Range Report...

[Missourian]

Took some new and some old guns to the range...loads of fun. Here is the report.

EAA VVindicator 38 Special/357 Magnum 2 inch snub nosed. Fun shooter in 38 with a strong recoil...357 is a handful. Not very accurate over 7 yards. Well built for the money, but imported with a 4" barrel that is cut down and recrowned after importation. Good for the nightstand or truck gun. $269 new. If I had it to do again, I'd buy the 4" version.

Rossi Ranch Hand 45LC. This gun is a blast to shoot. I can shoulder it and fire it free hand. It is surprisingly accurate using the push-pull method, off hand to 25 yards, all shots in a four inch grouping. 50 yards from the shoulder was equally accurate. Recoil was almost non-existent. You could easily use this for pistol season hunting. I thought about buying the tax stamp and making this a short barrel rifle, but under federal law, once you make it into a SBR, you can never make it back into a pistol...just a shorter SBR.

While this firearm suffers from limited utility...I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again. I have lots of 45LC firearms, so it made sense for me to get this in 45LC, for you, 44mag or 357mag might make more sense for you. I paid $300 used...$450 new price.

Rossi Circuit Judge, "Tactical" model . Calling this a tactical model is stupid, but it differentiates it from the wood stocked model. It is light...very light. It is very accurate in 45LC to 75 yards over open sights. The 410 is good with #6, #7.5 and #8 shot to 30 yards. Recoil is very light with 45lc and moderate light in 410. This is a really great gun. After testing it on the patterning range, I would not hesitate to hunt rabbits, squirrels and small birds with the 410, nor medium game up to deer size with the appropriate ammunition within these ranges. If I could only have one gun on a long hiking or canoe trip, this would be it. I paid $280 used (and painted green ) new $499.

Also took the 1860 Colt Army replica by Pietta. There isn't much better in the world than hitting a 35 yard target with 150 year old black powder technology.

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Feel free to add your own Range Report.

 

[shadow355]

Kudos to the 1860.

Barrel lengths are made in reference to the rifling of the handgun & Rifle. The rifling in the handgun is made to the length of the barrel to assist the bullet in stability while going through the air. The rifling ( Twist rate ) in a 4" barrel handgun will not be the same as the rifling and twist in a 2", or 2.5" pistol.

To cut the barrel length on a handgun, is to degrade the accuracy of the handgun, or destroy the accuracy all together.

Shadow 355

 

[Ernie S.]

I just put the first 5 round through one of my 2 Uberti Cattleman Colt 1873 replica. First round hit dead center of a piece of 2x4 that I tossed out about 15 yards. Of the next 5, 4 hit a gallon milk jug at 30 yards one flier, my fault, I'd say, unless I get a flier next time.
The guns are gorgeous, non-sequential serial number twins
344500 model with brass back strap and trigger guard

 

[shadow355]

Feel free to add your own Range Report.

I am looking to get a Sig P229 - .40 caliber. As soon as I do, I will put some rounds through it and write it up.

Great thread.

Shadow 355

 

[9thIDdoc]

I have a Ruger Old Army percussion revolver that is a (literal) blast to shoot. Uses .457 lead balls. I love it. Powerful accurate and cheap to shoot. Only problem is that you have to wait a while for the smoke to clear to see what you hit.

 

[Ernie S.]

Second time out with the 1873s, I set up a target at 30 yards and loaded 250 grain flat points. it shoots a bit low and left, but I put them all in a 5" circle.
I have not fired any hollow points yet. at a buck a round, I'll shoot the cheapies (75 cents) for a while until I get them on point.

 

[westwall]

Feel free to add your own Range Report.

I am looking to get a Sig P229 - .40 caliber. As soon as I do, I will put some rounds through it and write it up.

Great thread.

Shadow 355

I have owned a 229 in .40 since they were first sold. I also have the .357 SiG barrel for it and I truly love the pistol. Very accurate and pleasant to shoot even with pretty stout handloads.

 

[Dan Stubbs]

Took some new and some old guns to the range...loads of fun. Here is the report.

EAA VVindicator 38 Special/357 Magnum 2 inch snub nosed. Fun shooter in 38 with a strong recoil...357 is a handful. Not very accurate over 7 yards. Well built for the money, but imported with a 4" barrel that is cut down and recrowned after importation. Good for the nightstand or truck gun. $269 new. If I had it to do again, I'd buy the 4" version.

View attachment 51492


Rossi Ranch Hand 45LC. This gun is a blast to shoot. I can shoulder it and fire it free hand. It is surprisingly accurate using the push-pull method, off hand to 25 yards, all shots in a four inch grouping. 50 yards from the shoulder was equally accurate. Recoil was almost non-existent. You could easily use this for pistol season hunting. I thought about buying the tax stamp and making this a short barrel rifle, but under federal law, once you make it into a SBR, you can never make it back into a pistol...just a shorter SBR.

