In fact, you CAN suppress a revolver, as long as you use the 1895 Nagant that seals the gap between the cylinder and barrel to prevent gases from escaping!:
-Michad
Showing posts with label michad's shooting bench reloading handloading shooting revolvers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label michad's shooting bench reloading handloading shooting revolvers. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Great Firearms: The Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum
For the first installment of Great Firearms I bring you the Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum revolver:
Before S&W began using a model number system of identifying their firearms, the Model 19 was known as the "Combat Magnum". Smith & Wesson approached famed Border Patrolman and firearms professional Bill Jordan about what features a police officer would like to see in a sidearm. Jordan's knowldege of what worked well for a police officer was invaluable to S&W, who at the time pretty much had the market cornered in police sidearms in the United States. (Colt, while a presence on the police firearms scene, really didn't have the market share that S&W did.) Jordan suggested that the ideal police sidearm should chamber the .357 Magnum cartridge, and should not be overly heavy, so that it was comfortable for the officer to wear all day. At the time, Smith & Wesson's Model 27 was the premier .357 Magnum double-action revolver, but it was built on the large N-frame and was rather bulky and heavy for a sidearm that was to be worn all day and shot very little. Jordan suggested that S&W build their new revolver on their K-frame, which was slightly smaller than the N-frame. Jordan suggested that, while the K-frame would be smaller and therefore not as strong as the N-frame, the .357 Magnum could still be chambered in it; He stated that the new revolver should be "loaded with .38 Special for practice, and .357 Magnum for business purposes." In November 1955, S&W produced the first K-frame "Combat Magnum" which would later come to be known as the Smith & Wesson Model 19.
My own Model 19 is a 19-4, produced in 1977. It is an blued steel model. (The stainless steel model of the Model 19 is called the Model 66. Side Note: Anytime a S&W model number begins with a "6" the gun is a stainless steel version.) My example shows some slight holster wear, from when it was carried by my father when he began his law enforcement career. It is one of the most accurate, smoothest shooting revolvers I have ever fired. I can easily put six shots into one ragged hole at 25 yards, and both the double and single action pull on the gun is simply amazing. The Smith and Wesson Model 19 truly is a Great Firearm, and was the ideal sidearm for the peace officer when revolvers resided in the holsters of our nation's law enforcement.
Before S&W began using a model number system of identifying their firearms, the Model 19 was known as the "Combat Magnum". Smith & Wesson approached famed Border Patrolman and firearms professional Bill Jordan about what features a police officer would like to see in a sidearm. Jordan's knowldege of what worked well for a police officer was invaluable to S&W, who at the time pretty much had the market cornered in police sidearms in the United States. (Colt, while a presence on the police firearms scene, really didn't have the market share that S&W did.) Jordan suggested that the ideal police sidearm should chamber the .357 Magnum cartridge, and should not be overly heavy, so that it was comfortable for the officer to wear all day. At the time, Smith & Wesson's Model 27 was the premier .357 Magnum double-action revolver, but it was built on the large N-frame and was rather bulky and heavy for a sidearm that was to be worn all day and shot very little. Jordan suggested that S&W build their new revolver on their K-frame, which was slightly smaller than the N-frame. Jordan suggested that, while the K-frame would be smaller and therefore not as strong as the N-frame, the .357 Magnum could still be chambered in it; He stated that the new revolver should be "loaded with .38 Special for practice, and .357 Magnum for business purposes." In November 1955, S&W produced the first K-frame "Combat Magnum" which would later come to be known as the Smith & Wesson Model 19.
My own Model 19 is a 19-4, produced in 1977. It is an blued steel model. (The stainless steel model of the Model 19 is called the Model 66. Side Note: Anytime a S&W model number begins with a "6" the gun is a stainless steel version.) My example shows some slight holster wear, from when it was carried by my father when he began his law enforcement career. It is one of the most accurate, smoothest shooting revolvers I have ever fired. I can easily put six shots into one ragged hole at 25 yards, and both the double and single action pull on the gun is simply amazing. The Smith and Wesson Model 19 truly is a Great Firearm, and was the ideal sidearm for the peace officer when revolvers resided in the holsters of our nation's law enforcement.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Some cats want to play with cat toys and sleep all day. Kitten wants her ammunition to be purr-fect. Kitten is a reloader.
It has certainly been tough for Kitten in the reloading world, the whole having no thumbs thing makes it kind of hard to adjust her dies haha.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Rounds Downrange: The Showdown Between H110 and Hercules 2400 For .357 Magnum Hunting Loads
Well, even though hunting season is a quite a ways off, here in the Pine Tree State it's never too early to start preparing for the cold mornings traipsing through the woods looking for that monster buck. It's an exhilarating pastime, to say the least. Even if you don't see anything, you still have fun usually (unless you make a misstep and end up knee-deep in swamp water). In preparation for hunting season and wanting to use my reloading equipment to craft some high-quality, low-quantity hunting ammunition, this segment of Rounds Downrange involves an experiment; a showdown between Hodgdon's H110 magnum pistol powder, and Hercules 2400 (Hercules Powder is now known as Alliant Powder, fyi.) Both are the quintessential magnum pistol powders, and are also applicable in a few other calibers as well.
