this little j is quite a handful

[kaaskop49]

Not to change the subject but, every time a discussion comes up regarding the airweight magnums there are usually guys chiming in to state that they found there's to be a totaly unpleasant pistol to shoot and wished they had bought something else. And I absolutely agree that they are not a pistol I would enjoy plinking with (not with magnum loads anyway). They were never meant for this purpose any more than a corvette was designed to carry a ladder. The Airweights were designed for a very specific and important job. If the day should ever come that I NEED to use it I want to be pulling the baddest, the most powerfull, and the scariest darn thing out of my pocket that I can. I want to be the guy who goes home. Sure it'll make your hand sting but they are very controlable and as with most revolvers, very tolerant. And because of it's small size and lightweight, this is one that I am likely to have with me.

Thank you. Nice to know I'm not the only voice crying out in the wilderness on this subject.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[kpla51]

Couple of thoughts on this cool thread: Is there really much difference in control/recoil between the PD and M&P models? The catalog only shows about 2oz weight difference.

Did anybody catch, in Paul's excellent velocity chart, the MV of the factory R-P 158 LHP in the snub bbl? 753 fps, IIRC. That's ridiculous, and folks ask whether +Ps are safe to shoot!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

I don't think there will be much difference in recoil but from research the pd has bullet pull issues, the cylinder is a little harder to maintain. And there is a minimum bullet weight. For these reasons I sold the pd for a m&p and I like the all black more.

I took the cylinder off of a 442 and the 340pd and there's a good difference in weight of the two.

 

[S&W Rover]

Great thread. Makes sense to shoot the hottest version you can handle and still hang in there for second and third shots. I think you have to balance bullet power with your capacity to get in some range time to master the sights and recoil recovery of the J.

I've opted for the steel framed Mdl 640, the larger S&W rubber grips (three finger groves), and +P .38 ammo (125 grain Golden Sabers or 135 grain Gold Dots) for most carry situations. Its cylinder is in the mail back from TK Custom now after being relieved for moon clips, so I anticipate having 5 + 5 rounds with me. To practice, I have been going to the low end of the spectrum and shooting 125 grain XTP (JHP) bullets over 3.5 grains of Trail Boss powder -- very mild. I end up a session by shooting a few +P's to keep it real.