I have appreciated advice here since coming to own dad's revolvers and my youngest daughter is in town and dying to go to the range and test out the M 34, M 27-2 and M 19-4.
I have never shot these beautiful revolvers and an reluctant but she is over the moon with the ideal and does have some remedial experience...I think.
I am seeking advice on what sort of ammo to use and whether or not they will be hard to clean afterwards. Dad kept them in amazing condition and they look new to the untrained eye.
I do not want to let her down, she is 22 and married to an active duty coast guarder who has taught her the basics for handgun use and cleaning, but not these older models.
I am 48 and have never fired any gun larger than a .22.
I would be thankful once again for advice, especially on what type of bullet to use that will bring the least amount of "punch".
I've tried to attach a couple of pics of the model 19 and my daughter. Neither of us have a lot of muscle for these guns...can we do this safely?

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For the Model 19 use a standard 38 spl load. For mine and general practice I use Remington 38 special not +p from Walmart. With the 38sp ammo the recoil will not be much in the 19. Enjoy the shooting

Use whatever .22LR ammunition you wish for the M34. I prefer premium loads with a copper wash, but it really doesn't make any difference. All will be dirty.

Use the 130gr jacketed .38 Special in the M27 and M19. I believe Winchester and Federal still manufacture them. They will not recoil as much as standard velocity 158 grain lead round nose or semi-wadcutter. You will be able to literally shoot all you want without worrying about leading, a common issue with factory loaded lead bullets. Hollow base lead wadcutter bullet loads may recoil less, but the potential for leading with some guns will always be there with lead bullets.

You have a beautiful daughter, sir, and must be very proud of her and her husband.

I would agree that there's no need to fire full-house .357 Magnum ammo in the Model 19. Recoil can be unnerving until you're accustomed to it. You may be able to find some 148 grain, full wadcutters to use. These are target loads and probably the mildest factory ammo you'll find anywhere.

In cleaning, gun shops sell a brush that can double as a toothbrush. These are excellent for cleaning under the extractor star where any accumulation of unburned powder will make it difficult, if not impossible to close the cylinder. Debris becomes trapped by ejecting fired cases with the gun in a muzzle-down position.

The accumulation of lead on the face of the cylinder is unsightly but usually doesn't affect reliability. It is also difficult to remove.

.44 specials in the M29. I'd look for some 'target' ammo which is usually loaded not too hot.

Revolvers aren't hard to clean and I doubt you will cake them up much with one range trip. You just need a rod, some brushes and tips which are different for the smaller gun. Some solvent, oil and some patches.

If a lady was excited about going to the gun range, especially my daughter, you bet I would accommodate her. A range trip isn't going to hurt the guns one bit, especially with the light shooting you'll be doing.

Make sure that you have eye/aar protection and any other range necessities.

A .44 Magnum load is a handful for me to shoot and would turn a lot of people off after one shot. Stay away from those unless she wants to try them and knows what to expect as well as having shot powerful guns before.

OH, Knowing gun and range safety is a must. Nothing ruins a range session more than shooting your Dad.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

First I would try and find a good supervised range. A dry run to watch & learn the safety rules wouldn't hurt. Tell a range officer just what you told us and ask him/her for a suggestion for a "good" coach. One of Dads shooting buddies may be honored to teach you. Many may volunteer, so use your judgement. Hold the gun firmly without choking it. If you have a 22 caliber revolver I'd start there & work up in caliber as tolerated. You ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE eye and ear protection, even if not shooting. RELAX & DON'T OVERTHINK IT, it's no biggie, it's supposed to be fun/relaxing & doesn't require superhuman strength. AVOID any Mr Magnum that asks if you want to try a "real" gun, (AKA big recoiling caliber) until you feel comfortable with it. Safety is King, learn the basics: ALL guns are treated as loaded, & learn how to check. ALWAYS keep guns pointed in a safe direction. Finger OFF THE TRIGGER until ready to fire. The rest will come to you. Dad likely will already have EVERYTHING you will need to clean/maintain the guns. Youtube may help but switch videos if the emphasis is on man killing. I can only imagine Dad will be over your shoulder. ENJOY your outing & hope it brings you closer to Dads memory. As always, we love pics.

The only thing I will add to all the good advice from above is to get
the rules of the range you are going to. Read them, understand them,
and abide by them. They are very important.

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In Omnia Paratus

if you are going to an outdoor range, take a mat or something to lay the guns on that will protect them from the concrete bench. A sharpie is useful for marking the holes in the target, so you know how you are doing with each group of shots.

You've had some good advice.
Mine is bring some fun reactive targets also.
Full cheap soda cans milk jugs filled with water and such.....just clean up afterwards.

