I came to enjoy revolvers.
So I’ve been drooling over the Night Guard revolvers since I first became away of them – about a year ago. I’m a long time gun guy and, over the course of the last year or so, have really become enamored with revolvers. In a safe or two full of all sorts of evil black rifles, auto this and auto that, I had just two revolvers. And those revolvers saw very little use. The first, a S&W Model 37, .38 Airweight was the first gun I ever bought on my own. It has a somewhat storied and checkered past, but that’s a story for another time. It has sat in the safe for the majority of its life. Then there was a S&W 640 stainless .357. One that I bought on an impulse and never really shot all that much because the recoil was too umph for me. Funny, especially since I’m a man’s man, big hands, big tough guy and all that (ironically, after my foray into revolvers over the last twelve months or so, I realized it just needed new grips – now it gets a regular workout).
I was browsing about in a local gun store about this time last year and I said to myself, “Self, you ought to buy a revolver.” I ended up buying a S&W 329PD .44 magnum. Again, an impulse buy. It looked and felt like a toy, but was fun to shoot. I mean, shoot, Clint had one (a .44), why not me? I used Special loads, 240g bullets, all the way up to hard cast 300g bullets. Enjoyable. Part of me, I think, likes the big boom and the recoil. And maybe the dirty looks from the .22 shooters at the range. Well, shoot, don’t stop me now. They’ve got something even bigger? A S&W 500? Dang, I just had to get one of those too. I thought about the 2” bbl, but not even I could justify that. I got the 4” bbl and a set of Dies for my 550 and began to enjoy bigger & better. I haven’t hunted with it yet, but am thinking it would be kind of fun to go out with it when the boys go hunting.
All of a sudden, though, I realized that my 329PD wasn’t that fun to shoot. It probably wasn’t helped that the gun had to go back to S&W because of some problems. I’ve still got it, might sell it, but decide that I needed another revolver. What’s this? Small, black, loud? A 329 Night Guard. Oh yes, had to have that one. This, I thought, was the perfect gun for me. Oh yes, probably best to tell you that the majority of my shooting is 25’ or so. I am into rifles and like driving tacks at long distance, but to me, a pistol is simply what you use until you can get a rifle. I mostly enjoy shooting holes in paper and killing tin cans, but I am a big believer in the right to self protection and concealed carry. The 329 isn’t a good ccw gun, but maybe the 386 or 396 would be. But I’m still having a blast with my 329 Night Guard. I like it so much, I decide to go buy a 325 Night Guard. This is nearing perfection. I really like the way it shoots, and have put some Jerry Miculek grips on it. This is a great ccw gun (remember, I’m a big guy). The 325 leads me to the 625, which quickly follows me home. This, imho, is perfection. I’ve had the 625 for about six months or so and have easily done five thousand rounds with it. The Dillon 650 setup for .45 really helps. I change calibers around a bit with the 550, but the 650 is cranking out plenty of .45 ammo. Since I was so thrilled with the transition from the 325 to the 625, I figure a bigger, heavier (but not too big, not too heavy) .44 would be good too. Great, this leads me to the 629 Carry Comp. (As a side note, it’s a great thing my career as a bank robber has been so successful…!). In relatively quick progression, a 610 joins the stable and a 327 2” join the stable. Damn, I may need a new safe. What’s happening to me? I discover the joy of moonclipping and pick up a few moonclipping tools from the friendly folks at www.mooncliptool.com. I think I actually bought the 10mm moonclip tool before I bought the 610. So with that $40 investment, I knew I would have to spend a grand or two on 10mm stuff. I knew there would be a 310 in the Night Guard series, but hadn’t seen any available and nobody knew when they were going to appear. I happened to be chatting with a guy from S&W one day (still trying to work through issues with that piece of crap 329PD) and I asked him when they would start shipping. He tells me October. Hmm, ok, well, we’ll see. I shop a bit at Bud’s Online Gun Shop (isn’t it just amazing what you can buy online? Guns. Machineguns. A wife. Hell, everything.) In this case, though, I put the 310 on my wishlist. About two weeks ago I received an automated email from Bud’s that said the 310 was in. I snapped it up and only just now had the free time to go out and shoot it today. In the meantime, though, I added a S&W 617 10rd .22 4” to the collection. (ok, now even I have to stop and count now… this is what, 10 revolvers in under a year? God, there’s probably a counseling session or something I should attend…!).
