FIRST TIME TO THE RANGE; ADVICE PLEASE

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Julianne

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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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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.
 
You can shoot......

.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.:D
 
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IT'S ONLY YOUR FIRST TIME ONCE, MAKE IT A GOOD ONE.

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. :)
 
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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.
 
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 :)
 
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!
 
MANY THANKS TO ALL

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:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLhiDlcktdY[/ame]

Model 27:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCjyTPc4QUg[/ame]

The women in my family are some of the best shooters. Have fun with your daughter!
 
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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.
 
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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
 
WHOA, NO NO NO!!!

Krogen said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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