RIA / Armscorp M200 38spl

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I have been seeing these online for a while , heard all sorts of things about them

I got a chance to hold on in a gun store a few weeks back at a store i stopped in the M206 snub nose model even dry fired and the trigger was not bad

well I saved up some green and I have been having a lazy streak lately not wanting to chase brass but still wanting to shoot ,and I was talking my local dealer and asked if he could get me the 4 inch barrel model he looked and said his distributor had 2 did i want one , well sure

it seems like these revolvers are selling all the time , and I see some reviews and videos , but not nearly as much info as the sales seem like there should be.

either way I was curios , could the company who makes a decent 1911 for a decent price make a decent 38 for 230 dollars +tax , well i am going to find out

just wondering while i wait if any of you have any experience with them
it should be in later this week and I will let you know what i find

[bedbugbilly]

I haven't seen or handled one personally in 4" but I have read about them on a couple of threads. For the price, I got the impression that they were decent shooters. Maybe the finish / etc. not quite as good as a more expensive revolver but still a good functioning revolver. I hope you'll post some photos of yours as well as give us a range report after you've tried it out. I have a feeling that you'll end up with a good all around 38.

The indoor range that I shoot at in AZ when I'm there had a couple of the 2" snubs in their display case. I noticed them on the way out one day and was going to take a look at them the next time I went back. When I went back, they were both gone! The snubs I saw looked nice but the finish on them reminded me of a "parkerized" finish? Not having handled them, I don't know for sure but I wouldn't object to that type of finish on a "working / range gun".

I'll be interested to see what you think of it once you get it and shoot it. I have a feeling you'll like it!

[FergusonTO35]

My understanding is that they are loosely based on the late model Colt D frame such as Police Positive and Detective Special and so share the same attributes and flaws as those designs. The low price is accomplished by being made in the Philippines and use of aluminum frames and barrel shrouds. I wouldn't mind to try one sometime, they seem pretty nice for $200.00. Centerfire sometimes has them on sale for $189.95. The only thing I don't like about them is the shrouded barrel. Those shrouds eventually shoot loose or become cockeyed. I would prefer just a solid pencil barrel with exposed ejector.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

My understanding is that they are loosely based on the late model Colt D frame such as Police Positive and Detective Special and so share the same attributes and flaws as those designs. The low price is accomplished by being made in the Philippines and use of aluminum frames and barrel shrouds. I wouldn't mind to try one sometime, they seem pretty nice for $200.00. Centerfire sometimes has them on sale for $189.95. The only thing I don't like about them is the shrouded barrel. Those shrouds eventually shoot loose or become cockeyed. I would prefer just a solid pencil barrel with exposed ejector.

they show an un-shrouded model 202 on their web site but i have never seen one, then again I have never seen a m200 in person either only a M206 snubbie

I went a bit of faith and curiosity ordering the m200

[FergusonTO35]

I've seen the 202 over here a few times. I wouldn't mind getting one.

[Treeman]

Lockwork is Detective Special "2", Frame is steel. Finish is uninspiring. They shoot. A lot of gun for the money.

[Mk42gunner]

I have said for years that we need some decent affordable entry level guns; to fill the niche that Harrington & Richardson and Iver Johnson filled in years gone by. I am going to have to find one of these to actually hold in my hands.

Robert

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

update
picked up the gun friday evening - does that make it a friday night special rather than saturday ?

any way i looked it over the gun comes in a plastic bag in a bubble wrap bag in a MTM pistol case , put one it the value added column for a decent case that can be used not just for this gun but as another case fro range days

the gun comes fairly well drenched in oil in that plastic bag , I took it home , cleaned it and did some dry fire testing both in single and double action

after a few hundred pulls in double action ,the single action pull has no creep it breaks with just a tiny movement , i haven't got a scale but any less and I would move this gun into the too light of a trigger category the manufacturers web site says between 3.5 and 4.5 pounds , I am no trigger snob I am used to factory hunting rifles,as issued military rifles and safe action pistols but I am guessing mine is on the light side of what the factory builds them to and that is plenty light enough for me.

i had picked up one box of American Eagle 38spl cast/swagged lead factory rounds to give it it's initial test, because need brass and i have not got dies yet although as soon as i get 38 dies I have hundreds of 356-120TC bullets to load as they drop .359 , so when i got done with our 4H shoot and i was the last one at the range I loaded up , i fired 32 rounds some from standing some from a rest at 10 meters , yes meters or 11 yards in single action 6 shot group was 3-4 inches not great but I can make it better with some more practice my best group was about 2 inches , and i had some paper still out at 40 meters and i put a few rounds out there , i was on the 12/12 paper with all of them and actually had a decent 6 inch group with 4 of the rounds
the double action pull is smooth and firm but not hard , i fired some from 11 yards and had about a 6 inch group well almost a 6 inch line up the target a few of my groups were showing some vertical stringing

I wondered if some of this was grip, the factory grip is hard plastic with some checkering on the sides but not on the front or back , I when i got home i wiped the grip down with rubbing alcohal to get the oil off and used some gun tape and put added grip front back and the smooth part of the sides

i found gun tape when i was looking for something to help my grip on a older (1994) polymer pistol http://www.guntape.com/searchresults.asp?cat=1854 buy the 24 pack for 14 dollars you will find all sorts of uses for it at about 60 cents a sheet
I had originally fount it on amazon and paid about a dollar a sheet for 12 , if you don't like it , the tape peals right off once you get a corner up , yest seems to stay on well when your not picking at an edge.

