heat treatment problems on some parts, such as the firing pin spring base on the frame and some deformity on the lower projection at the front of the slide. Magazines were also prone to cracking along the rear weld seam. By the time the PAF “Junior” serial number reached about 500, none of the early style frames remained and the production line used the thick frame webs. This eliminated the chance of frame shear, but it was to late to save the company. Some sources estimate the total production quantities of the PAF “Junior” 6.35 mm pistol at 10 000 units. Whatever the true figure may have been, it is believed that less than 1000 exist today. (2016). One tool room prototype PAF pistol in caliber 7.65 mm (.32 ACP) was built, but this model never went into production. A PAF “Junior” pistol in .22 LR has been mentioned in various publications, but the PAAA research team has been unable to locate any examples of this model or any reliable data as to its existence. Bertram Rudolf Freiling (one source suggests Breslau Rudolf Freieling) formed the Bristol Firearm Company (BRF), based in Johannesburg, and purchased some of the stock and equipment when PAF went out of business. The remaining stock was exported to South America and the Netherlands. In an attempt to overcome the sullied PAF reputation, he remove the PAF name from the pistol and substituted BRF. The pistols which he manufactured had BRF embossed on the grip and slide, and had a cocking indicator as an integral part of the firing pin guide. This indicator protruded from the rear of the slide. In addition the BRF pistols were marked with the legend “U-S A” which allegedly stood for Union of South Africa but may have been meant to suggest that the BRF pistols were made in the United States of America. The Bristol Firearm Company was unsuccessful. The PAAA research team estimates that only about 200 BRF pistols were ever assembled, of which a small portion were chromed. The outside finish and bluing of the pistol were generally, but the inside surface are somewhat rough. Their myriad of sharp edges snag the threads of cotton cloth during cleaning. The model inscription on the left-hand side of the slide is written thusly: “JUNIOR” The PAF logo of crossed cartridges (resembling .22 LR cartridges) above the PAF monogram is semi-enclosed in a wreath. It mostly appears on both sides of the front of the slides and on the grips. However some of these pistolsonly have the logo on the front left side of the slide and on the grips. The serial number is stamped on the back of the grip strap. Since these pistols were manufactured prior to compulsory proofing standards being introduced by the South African Bureau of standards in 1962, PAF proofed their own pistols. Their proof-mark is a stylish PAF stamped on the top of the left-hand side trigger guard. Mechanically the PAF operates as a direct blowback action, with the recoil spring mounted underneath the barrel. The disconnector is a vertical projection from the trigger bar, similar to the early Beretta pistols.The safety catch is located on the left rear of the frame. It intercepts the sear and, in a motion unique to the PAF “Junior”, pushes up a small pin through the frame to lock the slide. The pistol is striker fired and the firing pin doubles as the ejector. After firing a round the slide recoils, with the fired case being held by the extractor. The firing pin, under spring pressure, protrudes further through the breech face to eject the case out the right side of the slide. Early PAF pistols have fixed sights integral with the slide, while later models have only a sighting grouve cut along the top of the slide. The pistol is about the length of a 1910 Baby Browning, but with a longer grip housing and an eight round magazine. The PAF is quite slim, but is awkward to hold as it sits high in the hand. Grips are of cheap black plastic which have a tendency to crack around the screw holes due to shrinkage.The PAAA research team has also had sight of a PAF pistol with white plastic grips and another with cast aluminium grips. It is not known if this was produced in any great quantity. The pistol is 113 mm long, 88 mm high and weigh 396g. The magazine holds eight rounds. Take down of the PAF is accomplished by making the sure that the pistol is unloaded, pulling the trigger, and then with-drawing the slide to the rear until the barrel lines up with the cut in the slide visible in the ejection port. Holding the slide in that position, rotate the barrel so the barrel lug disengage from the frame and turns into the slide. Thus unlocked, the slide assembly can be moved forward and off the frame. The firing pin, firing pin spring, and firing pin spring guide can be withdrawn out of the rear of the slide, and the barrel and recoil spring and guide out from the bottom of the slide. Assembly is in reverse order. Classified as a relic in the USA Ref. Price guide for collector handguns - R H Balderson p320, Pistols of the world by Hogg and Weeks p183), Firearms developed and manufactured in Southern Africa 1949-2000. By Kenn Gillie. Credit for this information goes to Pretoria Arms and Ammunition Ass. All rights are reserved. No part of this information may be reproduced, stored, manipulated in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any mechanical, electronic or digital form or by any other means, without prior written permission of the publishers. Any person who engage in any unauthorised activity in relation to this publication shall be liable to criminal prosecution and cliams for civil and criminal damages

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