[Deputy]

Just got back from the range. WOW!!! Had a great time!!!
I started out at the plinking range with the 617. Loaded up with CCI .22 Long CB ammo. Fired a whole damn box and didn't ring one gong!!!
I told the guy sitting next to me "to hell with this...I'm checling out a target stand and a bullseye target". Got the bullseye target set up and started CCI Mini Mags. A bit "snappier" than the .22 Long CB stuff. I fired a cylinder of six and pulled out the spotting scope. Good grief. A nice tight pattern of low and to the right. So out comes my Swiss Army knife and I start making adjustments to the sight. After about 24 rounds I have the group dead center of the bullseye. Ahhh...now to attack thee nasty metal gong critters. I start popping off at them and I know I am hitting them because I can see them twirling around. But no sound. Then it hits me...my earmuffs are killing the gong sound!! I hear people saying "someone is shooting the crap out of those plates" and they are talking about me!!!!
I have the Peltor Tactical 7S ear muffs which kill gun noise but allow speech. Well the gong sound is so close to the gunshot that the earmuffs are still shut down to noise. Anyway, I had to just watch the targets to verify hits. And I was able to get verified hits all the way out to 100 yards. Not bad for tired old fuzzy vision eyes.

The S&W operated without any malfunctions at all. It got pretty funky after a while and my fingers were black with lead and soot, but the revolver popped out rounds like crazy. I got the technique down of feeding two rounds into the cylinder at a time. Very quick reloading that way.
I have no doubt the gun is capable of MUCH more accuracy than I am able to achieve with iron sights. If I can install a pistol scope WITHOUT drilling holes in the gun, I may do so.

The Hogue grips felt okay for my hands. i still don't like finger grooves, but it's not really worth switching to Pachmayrs for something with as light as recoil as this. Oh yeah...recoil. NONE! The K-frame and lugged barrel kept everything lined up with the target for rapid second shots. I fired both single action (cocking the hammer by hand), and staged double action. The staging ability on this is excellent. I can pull the trigger do that the hammer rapidly goes back to just before the firing position and ghold it there indefinitely. VERY COOL

All in all I give this revolver two thumbs up. It's not cheap as some .22 revolvers are, but it is VERY accurate and a lot of fun to shoot. I think, with the installation of a pistol scope, it shoud be possible for an old fart like me to have cloverleaf patterns in the target.

My next purchase? I'm looking real close at Marlin Model 1894 SS in .44 magnum.

Dep

 

[Deputy]

A quick update...just got done cleaning the 617. YIKES!!! Funk was EVERYWHERE!!!! There was a large deposit of crud on the inside of the triggerguard. At first I nearly shit a brick as it looked like the trigger had rubbed against the inside of the triggerguard and screwed up the stainless. But a little rubbing with Hoppe's #9 and it came right off. Whew!!! The bore and cylinder chambers weren't too bad, but the outside of the clinder took a lot of rubbing with Hoppes to get the funk off. I shot some Hoppe's Elite gun cleaner inside all the cylinders and I'm gonna let it sit in there for a while to make sure I get all the crud off. The inside of the barrel came clean real easy. Just some Hoppe's Elite gun cleaner and a .22 cal bore brush.

Dep

 

[Deputy]

Since I have so many .44 mag handguns, I figured a rifle to go with it would be a logical addition. And maybe I can shoot it without my hands turning bright red....LOL
I never owned a lever action before. Should be pretty cool.

Hey Searcher...think Max would approve of that rifle???

 

[Deputy]

I fired some plated bulk 35 grain (I think) Federal hollowpoint today. Not sure how clean it is though. By then I had gone through 100 CCI Long CB and 100 of the Minimag. I've still got a ton of the Federal left, so next time I go out I will be firing it. I'll see how funky it gets. I suspect the CCI .22 Long was pretty cruddy.

Cripes! I get a killer recoil out of .44 mag handguns. I was hoping the Marlin would be LESS recoil. Or at least, more bearable in rifle form. I got a lot of "padding" (read that as fat or muscle, I prefer muscle) up in the shoulder area, so maybe it won't be bad. I figured the recoil would be similar to the SKS carbine .

Dep

 

[Deputy]

Bummer

Went to order the Marlin rifle. EVERY distributor was out of stock
That freaking figures. I find a rifle that I REALLY want and I can't get it. Dang Cowboy Action Shooters gobbled them all up.

Anyway, I did find a cool .22 rifle that I ordered. I really like the Mannlicher stock type of rifle. So I ordered this .22 rifle made by CZ...

I may end up ordering a Puma Model 92 rifle in .44 mag at a future date. It's a clone of the Winchester 92 and they have it in octagon barrel and stainless steel.

 

[Deputy]

153: Well you are REALLY limiting me for rifle choices . I don't mind recoil in rifles. I've shot some that kicked my butt and left huge bruises in my shoulders. Heck, the .44 mag pistol was the most brutal recoil I've had in pistol OR rifle.
Actually, if I could get a .44 mag in bolt action, I'd probably grab it. But the .44 mag seems to be mainly chambered for lever guns. I don't want .45 Colt or .357 mag because I don't want another caliber to buy ammo for. I want something that will take the same ammo as my S&W magnums.
Browning doesn't chamber any rifles for .44 mag. Winchester doesn't even make the Model 92 any more. Ruger makes a .44 magnum lever action but it looks funky and has an arched lever. Too bad Ruger doesn't chamber the M77 in .44 mag. I'd grab it in a heartbeart. Nothing from Remington.
The Marlin is nice, but it may take a LONG time before I can get one.

So I guess I am screwed for a while for getting a .44 mag rifle

Dep

 

[Deputy]

Searcher: If I could get a NEW Ruger .44 Magnum Carbine, aka Deerstalker, I would probably do it. But I don't like buying used guns. Only exception I make is used military guns. The Ruger .44 mag Carbine is VERY cool. Sorta like a super-duty M1 Carbine. But I can't bring myself to buy used. I am either going to wait out the Marlin lever gun, or buy a CZ with the Mannlicher stock in .30/06 like the .22 I have on order.

Dep

 

[Deputy]

Searcher: I am really hurting as far as gun dealers in my area. I have ONE in town, and he's very small, and anything I buy from him has to be ordered. The joys of living in a small town in the middle of nowhere

Here's the CZ big bore .30/06 I am looking at. I have a lot of .30/06 ammo because of the M1 Garands I collect....

Remington makes one like it (the Model Seven) but it's over $2,000. The CZ is $768 list price.