I hit the local outdoor bullseye range today with a couple compact handguns, one a revolver and the other a pistol. Both small framed medium caliber .38sp and 9mmP shooters.
The Colt Police Positive Special dates 1919, uses the same frame that would go on to be better known in the Detective Special.
It's a compact revolver with a skinny profile 5" barrel. At the time, this was considered a compact revolver.
On the other end of the twentieth century, what became a standard-bearer for reliable compact 9mm pistols, the Smith and Wesson 3913. A TDA pistol, single stack 8 shot magazine and aluminum frame.
Both guns, it turns out, are similar in weight, with the PPS weighing only 24oz and the 3913, 25oz.
The PPS cylinder gives a sixteenth of an inch more width over the ambi safety/decocker on the 3913 and of course it's a few inches longer with all that bbl.
Both guns are holster weapons, but no question the 3913 demonstrates its 60-70 yrs evolution in terms of firepower/size/weight.
The range was 25yrds, I do all my shooting standing offhand, two handed.
With the PPS, I shot single action. Ammo was black hills 148gr hollow base wadcutters (HWBC).
At this range, the tiny sights are a little tricky, and it shoots about 5" low and about the same left, so I hold about 2:00 five ring on a B17 target. It's tough not to string up and down with the u notch/blade, but overall I held stuff together pretty well with 25 wadcutters going into 5.25"
I only had fifteen rounds of 9mm ammo, four +p 124gr Gold Dots and the remainder, Win NATO spec fmj.
I shot DA first shot, so two were DA shots, the rest SA.
Almost exact same results, except fifteen rounds.
The four Gold Dots clustered into about a three inch group within the total 5.5" 15 shots.
It's fun contrasting these two totally different and yet similar guns. They both offer similar levels of power, carry ability and reliability, but evolution gives me some more firepower, ergo's and usability with the 3913....but having a sweet crisp SA trigger like the Colt has its appeal too, especially with easy shooting wadcutter ammo. Cool beans.
The Colt Police Positive Special dates 1919, uses the same frame that would go on to be better known in the Detective Special.
It's a compact revolver with a skinny profile 5" barrel. At the time, this was considered a compact revolver.
On the other end of the twentieth century, what became a standard-bearer for reliable compact 9mm pistols, the Smith and Wesson 3913. A TDA pistol, single stack 8 shot magazine and aluminum frame.
Both guns, it turns out, are similar in weight, with the PPS weighing only 24oz and the 3913, 25oz.
The PPS cylinder gives a sixteenth of an inch more width over the ambi safety/decocker on the 3913 and of course it's a few inches longer with all that bbl.
Both guns are holster weapons, but no question the 3913 demonstrates its 60-70 yrs evolution in terms of firepower/size/weight.
The range was 25yrds, I do all my shooting standing offhand, two handed.
With the PPS, I shot single action. Ammo was black hills 148gr hollow base wadcutters (HWBC).
At this range, the tiny sights are a little tricky, and it shoots about 5" low and about the same left, so I hold about 2:00 five ring on a B17 target. It's tough not to string up and down with the u notch/blade, but overall I held stuff together pretty well with 25 wadcutters going into 5.25"
I only had fifteen rounds of 9mm ammo, four +p 124gr Gold Dots and the remainder, Win NATO spec fmj.
I shot DA first shot, so two were DA shots, the rest SA.
Almost exact same results, except fifteen rounds.
The four Gold Dots clustered into about a three inch group within the total 5.5" 15 shots.
It's fun contrasting these two totally different and yet similar guns. They both offer similar levels of power, carry ability and reliability, but evolution gives me some more firepower, ergo's and usability with the 3913....but having a sweet crisp SA trigger like the Colt has its appeal too, especially with easy shooting wadcutter ammo. Cool beans.
