S&W 22 Victory - Update

This is a story of plain, old-fashioned, good luck. There’s no other way to describe it. The gun was introduced to the public and I became one of its earliest customers. Several factors should have warned me away from the purchase but I decided to take a chance despite the odds. I was happy, albeit skeptical, to be among the first members of the shooting public to put one in service and have been happier each time it goes to the range with me.

I wrote an article on the SW22 Victory in July 2016, shortly after my purchase. You can read that story here. This is a bit of an update but also includes information I gained from my lengthy experience with the gun.

SW22 Victory with Tandemkross Victory trigger installed

Smith & Wesson has a long and storied history of designing and manufacturing fine products. It is not, however, without a misstep or two along the way. In fact, S&W has not been a leader in the industry in the .22lr genre. Its Model 41 and Model 17 are, perhaps, the only ones of a fairly large group of S&W 22s that stand at or near the top of that heap. To expect a “real winner” to emerge with the introduction of a totally new design would have been a stretch for someone with a modicum of 22lr marksmanship experience/expertise.

In this case, S&W exceeded expectations. The SW22 Victory is indeed a “real winner” - perhaps THE winner - in its market niche.

Today, S&W offers eight variants of the SW22 Victory ranging in price from an MSRP of $469 for the most basic model to a Performance Center version at $945. Bells & whistles aside, the basic model - which can probably be had “on the street” for slightly over four benjamins - is definitely in the category of “one whale of a lot of gun for the money.”

Back to my story of good luck.  At the time of my purchase decision, I had plenty of handgun experience in general and 22 plinking in particular. Kicking a tin can along the ground with multiple shots from a 22 handgun is definitely my kind of fun. If goaded a little, I’ll tack up a target on the backstop and see if I can put any holes close to the bullseye but it really ain’t my game. I take plenty of criticism about this from my regular shooting buddies who claim bullseye shooting is the best way to learn how to shoot more accurately and hone one’s skills. They’re probably right and they apparently have fun doing it but that paper bullseye never talked back to them with a loud “plink” and never jumped up in the air to stumble along the ground. Paper targets don’t produce giggles for the shooter.

A demonstration of World-Class marksmanship would involve dragging out an S&W Model 41 or one of several European “purpose-built” counterparts. I have one of those and appreciate the extra lengths that go into the design and craftsmanship necessary to excel at this endeavor. They don’t, however, do much extra over a much more mundane pistol when it comes to making a tin can dance at 10 or 20 yards. Even with one of those guns, however, Wold-Class marksmanship demonstrations are not possible with my geriatric eyesight and “twitchy” muscle control. Plinking at the semi-pro level is my game these days.

I was able to handle an SW22 Victory before its public availability. The ergonomics were nothing short of wonderful for me. Also, the number on the price tag was much less than I expected to see. At that price, I could afford to wind up with a lemon, take a loss on the sale, and chalk it up to a learning experience. Nothing else mattered.

Shooting “the Victory” was a pleasant but not unexpected surprise. The trigger feel was most certainly NOT “match-grade.” It had some creep and did not break as clean as possible. Low/no creep and “breaks like glass” triggers are not expected in guns that haven’t been tuned by a gunsmith anyway, and this one was no exception. It wasn’t that bad, compared to other guns new from the factory, so there was nothing to complain about. I used cheap ammo on purpose to see how it would handle rounds that frequently caused hiccups in semi-automatic pistols. The Victory didn’t miss a beat. This was an eye-opener because the Rugers and Brownings that are its peers are all finicky with cheap 22 ammo. A 22 semi that doesn’t fail to feed or eject and has a light strike here and there is almost unheard of but somebody forgot to tell the S&W designers about that requirement. They left “glitch-free” in the specs. 

Once I got used to the trigger - its shortcomings were easily overcome with practice - the thing was amazingly accurate. It soon became one of the guns I shoot the best, and this includes some pretty high-priced and finely tuned specimens. OK, it's reliable and it’s accurate. How will all this stand up after it has some rounds through it? While pondering this question I was regularly shooting a very nice Buckmark I had acquired from a friend and which had been tuned by a very competent local gunsmith. The Browning routinely produced very good-looking groups on the paper targets and would easily push the cans around in plinking sessions. It also had my definition of perfect ergonomics and the trigger was to die for (remember I said gunsmith tuning?). The Buckmark, however, was emphatic about its hygiene. Ms. Buckmark would refuse to perform properly if she didn’t get a regular bath. I didn’t particularly find fault with Ms. Buckmark’s attitude in this regard but a little more latitude with the cleaning schedule would be nice.

With all this in mind, I decided to put the Victory through a torture test of sorts. I’m not talking about abuse. There was no running over the gun with the truck, no throwing sand into the mechanism, and no stuffing mud into the muzzle. The protocol was to put a drop of oil on the slide periodically, inspect the bore for debris and obstructions, and shoot the hell out of it. Good quality, expensive ammo was also eliminated from Mr. Victory’s diet. Remington Golden Bullets, Federal Champion, and whatever else I could find that was sold in bulk was served to the little guy. He ate them all up and asked for a second helping. No burps, belches, light strikes, or jams. By “no” I don’t mean “not excessive”, I mean zero, nada, none. Zip. I simply could not find a brand of ammo that would not run reliably.

While executing the ammo challenge I noticed the round count beginning to take on a notable size. I started to pay more attention to the areas of the gun that would likely suffer from accumulated gunpowder residue mixed with oil and areas around the chamber where debris or wear might have an adverse effect. None were evident. “Let’s see how far this thing will go without a cleaning;” I said. “Sacrilege;” my friends shouted. “Regular cleaning is required. To do otherwise is a crime. You’re a pervert;” they said. Well, regular inspections prevented damage from lack of cleaning.

