Wheelguns

20 posts
Ordnance

Function Checks for Revolvers

…or, “what the heck you doin’ that for?”

The market is being flooded with used revolvers right now.  There are some truly great deals to be had, but there are also a few pitfalls to avoid.  Many potentially terminal problems may not be immediately apparent.

Revolvers are generally very durable machines.  They’ll endure decades of neglect, but that resilience means that some owners will inflict excessive abuse.  Some people will use them as test-beds for reckless handloads, and when the gun gives out, they’ll sell it off to a hapless buyer.  Others see them as platforms for some truly questionable home gunsmithing experiments.

What follows is a list of things I check to ensure that the gun I’m evaluating hasn’t been rendered unusable or unsafe.

Ordnance

A (Slightly) Tarnished Masterpiece

S&W Model 15

When it comes to guns, I’m not much of a “collector.”  Sure, it’s nice to have one in fine cosmetic shape, but I don’t mind a bit of character, especially in one that shoots this well.  Box and papers don’t mean much to me, and I’d sooner have a working gun than one I’m tempted to stow away in the safe.

As K-38’s go, this one wouldn’t seem too special at first.  It shipped in 1975, the same year Maggie Thatcher ascended to power and Francisco Franco stepped down.  Minnie Riperton was big in the charts, and Jimmie Hoffa stopped filing tax returns.

At that point, the Model 15 was still standard-issue in the United States Air Force, as well as several police departments.  This specimen was issued to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

S&W Model 15

The department in question phased the 15 out around 1985 in favor of the Beretta 92, and by 1990, the Air Force would do the same. 

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Ordnance

S&W Model 65

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This 65-3 was produced in 1987.  Other notable events from that year include Gary Hart dropping out of the Presidential race, Sonny Bono running for the office of Mayor of Palm Springs, and Ronald Reagan delivering what was possibly his most important speech.  U2 released The Joshua Tree, and Rick Astley’s song “Never Gonna Give You Up” reached #1 on both sides of the Atlantic, long before anybody with taste found it the least bit ironic.

The Model 65 was produced from 1972 until 2004.  It was the fixed-sight counterpart to the 66, and was carried by the Customs Service, as well as several state police agencies.

A common misconception is that the 65 was a stainless version of the Model 13.  This isn’t entirely true, as the 13 was not introduced until 1974.  Prior to that, the blued counterpart to the 65 was the 10-6, which had been upgraded to .357. 

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Ordnance

S&W 3" Model 10

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This revolver was made when the TRS-80 was the pinnacle of computing technology.  Blade Runner was in theaters. Ingrid Bergman and John Belushi died, and Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands.

Even if the J. Geils Band and Survivor aren’t with us any more, Smith & Wesson still is.

The Model 10 has been around in one form or another for over a century.  Until this year, it has enjoyed an unbroken production run, the longest of any firearm in existence.  That’s not hard to understand, as the .38 Hand Ejector is a reliable, accurate and powerful platform.  All modern double-action revolvers can trace their lineage to it.

Ordnance

The Myth of “Non Lethal”

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Ever since Taurus started marketing this silly gun, I’ve been saying something like this would happen:

The gun, a model known as “The Judge,” was loaded with bird shot, and Davis took aim at her husband and emptied all five of the weapon’s chambers as he fled through the yard, Bonnett said. He was hit in the upper and lower back by two blasts before escaping, Bonnett said.

Connie Davis shot her husband after he admitted to a prior affair.  Full stop.

It doesn’t matter that the loads were likely insufficient for causing serious bodily harm.  Ms. Davis leveled a deadly weapon at another human being and pulled the trigger.  That’s the salient fact, and it illustrates my problem with the Taurus Judge.

Ordnance

Marketing: 1935 and Now

When FN Herstal came out with the 5.7x28mm cartridge (and the accompanying Five-seveN pistol) a few years back, there was a bit of hand-wringing in certain circles over its ability to pierce body armor.

Bear in mind, the 5.7mm is really a souped-up .22 WMR, not some >5000 ft/s barnburner.  It’s not the first (or only) gun made that’ll punch through body armor.  Yet, everyone got their panties in a bunch over it.

