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S&W Hand Ejectors: 1896 to 1961 All 5-Screw & Vintage 4-Screw SWING-OUT Cylinder REVOLVERS, and the 35 Autos and 32 Autos


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Old 07-24-2010, 02:51 AM
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Default Five-screw day at the range

Today I took a bunch of older revolvers to the range for a get-to-know-you session. Four were there with me for the first time; one had been there before and gave me some difficulty, so I was hoping for improvement on a return trip. All targets were shot single-action with a two-hand isosceles stance.

Early (1951) Combat Masterpiece

On balance, this may have been my best target today. The previous owner had the sights dialed in for me, which I easily confirmed with a dozen shots at the 25-foot mark. Then I ran the target out to 50 feet and shot this group, which is only a little looser than my 25-foot target.




Pre-27 (6-inch barrel)

I had shot this gun a couple of months ago with .38 match loads and found that it hit way low, even with the rear sight as high as it could get. I took it home, gave it some new Kurac grips, practiced dry-firing and different holds, and went back today. It still hits low with both .38 match and zippy .357 loads, but not quite as badly. This is a 50-foot .357 group, which shows two different centers because I was deliberately trying to hit higher with the second cylinderful; too high, obviously. I need to work a lot more with this gun before we get used to each other.




.22/32 Kit Gun (Prewar - 1937)

I love these little .22s, but they are a challenge for me. I grouped so loosely at 25 feet that I didn't even try a 50-foot target. This gun is a recent acquisition, and it came to me with upgraded sights -- Sheard gold bead front, King U-notch white outline rear -- and it is certainly easy to line up on the target. But the gun is so light it jumps with even subsonic loads, so I really grabbed hard to keep it from rolling in my hand. But the grips are so small that grabbing it hard introduces another form of poor control. This is the best 25-foot group I shot, and I couldn't even keep all the rounds in the red. Clearly squirrels and rabbits would have had no need to fear me if I had walked the late Depression woods with this in my pocket. More practice is indicated, maybe even some double-action training.




K-22 Outdoorsman (1931)

I recently acquired this gold-bead Outdoorsman at a good price from an auction in which it had been mislabeled and nobody else appeared to know what it was. I shot a couple of close-in targets to get acquainted, adjusted its sights for where I needed them to be, and fired away at different distances. I almost kept everything in the red at 50 feet, but not quite. Maybe next time.




Colt Police Positive Target (1929)

My best rimfire group of the day came from this recently acquired Police Positive target model with sights that are crudely adjustable for lateral placement at the rear (thumb-push blade with clamp screw) and that goofy Colt two-screw height-adjustable front sight that I barely understand and couldn't do anything with today anyway because the clamp screw on this gun is frozen. But the elevation was almost right for me as it came, and I got the lateral adjustment nailed down after a couple of experiments. Then I shot this group at 25 feet. I should have tried at 50, because I might have been able to keep them all in the red. Frankly, I was surprised. Colts feel funny in my hand, and I am always surprised when I can produce holes that actually look like they are trying to be a group rather than a random distribution.

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Last edited by DCWilson; 07-24-2010 at 03:22 AM. Reason: Correct date of Colt
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Old 07-24-2010, 03:47 AM
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Thats a fine herd of special beauty's.
All great condition shooters, and a few with nicely done modifications.
It can be hard to sort out any new gun in one session, five is asking for divine intervention.
Really like the .22's.

Well done and a fine post.
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Old 07-24-2010, 04:05 AM
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Wonderful selection of guns and very good shooting. You can see the ones you have a preference for.

What .22 ammo did you use?
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Old 07-24-2010, 06:05 AM
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Love the 22's especially the 1931 K-22, just great!! I have the same feeling with a colt in my hand, but darn they shoot great for me. Glad you had some fun with those classic guns, most people nowadays only like black plastic and vapour blasted metal, glad your one of us, Dale in Canada
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Old 07-24-2010, 06:24 AM
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David shot the pre-war kit gun - - - - GF faints.

Just kidding. Did you ever notice that's it's hard to find a 27 that won't shoot well. Killer Kurac stocks too.

Looks like you were shooting wadcutters (or semi WC) in the CM and that's what shoots well in mine. As a matter of fact, you don't hear much about WC rounds anymore. People must not shoot targets for score much these days.

It's fun to shoot the old stuff, ain't it?

Gail
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Old 07-24-2010, 08:00 AM
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Fine bunch of guns! Nice shooting too! Mind if I ask what you paid for the Outdoorsman? Just curious, as you say it was mislabeled. From the picture, it appears to be in beautiful condition! I'm not that good at the percent thing, but it looks like an easy 95-98%! Thanks for sharing your day with us!
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Old 07-24-2010, 08:01 AM
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David,Nice guns,Great job.I'm headed to fargo today.I need some 44 special Loads for my 5" triple lock, and pre model 24 that I have not yet fired.If Weather permits today, I will drop some lead on the farm.Lowhog
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Old 07-24-2010, 08:34 AM
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Nice examples! Pete
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Old 07-24-2010, 08:44 AM
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Thanks, all. I had fun doing this. I need to repeat in a couple of weeks. I have some other guns that haven't yet been shot, and I need to get familiar with them, too. (Not to mention working out a relationship with that independently-minded Pre-27! ) A couple of others are Colts, so I may just mention them here and give them a more detailed posting elsewhere.