Several years passed on this protocol. I shot Mr. Victory and Ms. Buckmark alternately several times a month and kept piling on the round count for each. Ms. Buckmark continued to get a bath more often than I liked but she performed well (not perfectly) under this regime. Mr. Victory just giggled at her and kept on belching bullets reliably. One day I saw a YouTube video that described the installation of an aftermarket trigger designed for the SW22 Victory. It made claims for large improvements in trigger feel and this was the one area - after all my experience with it - I thought Mr. Victory could use some help.

Now, at this point, the gun had accumulated a total of more than 7,500 rounds fired. No cleaning. No adjustments, no parts replaced. It was still performing as it did when new - actually a little better because the mating surfaces had worn in a bit. Okay, I thought to myself. The torture test has proven the excellence of the design and further use without changing the recoil spring could be bad. The test is over. Mr. Victory is the valedictorian of his class.

My friend, a master gunsmith, laid hands on Mr. Victory. We call what he did “detail cleaning.” Not EVERY part of the gun came out but the ones that didn’t can’t get dirty anyway and were working perfectly. There was a spot or two inside that could have used a bit of swabbing earlier on but didn’t obstruct the operation or have a potential for damage or corrosion. A new OEM recoil spring and the trigger upgrade parts were installed as the gun went back together. A trigger pull weight gauge was used to test the new arrangement and it showed the break at 2 lbs. Both the gunsmith and I gave the trigger a human test and judged the feel of the break to be exceptionally clean and crisp - “like a glass rod”.

Now, with the trigger upgrade, will Mr. Victory compete with the Performance Center Model 41 or the high-priced European competition guns? I don’t know because I don’t have the skills to perform the accuracy tests or a Ransome Rest to “proof” the mechanical accuracy. I do know that the gun is more accurate than I am and I do know that nothing I’ve ever handled or owned could be more reliable. I consider the SW22 Victory to be one of the best guns I own, and I’m including some that are worth two or three times what I have in it. 

Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Beretta, Glock, Colt, and other well-respected manufacturers will turn out a lemon every once in a while. There can be a bad apple or two among thousands of great pistols of a particular model and a company can introduce a model that just doesn't do what it was advertised to do. Those are the chances we consumers take when we buy a pistol - particularly one of a new model design.  In this case, I got lucky. Mr. Victory is “one fine sumbish.”

M1 Carbine

30 Caliber M1 Carbine

The M1 Carbine was put into service by the U. S. Military in July, 1942. Since then millions of these rifles have been produced for various military contracts and even today the ubiquitous carbine is produced for the civilian market using original military specifications but with modern fabrication techniques and metallurgy. It should also be noted that the M1 Carbine is not just a shortened, smaller, or lighter version of the well known M1 Garand, used by the U. S. Military at approximately the same time. The Carbine is most certainly all of those things (shorter, smaller, and lighter) but the two rifles do not operate the same way and have distinct “quirks” and characteristics.

This won’t be a history lesson nor a “product evaluation” of the specific examples we’ve tested. We just want to let you know about the gun and why all of us hold it to be one of the few “most fun guns to shoot” in our respective arsenals.

“The Carbine,” as we’ve come to nickname the little beast, isn’t the “best” rifle we own or know of in any of the various common categories. It has “quirks” that some shooters would say eliminates it from consideration for ownership by them. It uses ammo not common to many other guns. There is not an abundance of gizmos and accessories to supplement, modify, or customize the rifle. The sights are “antique” and not easily changed or modified. The rifle and its ammo struggles to be deadly at distances greater than about 150 yards. However, …

Mr. Carbine is short and light, making it easy to tote around during a day in the field, or a couple of hours at the range. Its “peep sight” system is easy to use, even by folks with geezer eyes and more so than most other “iron sight” systems. There are ways to cobble a scope onto the beastie but, since we shoot it at shorter ranges than most of our other rifles, the added challenge of finding a target without the aid of magnification gives an extra measure of satisfaction to a well placed shot.

Even with full power ammo the carbine produces recoil of a magnitude well below the uncomfortable level and noise much quieter than its more powerful cousins. Speaking of noise, the carbine puts out a unique bark that’s hard to describe and recognizably different in level, tone, and duration than other rifles.  Other shooters at the range will turn their heads quizzically when Mr. Carbine lights off. The felt recoil is enough to let you know you’ve fired something much more powerful than a 22lr but not enough to inflict pain even after several rounds fired in rapid succession. This is probably due, at least partially, to the relatively robust action taking up a significant amount of the energy produced. The unique bark and relatively light bite of Mr. Carbine combine to make the shooting experience unusual and pleasant.

When one recognizes that the M1 Carbine was never intended to be an offensive weapon it begins to shine as one that completely fulfills its proposed mission - a feature not common among firearms produced.  There are far too many guns that seem to be “the answer to a question nobody ever asked” but Mr. Carbine certainly is not one of those.  The little guy is far more capable at self defense than a handgun (there’s no substitute for sight radius), and that’s exactly the question put to its designers. Its ammo produces enough energy - when used short of its designed maximum range - to inflict serious (deadly?) damage on the target. It is small and light enough to be truly portable, so that it is likely to be conveniently available when needed - instead of propped up in a corner somewhere because the “owner” grew tired of hauling it around. A 30-round magazine gives Mr. Carbine plenty of capacity for a sustained firefight, while mags of lesser capacity (15, 10, & 5) are available for hunting or range use.

Ammunition for the beastie - 30 Carbine - is certainly not common (not carried at the local Walmart) but neither is it so rare that a well-stocked gun store won’t have some. It is also not exceedingly expensive - a bit more than 5.56 (223 Rem) but less than many rifle calibers. Reloading dies and components are also readily available, allowing those of us who “roll our own” to maintain a copious inventory inexpensively. The “standard” projectile used in the 30 Carbine cartridge is .308” (7.62 mm) diameter and 110 grains in weight.  Lighter and heavier bullets are available for those who want to experiment with the ammo, and with modern gunpowders there is room in the case to accommodate a heavier bullet while maintaining an appropriate maximum overall length.