Info Dump

Saturday Info Dump

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First off, the gun porn:

New Ahrends cocobolo stocks on one of my L-Frames.  In recent years, Smith & Wesson retired their square-butt frames and standardized on round butts across the board.  This is a disappointment, as the square butt feels and shoots better for me.  Fortunately, Mr. Ahrends makes a conversion stock that emulates the traditional grip contour.

S&W 696 w/Ahrends Grips

Yes, it’s my summer carry gun.  I have little trouble concealing it.  Take note: hiding a handgun isn’t as hard as you’d think.

Ordnance

The Ruger LCR

Ruger LCR

Well, it can shoot; I’ll give it that.

Now for my complaints:

  • the front sight is hard to keep in focus,
  • I can’t get all my fingers on the grip, and
  • it’s a bit snappy on recoil.

Yeah, I’m being smarmy.  These things are par for the course with any snubnose revolver.

Ordnance

Squib Loads

S&W Model 29 Mountain Gun. The loads were factory CorBon 200gr .44 Special. The operator was an experienced shooter with military training.

The shooter started with .44 Magnums, then switched to Specials. It’s likely that he expected the milder report and recoil of the .44 Special loads and therefore didn’t notice the discrepancy at first.

Surprisingly, the ejector rod is fine, as are the topstrap and cylinder. Looks like a new barrel assembly should have her back up and running. The shooter was wearing eye protection and was not hurt.

Lesson learned: be careful when switching between Magnum and Special loads, as you might not pick up on the difference in time.

Ordnance

S&W Model 18

SW Model 18

The Smith & Wesson K-Frame in .38 Special was a resounding success from its inception. In 1931, they introduced the K-22 Outdoorsman, a 6″ K-Frame in .22. The platform was an immediate hit, and its utility and popularity have never waned.

The K-22 was designed for the “high velocity” .22 rounds that were in vogue at the time. There had been concerns over the possibility of case head failures, so D.B. Wesson counterbored the cylinder with recessed chambers. This approach would also be used on the company’s Magnum caliber revolvers until the late 20th century, when stronger metallurgy (and better ammo design) rendered it unnecessary.

For many collectors, the recessed cylinder is a symbol of a bygone era of better craftsmanship. I’m not sure I agree, but given the choice, I’ll certainly take a revolver with pinned barrel and recessed cylinder over one that doesn’t have those features. I don’t know why; perhaps it’s just the allure.

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Ordnance

S&W Model 19

1 comment

This is a model 19-3.  There are many like it, but this one’s mine.

The Model 19 is the descendant of the Combat Magnum, introduced in 1955 at the behest of Bill Jordan.  Jordan recognized that the K-Frames were a marvelous balance of weight and accuracy, but he wanted a Magnum, and Smith & Wesson’s N-Frames were a bit heavy to be carried all day.

So the engineers started brainstorming.  They gave it a heavy barrel and an underlug (like the N-Frames), and thanks to advances in heat-treating, the steel was strong enough to handle the increased chamber pressures of the .357 (1).

It was an immediate hit with law enforcement, and when Smith & Wesson starting numbering their revolvers, the Combat Magnum became the Model 19.  The 19 was produced until 1999.

Ordnance

Ahrends Stocks

A friend compares carrying a gun to wearing ladies’ underwear.  It’s comforting, and as good as it looks, it’s not something you’d want to have to explain to a random person on the street.  It’s a secret you keep to yourself, but one that could save your life one day (*).

It’s vital to have one that fits the hand just right.  Under stress, the weapon needs a sure grip, and one in which the sights line up naturally.  The quality of grips is a rarely-mentioned factor in this.

Ordnance

Revolvers are obsolete!

At least that’s what I hear at least once a day from yokels who see me carrying one. Their arguments are puerile for the most part, and they all seem to echo the same misguided sentiments.

The first is accuracy. People will claim that the revolver is somehow inaccurate. What they really mean is that they can’t shoot it well. In fact, the revolver, having a fixed barrel, is capable of greater accuracy than many automatics. Case in point:

2 S&W 696, .44 Special, 8 yards, 2″ bullseye.