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Post by sixshot on Mar 9, 2019 22:47:54 GMT -5
A few days ago in the reloading forum I posted a couple of photo's of my 4" model 57 S&W & the plate rack I had been shooting at 40 yds out the window of my truck. I had just received the gun that day & was sighting it in with some fresh handloads using the old 230 gr Keith & 7.5 grs of W231 powder in RP cases. I reported hitting the first 2 plates & then missed a couple of times so I moved to a 20 yd paper target & the gun was shooting a bit left so I made a correction & then ran several plates without a miss. Today was a bit warmer & I had more ammo loaded plus I had some old loads with my standard midrange load of 8 grs of Unique, a load I've used in many 41's since the late 60's. The first loads were powder coated, my old loads were not. This first target is 20 yds out the window using the 7.5 grs of W231, the Keith 230 gr cast, powder coated bullet & a WLP primer. Not as steady as off the bench but it gives me a fair idea of how the gun is going to shoot even in bad weather. After shooting 5 shots I made a sight adjustment to the left.  Making a one click sight adjustment I switched to my old standby load of 8 grs of Unique, these were plain cast bullets lubed with LBT blue lube. I've shot many, many thousands of these loads over the years, they've always shot well in every 41 magnum I've ever owned. The first few shots surprised me, they scattered a bit, I think it was because I had been shooting powder coated bullets & switching to regular lubed bullets took a few shots for the gun & load to settle down. The first shot went high, the next 3 went low, the 5th shot went somewhere in the middle. I reloaded & shot 5 more. I had to wipe my hands, arms & elbows off, clean off the side of my truck door & then run my truck through the car wash...... all of you know how dirty Unique is, it's terrible, there are so many powders out there that are better. Guess maybe I'll just stick with Unique, it's been working for me well over 50 years! There are 6 shots there pretty close.  Dick |
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Post by nolongcolt on Mar 9, 2019 23:08:04 GMT -5
The 57 is my brothers all time favorite DA revolver. I have an original model 58 that shoots excellent. Not really a .41 fan but my 58 really does shoot. Looks that will do till something better comes along.
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Post by JSutter on Mar 9, 2019 23:18:18 GMT -5
That looks like fun. Congratulations and enjoy that Boomer!
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Post by rjm52 on Mar 10, 2019 7:31:37 GMT -5
Dick...just noticed the trigger on that 57...is that a serrated Sevice wide or a smooth Combat wide...sure doesn't look like the Target trigger that was stock on those models.
Nice shooting...but wata U want...it's a .41....
Bob
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Post by dougader on Mar 10, 2019 9:13:30 GMT -5
I love the N frame S&W revovlers, but my stubby trigger finger makes it hard to get proper trigger control unless the backstrap is exposed. No fancy, soft shooting rubber covered backstrap for me.
I have only recently started shooting 41 mag and, honestly, I wish I had started with 41 mag instead of 357 mag for a first handgun. What a wonderful cartridge, and perfectly balanced between target shooting, personal defense and small-to-big game hunting.
Right now I just have the OMBH Robb sold me and it's a beaut. Someday I hope to get another 57 or 657 in the house!
Thanks, Dick, for posting your pics and experience with this new to you 57!
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Post by kings6 on Mar 10, 2019 11:14:51 GMT -5
I wish I had not sold my S prefix 4" 57 with the cokes a few years ago but it was the right thing to do at the time. I may have to get another 41 mag gun someday jsut so I have one of that caliber in the safe again! (Tongue in cheek emoji right here)
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Post by sixshot on Mar 10, 2019 14:57:54 GMT -5
Bob, it has the factory target trigger, I might have to take a better photo. The very first one I ever owned back in 1967 did those have an "S" prefix? I don't remember but I sure did pound a lot of rounds down that old gun. I think I mentioned I bought it used for $100 (I think) They were selling new for $165 at the time but I was only making $65 every 2 weeks in the Air Force & working part time in a Gibson's Discount Center for $1.40 an hour! Took me a long time to make that extra $100! Also bought a 39A Marlin, new in the box for $48! The store got in 80 of them.
Dick
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Post by rjm52 on Mar 10, 2019 18:10:55 GMT -5
In 1968 I was 16 and making $1.68 an hour after school and on weekends in a department store...
Bought my first .41 in 1974...a nickel 58 for $86.00. That gave me a 19, 18, 29-2 and a 49. Sold that one in 1976 because it shot low...only one of two 58s that didn't shoot right to POA that I had over the years.... Picked up a 57 4" in 1978 and haven't been without a .41 in the house since....
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Post by azshaun on Mar 12, 2019 11:54:40 GMT -5
I recently purchased a 4” model 57 as well. Shot it for the first time yesterday. Previous experience was a Ruger Blackhawk or 2. Found it much easier to shoot than expected, recoil was noticeable but not unpleasant or painful. Though my hand still feels it today. Was very happy with my first experience. Highly recommend to others.