For those who like to recover their brass, Mr. Carbine does not throw it very far away nor scatter it around widely.  Replacement brass is easily available and not overly expensive but recovering spent brass is still very preferable and not having to spend a lot of time searching for it is a big plus. After firing a string it’s nice to find the brass in a nearby, relatively small, area.

Sure, there’s a bit of nostalgia involved with owning and shooting a WWII vintage rifle, but even without those feelings Mr. Carbine provides a well mannered shooting experience with enough difference from other rifles to make it interesting on its own. The ammo is unusual - straight walled instead of bottleneck (as is most common for rifle cartridges) - but provides plenty of power for short-to-mid range assignments. Mr. Carbine does not qualify for 600 yd sniper work but performs very well on coyote, other small-to-mid sized game, or zombie shots out to about 100 yds and a decent shooter with good eyesight should have no trouble making these shots using the standard iron sights of the original design.

So, Mr. Carbine provides lots of shooting fun with a gun whose design has been around a long time, has withstood the test of time, and proven itself to be reliable and effective in battle.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
December, 2016

Battle of the Aristocrats; Sig v. Beretta

Beretta 92fs

More than 30 years ago (1985) the US Army held a competition and picked a new standard issue sidearm. The two finalists were the Beretta 92 and the Sig Sauer P226. In the end, politics dictated the winner because the objective results were effectively a solid tie. Some would say it was sad that the two best pistols in this event - at least by Army standards - were designs from across the pond (Italy & West Germany), in spite of the numerous American arms manufacturers in existence at the time. Both Sig Sauer and Beretta, however, now have large manufacturing and design operations in the U.S.

Sig Sauer P226

Both guns were of a relatively new design at the time, although both manufacturers had significant semi-auto pistol history from which to draw and both had well-deserved reputations for fielding products of high quality and solid dependability. Both guns feature frames made of high-strength aluminum alloy and both use a “hammer fired” design for ignition.  There are some other similarities (size/weight, capacity, D/A-S/A action, etc.) but that’s about the end of the resemblance in design. Suffice it to say that both Beretta and Sig employed their own time-tested architecture to their new package and each produced a gun that has contributed significantly to their respective reputations for quality and durability. Both of the guns are truly “Aristocrats” in today’s large array of “service” semi-automatic weapons.

A history lesson is not our purpose here, nor is it our intent to call out one or the other as “better” so we’ll move on to other subjects. Each member of our dedicated little band of Pistoliers owns one or more variants of each gun; and greatly admires both. As we progressed through our testing exercises it became increasingly difficult for any of us to say which platform we’d give up if we had to.  We think everyone should have at least one variant of each, but will try to give some insight for those who want to own only one or the other. Also, it should be noted that both designs are available in several calibers but we will be focused here on the most popular version - 9mm Luger.

Reliability

Both platforms have been, as Sig puts it, “To hell and back” in 30 years worth of actual combat and law enforcement situations without developing an adverse reputation, and that kind of extensive real world experience would certainly have revealed any serious “warts”. Regular maintenance (detail cleaning and spring replacement) is required to guarantee continued reliability but is minimal in cost and intervals are long for casual civilian use. With this kind of care and use of decent ammo a failure would be rare indeed.

We’ve put as many different kinds of “factory” ammo as we could find and plenty of our own handloads through our guns without any failures to fire, feed or eject - except with a few cartridges that proved to be definitely out of spec.  I’d like to say we made that ammo poorly on purpose but, what the heck, journalistic integrity requires a bit of honesty, right. In any event, if you feed the Sig or Beretta a diet of regular maintenance and decent ammo, you’ll get 100% reliability - at least in our experience.

We rate the two guns dead even in this category.

Durability

If you buy one of these guns when you’re 21 and put 1,000 rounds a month through it, you may wear it out before you can pass it on to your grandchild. Probably not, though if you change the springs on schedule, use some good lube regularly on the moving parts, and shoot decent ammo. The typical points to show wear on these guns are the “rails” where the slide (upper) moves along the frame (lower) when firing, and this is true on both the Sig and Beretta. Wear at these points, however, can be minimized with proper lubrication and even so a small amount of wear in these areas doesn’t affect reliability or accuracy. 

Other places where wear can occur are the various points at which the barrel locks up with the slide, and this is true with any semi-auto. If you never clean/relube the gun, and throw a bit of pumice or fine sand in the assembly, the barrel/slide engagement will wear over time and in this case accuracy will be affected.  Regular cleaning, however, will eliminate this possibility and the intervals aren’t even that short unless operations take place in pretty hostile geography.

Speaking of hostile geography, the open top of the Beretta slide makes for easier clean-out of the slide if the gun is regularly submerged in mud or sand; or if the gun is used as a cranial battering ram against zombies. Normal civilian use, however, does not favor the exposed barrel nor does the design detract from the gun in any way we can foresee. It does not even affect the overall weight of the guns, which both come in at 34 oz.

For what it’s worth, the slide on today’s Sig is a milled, stainless steel unit while the Beretta slide is made from a proprietary carbon steel alloy. We have no reason to believe the Beretta version is less strong or corrosion-resistant.

Once again, we rate the two guns dead even in this category.

Accuracy

Lets remember that both of these guns are “service pistols.” As such, they are not designed to, nor expected to, print 1” groups at 100 yards, even out of a mechanical bench rest. Both of them, however, do better than most others in this class. In fact, Sig produces a variant of the P226 in its MasterShop (known as the X5 series) which adds a 5” match grade barrel and other improvements that make it into a world class marksmanship competition piece.  

