I went to the range today with three C&R .22s that I picked up in recent months but hadn't yet shot -- a K-22 Masterpiece that dates to 1948; a .22/32 Target (successor to the "Bekeart" model) that dates to 1940; and a .22-32 Kit Gun from 1938.
Now I have weak eyes and shaky hands, so I didn't expect much. The groups I got today, though kind of lame in an absolute sense, are at least a little better than the groups I got from my .38s and .44s, as well as other .22s, on previous occasions. So based on the mix of low expectations and minor improvement over past performance, I am happy with the experience and with the way the guns worked.
I shot Aguila subsonic LR rounds in the two prewar guns; I shot both Aguila subsonic and Winchester Hi-Speed in the K-22. My groups at all distances (25, 50 and 75 feet) seemed a little better with the subsonic ammo.
I had no stuck cases or ejection problems with any of the three revolvers. I had only one FTF out of about 250 rounds fired, an Aguila load. When I rotated it in the chamber, it fired the next time.
The results:
K-22, 25 feet, two-hand hold, standing:
.22/32 Target, 25 feet, two-hand hold, standing:
.22/32 Kit Gun, 25 feet, one hand, standing:
I shot a lot at 25 feet because I knew I could stay on paper at that distance, and I wanted a bunch of groups to measure and analyze. When I moved out to 50 feet, my groups almost doubled in size; but when I went to 75 feet, my groups stayed about the same size as they were at 50. So I claim to have improved in the course of the session.
I shot some close-range double-action targets from the K-22 and the .22/32 Target model. They grouped about the same as the single action tests. I didn't try DA on the Kit Gun because the action feels really heavy with those tiny stocks, and I could just see myself getting some bad releases and putting some holes in the acoustic ceiling baffles.
I need to do this at a less crowded range where I can set up a real pistol rest and get each gun dialed in. Once I know they are hitting where they are pointing, I can start to work on correcting my problems.
Value judgments: I love the K-22. I was also pleasantly surprised at how the oversize target grips on the .22/32 fit right into my hand; it kept the gun from feeling as small as it actually is. I have the feeling that with practice -- a lot of practice, I admit -- I could get decent results from I-frame target models.
Now I have weak eyes and shaky hands, so I didn't expect much. The groups I got today, though kind of lame in an absolute sense, are at least a little better than the groups I got from my .38s and .44s, as well as other .22s, on previous occasions. So based on the mix of low expectations and minor improvement over past performance, I am happy with the experience and with the way the guns worked.
I shot Aguila subsonic LR rounds in the two prewar guns; I shot both Aguila subsonic and Winchester Hi-Speed in the K-22. My groups at all distances (25, 50 and 75 feet) seemed a little better with the subsonic ammo.
I had no stuck cases or ejection problems with any of the three revolvers. I had only one FTF out of about 250 rounds fired, an Aguila load. When I rotated it in the chamber, it fired the next time.
The results:
K-22, 25 feet, two-hand hold, standing:
.22/32 Target, 25 feet, two-hand hold, standing:
.22/32 Kit Gun, 25 feet, one hand, standing:
I shot a lot at 25 feet because I knew I could stay on paper at that distance, and I wanted a bunch of groups to measure and analyze. When I moved out to 50 feet, my groups almost doubled in size; but when I went to 75 feet, my groups stayed about the same size as they were at 50. So I claim to have improved in the course of the session.
I shot some close-range double-action targets from the K-22 and the .22/32 Target model. They grouped about the same as the single action tests. I didn't try DA on the Kit Gun because the action feels really heavy with those tiny stocks, and I could just see myself getting some bad releases and putting some holes in the acoustic ceiling baffles.
I need to do this at a less crowded range where I can set up a real pistol rest and get each gun dialed in. Once I know they are hitting where they are pointing, I can start to work on correcting my problems.
Value judgments: I love the K-22. I was also pleasantly surprised at how the oversize target grips on the .22/32 fit right into my hand; it kept the gun from feeling as small as it actually is. I have the feeling that with practice -- a lot of practice, I admit -- I could get decent results from I-frame target models.
