Last week I went to the range with a batch of .32s. This time it's all pre-war target guns. I'm hoping to establish a trend of going shooting a little more often. All guns were shot standing two-handed, at a distance of 60 feet. The target has a one-inch grid and the center of the black diamond was the aim point. For most of these guns it's the first time I've fired them. The .22s were shot with CCI Standard Velocity ammo.
Pre-war target guns
Pre-war target guns with targets
First up is a single action Model 3 break-top centerfire converted by persons unknown to a single shot .22. There is information about its acquisition in this thread: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-antiques/217300-tulsa-gun-show-haul-nov-2011-a.html
Aside from the serial number on the butt the gun is devoid of markings. With the small hole in the barrel it has a pleasing heft, although the grips are a touch small for such a weighty gun. The sights are very nice with a not-too-thin front blade and deep notch rear. Chambering appears similar to a so-called Olympic chamber, with the nose of the bullet being forced into the leade of the rifling when closing the gun. Very nice trigger and I liked the upswept hammer for solid purchase when cocking.
Model No. 3 .22 conversion
The next gun is a 3rd Model Single Shot with Olympic chamber. After shooting the previous gun, this one felt quite thin in all respects. The regular hammer with its fine checkering was much less secure to cock than the previous gun. I had shot it in the past, but not with this ammo.
3rd Model Single Shot
This little .22/32 is the Heavy Frame Target (HFT), so-called only because it is heavy in comparison to the tiny M-frame Ladysmith that preceded it. (Sadly I do not have a target Ladysmith – yet.) This particular gun has a dangerously light trigger in that the hammer can be pushed off when cocked single action. The locking bolt spring is also weak, the cylinder can be turned by hand. Shoots pretty well though in spite of all that. It has a conventional square butt, rather than the Bekeart style grip.
.22/32 Heavy Frame Target
After the dainty HFT, the .22 Outdoorsman feels more like a manly man's gun, with manly heft and a manly grip. This one has a lanyard swivel added and I believe has been refinished. Pretty nice though.
Outdoorsman .22
If the Outdoorsman feels manly, this 1917 converted to .22 feels like a fat ******* (illegitimate child). I've posted before about it in this thread: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...47-chambered-22-long-rifle.html#post136776722 It doesn't so much shoot bullets as it does fling them in the general direction of the target, sometimes sideways. Somebody put a lot of time and effort into building a target .22 that don't shoot.
1917/.22 conversion
I've already posted a target for this gun in a previous thread, but I wanted to take it out again for this session for comparison. I dropped the low shot at the top of the diamond so consider the upper five shots the group. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/326851-shot-batch-32-guns-other-day.html
.32 Target
.
After buying the .32 Target at the gun show I felt like I should have an M&P Target .38 as well, and hied off to Gunbroker. The ammo is a handload that I had lying around with 125 grain bullets, don't offhand recall the powder charge. Compared to the .22s and .32 it has a nice sharp crack. The low positioning of the group indicates that I probably should be shooting wadcutter target ammo. Note that the single oblong hole was made by four shots, touching. A fluke of course.
M&P target .38
Last but certainly not least is a 2nd Model Hand Ejector .44 Special, another GB acquisition. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...-couple-2nd-model-he-44s-target-standard.html
Nice visible sights, clean trigger. However here the problem of factory S&W grips rears its ugly head, with the skinny-at-the-top service grips too thin for a secure grip when firing ammo with appreciable recoil. The ammo is a 240 gr round nose flap point (if that isn't an oxymoron) on top of 5.2 gr of Trail Boss. Haven't chrono'd the load so not sure what its velocity is, but it should be pretty standard. I should've put on these grips, and will next time: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/310836-who-made-these-grips.html
2nd Model Hand Ejector .44
I stuck with the standard velocity .22 ammo in deference to the .22/32 and old single shots, but knew that the Outdoorsman could handle modern high speed ammo. I tried it out with some CCI Blazer and CCI Mini-Mags. Looks like it prefers the zippier stuff.
Outdoorsman .22 with Blazers and Mini-Mags
I also tried the 1917/.22 conversion with the Blazers and Mini-Mags but it was wasted ammo. The Blazers spanned the entire width of the target and half the Mini-Mags went through the target sideways. After two shots of the Mini-Mags it developed a hitch in its gitalong, and I couldn't cock it with the hammer alone – I had to forcefully turn the cylinder at the same time. That the checkering on the hammer was almost completely worn off didn't help matters any. Not a favorite.