We regularly ring 6” steel and even put most holes in a 3” paper bullseye freehand from a standing position at 20 -25 yards using the basic versions of these pistols. So, for the casual shooter - self defense or practice/plinking - accuracy of the gun will not be a concern. If the sights provided do not meet one’s desires, the dovetail mounting design on both guns makes it easy to change into something more suitable, and a wide variety of aftermarket products are available.

As with most pistols, judicious choices in ammunition can improve accuracy dramatically for target shooting, while almost anything is good enough for short range defense purposes. The Beretta barrel has a slightly greater inside diameter than the sig which is not enough to detract from its short range effectiveness but shooters who demand minimal group sizes on paper targets can enhance the Beretta’s performance by using bullets of .357 in size instead of the nominal .355 or .356 9mm projectiles. For some reason the Sig doesn’t seem to respond to this anomaly, firing either bullet into acceptably small groups.

We rate the two guns even in this category when comparing the basic models of each platform.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is more than just how well the gun fits the hand of a shooter, although that’s a big part of it.  The two guns are practically the same in overall size and weight, and both come nowadays in a “compact” variant which is about a half inch shorter and about a quarter inch less grip length. This doesn’t sound like much but makes a pretty big difference in concealment ability. The Beretta is a tad “fatter” in slide width giving the Sig a slight edge for carry and is also a bit “fatter” in the grip.  For shooters with regular-to-large hands and fingers, the amount of extra grip girth is noticeable but not an irritant. For those with smaller hands and/or shorter fingers the Sig gets a pretty big plus in the grip feel department.  For those folks, today’s Sig can also be had with what it calls a “E2” grip which diminishes the bulk even further.

As mentioned above, the dovetail design for sight mounting makes it easy to install sights tailored to the needs of the owner if the “factory standard” are not right for a particular individual; except for the front site on the Beretta 92fs and M9, which are not dovetail mounted.  Sight radius, especially in the full size models, is sufficient to give even average shooters a chance at decent marksmanship, and the compact versions (92c for the Beretta and P229 for the Sig) shave only a slight amount off of that dimension.

The Sig design incorporates a de-cocker mounted on the frame that lets the hammer down safely with a round in the chamber.  Sig intends the gun to be carried in that configuration. The Beretta design also has a de-cocker but it is mounted on the slide and incorporates a firing pin block safety in its operation. The Beretta design results in the addition of a manual safety feature but it must be disengaged by pushing up the lever prior to firing the first shot, which would be in D/A mode. Most D/A pistols do not have a manual safety as a standard feature.

Advantage (slight) Sig. The two guns compare to each other very favorably in this category but we give the edge to Sig here because the grip size/design better fits a wider variety of hand/finger sizes. We also believe the manual safety feature of the Beretta de-cocker is unnecessary on a pistol in D/A mode. If someone wanted to carry the Beretta with the safety engaged, the operator would have to remember that its activation is backwards to most other manual safeties; certainly for 1911 operators.

Capacity

Both the Beretta and the Sig are delivered in “non communist” jurisdictions with 15 round magazines (apologies to readers in restricted areas but I just couldn’t resist). The manufacturers and aftermarket are, however, replete with dependable alternatives that raise the capacity to 20 rounds and even 30 in the case of Beretta.  Of course the higher capacity mags stick out from the bottom of the grip when installed and affect the balance of the firearm when in use - dramatically so in the case of the Beretta 30rnd.

With loaded standard capacity magazines installed, both guns balance well and, in our humble opinion, 15 rounds - or 13 in the case of the 40 S&W caliber - is sufficient for personal defense. If one wanted to have a loaded pistol (properly stored, of course) in the home, one of the larger capacity magazines might be appropriate because “balance” would probably not be a major concern for use in a home invasion scenario.

We rate the guns even in this category, keeping in mind the 30 round Beretta capacity for those who place a lot of value in that sort of thing.

Conclusion

We did hold a round or two of test firing by our whole group, sharing all our variants of both guns to verify our long-held beliefs about them, but nothing much changed. We came back - after plenty of “I like ...”, “what i ...f”, and “zombie defense scenario” debates - with the same conclusion as did the Army in 1985. The two pistols are functional equivalents, with only minor pluses and minuses to color the debate.

We all agree that the Beretta’s slightly larger grip girth makes it less than perfect for shooters with small hands and/or short fingers even with extra thin grip panels available in the aftermarket. Others notice the difference but don’t find it displeasing.

We all also find the Beretta’s inclusion of a manual safety into the de-cocker to be unnecessary and even a bit objectionable, but you can leave the safety in the “off” position all the time and the gun would be the functional equivalent of the Sig in this area.

Buy both: you’ll like them equally, even though they’re a bit different in many ways. If you can’t, the Beretta will cost you a few bucks less but the Sig makes many of us feel like we’re holding a bit more “polished” piece of machinery.

Respectfully Submitted

The Bunker Bunch

September, 2016

S&W 586

S&W 586-2 Nickel finish with Hogue Monogrip

Smith & Wesson (S&W®) introduced the original Model 586 with adjustable sights in 1981, along with several new features. It and the Model 581 (same gun but with fixed sights) were the first of S&W’s “L-Frame” guns, specifically designed to stand up to the stressful effects of shooting full-power .357 Magnum rounds. In those days the high-pressure 125-grain .357s were some of the hottest ammo available, and Smith’s offering of the time - the K-frame 357 (Model 19) - was found to be lacking in the durability department so S&W beefed up the frame, the forcing cone, and the cylinder with the new L-Frame. The guns were given a full-length barrel underlug to add weight to help counter the sharp recoil and abrupt muzzle flip of those magnum loads. The 581 and 586 immediately appealed to law enforcement (remember that this was before the era of the “wonder nines”), and they spawned the stainless-steel S&W Models 681 and 686, which were announced to the public at about the same time.