Hercules 2400 powder, now known as Alliant 2400, has a rich history when it comes to powering magnum cartridges. Elmer Keith, the noted firearms writer and experimenter utilized Hercules 2400 in most, if not all of his revolver loads. He began pushing the .38 Special cartridge harder and faster than it was ever intended, eventually paving the way for the development of the .357 Magnum as a result of his tinkering with the power of the .38 Special. (Side Note: When I first started reloading, an old 1 pound can of Hercules 2400 was one of my few powder choices. I tried a 6.7 grain load under a 158 grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter bullet, as per the reloading manuals suggested starting load. Let's just say that with such low pressure, the powder charge did not fully ignite, and left my Model 66 caked with unburnt powder residue. Stick to .357 Magnum or above to get a full powder burn.) Unlike H110, Hercules 2400 does not require a Magnum primer for reliable ignition. However, in the sake of uniformity, for this experiment we will be using magnum primers, with the powder charge reduced accordingly.
H110 is Hodgdon's premier magnum pistol powder. It is used primarily in the .357, .41, .44 Magnums and the .30 Carbine cartridge. It is a fairly more energetic powder than Hercules 2400. H110 does not typically like working well with reduced charges, and there tends to be very little deviation between minimum and maximum charge weights. Therefore, while caution during reloading is always a prudent idea, it is especially so when loading with H110. H110 is also different from Hercules 2400 in that it requires the use of a magnum primer.
The Model 66 isn't too friendly with .38 Spl loads of 2400
Cumulative Overall Length (COL) is very important
So, for this experiment, I will load eight .357 Magnum cartridges for each of the powders (H110 & 2400). Each cartridge will use the same Starline brass, and will all use the same Hornady 158 grain XTP jacketed bullet. I will start 1/10th of a grain above the minimum starting load and slowly work up increasing charge weights until we are close to maximum. Each round will be seated with a heavy crimp in the cannelure of the XTP bullet, and will be at a COL of 1.580". I will casually evaluate cartridge performance on a few different targets, and choose the one that best fits my needs for small scale production.
Stay tuned for pictures once I start loading the H110 rounds (the 2400 rounds are already done) and for video and pictures along with an update once I make it to the range for the test.
-Michad
Hercules 2400 powder, now known as Alliant 2400, has a rich history when it comes to powering magnum cartridges. Elmer Keith, the noted firearms writer and experimenter utilized Hercules 2400 in most, if not all of his revolver loads. He began pushing the .38 Special cartridge harder and faster than it was ever intended, eventually paving the way for the development of the .357 Magnum as a result of his tinkering with the power of the .38 Special. (Side Note: When I first started reloading, an old 1 pound can of Hercules 2400 was one of my few powder choices. I tried a 6.7 grain load under a 158 grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter bullet, as per the reloading manuals suggested starting load. Let's just say that with such low pressure, the powder charge did not fully ignite, and left my Model 66 caked with unburnt powder residue. Stick to .357 Magnum or above to get a full powder burn.) Unlike H110, Hercules 2400 does not require a Magnum primer for reliable ignition. However, in the sake of uniformity, for this experiment we will be using magnum primers, with the powder charge reduced accordingly.
H110 is Hodgdon's premier magnum pistol powder. It is used primarily in the .357, .41, .44 Magnums and the .30 Carbine cartridge. It is a fairly more energetic powder than Hercules 2400. H110 does not typically like working well with reduced charges, and there tends to be very little deviation between minimum and maximum charge weights. Therefore, while caution during reloading is always a prudent idea, it is especially so when loading with H110. H110 is also different from Hercules 2400 in that it requires the use of a magnum primer.
The Model 66 isn't too friendly with .38 Spl loads of 2400
Cumulative Overall Length (COL) is very important
So, for this experiment, I will load eight .357 Magnum cartridges for each of the powders (H110 & 2400). Each cartridge will use the same Starline brass, and will all use the same Hornady 158 grain XTP jacketed bullet. I will start 1/10th of a grain above the minimum starting load and slowly work up increasing charge weights until we are close to maximum. Each round will be seated with a heavy crimp in the cannelure of the XTP bullet, and will be at a COL of 1.580". I will casually evaluate cartridge performance on a few different targets, and choose the one that best fits my needs for small scale production.
Stay tuned for pictures once I start loading the H110 rounds (the 2400 rounds are already done) and for video and pictures along with an update once I make it to the range for the test.