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Good advice above, with any .22 LR and 130 gr jacketed (FMJ) .38 Special being good range choices. I would probably leave the model 27 at home for a first session, it is a big heavy gun that may be more difficult to handle than the model 19. Also a good idea to review the four basic gun handling rules and any range rules also.

"You have a beautiful daughter, sir..."

The OP's username is Julianne

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Follow all safety advice above . Follow load advice above and even some reactive target advice that does add to the fun if your range allows . When it comes time to clean here is my advice don't look at cleaning as a chore you must hurry up and accomplish . Spend your time cleaning as part of the enjoyment of owning such nice guns. While cleaning relax and think about the time at the range and enjoy bringing your firearm back to that brilliant luster .So learn to enjoy even that part of the gun experience some of my best memories are of my grandad dad and uncles telling stories after a hunt while carefully even lovingly cleaning and putting away their firearms that's how I learned to do it and trust me that's how it's done if done right.So mostly try to enjoy all of it ,learning,shooting,cleaning,and just handling and admiring .Good luck!

You two are going to have a great time at the range with those. As has been mentioned, one of the great things about a 357 is you can shoot 38 Special out of them all day and have fun. If you're not very familiar with firearms safety, I strongly encourage you to research it and review it with your daughter before handling guns. That 4 inch 27 is quite nice and is worth more than a few bucks. Enjoy!

Wow...I really appreciate the replies. I am uneasy, but this support is amazing. Allie, my daughter, is tickled to be going on this adventure with mom and looking forward to showing off what skills and gun safety knowledge she has gained in her young life.
I know her dad, a 30 year career law officer in Virginia, will be proud and her papaw will be smiling from Heaven.
We will be going by dad's house on the way to pick up ear protection and see what he has for cleaning. I know he has reloaded ammo for the gun but never wanted anyone other than himself or friends to use it. He was super safe with his technique but we will probably buy some of the ammo suggested above.
It should be a good time, I hope to get some pictures of this first outing and will share if any turn out.
Thanks again, sincerely...

Julianne:

You will have a ton of fun with your daughter. Definitely shoot 38 Specials through your Model 27 and your Model 19. Here's some fun videos on shooting the Model 19 and Model 27 (they get a little long, but you can skip through them). Hickock45 shows good shooting form and does a nice job of explaining a little about the guns in a folksy way.

Model 19:


Model 27:


The women in my family are some of the best shooters. Have fun with your daughter!

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

You guys will figure this out. Apart from your other questions which were addressed above, I have three suggestions:

1) Be sure to understand what the guns look like when they're cocked and ready to fire. Try "dry-firing" to get the feel of them. Be doggone sure they're unloaded when you dry fire!

2) Be aware of your muzzle direction. Don't cover anybody with it. Point it down, up or at the target. The best way is to pretend there's a laser beam coming out of the muzzle or maybe a 100 ft long stick. Think of what you'd smack with that stick when you're handling the gun - because THAT's where the bullet would go.

3) Know what the gun looks like unloaded and safe. With a revolver, this means cylinder out and empty.

You guys will have a great time. It's easy to be safe. All it takes is a little thought and planning.

Fine looking weapons. Shoot standard velocity 38 specials in the 357's!

I always load ONE round only the first few times for a new shooter or even shooting a new gun just to get the feel of things.

Pay close attention to anyone that is not as familiar as you with firearms. I've noticed they will sometimes turn to smile or hand the gun back and not pay attention to the direction of the muzzle.

I usually walk up on them(I let them know ahead of time) and make sure they point the gun in a safe direction.

Understand that some guns are just too heavy, too big or even too complicated for others to handle safely so observe and make constructive recommendations.

Last, and this one's my own, I asked everyone to grim-up(get serious) take their time, make deliberate slow actions and STOP and get my attention for anything they have a concern about.

I know I don't sound like a fun guy at the range but eventually those I'm with relax and a good time is had by all.

My .02

Have a great time,

Regards,

Kobsw

This is the safety video my husband shows everyone we take to the range the first time.

Introduction to Range Safety and Etiquette - Firearm Safety - YouTube

Guns without snap caps can be damaged by dry firing. Find out about them BEFORE doing damage.

Find a good range, with a range officer (RO) that can spend some time with you. Or sign up for a private lesson with a RO. I worked at a gun shop and we had many folks come in with similar situations.... inherited guns were very common. $50 spent for a 30 minute private lesson would give you all the confidence you needed to start shooting on a regular basis. Also, our shop provided cleaning services for those that had no interest in that aspect of the experience. I think a revolver cleaning was around $25.