Today, S&W markets its “Classic” series of revolvers, which take the original designs of its most famous and remarkable “old-time” models and brings them up to modern metallurgical and safety standards. Of course, finding a pristine example of an original would be preferable to many of us but the difficulty of the search and, many times, the cost of such a discovery can be avoided by purchasing one of the current “Classic” offerings; especially if it’s shooting instead of nostalgia that’s the main reason for the quest. Here’s a link to the S&W web page for the 586 classic.

Link to S&W Classic Revolvers

Our 586-2 is one of the originals, finished in bright nickel, and was a trade-in at the store. The near-perfect condition of the piece caught our attention, with its finish brighter than the chrome on Elvis’ Cadillac. Then the ultra-smooth feel of the action brought on mass quantities of desire.  A quick look inside to check for any hidden “warts” indicated that it’s internals were as pristine as the external aesthetics, so the venerable old wheelie was quickly given a new home. It is a well known urban legend, after all, that shiny nickel guns are blessed with an additional thaumaturgy that mysteriously boosts accuracy and potency.

Aside from a bit of nostalgia associated with this piece, its main attraction for our group is the magnificent trigger feel and excellent balance. The action had undoubtedly been “touched by a master” (smoothed out by a decent gunsmith) somewhere along the way because production guns just don’t come directly from any manufacturer with a trigger as smooth as this one except from a “Pro Shop” (aka Custom Shop, Master Shop, etc.) and then not even many of them are this good. We still believe this gun's action was massaged by a master but reading of several internet forums reveals that the original 586 was well known for its buttery smooth action.

Even so, it’s not uncommon to find a revolver with a decent single action trigger feel and we require the S/A feel to be both extremely crisp and light on our target guns. Dressing up the right internal parts will usually give us what we’re looking for in this department if we’re dealing with a decent brand to start with (S&W, Ruger, etc.). A couple of guys in our group are truly Master gunsmiths and don’t have to spend too much time with this kind of project when we find the need. Double action trigger feel in a revolver is, however, a green horse - a horse of a different color - because there are a lot of additional parts that each have to be refinished individually and then matched to each other and the gun. It’s an entirely different game than dealing with a semi-auto because the D/A trigger activation not only cocks the hammer but also rotates the cylinder (in 5, 6, or more positions) and locks it into position for ignition.

Compared to shooting single action, D/A mode is also a very green horse, for both revolvers and pistols. Wheelies, however, present additional challenges because the trigger pull distance is generally longer, heavier, and involves the activation of more parts under pressure. If you can make a pretty small group with the hammer cocked manually before each shot, you might be surprised to find out how poorly you shoot the same gun in D/A mode. One of our group - a retired LE Officer - is very good at D/A shooting because he “cut his teeth” carrying a revolver “back in the day” and took great pride in his much-higher-than-required qualifying scores.  Even today, Dr. Double (PHD in D/A) outshoots plenty of ordinary folks sporting high grade wheelies in S/A mode and expensive custom 1911’s.

So, acquisition of the “smooth-as-butter” Nickel Smith gave the rest of us the kind of advantage we needed to stay in the game (not outperform, mind you, even if he’s having a bad day) with Dr. Double. With this “new” gun we could make the steel ring almost as many times as the good Doctor, avoiding the usual embarrassment and gaining some useful practice by not having to give up so quickly in chagrin. One day, we might talk one of our “magicians” into tackling the D/A action job on one of our other guns, but that’s another story.

The 586 is a S&W classic, like many of its offerings of that era.  The guns were so good at the time that many of them became ubiquitous among law enforcement and target shooters of the era.  That kind of reputation was built on fine design and quality control in manufacturing, which S&W handled well throughout that era. The 4” model we have balances in the hand extremely well and the sight radius is long enough to provide stability for our 20-25 yard range sessions. Combined with the light, crisp S/A trigger feel and the buttery smooth D/A pull, we ring the steel a satisfyingly high percentage of the time. Mind you, we don’t shoot full-house 357 loads all the time at these sessions because of our creaky old bones and low tolerance for joint pain, but the L-frame seems like it would certainly handle the stress it if we did.

Not surprisingly, the inherent accuracy of the gun itself is excellent.  With ammunition of known good quality  the old lady repeatedly punched very small-sized groups in our target paper. The white “bullseye” circle in the center is 1 inch and the larger blue circle is 3 inches. We performed this evaluation just to confirm our suspicions about the vintage Smith but our anticipated use for it will be mainly to perfect our D/A trigger finger protocols and for a bit of ego boost after some D/A shooting of one of the other wheelies which has more of a “herky-jerky” action.

So, Lords & Ladies, harken back with me to the days of yesteryear, when men were men, airplanes had propellers, and a good wheel gun was the shiznit. A good used 586 (686 if you prefer stainless) or one of S&W’s modern “Classic Series” replica offerings, would be an excellent addition to anyone’s stable of great shooting revolvers.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
August, 2016

S&W 929

Our small group of seasoned pistoliers is fortunate to come in contact with some pretty nice firearms from time to time and even more so to be given an opportunity to shoot enough rounds through them to perform a more than cursory assessment. We were given an opportunity to wring out the Model 929 from S&W’s Performance Center® on its maiden voyage with a new owner and we stumbled all over ourselves to get our hands on it. We had to summon up all our Southern Gentleman manners to keep from slobbering all over it and to let the owner be first to pull the trigger. This is one “badass” looking wheel gun, folks.

Introduced in 2014, the Model 929-1 is an N-Frame, 9mm Luger, 8-shot, double/single action revolver featuring a stainless steel frame and titanium alloy cylinder. Other custom features, such as adjustable rear sight, trigger travel stop, removable muzzle compensator, teardrop shaped hammer, Hogue rubber finger-groove monogrip, and performance center action tuning place this gun squarely in the camp of high-end competition tools.  The 929 is ideal for revolver operators who compete in Bianchi Cup, U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE) and Steel Challenge. Champion shooting competitor Jerry Miculek, the most decorated revolver shooter in the world, lends his signature to the frame of the 929.