I will bring the gun back to the range tomorrow as I have another 4H shoot and I will give it a try with the gun tap grip improvement and see how it shoots with my remaining ammo , then I need dies

the cylinder latch pulls , it isn't a wicked fast reloader but , if you don't expect to need shots 7-12 in a hurry it will do just fine

the finish is parkerized black , and the cylinder latch didn't seem to want to click forward all the way the first 30 or so times i opened and closed it i think the finishe is rough enough and thing were tight enough that it tool a little wearing in

the hole gun looked to be cnc machined inclusing the serial number and manufacturers location on the right side of the frame , the left side sports a RIA emblem not sure if it is lazered on or some other way

the hammer has a good shape is easy to thumb back and good serrations for grip

the cases don't just dump out , i suspect the chambers could benefit from a run of a brass brush spun in them to smooth the parkerized finish

if your looking for an off the shelf , custom shop smooth gun this isn't it , but it seems to be a decent shooter and with a little time , a few small things like grip tape i think it's a definite keeper

as for an entry level gun , this will shoot circles around my old iver Johnson pocket pistol any day

[jrayborn]

Pic's man, we demand pics!!

please?

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Pic's man, we demand pics!!

please?

maybe tomorrow , i will see what i can do with my last 18 rounds

[scarry scarney]

How's the "fit" of the side plate. The BX at my nearby base had some, and they all had a small "gap" between the frame and side plate. But they sold within a couple of days.

[35remington]

Any mention of rating for Plus P from the manufacturer?

[tazman]

Any mention of rating for Plus P from the manufacturer?

It is NOT rated for +P according to the RIA site although I have read reviews where people said they shot +P in it.

[bedbugbilly]

GREENCOUNTYPETE - good information! Sounds like it will be a good shooter the more you get used to it.

I use the Lee 356-12-TC boolit in my -mm and my 38s. I cast out of "range lead" and my mold drops 'em at .around .358 or so. I load 'em :as cast" in my 38s - TL them in paste wax / a lox and they make a nice plinking boolit. They shoot well out of my 4", 5" and 6" barrels.

Glad you got it and thanks for the information on it. We look forward to hearing more and hopefully some photos? Enjoy!

[Alablam]

My son bought one, its ugly as sin but it groups good as in beats the last S&W's I've shot. The DA trigger is heavy but workable. As tazman noted it didn't say it was +P rated but it came with two fired cases and documentation that it was CIP proofed (no such rating as +P rating) and I believe that means it can use 22,000psi ammo if memory serves me.

[tazman]

It is NOT rated for +P according to the RIA site although I have read reviews where people said they shot +P in it.

Correction. The revolver is rated for "occasional" use of +P ammunition.
Probably meaning that if you use +P it won't blow up on you but would shoot loose quickly with a steady diet of higher pressure loads.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I got around to shooting it again Sunday late afternoon after we cleaned up the range from the shoot , I was soaked in sweat my hands were sweaty so the groups are nothing to write home about but not bad considering , i only had 18 rounds left on the box of factory American eagle so i fired 6sa and 6da Attachment 109329Attachment 109330the last round was just off the paper on the DA target but measured 6 inches I think i can shrink both groups I just need more time an ammo to get the feel of how i need to hold , and get my trigger control better , and maybe not be tired hot and sweat covered might help also

I have no intention of loading +p my goal is a nice light target load that will make a decent bunny thumper walk about , that i can reload and reload over and over the brass and not have to chase it.

[Treeman]

Paperwork with mine says not +p.......but I would shoot +p through it without great reservation(My reasoning is that +p is less than proof(current factory +P seems to be less than standard loads of a generation ago!), the revolver is beefier than many +P and .357 mag rated guns. I know that doesn't make the metallurgy match up but there is plenty there for .38 spl +P. It isn't going to blow up. To shoot it loose will take more $$$ in ammo than the cost of the gun...................so I would load 'em up for self-defense without fear.

[Alablam]

I don't know if my son's Armscor is one of the few good ones or not, but on a rainy day at the 50 yd. range it was capable of 3-5" groups depending on my shaking hands and wobbly support. The groups seemed to be about 1-2" lower and about 2-3 inches left of the sights. For what he paid, I think he got a bargain.

[tazman]

I don't know if my son's Armscor is one of the few good ones or not, but on a rainy day at the 50 yd. range it was capable of 3-5" groups depending on my shaking hands and wobbly support. The groups seemed to be about 1-2" lower and about 2-3 inches left of the sights. For what he paid, I think he got a bargain.

If the sights are that close a 50yd, they would be dead on for all practical self defense work at much closer ranges.
I don't shoot well enough, or see well enough to do any worthwhile testing at the longer ranges. I am thoroughly impressed by anyone who can shoot3-5 inch groups at 50yds.