I brought the 310 home a few nights ago and promptly took off those crappy Packmayr type grips that come with them (got three brand new sets for sale for N-frame revolvers if you happen to love them) and ended up putting the wooden grips from the 327PC 2” .357. A match made in heaven – and they look just great too. I put the 310 in a vertical scabbard holster from Kramer Leather and off to the range I go. I start with a box of 180g fmj and moonclip up 50 rds. I completely fill nine moonclips because I had 4 extra rounds from the last two boxes when I was out with the 610 (6x8=48). So I’m all set to go. I set the target out at about 25’ and empty the first six shots with single action pulls. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what it breaks at, but it feels natural. The revolver points very well and these N-frame wooden grips with grooves for my fingers feels just great. Five of the six shots land in the x-ring. I look quickly around to see if anybody else has witnessed what a good shot I am. Damn, nobody notices. With the 10mm loads it was harder than the 325 with 230g fmj, but less than the 329 with 240g fmj. Which, I guess you’d kind of expect. Again, I’m a big guy, so I’m ok with this. My hand fits the grips very well. There is a slightly uneven surface between the rear strap and the grips, which digs into my hand as the afternoon wears on. More my fault than the 310 – I might have to replace the grips or find a better solution. The next six shots are on double action and now I’ve got one round in the x-ring and the rest scattered about the torso of a standard silhouette target. Damn, I think the guy next to me has noticed what a crappy shot I am. Did I mention that the 310 is loud? Yes, it’s loud. And, perhaps this is a function of the specific ammo I’m using, but I’m getting a lot of muzzle flash as well. Would probably want to think about experimenting with different brands of ammo if I were to use this as a ccw and would carry at night. The sights were pretty much dead on with the 310 and I spent about an hour going through 100 rounds – 50 of the 10mm and 50 of the .40 cal. Shooting it with the .40 was really a joy – it was a tame beast and, at the 25’ range I was shooting, had about the same point of impact as the 10mm. I suppose some will go get the trajectory tables out and figure the math out behind this, but, hey, what can I say? That’s what I saw. Keep in mind that I’m happy if I get all the shots center mass on the silhouette target – yeah, x-rings are good too, but getting shot anywhere center mass with any of my guns would just suck. So I’m not too caught up in the perfect group size or spelling my initials out or anything like that. So… I’m not really sure what to say in a range report other than my first impressions – this one is a keeper. I like the way it feels, the way it points, the way it shoots, and I like the fact that I have the flexibility to shoot either 10mm or .40 cal.
So… if you thought this day at the range was through, I’ve got news for you. There’s more. Remember how I said that I had purchased a 617 as well? Funny, as I’ve shunned revolvers for the better part of two decades, I’ve also pretty much thought that a .22 was for wimps. Yeah, I’ve got a few .22 pistols of this or that – the only real reason is because I’m into NFA stuff as well and have a few .22 cans that, um, require a .22 pistol. I’ve got a great little Ruger Mk II with an integral can. And a P22 that I can use a Gemtech Outback on. I also move the Outback over to a really nice Walther PPK. Until today the PPK was my favorite .22. Now the 617 is my favorite .22. I’m already thinking about having the bbl cut down a bit and having an adapter made so that I can use the Outback with the 617. Too bad the Outback is anodized black and the 617 is stainless. Guess this means I need to get a stainless can so the fashion police don’t come after me. In any event, I bought a brick of Federal .22 ammo. Less than $20. Yeah, that’s $0.04/per round. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I want to take out the 10mm (or the 500!). I figured that brick would keep me in .22 ammo for the next few weeks. Uh, no, sorry, I shot 550 rounds of .22 today in the 617. How did that happen? Beats me, but it was about two and a half hours or so. I had a box of Colibri ammo – the kind with no gunpowder. I went through a box of that and it was “phwwwtttt, clang” as the bullet hits the backstop. But, um, about those other 10 boxes of Federal? Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang. 50 times. One thing I’m having a really difficult time with in my revolvers is accurately shooting double-action. With all of the larger guns I cock and fire single action almost every time. I don’t mind saying I’m a pretty decent shot – but shooting double action with the kind of revolvers I like (uh, big bore snubbies…) is hard. Anyway, I decided that I would concentrate on double-action only with the 617 today. The trigger on the 617 is nice – and it only got better as I went along. Most of my double-action 10-rd groups were in the x-ring at 25’. Damn if I don’t say what a great shot I am. I was reminded of the county fair where you have the full auto bb gun and you try to shoot out the star. I was changing targets every hundred rounds and had some 50 cent, maybe 75 cent holes in the paper (yeah, I know, work with me – you know what I mean). I loaded up on some of the most excellent DS-10-Speed loaders and a loading block (ds10speed.spaces.live.com/) for the 617. I’ll have to take some pics – it is very nice and permitted me to really quickly go through 50 or 60 rounds. Note to self – ensure you shoot at a well ventilated ranged when going through this much 22LR ammo. Lot of dust, lot of smoke, lot of crap in the air. I thought it might not be a bad idea to bring a mask (filter, think of the mast a surgeon wears) in the future. I definitely felt that I breathed in a lot of crap. But had a blast with it. The 617 is my new favorite gun.
And you thought this would be all about the 310.