Ergonomics is more than just how the gun feels in your hand when you pick it up.  Simply checking it out at the store versus firing several boxes of ammo during a range session can (and often do) result in very different impressions about how the gun feels in the shooter’s hand. The 929’s overall combination of ergonomic factors result in a gun that is comfortable in a wide variety of hand and finger sizes. Our group of shooters is broadly diverse in size and grip preferences but, even so, none of us had a complaint in this area.  We expect that most buyers will leave the Hogue rubber Monogrip in place but aftermarket replacement to fine-tune the grip feel should be easily available. Plentiful sight radius and light, crisp trigger feel are also included to enhance the ergonomic excellence of this gun.

The layout of and type of sights fitted to the gun impact a shooter’s ability to acquire the target quickly and cleanly, especially in rapid fire situations. Weight and balance affect the ability of a shooter to position the gun correctly, hold that position for target acquisition and trigger pull, and return naturally to firing position after each shot.

Accuracy is what it’s all about with this type of gun – one that goes far beyond “good enough to disable a threat” in a defense situation.  Competition and personal satisfaction at the range dictate that any deviation from point of aim must not be caused by the gun. In the hands of a highly skilled shooter using high quality ammo, projectiles from the 929 absolutely will make “one ragged hole” in the target even at longer-than-normal distances. The reputation of the S&W Performance Center® will not suffer from this model.

So, I really wanna buy one of these beauties, but what am I gonna do with it?

Tactical/Combat – the 929 is a seriously “badass” looking gun but many tactical aficionados would argue that no revolver could claim that attribute.  After all, there’s no accessory rail for hanging on laser sights, flashlights, microwave ovens or beer coolers.  ☺ The 8-shot moon clip is seriously inferior in capacity to the 15 or 20-round magazines fitted to lots of “combat” semi-autos.  On the other hand, the seriously fine-tuned double action trigger feel makes rapid fire accuracy attainable more so than most other revolvers, the compensator makes bringing the muzzle back on target easier and quicker than most other handguns – wheelie or semi – and the moon clip ammo system makes reloading almost as fast as magazine changes in a semi-auto.

Carry/Concealed Carry – The trick to any successful carry regime is an appropriate holster.  Assuming that requirement is met, the 929 could very easily be considered a proper “open carry” gun but its overall size/length makes it a bit more difficult to conceal unless wardrobe includes a long overcoat or a shoulder rig is the preferred arrangement.  Without the concealment constraint, the 929’s 8-round capacity and relatively fast reload capability (because of the moon clip system) make it an entirely appropriate every day carry gun. Despite its stainless steel frame, the 929 doesn’t seem as heavy as it should for its size.  The titanium cylinder helps with that.

Home Defense – Most all defense experts will tell us to get a shotgun or semi-auto carbine for home defense. Where that’s not feasible or desirable, a handgun can reasonably be used as a substitute, and the 8-round onboard capacity with quick reload “moon clip” capability combine to overcome whatever perceived handicaps the revolver platform might have had. Add to that the “idiot proof” reliability of revolvers over semi-autos and the 929 becomes an excellent choice for home defense. Especially when deployed in addition to the 12-gauge already on duty.

Recreational Shooting – Lots of folks own and shoot guns that do not fall into the personal defense, hunting, or competition categories.  There is enjoyment to be gained from mastering the personal challenge of causing a projectile to hit a target very close to the point at which it was aimed.  Having the correct tools – gun, accessories, ammunition, etc. – to aid in meeting that challenge is easily enough justification for buying a high-end revolver such as the 929, and the package S&W has assembled here meets this criteria in spades. It most definitely puts bullets where the shooter points it and the silky smooth feel of the trigger - both in single and double action modes - is as good as we’ve ever felt in a gun “straight out of the box”.

Competition – Clearly, this is the firearms niche S&W designers had in their sights. (pun intended)

Any endeavor that requires mastery of some degree of skill and/or demonstration of a particular talent usually winds up in “games” that pit the skills/talent of one participant against another or of the participant against a clock or other benchmark. As this activity has grown over the years the quality of the guns used has commensurately increased and even a very small incremental improvement means a win for the shooter who gets to implement it.  The model 929 incorporates all of the desirable features in its class. For those of us who don’t posses the skill or talent of the “Champion” category, the Model 929 is way more gun than we could hope to utilize but is one helluva lot of fun to shoot nonetheless.

Conclusion - We've handled several offerings from the Smith & Wesson Performance Center ® recently and this one is among the best, even from that hallowed source. Diagnosing the cause of a miss is easy with the 929.  It could be the ammo but is most likely a “brain fart” with the shooter. It damn sure ain’t the gun.

The compensator minimizes muzzle rise, allowing the shooter to bring the front sight right back on target after each shot.  This is a huge bonus in competitions which involve timed shooting and is a very nice addition even to activities where aiming is unhurried because it allows the brain to focus on other issues. This may not seem like such a big deal but it is to some shooters, who didn't even realize it until they’d been given a chance to actually use a compensator.

If you've ever tried marksmanship with a revolver in double action from beyond seven or ten yards, you might believe the manufacturers don’t give a flip how rough the trigger feels. It’s difficult to put rounds on target when the trigger pull tries to move the muzzle all over the place or when the pull weight is so high you think an electric winch would be a handy accessory. We've had to dress up the internals on almost every one of our revolvers to get a really smooth trigger pull; even some of those that are “high end” or came from a manufacturer’s “custom shop” or “performance center”.

Such was absolutely not the case with the 929. As mentioned earlier, this gun has probably the best “out of the box” trigger feel of any gun we can remember: right up there with the S&W 627 V-Comp we reviewed in October, 2015. The 929’s trigger is absolutely a joy.