-Michad
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Introducing the "Rounds Downrange" segment of Michad's Shooting Bench
From time to time, my curiosity is piqued by something I read or see on any one of the shooting and reloading shows I watch. Sometimes I just wonder if there will be any difference if I use Powder X instead of Powder Y. What if I change the seating depth of the bullet? Will that make any difference in accuracy or performance? This is the concept of the "Rounds Downrange" segment of this blog. Whenever you see a Rounds Downrange header for a blog post, it's going to be something from the shooting or reloading world that I wanted to investigate and experiment with to see the results for myself. I'm still consulting all reference materials to keep these experiments safe mind you, but it's the "what if's?" that keep the reloading and shooting hobbies fresh and exciting.
So, lets get down to the first installment of Rounds Downrange. This first entry is a video that I made to visually illustrate the variations in burning rate of various powders that I have on hand. This is not an exhaustive test, just a simple experiment to show how the powders burn differently from one another. All the charges are the same (5.0 grains) so the only variable is the powder itself. It's pretty interesting to see how the powders burn in open air. One thing is for sure, H110 burns really, really slowly!
Enjoy the first segment, and look for more coming down the line.
-Michad
So, lets get down to the first installment of Rounds Downrange. This first entry is a video that I made to visually illustrate the variations in burning rate of various powders that I have on hand. This is not an exhaustive test, just a simple experiment to show how the powders burn differently from one another. All the charges are the same (5.0 grains) so the only variable is the powder itself. It's pretty interesting to see how the powders burn in open air. One thing is for sure, H110 burns really, really slowly!
Enjoy the first segment, and look for more coming down the line.
-Michad
Shooting Fully Automatic Firearms
I remember when we had the Maxim Machine Gun Shoot up in Dover-Foxcroft back when I was younger. It's too bad its not going on anymore these days. It sure is nice to see a bunch of law-abiding, responsible adults coming together to enjoy shooting firearms in a safe manner. And yes, all the guns are legally owned, it's not illegal to own a fully-automatic firearm, you just need to either find a transferable fully-automatic that was registered with the ATF before the machine gun registry closed in 1986, or be a licensed Class III dealer.Then you just need the proper ATF paperwork and the right amount of money, considering one of the cheapest legally transferable fully-automatic firearms, the Madsen sub-machine gun retails for around $9,000. A legal WWII vintage BAR in .30-06 is even more breathtaking at approximately $25,000.
The Mad Aussie and the SIG556 Rifle
The Sig-Sauer 556 in 5.56x45mm. A great rifle, very accurate and first-class manufacturing quality all add up to a great all-around package. It's a nice departure from the standard AR-style platform for the 5.56x45mm cartridge.
Shooting The Mad Aussie's PolyTech AK-47 Underfolder
The AK47 is always fun to shoot. It's definitely not as accurate or well-machined as, say, a SIG556A1, but it does same thing just as well. The sheetmetal folding stock is a nice touch, albeit a little uncomfortable.
Michad's Shooting Bench now on YouTube!
Hey everyone,
Michad's Shooting Bench now has it's own YouTube channel! I will be posting videos of various range trips that I take and any other thing that piques my interest. In the meantime, enjoy the videos that I have posted already, and rest assured there will be more to come! The link to the channel is copied below.
-Michad
www.youtube.com/michadsshootingbench
Michad's Shooting Bench now has it's own YouTube channel! I will be posting videos of various range trips that I take and any other thing that piques my interest. In the meantime, enjoy the videos that I have posted already, and rest assured there will be more to come! The link to the channel is copied below.
-Michad
www.youtube.com/michadsshootingbench
Welcome To The Shooting Bench!
First off, let me say Welcome to Michad's Shooting Bench. I started reading online blogs and perusing firearms forums as a young shooter, and continue to do so now, in my mid-twenties. I've been shooting since I was 10 years old, mainly handguns. I am most definitely a handgun person, particularly Smith & Wesson revolvers (although I never turn down the chance to shoot any revolver). That will probably explain why you won't see many posts regarding rifles on my blog. Yes, rifles are a very important part of the firearms world and serve an extremely important role, but it just isn't what I enjoy shooting. In the past 6 months, I've gotten into reloading my own ammunition, and stories and experiences from my reloading and shooting my reloads will most likely comprise the vast majority of my blog posts. You'll get to see pictures from the reloading I do, videos from the range with my range buddy the Mad Aussie, and any various snapshots I'm able to capture during my journey through the firearms world. I don't consider myself an expert on reloading or firearms; just a guy who has an interest in the function and history of firearms and ammunition. From time to time I will post my opinion on things I've used and on firearms I've shot. You, the reader, may not agree with my opinions 100% of the time, but that's okay. Disagreement fosters thought, and thought fosters discussion, and new ideas. I hope you enjoy reading about my journey through the shooting and reloading world, and I'll do my best to keep you interested for the duration.
-Michad
-Michad
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