The Delta Top Gun was designed by Carlo Chiavacci and Antonio Michetti in the mid -1990‘s and was introduced to great acclaim. So much so, that it won the European pistol of the year award in 1998. The basic design is that of the CZ-52 and is of a roller locking system. Take down is simple and straightforward. It involves pulling down the two levers to remove the slide and then unscrewing the bushing at the end of the slide to remove the barrel. To turn the barrel bushing, a small allen screw inside the slide must be loosened first. While it takes a bit more time than pulling the slide off a Glock, its quite simple by exotic pistol standards.
The Top Gun itself is of extreme high quality. Everything is finely fit and finished. Parts are machined with the utmost care and precision. I love the fact that its serial numbered much like a Luger, in which several of the small parts share the last two digits. The serial number of this gun is 141, so a very small “41“ can be found in several spots internally. I counted seven, I believe. Even the finely checkered wood grips are numbered to the gun, which I find very cool.
The overall appearance and design of the Delta is a sight to behold. No other pistol in my collection embodies the phrase “European Exotica” to the degree this one does. The signature trigger guard sweep and the curved beavertail are two of the Top Gun’s most distinct features. The trigger itself has no less than four separate adjustment screws, which enable the shooter to adjust it however they want in minute detail. Overall, the trigger is very good, but not quite as crisp as something like my Pardini GT9 or CZ 75 Champion. The firing pin safety needs to be moved before the hammer will fall, which detracts slightly from the trigger’s overall preciseness. Having said that, the Delta’s trigger is certainly no slouch and is more than good enough for the shooter to extract all the accuracy from the gun. Other details include fine 40lpi checkering on the back of the slide, serrations on the top of the slide and the front strap of the frame, and fully adjustable rear sights. The Top Gun also has totally ambidextrous controls, to include the slide release, mag release, and thumb safety. I’ll also mention that the thumb safety on this Top Gun feels a bit more sturdy and positive than my earlier example, which feels somewhat light and flimsy by comparison.
This particular example was built in 2003. It differs from my earlier (1998) Delta in a number of ways. First and foremost, this example is all steel. My 1998 model has an aluminum frame. Secondly and most obviously, this model is blued, while the other has a nickel finish. Another big difference is that this newer Delta has a side ejection port, which should eliminate some of the brass to face ejection that I got out of my older top eject model. Other than that, the difference are very minor, such as a different trigger shape, slightly different grips, and different magazine base plates. While I haven’t shot my new Delta yet, I believe the design changes will eliminate the couple of gripes I had about shooting my old one. Ergonomically speaking, the Delta is just ok. There are many other pistols that fit my hands more comfortably. Of course, I also wish it were 9mm, but we can't have everything.
Finding these guns is incredibly hard in the States. They simply aren’t here. I’m thinking that the most the company built was about 200 Top Guns in total, though that’s probably very optimistic. I do know that the number of them in the States is probably well below 50, and possibly below 25. The only examples that made it across the big pond were privately imported, so its not something you’re going to see at your local shop, gun show, or even online.
Overall, I’m thrilled to add another one of these rare guns to my Italian pistol collection. I’ll report back once I get a few rounds through it.
Thanks for reading and please enjoy the pics...
The Top Gun itself is of extreme high quality. Everything is finely fit and finished. Parts are machined with the utmost care and precision. I love the fact that its serial numbered much like a Luger, in which several of the small parts share the last two digits. The serial number of this gun is 141, so a very small “41“ can be found in several spots internally. I counted seven, I believe. Even the finely checkered wood grips are numbered to the gun, which I find very cool.
The overall appearance and design of the Delta is a sight to behold. No other pistol in my collection embodies the phrase “European Exotica” to the degree this one does. The signature trigger guard sweep and the curved beavertail are two of the Top Gun’s most distinct features. The trigger itself has no less than four separate adjustment screws, which enable the shooter to adjust it however they want in minute detail. Overall, the trigger is very good, but not quite as crisp as something like my Pardini GT9 or CZ 75 Champion. The firing pin safety needs to be moved before the hammer will fall, which detracts slightly from the trigger’s overall preciseness. Having said that, the Delta’s trigger is certainly no slouch and is more than good enough for the shooter to extract all the accuracy from the gun. Other details include fine 40lpi checkering on the back of the slide, serrations on the top of the slide and the front strap of the frame, and fully adjustable rear sights. The Top Gun also has totally ambidextrous controls, to include the slide release, mag release, and thumb safety. I’ll also mention that the thumb safety on this Top Gun feels a bit more sturdy and positive than my earlier example, which feels somewhat light and flimsy by comparison.
This particular example was built in 2003. It differs from my earlier (1998) Delta in a number of ways. First and foremost, this example is all steel. My 1998 model has an aluminum frame. Secondly and most obviously, this model is blued, while the other has a nickel finish. Another big difference is that this newer Delta has a side ejection port, which should eliminate some of the brass to face ejection that I got out of my older top eject model. Other than that, the difference are very minor, such as a different trigger shape, slightly different grips, and different magazine base plates. While I haven’t shot my new Delta yet, I believe the design changes will eliminate the couple of gripes I had about shooting my old one. Ergonomically speaking, the Delta is just ok. There are many other pistols that fit my hands more comfortably. Of course, I also wish it were 9mm, but we can't have everything.
Finding these guns is incredibly hard in the States. They simply aren’t here. I’m thinking that the most the company built was about 200 Top Guns in total, though that’s probably very optimistic. I do know that the number of them in the States is probably well below 50, and possibly below 25. The only examples that made it across the big pond were privately imported, so its not something you’re going to see at your local shop, gun show, or even online.
Overall, I’m thrilled to add another one of these rare guns to my Italian pistol collection. I’ll report back once I get a few rounds through it.
Thanks for reading and please enjoy the pics...