The 929 uses a “moon clip” system to load the cylinder. This system is ideal for tactical or competition because it makes ejection of spent cartridges and reloading of ammo very quick and easy when time is a factor.  The system, however, is really not necessary or maybe even desirable for range use. It’s not optional like some guns where you can load it with or without the clip. The clips supplied with the gun were a bit hard to load and unload because they gripped the ammo we were using just a bit too tightly. Another brand of ammo might well have fit the clips perfectly, as all case dimensions (the diameter of the groove at the rear) vary slightly The owner tried to modify the clips with a file and went just a hair too far, making the clip hold the cartridges imperfectly.  He bought some aftermarket clips after that and they worked better.

If the gun will be used in competition or for personal defense, keeping several clips loaded up and handy makes our minor issue irrelevant.  Loading and unloading of the clips would then be done at a time when the gun is not in use. This, after all, is the intended purpose of the system anyway. Tools for loading and unloading the clips are available in the aftermarket which make the process quick and virtually painless. We recommend these for anyone who might want to use the 929 regularly, either in competition or for casual range use.

The 929 is neither inexpensive nor the kind of gun you’ll want to leave lying around in the glove compartment of your truck. It is a thoroughbred. It probably shouldn't be your first or only revolver but if you’re ready for, and can appreciate, a bit of nirvana at the range, this is it.  If you’re a revolver competitor you probably already know about the gun and we can only say that you will not be disappointed.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
August, 2016

Sig Sauer P320

Where’s the hammer?  What’s going to activate the firing pin?  This is really radical!  Since the days of the flintlock, there’s been something that falls onto a mechanism to ignite the gunpowder.

Among our group of pistoliers there is a definite prejudice toward hammer fired pistols, even in this modern age of “plastic fantastic” handguns.  We’ve been dragged, kicking and screaming, into the world of polymer framed guns, finally admitting that they work well enough and provide a means of less expensively crafting advanced ergonomics into guns that would otherwise leave lots to be desired. Even so, we still prefer wheelies or “old school” semi’s for our paper punching range work. We still believe that John Moses Browning was a more important figure in engineering legend than the Wright Brothers or Henry Ford - right up there with Willis Carrier, who invented air conditioning.

That having been said, we decided to give a close look at a striker-fired pistol about which we’ve been hearing good things lately; to see for ourselves.  If the Sig Sauer corporate propaganda is to be believed, there’s no reason for anyone to buy any other pistol than the P320.  Safety, accuracy, reliability, durability, adaptability, ergonomics, maintenance, and price all favor the Sig - or so they say.  Well … , at least some of this is true.

Safety - Considerations for deployment of a handgun to members of a law enforcement or military organization require them to be as “idiot proof” as possible. We don’t mean to imply that members of these organizations are less than stellar in the brainpower category but mass deployment of any mechanical system to a group of humans requires consideration of the possibility of error. Even though these groups of operators are exposed to an exponentially larger amount of training that John Q. Public, the incidence of “accidental” or “negligent” discharge in everyday use is high enough that the possibility of operator error needs to be engineered out of the product to the extent possible. Sig has gone to extra lengths in this area with the P320.  If you claim a discharge to be accidental instead of negligent - especially during routine maintenance - you’d better have a really good story or be able to prove a defect in the gun’s system or someone is going to call BS on you pretty quick. “The gun went off by itself” just ain’t gonna work with the 320, and you don’t have to activate the damn trigger to get the gun apart. A full explanation of the safety features is available at www.sigsauer.com

Maintenance - If you know about Sig’s P250 you already know a lot about the 320. The “modular” concept is practically identical. A simple but true phrase is: “The 320 is a striker-fired 250.” No tools are required for disassembly. This is a fairly common feature today but Sig takes the concept a big step further by allowing even the “trigger group” to be easily removed from the frame without tools or special skills. This allows all moving parts in the frame assembly to be removed for easy cleaning and the process is both quick and mentally painless.

The barrel/slide/firing block assembly is a conventional semi-auto design, allowing the barrel to be removed for easy cleaning of the removable parts.  The trigger group is a “cassette” design, with all the little pins, parts, springs, and levers contained in one assembly, which is easily removed from the grip frame for “washing” as a unit.  This allows for much more thorough cleaning than pistols in which these parts remain in place in the frame except for removal by a qualified armorer. This is unique in the industry today.

Ergonomics - The “compact” grip frame mounted on the pistol we tested fit all of our hands well enough and “really great” on a couple of them, so chances are a consumer would find the pistol on display suitable for his/her needs.  If not, each of the four pistol sizes (full, carry, compact, and subcompact) is available in variations of girth for a completely custom fit. It is even possible to buy an extra grip frame (at relatively low cost) for sharing the pistol with someone whose hand is a different size/shape because the grip frame does not contain the gun’s serial number and is, therefore, simply an accessory. This could also be handy for someone who wants a larger pistol for range/practice work and a smaller one for concealed carry.

With all these variations available, the P320 that is a perfect fit for any one consumer is available without the necessity of aftermarket ($$$) purchases. With a slide-lock lever on both sides, and the ability to reverse the magazine-release button, the P320 is ambidextrous (except for the ejection port).

The other items that affect overall ergonomic suitability have benefitted from Sig’s experience in fitting large organizations with members of various sizes and shapes, so the shape and texture of the trigger, placement of the trigger guard, sight design, trigger pull feel, etc. are well engineered for the man/machine interface.

Shooting - First impression of the 320 as we took it out for our test session was excellent ergonomics.  The one we shot was the “compact” model. Because our group consists of widely varying hand sizes and finger lengths, few guns feel entirely comfortable to all of us but this gun worked exceptionally well for everyone who participated in the tests. Not perfect, mind you, but a good enough fit for all that there was not a single complaint in the “grip fit” category.

