Finish is still decent. Little marking on the cylinder. Barrel in super shape. Took the action apart and cleaned it with electric contact cleaner then put a some Ballistol in certain spots and the action is like smooth glass now. Took it out today to shoot it. THAT is when the issue came forward. It shoots about 10" left at 12yds. I tried Remington UMC 125gr hp +P and Buffalo Bore 158 gr soft lead HP standard pressure. Both shoot way left. Now I realize my use is SD at kissy face distances but it is still bothersome in my mind. Owned many handguns and this is my first fixed sight one. Is this pretty much the norm? I was really hoping the BB ammo would be much more accurate as it is premium ammo and shoots well in other handguns.

I’m no expert but that seems excessive. Try having someone else shoot it to see if they experience the same thing.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I agree....

Shooting J-Frames accurately is an acquired talent which requires patience and a good deal of quality time at the range.

I own several “vintage” Model 36’s and 60’s with fixed sights and can place fist-size groupings out to 10 yards at POA with each but it has taken a significant amount of practice in order to achieve this level of proficiency; I admit to the groupings still being somewhat tighter in SA than in DA.

That’s not to say that there isn’t something wrong with your example as you certainly seem to know your way around a revolver.

Let someone else shoot this and let us know how you make out.

How "premium" an ammo is, is not a reliable indicator on how accurate it will be out of any given gun. Fixed sight Js need to be tested with a bunch of different weight ammo until you find what it likes and what shoots to POA.

I have two layers of aluminum tape on the side of the front sight of my Taurus 605. Don't know if that would move POI 10", however. You could try taping the side of the front sight.

You might want to try shooting groups at various distances out to 25 yards using a good benchrest setup and also offhand. Points of impact will not be the same for the two methods, but the comparison might prove worthwhile giving you some additional information to provide S&W with. I'd try a couple of standard velocity 158 grain commercial loads.

If your gun shoots as you describe for others as well, call the factory. That should be an easy problem to correct.

I hand load for all my guns. I’ve loaded some ammo that shot incredibly good. Only problem it shot 6 inches low and off to the left. Try some different brands and bullet weights.

Light weight J frames are the most difficult revolvers to learn to shoot well IMHO.

Slight variations in grip and trigger management produce large differences in poi.

Quit fooling with boutique ammo: get some boring standard velocity 158 gr ammo or target loaded 148 gr wc ammo and spend time at the range.

I suspect issues with grip and/or trigger control are the problem here.

+1 for shooting it some more at various distances to be sure.

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Some Might Say.

Shooting 10" left at such close distance like 12 yards for example is not ammo related. You might be jerking the trigger.

Have at least two other shooters, preferably experienced revolver shooters fire the gun. Keep the soft pad of your finger on the trigger and slowly pull back. It's not a striker fired gun and you have a very short barrel and a fraction of a hair off will throw off your aim. The further away, the more left the hits will be.

^^^^what he (and they) said. Some good advice here. Fortunately, the 638 can be cocked for more precise single-action fire. Try it off sandbags or a more formal rest. 10 yards would be my max, but that's just me. 10-15 feet to start, 5-shot groups. Just a thought, I wonder if this condition is why the previous owner sold it...

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Using 158gr LSWC handloads my 649 shot 2" to the left single action and 2" right double action with a 2 handed grip at 10 meters. How you grip it and squeeze the trigger will affect where the group lands.

Look at the sight from above the barrel and see if it is at 12:00 or if it is leaning to the right i.e. at 12:15 or so. This could cause the shots to go left.

Others have suggested having someone else shoot it. If it isn't easy to do this load a cylinder with 4 live rounds and one empty. Spin it and close the cylinder while it is rotating. Now, firing single action, fire the cylinder and see what the front sight does as each shot is fired. If it moves to the left you may want to try different positions for your trigger finger. This will be especially noticeable when you fire the empty since there won't be any recoil to mask the sight movement.

I am pretty darn sure I am not "pulling shots left" but I am beginning to think the grips may be a big issue. The factory grips do not fit my hand well at all. I tried gripping it two different ways. One with ring and middle finger and the other with ring and pinky with middle finger laying over the trigger guard and middle finger. The second allowed better control but is NOT a way I want to learn to shoot it because instinct of years gone by will tell me to do otherwise in an adrenaline charged SD situation. I think I will shop around for better fitting grips. Trigger control is good but inconsistent grip and recoil effects my accuracy as well. (BTW it has a factory lasermax on it and I have practiced hundreds of dry fires carefully observing squeeze and follow through. Very steady.) Dry firing is great for practice but is not the same as live fire action and results.