☺
So I’ve been drooling over the Night Guard revolvers since I first became away of them – about a year ago. I’m a long time gun guy and, over the course of the last year or so, have really become enamored with revolvers. In a safe or two full of all sorts of evil black rifles, auto this and auto that, I had just two revolvers. And those revolvers saw very little use. The first, a S&W Model 37, .38 Airweight was the first gun I ever bought on my own. It has a somewhat storied and checkered past, but that’s a story for another time. It has sat in the safe for the majority of its life. Then there was a S&W 640 stainless .357. One that I bought on an impulse and never really shot all that much because the recoil was too umph for me. Funny, especially since I’m a man’s man, big hands, big tough guy and all that (ironically, after my foray into revolvers over the last twelve months or so, I realized it just needed new grips – now it gets a regular workout).
I was browsing about in a local gun store about this time last year and I said to myself, “Self, you ought to buy a revolver.” I ended up buying a S&W 329PD .44 magnum. Again, an impulse buy. It looked and felt like a toy, but was fun to shoot. I mean, shoot, Clint had one (a .44), why not me? I used Special loads, 240g bullets, all the way up to hard cast 300g bullets. Enjoyable. Part of me, I think, likes the big boom and the recoil. And maybe the dirty looks from the .22 shooters at the range. Well, shoot, don’t stop me now. They’ve got something even bigger? A S&W 500? Dang, I just had to get one of those too. I thought about the 2” bbl, but not even I could justify that. I got the 4” bbl and a set of Dies for my 550 and began to enjoy bigger & better. I haven’t hunted with it yet, but am thinking it would be kind of fun to go out with it when the boys go hunting.
All of a sudden, though, I realized that my 329PD wasn’t that fun to shoot. It probably wasn’t helped that the gun had to go back to S&W because of some problems. I’ve still got it, might sell it, but decide that I needed another revolver. What’s this? Small, black, loud? A 329 Night Guard. Oh yes, had to have that one. This, I thought, was the perfect gun for me. Oh yes, probably best to tell you that the majority of my shooting is 25’ or so. I am into rifles and like driving tacks at long distance, but to me, a pistol is simply what you use until you can get a rifle. I mostly enjoy shooting holes in paper and killing tin cans, but I am a big believer in the right to self protection and concealed carry. The 329 isn’t a good ccw gun, but maybe the 386 or 396 would be. But I’m still having a blast with my 329 Night Guard. I like it so much, I decide to go buy a 325 Night Guard. This is nearing perfection. I really like the way it shoots, and have put some Jerry Miculek grips on it. This is a great ccw gun (remember, I’m a big guy). The 325 leads me to the 625, which quickly follows me home. This, imho, is perfection. I’ve had the 625 for about six months or so and have easily done five thousand rounds with it. The Dillon 650 setup for .45 really helps. I change calibers around a bit with the 550, but the 650 is cranking out plenty of .45 ammo. Since I was so thrilled with the transition from the 325 to the 625, I figure a bigger, heavier (but not too big, not too heavy) .44 would be good too. Great, this leads me to the 629 Carry Comp. (As a side note, it’s a great thing my career as a bank robber has been so successful…!). In relatively quick progression, a 610 joins the stable and a 327 2” join the stable. Damn, I may need a new safe. What’s happening to me? I discover the joy of moonclipping and pick up a few moonclipping tools from the friendly folks at www.mooncliptool.com. I think I actually bought the 10mm moonclip tool before I bought the 610. So with that $40 investment, I knew I would have to spend a grand or two on 10mm stuff. I knew there would be a 310 in the Night Guard series, but hadn’t seen any available and nobody knew when they were going to appear. I happened to be chatting with a guy from S&W one day (still trying to work through issues with that piece of crap 329PD) and I asked him when they would start shipping. He tells me October. Hmm, ok, well, we’ll see. I shop a bit at Bud’s Online Gun Shop (isn’t it just amazing what you can buy online? Guns. Machineguns. A wife. Hell, everything.) In this case, though, I put the 310 on my wishlist. About two weeks ago I received an automated email from Bud’s that said the 310 was in. I snapped it up and only just now had the free time to go out and shoot it today. In the meantime, though, I added a S&W 617 10rd .22 4” to the collection. (ok, now even I have to stop and count now… this is what, 10 revolvers in under a year? God, there’s probably a counseling session or something I should attend…!).