Accuracy - This is not the kind of pistol any of us would pick to employ as a 25 or 50 yard marksmanship piece. We have “hair trigger” revolvers with much longer sight radius and highly tuned semi-autos that put very tightly grouped holes in paper. The P320 just ain’t that kind of gun. Surprisingly, however, the first few shots each of us took with it all rang the 8” steel a high percentage of times in our “get acquainted” strings of fairly rapid fire at personal defense distances. Raised eyebrows and wide smiles were the order of the day as each of us emptied our first magazine. Our subjective initial feel of the gun was collectively; “easy to shoot accurately.”

Reliability - We tried several different types of ammo at times during the session; from our own cast lead handloads to FMJ factory loads, which also varied widely in power (combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity). Everything we fed it operated flawlessly and shot to point of aim. This was not a surprise because the design of the barrel/slide assembly is quite similar to other Sig Sauer semi-autos, differing only in the area which houses the firing pin (striker mechanism in this case). Based on our knowledge of the Sig design and extensive experience with the company’s various models, our somewhat educated prediction is that the P320 will not detract from Sig’s excellent reputation for reliability.

Conclusion - We do not favor striker-fired pistols.  None of us currently owns one, although we shoot a wide variety of them regularly enough in testing of repair or modification work done in the shop. It’s not that we actively dislike the design or find it lacking in utilitarian ways, nor would we recommend against it for other consumers. We just prefer the more conventional designs for our style of shooting. That having been said, the P320 was a bit of a pleasant revelation to us.  Our common conclusion was; “if I were going to buy a striker-fired pistol, this would be the one.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
August, 2016

As usual, we solicit your constructive comments or suggestions. Thank you for your visit.

Ruger Security Six

Ruger introduced the Security-Six and its variants in 1972 and the series enjoyed a long production life, ending in 1988.  This was Ruger’s first attempt at double action revolvers and was aimed at the military, police, and civilian defense markets. The design of the Security-Six and its siblings; the Speed-Six and the Service-Six, was intentionally robust with large, heavy-duty parts for durability.  The series enjoyed quite a sales success commercially and was deployed by various Federal government agencies, military units, and numerous Police departments in the U.S., as well as plentiful foreign sales. The GP100 replaced the Security-Six in the Ruger lineup.

The -Six variants were mostly identical in basic design, with minor differences in sights (fixed or adjustable), barrel lengths, and frame shape (round or square butt).  Albeit still a medium-framed size, the -Six series was significantly more robust in many ways than its Colt and S&W competitors. The early production models were all blued carbon steel but stainless steel versions of all models began to see production in 1975.

An important Ruger innovation for its time introduced with the -Six series was a simplified and straightforward disassembly process, which required no tools except a flat-head screwdriver for grip panel removal. This, together with its coil hammer spring design makes thorough routine maintenance easier and quicker than competitive guns of the era.

The -Six series was produced in multiple calibers, including: 357 Magnum (capable of 357mag and 38spl), 38 Special (only), 38 S&W (British 380-200), and 9mm Luger (utilizing a moon clip).

We got our hands on a 1980 vintage Security Six trade-in that was in excellent aesthetic and mechanical condition - aside from a mangled spring inside the rear sight which was easily replaced. Testing and sight regulation protocols following the repair yielded an opportunity to put the gun through its paces at the range, dredging up a bit of nostalgia for some of our bunch who owned or coveted one “back in the day.”  Ruger had been developing some exceptional innovations in its manufacturing process in those days, many of which have become “standard” these days in the production of high quality firearms across the industry. Instead of skimping on materials and workmanship in the production process to reduce costs, Ruger found a method of cost control that actually increased reliability and durability at the same time. Consequently, its entry into the double action revolver market paved the way for a rise to the forefront of this genre.

There’s nothing really extraordinary or “sexy” about the -Six when compared to today’s guns in the same genre. Its ergonomics result in a great fit for shooters with medium-to-small hands, allowing them to better handle the powerful .357 Mag cartridge.  While the gun is no “lightweight” it is still small enough (snub-nose models, at least) to be easily concealed and, with a proper holster, can be carried very comfortably. Compared to the ultra-light, ultra-small revolvers on the market today, shooting the snubby version of the -Six leaves one feeling like he/she’s handling a “real gun” instead of the “plastic toy” feel of the modern crop.

Results of our test firing yielded no surprises - rugged, accurate, reliable. The old Ruger feels substantial when in use and puts bullets on target with a minimum expenditure of shooter skills.  Our resident marksman had no trouble producing a 1” 5-shot group at 10 yards (offhand) with our benchmark ammo, and the rest of us turned in performances as good as we normally do with any of our high-quality revolvers. The gun is easy to shoot well with no “warts” that need a work-around.

Conclusion:  Ruger made A LOT of these guns during the 16 year production run, so finding one on the used market should not pose much of a problem, and the large quantity means that the price should be relatively reasonable.  Given that there is no medium frame, 6 shot, short barrel revolver available today except a new GP100 that would cost at least twice as much, one who appreciates high quality in a “service” revolver could become an owner of a “-Six” for a lot less money.

Respectfully Submitted
The Bunker Bunch
July, 2016

As always, your constructive comments and suggestions are welcome.

P.S. -- July 21, 2016

Shortly after we published the article above one of our bunch brought out his personal Security Six with factory target grips - as shown in the picture below.

The extra beef in these grip panels made the gun easier to handle for those of us with larger hands and made target shooting a bit more pleasant.  While true that these grip panels do not enhance the gun for every day carry or concealment purposes, they are definately a + for range duty.

This version also had a longer barrel than the one we tested before, so the additional sight radius helped those of us with “eyes of a geezer” to get better target scores.  We don’t believe the increased barrel length adds much, if anything, to the mechanical accuracy of the gun but, in the words of a wise old pistolier; “there’s no substitute for sight radius when trying to throw lead at small circles.”

This range session confirmed our earlier opinion of the -Six; that it is a wonderful old gun and a great value on the market today.