Recent content by surveyor47

There are people on this board who are advocating heavy loads for custom guns. In other cases theya re advocating loads for Rugers, which are above published reloading data, eating into the safety factors built into the gun. That is the wrong approach to reloading, because it assumes that high...

Craig C, Why dont you do some fact checking with Hodgdon. Their phone number is 913-362-9455. I have been informed by industry sources that there are some "bullies" on the various gun forums who shout down anyone who questions their loads. When a forum member complains that his gun was...

Has it occured to anyone that Elmer Keith said "we" because he actually was part of S&W s team?

WHAT BUGS ME is not their reference to "we", but rather their advocacy of loads greatly exceeding published loading data. I have yet to see a single reference indicating that loads advocated by some people have been tested by ANY ballistic laboratory. How does the writer test his loads; by...

Years ago, a former African big game hunter told me that the most direct route to any predators brain is through his mouth. Much less penetration is required if you shoot through a bears mouth. In the Deep South, I think I would be more concerned with hogs than bear. If more bears will reduce...

I believe that a 3" SP101 357 Magnum with 158 grain JSP 357 ammo should be perfectly adequate. Given that many states require concealed carry, that would be my preferred method of carry and my choice of weapon would be driven by the need to conceal. In fact, I would feel well armed for...

Rifle stocked 1860 Colt and 1858 Remington revolvers were common during the Civil War. Trouble happend when the 1858 Remington was built as a true carbine. Cap & ball revolvers can and do chain fire- meaning that several chanbers go off simultaneously. In a revolver, this is a problem, but...

Pretty photos of the outside. On the INSIDE, what does the MIM trigger group look like? How is the trigger pull in comparison to the old model SP101?

Then Sir, it is time for you to start reloading! The 41 Magnum is the best kept secret in the handgun world. It can be downloaded to 44 Special levels or loaded up to 1400 fps. In 35 years of reloading the 41 Magnum, I have yet to have a split case in up to 10 loadings per case (except for 1...

S&W remarked to me that the 586 was designed for jacketed bullets at magnum velocities and further remarked that they particularly enjoyed my 6" 586 on their range, terming it "one of the most accurate 357s we have ever shot at the Performance Center". Yes, mine is accurate with magnums, but is...

What cast lead bullet diameter were you using, 357 or 358? Somethmes that bullet can make all the difference for reasons known only to the gun. One such gun is a S&W 19 2.5" that would not shoot a 158 for love or money, but wold shoot a 148 HBWC like a laser gun. I struggled with that gun for...

My experience with several 357s is that best accuracy is usually obtained at 2 levels: about 700-750 fps with 0.358 diameter lead bullet 148 or 158 grain and between 1000 and 1100 fps wih 140 or 158 grain jacketed 0.357 diameter bullets. The one and only exception I have found to that rule is...

It is not unusual for new Rugers to require a trip back to the factory regarding spitting or accuracy issues. My GP100 required 3 trips in order to correct the worst spitting I ever experienced. Once fixed, it has been consistely accurate in the 2 1/2" to 3" range. Why dont you try bench...

I very much appreciate your comparison of the Glock 27 to the Ruger SP101 and S&W 642, because I had much the same debate but came down on the side of the revolver. Why? The differences in the role of the handgun for civilian CCW versus law enforcement are key. The most important feature for...

Lil Gun will drive a 158 grain JHP faster than the factory 125 grain JHPs that were so famous for splitting forcing cones on Ks. I consider Hodgdons starting loads with this powder as MAXIMUM in my GP100 and recoil isnt bad at all. Accuracy is excellent. Heat buildup in the barrel is the...