I am a Range Safety Officer for a private club where members are allowed to bring guests. I see lots of members help brand new shooters get started, but I also see some problems where inexperienced members bring even less experienced guests. From your posts, it is not quite clear how much experience and training you and your daughter have. Here is my general advice about planning a trip like this.

In any group at the range, someone should have a comfortable knowledge of everything that is going on. This knowledge should include: general gun safety and handling, specific safety rules of the range or facility, knowledge of the specific firearms in use, ability to check that the ammunition is appropriate for the firearms.

If neither of you is confident in all of these areas, you should try to bring someone who is, or hire some help. If you have an experienced friend, that person would probably like to help. I know that I would, and I have done so recently. If you don't have anyone available, then an hour or two of private instruction would be worthwhile.

Please understand that I don't mean to be critical, I really like what you are planning to do. You have excellent firearms with important family history. The revolver you pictured is in wonderful shape, and it can be shot a moderate amount without any change in its condition. You will be able to enjoy it, and also pass it down for generations. But for the protection of all the people and firearms involved, some patience may be required in planning a range expedition. Having appropriate knowledge and resources the first time at the range is invaluable. After one or two sessions with assistance, you will have the knowledge to continue confidently on your own.

Unless your son-in-law will be there, or he has trained your daughter to where she is fully competent with firearms, you should have some other arrangement for competent supervision.

It sounds like your daughter may have been trained - it was not perfectly clear to me from the original post. One additional safety requirement unique to revolvers is that if one holds the gun with two hands, care should taken that the support hand does not closely approach the vertical plane in which lies the gap between cylinder and barrel, because flesh-cutting flame and gas occupy some area of this plane upon firing. One or two uninformed shooters have actually lost fingers when mishandling unusually powerful revolvers. With your revolvers, injury is still a possibility.

Most handguns were designed for one-handed use. Two-handed use is mostly better, but requires a bit of care.

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Formerly Model520Fan

One small bit of info to add-- VERY IMPORTANT, and I'm quite surprised that nobody mentioned it in 21 posts before mine:

All revolvers have a "flash gap" where the front end of the cylinder is able to move immediately behind the rear end of the barrel. This small amount of space is necessary so the cylinder can advance freely. If you examine any revolver directly from the side, especially with good light behind it, you can see this flash gap.

When shooting the revolver, keep hands amd fingers AWAY!
There is pressure, flame and fury that literally blasts out right here on both the left and right side of the revolver.

With smaller cartridges like .22, it's a small blast. With larger cartridges, the blast gets extremely dangerous.

If you hold the revolver with one hand only or you use two hands together on the grip, keeping any free hand or fingers away from this area, you'll be absolutely fine.

As for the range you visit for this trip, most definitely select an OUTDOOR range if at all possible. Far more enjoyable, especially to new or novice shooters. I say this because indoor ranges are exceptionally loud and the constant blast is hard to imagine and ignore if you have never experienced it before. The noise and more so, the constast blast and pressure thump is much reduced on an outdoor range.

I can't wait to hear an after report, best luck and best wishes!

Hahaha, while I was typing...
Model520Fan finally brought up the potential danger of the flash gap.

Get comfortable with them before shooting by dry-firing them - except for the model 34. Never dry fire a 22 long rifle revolver. Maybe get some light plastic or nitrile gloves for cleaning them. Have fun!

Julianne
I'm am glad to see you have decided to take your dad's guns to the range. He would be pleased that you are doing so. We all had our "first day at the range" with many of the same questions and concerns which you have. Enjoy the trip. You and Allie will make her Papaw proud.
Don't forget the shooting glasses when you pick up the ear protection.

I've enjoyed reading these posts. Many good points have been provided.
I'll add a few simple thoughts of mine that I was taught years ago. By a few dumb dutchmen.
1st- you are the safety.
2nd- if you dont want to fire the gun, dont pull the trigger.
3rd- learn to let the hammer down from a cocked position. Do it enough that you are confident in your control of doing that on a loaded round.
There's a few instructions I got. The only other suggestion I have is, dont worry about the sights, sight picture or what your target looks like. Its irrelevant right now.
Get comfy with handling your firearm. The sight picture, alignment you will learn.
Take your time, have fun.
It can truly be a lot of fun, and enjoyable.
Also addicting, and it can get expensive.
Have a great time.

Have fun and be safe! Sounds like you have figured out where to send your Dad's guns for a permanent home. Allie would likely enjoy having grandpa's guns.

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Or something like that . . .

^^Ditto this^^
No need for magnums to kill paper. Mild 38 special loads will be lots more fun.