I brought the 310 home a few nights ago and promptly took off those crappy Packmayr type grips that come with them (got three brand new sets for sale for N-frame revolvers if you happen to love them) and ended up putting the wooden grips from the 327PC 2” .357. A match made in heaven – and they look just great too. I put the 310 in a vertical scabbard holster from Kramer Leather and off to the range I go. I start with a box of 180g fmj and moonclip up 50 rds. I completely fill nine moonclips because I had 4 extra rounds from the last two boxes when I was out with the 610 (6x8=48). So I’m all set to go. I set the target out at about 25’ and empty the first six shots with single action pulls. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what it breaks at, but it feels natural. The revolver points very well and these N-frame wooden grips with grooves for my fingers feels just great. Five of the six shots land in the x-ring. I look quickly around to see if anybody else has witnessed what a good shot I am. Damn, nobody notices. With the 10mm loads it was harder than the 325 with 230g fmj, but less than the 329 with 240g fmj. Which, I guess you’d kind of expect. Again, I’m a big guy, so I’m ok with this. My hand fits the grips very well. There is a slightly uneven surface between the rear strap and the grips, which digs into my hand as the afternoon wears on. More my fault than the 310 – I might have to replace the grips or find a better solution. The next six shots are on double action and now I’ve got one round in the x-ring and the rest scattered about the torso of a standard silhouette target. Damn, I think the guy next to me has noticed what a crappy shot I am. Did I mention that the 310 is loud? Yes, it’s loud. And, perhaps this is a function of the specific ammo I’m using, but I’m getting a lot of muzzle flash as well. Would probably want to think about experimenting with different brands of ammo if I were to use this as a ccw and would carry at night. The sights were pretty much dead on with the 310 and I spent about an hour going through 100 rounds – 50 of the 10mm and 50 of the .40 cal. Shooting it with the .40 was really a joy – it was a tame beast and, at the 25’ range I was shooting, had about the same point of impact as the 10mm. I suppose some will go get the trajectory tables out and figure the math out behind this, but, hey, what can I say? That’s what I saw. Keep in mind that I’m happy if I get all the shots center mass on the silhouette target – yeah, x-rings are good too, but getting shot anywhere center mass with any of my guns would just suck. So I’m not too caught up in the perfect group size or spelling my initials out or anything like that. So… I’m not really sure what to say in a range report other than my first impressions – this one is a keeper. I like the way it feels, the way it points, the way it shoots, and I like the fact that I have the flexibility to shoot either 10mm or .40 cal.
So… if you thought this day at the range was through, I’ve got news for you. There’s more. Remember how I said that I had purchased a 617 as well? Funny, as I’ve shunned revolvers for the better part of two decades, I’ve also pretty much thought that a .22 was for wimps. Yeah, I’ve got a few .22 pistols of this or that – the only real reason is because I’m into NFA stuff as well and have a few .22 cans that, um, require a .22 pistol. I’ve got a great little Ruger Mk II with an integral can. And a P22 that I can use a Gemtech Outback on. I also move the Outback over to a really nice Walther PPK. Until today the PPK was my favorite .22. Now the 617 is my favorite .22. I’m already thinking about having the bbl cut down a bit and having an adapter made so that I can use the Outback with the 617. Too bad the Outback is anodized black and the 617 is stainless. Guess this means I need to get a stainless can so the fashion police don’t come after me. In any event, I bought a brick of Federal .22 ammo. Less than $20. Yeah, that’s $0.04/per round. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I want to take out the 10mm (or the 500!). I figured that brick would keep me in .22 ammo for the next few weeks. Uh, no, sorry, I shot 550 rounds of .22 today in the 617. How did that happen? Beats me, but it was about two and a half hours or so. I had a box of Colibri ammo – the kind with no gunpowder. I went through a box of that and it was “phwwwtttt, clang” as the bullet hits the backstop. But, um, about those other 10 boxes of Federal? Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang. 50 times. One thing I’m having a really difficult time with in my revolvers is accurately shooting double-action. With all of the larger guns I cock and fire single action almost every time. I don’t mind saying I’m a pretty decent shot – but shooting double action with the kind of revolvers I like (uh, big bore snubbies…) is hard. Anyway, I decided that I would concentrate on double-action only with the 617 today. The trigger on the 617 is nice – and it only got better as I went along. Most of my double-action 10-rd groups were in the x-ring at 25’. Damn if I don’t say what a great shot I am. I was reminded of the county fair where you have the full auto bb gun and you try to shoot out the star. I was changing targets every hundred rounds and had some 50 cent, maybe 75 cent holes in the paper (yeah, I know, work with me – you know what I mean). I loaded up on some of the most excellent DS-10-Speed loaders and a loading block (ds10speed.spaces.live.com/) for the 617. I’ll have to take some pics – it is very nice and permitted me to really quickly go through 50 or 60 rounds. Note to self – ensure you shoot at a well ventilated ranged when going through this much 22LR ammo. Lot of dust, lot of smoke, lot of crap in the air. I thought it might not be a bad idea to bring a mask (filter, think of the mast a surgeon wears) in the future. I definitely felt that I breathed in a lot of crap. But had a blast with it. The 617 is my new favorite gun.
And you thought this would be all about the 310.
☺
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