While this firearm suffers from limited utility...I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it again. I have lots of 45LC firearms, so it made sense for me to get this in 45LC, for you, 44mag or 357mag might make more sense for you. I paid $300 used...$450 new price.

View attachment 51495

Rossi Circuit Judge, "Tactical" model . Calling this a tactical model is stupid, but it differentiates it from the wood stocked model. It is light...very light. It is very accurate in 45LC to 75 yards over open sights. The 410 is good with #6, #7.5 and #8 shot to 30 yards. Recoil is very light with 45lc and moderate light in 410. This is a really great gun. After testing it on the patterning range, I would not hesitate to hunt rabbits, squirrels and small birds with the 410, nor medium game up to deer size with the appropriate ammunition within these ranges. If I could only have one gun on a long hiking or canoe trip, this would be it. I paid $280 used (and painted green ) new $499.

View attachment 51498


Also took the 1860 Colt Army replica by Pietta. There isn't much better in the world than hitting a 35 yard target with 150 year old black powder technology.

View attachment 51500



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Feel free to add your own Range Report.

I was in a gun shop and spotted a 22 cal H and K with a 23 round mag looks just like the big version and darn thing is fun to shoot. I'll have to take a pix and post it.

 

[westwall]

I needed a new summertime carry pistol and picked up one of the Beretta Pico's. Super thin, and accurate as hell considering how damned small it is. It takes some getting used to because of how thin it is, it feels unnatural in the beginning. But after a couple of hundred rounds it is just fine.

 

[Dan Stubbs]

I needed a new summertime carry pistol and picked up one of the Beretta Pico's. Super thin, and accurate as hell considering how damned small it is. It takes some getting used to because of how thin it is, it feels unnatural in the beginning. But after a couple of hundred rounds it is just fine.

Pretty slick but I like a gun with a hammer for trick shots.

 

[SavannahMann]

I needed a new summertime carry pistol and picked up one of the Beretta Pico's. Super thin, and accurate as hell considering how damned small it is. It takes some getting used to because of how thin it is, it feels unnatural in the beginning. But after a couple of hundred rounds it is just fine.

I went with the Ruger LC9-S. Another in the endless striker fired pistols. Shoots reliably, and with reasonable accuracy considering the small size of the barrel for the class of pistol. Downside? Well there is one. Isn’t there always? Takedown of the pistol. It comes with a bright orange fake magazine. The reason? You have to pull the trigger to start taking the pistol down. And the pistol has a magazine safety, which means there has to be a magazine in the well to fire. Then you have to pop a pin out, which is slightly annoying. It is so slightly that I would certainly buy it again if I had to do all over again.

The manual safety is a little small at first, but you get used to it. Like the Pico, small and easy to conceal. Comes with a seven round mag with a finger extension, and a nine round “extended” mag. Spare mags are not hard to find. As for defensive use, which is what the thing is intended for, I would be comfortable carrying it for that.

 

[Missourian]

I needed a new summertime carry pistol and picked up one of the Beretta Pico's. Super thin, and accurate as hell considering how damned small it is. It takes some getting used to because of how thin it is, it feels unnatural in the beginning. But after a couple of hundred rounds it is just fine.

That's a nice one. I like how the edges are rounded off.

 

[Missourian]

For CCW, I went with the Taurus 709 Slim 9mm. It's similar in size to the Pico, but not nearly as sleek. It's actual the opposite...pretty blocky. BUT...it's small, thin and reliable. And the price was right at $179 new.

The Top 15 Smallest Pistols

I have the extended magazine to 10 rounds, but it really throws off the handling and balance...not to mention the concealability. I'll upload some pics tomorrow.

 

[westwall]

I needed a new summertime carry pistol and picked up one of the Beretta Pico's. Super thin, and accurate as hell considering how damned small it is. It takes some getting used to because of how thin it is, it feels unnatural in the beginning. But after a couple of hundred rounds it is just fine.

That's a nice one. I like how the edges are rounded off.

Yes, I carry it in my front left pocket and my cash hides it very well. It draws relatively easy as well.

 

[westwall]

For CCW, I went with the Taurus 709 Slim 9mm. It's similar in size to the Pico, but not nearly as sleek. It's actual the opposite...pretty blocky. BUT...it's small, thin and reliable. And the price was right at $179 new.

The Top 15 Smallest Pistols

View attachment 210964

I have the extended magazine to 10 rounds, but it really throws off the handling and balance...not to mention the concealability. I'll upload some pics tomorrow.

I looked at that one too, but I needed as thin as possible.

 

[fncceo]

I just put the first 5 round through one of my 2 Uberti Cattleman Colt 1873 replica. First round hit dead center of a piece of 2x4 that I tossed out about 15 yards. Of the next 5, 4 hit a gallon milk jug at 30 yards one flier, my fault, I'd say, unless I get a flier next time.
The guns are gorgeous, non-sequential serial number twins
344500 model with brass back strap and trigger guardView attachment 51644 View attachment 51645

I have a pair of those ... soooo pretty.