9.3X62AL
02-23-2009, 02:18 PM
The Fates Of Range Use and the weather gods found the same sheet of music to play from, and I was able to get a little sideiron trigger time on Saturday. Marie wanted to head out to some rockhound location lacking ZIP Code registry between Barstow and Las Vegas, so I did the driving and navigating while she napped enroute. Once arrived, she scrambled off in one direction in search of agates or some such thing, while I pointed myself in the opposite direction and dragged out the war toys.
First project was the SIG Mosquito, a 22 LR initial abomination that has more recently begun to civilize itself. Still dirty from its last range trip (100 rounds of Mini-Mag Steak & Lobster Ammo), I intentionally left it uncleaned for today's test drive. I'm happy (and surprised) to report that another 100 consecutive rounds of the MMS&LA went through The Bug with neither let nor hindrance. It will stay dirty for next week's range trip, and remain so until reliability stutters again. Considering the pistol's past balkiness, this borders on an epiphany. In view of the irritating nature of the pistol's early performance, the sobriquet "Mosquito" was ironically apt nomenclature.
Now for the good part. The little Police Positive x 4" in 38 S&W made the trip too, and I was excited about giving it some attention. I had 50 rounds each of two loads, both toward the upper end of the 38 S&W performance envelope--Lyman #358242 (122 grain RN) atop 3.3 grains of Unique, and Lyman #358429 (163 grain Keith SWC) seated over 3.0 grain of Unique. All were sized @ .359" to match the throats, and were a good fit in the chambers--snug, but loaded cartridges fell free easily when the muzzle was turned up with cylinder flipped open.
I installed a Tyler T-Grip on this revolver to give me something to grab ahold of while firing. The factory hard rubber stocks were kinda dinky for me. Both loads bounced the PP around some, more so than did the Detective Special with standard-strength 38 Specials. The DS with its wooden Agent grips + T-Grip worked very well for me, but I can't say as much for the PP in its present garb. As for grips, time for Plan "B".
Both loads might be a little much for the little roller. Extraction was a mite sticky, about like a 22 LR D/A revo gets after 50-60 rounds. Data was well within published limits, in fact about 15% under max listings. But the Colt is a tightly-dimensioned little platform, something the test guns from the data might not have been. I'll back things down further next time through.
Accuracy was EXCELLENT with both loads. At 25 yards, I kept a dinger plate bouncing easily, and both loads shot close to the sights--a tiny bit low, but very close. Zero leading in throats or bore was noted.
There is much to like about this little roller. It seems to be accurate enough for small game hunting at any reasonable range a caliber of this intensity is appropriate for. My anticipated boolit for this revolver (#358477) at 650-700 FPS will serve well pending an accuracy check, and the two boolits tested would be excellent if accuracy holds at lowered velocities. All in all, this seems like a pretty decent trail sidearm--a Kit Gun With Attitude.
First project was the SIG Mosquito, a 22 LR initial abomination that has more recently begun to civilize itself. Still dirty from its last range trip (100 rounds of Mini-Mag Steak & Lobster Ammo), I intentionally left it uncleaned for today's test drive. I'm happy (and surprised) to report that another 100 consecutive rounds of the MMS&LA went through The Bug with neither let nor hindrance. It will stay dirty for next week's range trip, and remain so until reliability stutters again. Considering the pistol's past balkiness, this borders on an epiphany. In view of the irritating nature of the pistol's early performance, the sobriquet "Mosquito" was ironically apt nomenclature.
Now for the good part. The little Police Positive x 4" in 38 S&W made the trip too, and I was excited about giving it some attention. I had 50 rounds each of two loads, both toward the upper end of the 38 S&W performance envelope--Lyman #358242 (122 grain RN) atop 3.3 grains of Unique, and Lyman #358429 (163 grain Keith SWC) seated over 3.0 grain of Unique. All were sized @ .359" to match the throats, and were a good fit in the chambers--snug, but loaded cartridges fell free easily when the muzzle was turned up with cylinder flipped open.
I installed a Tyler T-Grip on this revolver to give me something to grab ahold of while firing. The factory hard rubber stocks were kinda dinky for me. Both loads bounced the PP around some, more so than did the Detective Special with standard-strength 38 Specials. The DS with its wooden Agent grips + T-Grip worked very well for me, but I can't say as much for the PP in its present garb. As for grips, time for Plan "B".
Both loads might be a little much for the little roller. Extraction was a mite sticky, about like a 22 LR D/A revo gets after 50-60 rounds. Data was well within published limits, in fact about 15% under max listings. But the Colt is a tightly-dimensioned little platform, something the test guns from the data might not have been. I'll back things down further next time through.
Accuracy was EXCELLENT with both loads. At 25 yards, I kept a dinger plate bouncing easily, and both loads shot close to the sights--a tiny bit low, but very close. Zero leading in throats or bore was noted.
There is much to like about this little roller. It seems to be accurate enough for small game hunting at any reasonable range a caliber of this intensity is appropriate for. My anticipated boolit for this revolver (#358477) at 650-700 FPS will serve well pending an accuracy check, and the two boolits tested would be excellent if accuracy holds at lowered velocities. All in all, this seems like a pretty decent trail sidearm--a Kit Gun With Attitude.