No, won’t be posting my target shots... I am not that good.
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 12, 2019 13:14:00 GMT -5
Bob, it has the factory target trigger, I might have to take a better photo. The very first one I ever owned back in 1967 did those have an "S" prefix? I don't remember but I sure did pound a lot of rounds down that old gun. I think I mentioned I bought it used for $100 (I think) They were selling new for $165 at the time but I was only making $65 every 2 weeks in the Air Force & working part time in a Gibson's Discount Center for $1.40 an hour! Took me a long time to make that extra $100! Also bought a 39A Marlin, new in the box for $48! The store got in 80 of them. Dick ***** Dick.... yes, I think your 1967 was an “S” prefix. Those guns, leastwise in my experience, came exceedingly well fitted. My first M-29 was a 6-1/2 with “S” prefix, phenomenally accurate beaucoup efficient deer slayer. I saw the frames with yoke fitted packed into barrel of charcoal at Smith & Wesson on Roosevelt Avenue, and my revolver, which would come to have a lot of holster mileage, conserves its bluing to this day the best of any revolver I’ve packed. My holsters were waxed leather with periodic (light) neatsfoot treatment, and the sixgun got the Silicote wipedown every night. The gun was kept clean and when it went in the water or catch rain, it was tended to that evening----if not sooner. Paid $118 for that M-29, five skins over wholesale. Those guns were fit before Gorilla Monsoon was hired, before polishers died and went to heaven, and before bluing .became a blur. It is impossible to overstate the importance of a properly made sixgun in the matriculation of a sharpshooter. One cannot get there without the INSTRUMENT. As for the wide, serrated Target Trigger vs the narrow serrated trigger, for the 4-inch I prefer to narrow the TT and radius smooth. I like the TT on the 6-1/2 and 8-3/8, but. An experiment proved I can live with either on all barrel lengths. As you well know, the DA stroke is a continuous straight squeeze with follow-through from trigger to eyeball. TRIGGER FINGER + EYEBALL determines which trigger satisfies. Some say the M-57 4-inch is more accurate than the M-29 4-inch, dangerous words when spoken behind the Firing Line. I think it comes down to the shooter and individual instrument. A last note on a detail which helped set the best Smiths apart----extremely close CHAMBER-to-BORE ALIGNMENT; unexcelled among factory production revolvers until Dan wesson Arms came along to equal it----for a while. No one has ever equaled that quality in such volume. David Bradshaw |
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Post by sixshot on Mar 12, 2019 13:44:35 GMT -5
David, good information to know, thanks! a 41 being more accurate than a good 44, I really doubt that, back then all of those guns were made by gun smiths, not gun makers! There's a difference!!Those guys were craftsmen that did much hand work & fitting, work that will never come out of a factory again.
Sad part is I had so many of them but being a poor GI at first & then a young married man with a family, many of them came & went to finance the next one. At least a couple dozen of each N frame in 45, 44, 41 & 357 came & went. Some in nickle but most were that deep, rich blue that you could have shaved in. A tip of the hat to those old craftsmen for sure.
Dick
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Post by azshaun on Mar 12, 2019 15:21:01 GMT -5
a 41 being more accurate than a good 44, I really doubt that. Dick I just have to disagree... I was always taught the most accurate gun is One’s OWN personal favorite. All others come close, but nothing compares to my favorite. Your favorite is not in question in this ‘me centered’ world. |
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Post by rjm52 on Mar 12, 2019 21:21:32 GMT -5
"a 41 being more accurate than a good 44, I really doubt that"....I am also going to disagree but for two different reasons....
From what I have read over on the S&W Forums, 29s very often have over size cylinder throats. And they also seem to vary in size from time to time. On the other hand 57s seemed to always be the same size... Back in the 1970s I had a early 70s 29-2 6.5" and a 29-2 60s vintage 4". Although both shot well, neither shot as well as the 57s I have owned...and I put over 10K rounds through the 6.5".
Second would be shootability. I can bang away all day with a fully loaded 4" 57...but not with an equally loaded 4" 29... My standard load was a 215 grain Lyman/Thompson gas check bullet at 1250 from the 6.5"...that load was miscible to shoot from the 4" but I shoot the 4" 57 all the time with a 210 at 1200 fps and have no problems with it at all...and no clue why.
And it isn't only me...all but one of my .44 shooting friends have said they wish they had gone .41 instead of .44 after shooting my guns...
...but that is just me....
Bob
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Post by sixshot on Mar 12, 2019 22:12:05 GMT -5
Bob, I think I probably agree with you but I had one 629 DX that was absolutely scary accurate with my cast loads, perhaps the most accurate revolver I've ever fired. For sure at distance. I scoped it for a time just to see what it could really do with that nice 2 1/2 X 8 Leupold, yikes!! I still have the targets but not the gun.......
Dick
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Post by Frank V on Apr 2, 2019 18:16:48 GMT -5
Those are fantastic guns. Thanks for sharing.
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