Here's an old Range Report that might be of use..
Hello. I bought this revolver on 12.08.89 for $460, but never really shot it all that much over the years. While I "liked" the gun, I've never really cared for the full-length underlug so common on S&Ws today. It's fine on a Colt Python, but just isn't my "cup of tea." The shooting that I had done with this thing had pretty much been limited to .45 ACP using the half-moon clips that came with the pistol as well as some full-moon clips I purchased later. I also rather quickly invested in a little handtool for removing the fired cases from the moon clips. I didn't like the Pachmayr "Gripper" stocks that came on the revolver and replaced them with the same company's "Compacts." (I
know they
should be wooden, but I've just put a pair on my Mountain Gun as well as my Model 24 so it'll be a little while!) It's had no trigger work. The DA pull is a bit heavier than on my other N-frames, but the SA is extremely light. I'm told that the DA's a bit heavier to insure ignition even if the moonclip's not exactly up flush with the rear of the cylinder; I don't know.
Anyway, here's the gun as currently set up and showing both full and half-moon clips loaded with .45 ACP rounds and the "tool of mercy."
A time back, I decided it was time to begin shooting other than my Browning HPs and 1911s............so I did! (I still shoot them very regularly, but I kind of like shooting wheelies, too!) I ordered 2000 R-P Auto Rim cases such that I could load/unload the gun "normally," i.e.: w/o the stinkin' moonclips. Jerry Miculek might be poison with them, but I'm not and simply prefer to work w/o the clips.
I'd also hoped to be able to get this thing to be a ballistic equal of the .45 Colt cartridge "honestly," but not too "hotly" loaded for the S&Ws. In that I did not succeed to my satisfaction, BUT I did get something pretty nice. More on that later.
Chronography: I also chronographed some handloaded Auto Rim rounds as well as some common .45 ACP factory rounds. The average velocities listed are based on 10-shot averages. The Extreme Spread and Standard Deviations are listed as well. The chronograph was 12' from the end of the muzzle. All figures are rounded to the nearest "full number." The chronograph was a Chrony Master w/printer and all those darned function thingys. (If I hit the wrong button, I'm dead.)
All cases are new R-P and all primers used are Winchester Large Pistol.
Handloaded .45 AR:
Rainier 200 gr PSWC
7.0 gr Unique
LOA: 1.23"
Average Velocity: 953 ft/sec
ES: 75 ft/sec
SD: 26 ft/sec
Sierra 200 gr "Competition" JFP (Don't know if this one's still even being made.)
4.2 gr Bullseye
LOA: 1.17"
Average Velocity: 697 ft/sec
ES: 34
SD: 15
Speer 230 gr Gold Dot Hollow Point
7.0 gr Unique
LOA: 1.23"
Average Velocity: 937 ft/sec
ES: 35
SD: 12
Rucker 185 gr "Competition Plus" CSWC
7.2 gr Unique
LOA: 1.25"
Average Velocity: 897 ft/sec
ES: 56
SD: 21
Rucker 230 gr CRN
7.2 gr Unique
LOA: 1.23"
Average Velocity: 895 ft/sec
ES: 67
SD: 20
Kead 255 gr CSWC
6.0 gr Unique
LOA: 1.20"
Average Velocity: 860 ft/sec
ES: 32
SD: 11
Speer 200 gr JHP (Pre-Gold Dot)
7.2 gr Unique
LOA: 1.18"
Average Velocity: 873 ft/sec
ES: 99
SD: 40
Factory .45 ACP:
Federal Classic 230 gr JHP
Average Velocity: 854 ft/sec
ES: 52
SD: 18
Federal 230 gr HydraShok (Old style truncated cone bullet)
Average Velocity: 901 ft/sec
ES: 18
SD: 7
Winchester USA 230 grain FMJ
Average Velocity: 804 ft/sec
ES: 14
SD: 5
Triton 230 gr QuikShok Prefrag +P
Average Velocity: 930 ft/sec
ES: 27
SD: 13
Remington 230 gr Golden Saber JHP
Average Velocity: 840 ft/sec
ES: 6
SD: 3
PMC 230 gr Starfire JHP
Average Velocity: 848 ft/sec
ES: 33
SD: 14
Note that this revolver seems to be more efficient in terms of ft/sec per grain of powder with the heavier slugs. Also, I have NEVER seen Golden Sabers have such uniform velocities as with these today. The USA ball was also surprisingly uniform.
Continued...