1917/.22 conversion with Blazers and Mini-Mags
Pre-war target guns
Pre-war target guns with targets
First up is a single action Model 3 break-top centerfire converted by persons unknown to a single shot .22. There is information about its acquisition in this thread: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-antiques/217300-tulsa-gun-show-haul-nov-2011-a.html
Aside from the serial number on the butt the gun is devoid of markings. With the small hole in the barrel it has a pleasing heft, although the grips are a touch small for such a weighty gun. The sights are very nice with a not-too-thin front blade and deep notch rear. Chambering appears similar to a so-called Olympic chamber, with the nose of the bullet being forced into the leade of the rifling when closing the gun. Very nice trigger and I liked the upswept hammer for solid purchase when cocking.
Model No. 3 .22 conversion
The next gun is a 3rd Model Single Shot with Olympic chamber. After shooting the previous gun, this one felt quite thin in all respects. The regular hammer with its fine checkering was much less secure to cock than the previous gun. I had shot it in the past, but not with this ammo.
3rd Model Single Shot
This little .22/32 is the Heavy Frame Target (HFT), so-called only because it is heavy in comparison to the tiny M-frame Ladysmith that preceded it. (Sadly I do not have a target Ladysmith – yet.) This particular gun has a dangerously light trigger in that the hammer can be pushed off when cocked single action. The locking bolt spring is also weak, the cylinder can be turned by hand. Shoots pretty well though in spite of all that. It has a conventional square butt, rather than the Bekeart style grip.
.22/32 Heavy Frame Target
After the dainty HFT, the .22 Outdoorsman feels more like a manly man's gun, with manly heft and a manly grip. This one has a lanyard swivel added and I believe has been refinished. Pretty nice though.
Outdoorsman .22
If the Outdoorsman feels manly, this 1917 converted to .22 feels like a fat ******* (illegitimate child). I've posted before about it in this thread: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...47-chambered-22-long-rifle.html#post136776722 It doesn't so much shoot bullets as it does fling them in the general direction of the target, sometimes sideways. Somebody put a lot of time and effort into building a target .22 that don't shoot.
1917/.22 conversion
I've already posted a target for this gun in a previous thread, but I wanted to take it out again for this session for comparison. I dropped the low shot at the top of the diamond so consider the upper five shots the group. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/326851-shot-batch-32-guns-other-day.html
.32 Target
.
After buying the .32 Target at the gun show I felt like I should have an M&P Target .38 as well, and hied off to Gunbroker. The ammo is a handload that I had lying around with 125 grain bullets, don't offhand recall the powder charge. Compared to the .22s and .32 it has a nice sharp crack. The low positioning of the group indicates that I probably should be shooting wadcutter target ammo. Note that the single oblong hole was made by four shots, touching. A fluke of course.
M&P target .38
Last but certainly not least is a 2nd Model Hand Ejector .44 Special, another GB acquisition. http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...-couple-2nd-model-he-44s-target-standard.html
Nice visible sights, clean trigger. However here the problem of factory S&W grips rears its ugly head, with the skinny-at-the-top service grips too thin for a secure grip when firing ammo with appreciable recoil. The ammo is a 240 gr round nose flap point (if that isn't an oxymoron) on top of 5.2 gr of Trail Boss. Haven't chrono'd the load so not sure what its velocity is, but it should be pretty standard. I should've put on these grips, and will next time: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/310836-who-made-these-grips.html
2nd Model Hand Ejector .44
I stuck with the standard velocity .22 ammo in deference to the .22/32 and old single shots, but knew that the Outdoorsman could handle modern high speed ammo. I tried it out with some CCI Blazer and CCI Mini-Mags. Looks like it prefers the zippier stuff.
Outdoorsman .22 with Blazers and Mini-Mags
I also tried the 1917/.22 conversion with the Blazers and Mini-Mags but it was wasted ammo. The Blazers spanned the entire width of the target and half the Mini-Mags went through the target sideways. After two shots of the Mini-Mags it developed a hitch in its gitalong, and I couldn't cock it with the hammer alone – I had to forcefully turn the cylinder at the same time. That the checkering on the hammer was almost completely worn off didn't help matters any. Not a favorite.
1917/.22 conversion with Blazers and Mini-Mags
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Like a good dog, you HAVE TO take them out for a walk every now and then!
I did so one day about four years ago in front of Five of my Range safety officer companions that were Talking smack to me for adoring the .22 W.M.R, round. One even remarked that it was worthless in a hand gun as the barrel's were not long enough for the Powder to burn or for the velocity to be what it could out of a rifle. I was a Little Annoyed with his comment to the other's that were there and I saw that as a challenge , so I said well, let's see if your comment is supporting about this round & I walked down to the 100 yard line and stapled up a Regulation B-27 Man sized Target. I returned & took my 4 screw 4" Barrel model 48 out of my Range bag, Loaded her up with CCI-Maxi Mag ammo and stood off hand and fired 6-shots at the 100 Yard line.
Here is that B-27 Target that silenced them that day and my Vintage Model 48 .22 W.M.R. Regards, Hammerdown
any of the Picture's can be enlarged by simply clicking on them. 