Ammo: the .22 was all subsonic, a mix of Aguila and SK (made by Lapua). The centerfire stuff was Winchester .38 Special match wadcutter, 148 gr. The .357 was Remington 125 gr SJ hollow point.

Gail, don't faint! I have picked up a couple of original kit guns recently that I bought because they were a little worn and I could shoot them without fear of damaging one of the almost new ones I have.

Misty, I really lucked out on the OD. I found it in a California auction, and with the house premium added in my winning bid came to just over $600. With sales tax and state transfer fees, I'm up around $700. The condition is not quite as good as it looks in the photo, but it's close to 95%. The best thing about it from a collector's point of view is the early date (mid-1931), and the fact that it has the gold bead front sight instead of the stainless ("briliant") bead seen in the majority of produced ODs.

I agree on the respect for "old" guns, but the guns I like are old only in the sense that they showed up a little before the stuff that a lot of people like to shoot these days. William Faulkner once said, "The past isn't dead; it isn't even past yet." With guns like these, I completely concur.

Lowhog, I wish you good shooting with your TL and Pre-24!
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Old 07-24-2010, 08:46 AM
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Very nice. I've been drolling over the S & W 22's for a while now. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:12 AM
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Default Great Birthday Trip to the Range

Always enjoy your posts and the photos are always tops. Glad your "Get Acquainted" trip to the range was a success, know you had fun. Nice selection of Old Timers".
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:25 AM
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Good for you! Nice to see some older guns being used for their intended purpose!!
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:37 AM
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David,

Great looking bunch. Love the OD. What wood is that on the Kurac's? I need a set for a recently acquired pre model 27 4".

Thanks much,

Tom
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:37 AM
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Glad you got to spend the day shooting those fine guns. I would like to know some things about your range. Are you shooting outside or in, is it public or private, and what is the longest shooting distance available? Nice places to shoot are difficult to find these days in alot of places.
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:44 AM
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Good to see the oldie's out there doing what they were made to do. Sound's like you had a fun day!
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:52 AM
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Hi David
Nice goup of oldies. Love the pre-27 in particular. Take it over to Alan Tanaka (pretty close to you) and have him install a taller slide on the rear sight. It'll give you a better sight picture with a deeper notch; a really easy fix. It'll cure your too-high rear sight issue. Alan should have some around from working on PPC revolvers (he should be able to do it while you wait).
Bob
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Old 07-24-2010, 10:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marshal tom View Post
What wood is that on the Kurac's? I need a set for a recently acquired pre model 27 4".

Thanks much,

Tom
Tom, that's claro walnut. I had asked John for some other wood -- don't recall what now -- and he said, "No, you want this." He was right.


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Originally Posted by boykinlp View Post
Glad you got to spend the day shooting those fine guns. I would like to know some things about your range. Are you shooting outside or in, is it public or private, and what is the longest shooting distance available? Nice places to shoot are difficult to find these days in alot of places.

It's a 25-yard indoor range, open to the public. Lots of local LEOs shoot and equip themselves there. I bought a membership because that gives me unlimited range time and guest privileges and a bit of a break on ammo I might buy there. Cheap -- couple hundred bucks a year. I'd like to have access to a good outdoor range, but there just isn't one near me.

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Originally Posted by OIF2 View Post
Hi David
Nice goup of oldies. Love the pre-27 in particular. Take it over to Alan Tanaka (pretty close to you) and have him install a taller slide on the rear sight. It'll give you a better sight picture with a deeper notch; a really easy fix. It'll cure your too-high rear sight issue. Alan should have some around from working on PPC revolvers (he should be able to do it while you wait).
Bob
Thanks, Bob. I agree a taller rear sight will do the trick, but I am still thinking about whether I want to put in a lower front sight and get a bead or post sight instead of a patridge. This gun is the one that has some corrosion under the front sight block, and replacing the stuff up front would solve two problems at once. Also, a month back I picked up a five-inch barrel with a gold bead sight already in it (S&W overstock, now being sold off through Numrich), and I may put that one on the gun at some point. Different latching system, though. I'd have to put a ball detente in the crane of the Pre-27.
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Old 07-24-2010, 11:14 AM
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David,

Thanks for a great range report, ... fun to read and well illustrated. I love the OD and Kurac's grips on the pre-27!

Jerry
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:05 PM
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Quote:
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It's a 25-yard indoor range, open to the public.
Is it the OCSD range? If so, do they let you load more than 5 rds in your cylinders?
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:14 PM
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Is it the OCSD range? If so, do they let you load more than 5 rds in your cylinders?
No, it's the commercial On Target Shooting Range on Camino Capistrano in Laguna Niguel. They just happen to have a large LEO clientele.
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Old 07-24-2010, 09:33 PM
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It appears that the old girls can go to the dance and still cut the rug. And unlike some of us, I bet that they don't have sore feet the next morning.
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colt, combat masterpiece, commercial, k-22, kit gun, lock, masterpiece, model 24, model 27, outdoorsman, patridge, ppc, prewar, remington, rimfire, subsonic, wadcutter, walnut, winchester

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