Cleanup with any good gun cleaning & lubricating product (Hoppes, RemOil, CLP) and a bronze bore/cylinder brush and mop set.

As others have said, in addition to the ear protection, be sure to use eye protection.

38 special 148 grain Target Wadcutters are another good choice. Mild and accurate just perfect for perforating paper targets at the range.
Have fun !
Gary

Your daughter has a wonderful smile. I'm betting it will be wider after your range session.

Enjoy!

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Oh well, what the hell.

All good advice listed above, especially the start with mild loads and work your way up.
Can't tell you the number of people I have seen who acquire a .357 or .44 mag and show up for the first dance with full bore magnum ammo, and are shocked at the recoil and muzzle blast.
A sure way do start off creating a flinch and jerk reaction that take a long time to cure.
The best advice I ever got was from an old state police officer who was a firearms instructor, "get a good .22 and shoot it for a year and then move up the list" of calibers...
The only good side to that method is I have been able to buy their guns at a bargain because "the gun isn't accurate". It's not the gun, it's the gunner...

PS: I do offer to help them learn the proper methods of handgun shooting, but some are forever "ruined" by the experience.

Excellent!

AVOID a busy public range on weekends, ESPECIALLY just prior to hunting season.

Follow the advice on all the above EXCEPT.
Don't start at the range.

After checking for no bullets, both you and your daughter should sit for a couple of hours watching TV holding the 27 and 19. Open the cylinder, close it cleanly. Roll it in your hand. Fondle it. Hand them back and forth. Practice different holds for loading and unloading with brass only or snap caps. Don't start at the range and with loaded ammo !!!

WATCH FOR SWEEPING while doing the above !!! You need to watch each other and call it when you see it. Not sweeping yourself and others is tough. It's new and difficult to stay sharp continually. A few minutes will reveal how easy it is to point at someone, if only for a nanosecond. You awareness must change and sharpen.
Do it in the living room unloaded, NOT AT THE RANGE !
The range will be LOUD and disorienting. Turning to grin usually gets a dozen people on the line swept, not to mention pissed off.


Prescut

Oops. Missed that.

Oh yeah, close the cylinder by hand- not like you see in the movies where they slap it closed by holding the grip.

WHAT HE SAID! Don't want to damage a fine old gun before you fire it. STILL need advice, we got lotsa MO.

I'm a big fan of the standard velocity (actually, it is probably loaded lighter than standard pressure) 148 grain wadcutter target ammo. With revolvers being less of the market than they used to be, such ammo is not as easy to find as it was 30-40 years ago. (I buy mine in bulk from Black Hills, as I do with most of my ammo - but that's not a good option for you right now.)

It is very low recoiling and will work just great in both of the magnums. Do not let anyone talk you into even trying a full power magnum load - while useful ammo for some serious purposes, there is limited fun to them, and they are counter-productive for a new shooter.

The safety pointers above are all good. Know Cooper's 4 rules (google is your friend). Do some research and see if you can find a range in your area that has a good reputation for staff that it is worth a darn, and maybe has a new shooter introduction program. Invest in the best hearing protection you can buy, especially if you will be at an indoor range. Your own shots could damage your hearing, and contribute to a flinch; those of others using all sorts of ammo will likely be worse.

Depending on hand size and strength, I think you will find the M19 to be the best choice to take. While I would normally advocate a .22 to start, for some shooters, the little J frame .22s have a stiffer trigger pull in order to have enough "oomph" to get the rimfire 22s to ignite reliably. This may not apply to your situation, but it can happen. The M27, which is a really nice gun, is likely to be enough heavier to be a bit difficult for a smaller person to hold/shoot for an extended period. (You may not fit the category, but keep it in mind.)

Enjoy. When you start to get tired, stop and go back another day. Also ... when you are done shooting, wash your hands real well before doing anything else.

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NHI, 10-8.

All excellent advice from the previous posters. I especially support the use of .38 Special 148 gr. wadcutter ammunition in your models 19 & 27. This ammunition is very mild on recoil yet accurate and will chamber in both of these revolvers. For beginning shooters, it's a very pleasant round to shoot. Move up to more powerful ammunition as you gain experience shooting handguns. I always enjoy seeing more ladies participate in the shooting sports.

I should also add...work your way up starting with 38 specials, but do not be afraid to run some .357s through the Model 27. It may not be the best idea on your first range trip given your level of experience, but it's heavy enough to tame the recoil, and you can get a feel for what made it such a great cartridge. Again, you may want to save that for another range trip, but don't be afraid. I don't know your size, but hold on tight with two hands at least for the first one. You'll be alright. If you don't like them, then grab some more 38 specials, you WILL like those.
I have no experience with .357s in the M19.