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Post by contender on Jun 18, 2016 22:07:46 GMT -5
Many will recall my issues with my S&W 646 in 40 S&W misfiring. I had a lot of suggestions, and I had already tried a bunch of stuff. Well, after I got it "fixed" I wanted to see how it did in a match.
Well, today was my first opportunity to find out. I shot our local match, at my range, (Level 1) & in over 150 rounds today,,, I only had ONE misfire. Heck, I had worse brain fades than that one misfire caused.
Many thanks to all who offered help & all. It was a good day,,, at least in the functioning dept.
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Post by Ken O'Neill on Jun 19, 2016 6:32:43 GMT -5
Gotta find the reason for that 1 misfire.
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Post by contender on Jun 19, 2016 10:24:37 GMT -5
Hey,,, I was just happy I didn't have the MANY misfires I'd previously had. Once I get a new mainspring installed, I'll see how it does. I'm also quietly hunting Federal primers to add a little extra insurance to things. In fact, I was in Hickory last weekend,,, on the hunt for some. Didn't see you there, but I figured you were out of town still.
I did get a nice Flattop from Steve, and woke up a dealer to buy a Pachmyer forend with barrel block for $10. But no Federal small pistol primers.
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Post by sixshot on Jun 19, 2016 11:37:16 GMT -5
You just can't shoot USPSA revolver class without using Federal primers & be competitive, it would be like shooting Brenchrest with an 8 lb. trigger!
Dick
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Post by cherokeetracker on Jun 19, 2016 13:52:46 GMT -5
Hey,,, I was just happy I didn't have the MANY misfires I'd previously had. Once I get a new mainspring installed, I'll see how it does. I'm also quietly hunting Federal primers to add a little extra insurance to things. In fact, I was in Hickory last weekend,,, on the hunt for some. Didn't see you there, but I figured you were out of town still. I did get a nice Flattop from Steve, and woke up a dealer to buy a Pachmyer forend with barrel block for $10. But no Federal small pistol primers. I am glad to hear that things are better, so, When you do get the new main spring installed, Even if you use dental floss on the threads you might use a drop of fingernail polish to help hold,the screw in place. Even if you feel you do not need this, it helps you to know if the screw did move. On a Stainless Gun you can Use a Ultra Fine Sharpie and place a mark on the frame and screw to give yourself a reference mark. This will let you know if the screw moved also. Hope you find the primers soon too. Charles |
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gunzo
.30 Stingray
Posts: 423
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Post by gunzo on Jun 20, 2016 8:13:14 GMT -5
You just can't shoot USPSA revolver class without using Federal primers & be competitive, it would be like shooting Brenchrest with an 8 lb. trigger! Dick I agree 100% Don't quietly look for Federal primers, be loud about it. Pay the haz mat if you have to. They're the only way to go with tuned revolver actions or light striking stock actions for that matter. |
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Post by contender on Jun 20, 2016 9:52:27 GMT -5
"You just can't shoot USPSA revolver class without using Federal primers & be competitive, it would be like shooting Brenchrest with an 8 lb. trigger!
Dick"
Well, the gun is competitive,,, but the loose nut behind the trigger needs work. I had worse stages due to brain fade than any gun issues Saturday. Funny thing though,,, we had one state that was set up as a "practice" type for classifiers. I did quite well on it. And the classifier,,, well, I did even better there too. My best stages were those two. Now, if I'd just remember to reload in the correct place, or not get into "overhurry" mode & shoot that no-shoot, or that Mike, I'd be a lot better. I do believe I'll be sending my cylinder out for a chamfering soon though, to help my reloading a bit.
But until I get better, the gun will be fine. And when I can find the primers, I'll add them to my little things to help improve my shooting,,, I hope,,,!
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Post by sixshot on Jun 20, 2016 11:40:23 GMT -5
Tyrone, don't remember your earlier issues with the gun but some one above mentioned the screw on the mainspring. You do have to put a bit of finger nail polish or something on it to hold it in place or it will back out on you. I never had a gun that didn't & I shot many, many thousands of rounds in competition. You don't want that to happen in a match because its a BIG time killer! That gun has to run 100% & it has to use Federal primers, I probably have 15,000 in my safe....you just never know. Also, I was always the odd one in most revolver matches because I shot a 40 caliber 610, wonderful revolver. My son chamfered my cylinders & I could almost throw the moon clips over my shoulder & get them in the cylinder & do it very fast.
Dick
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Post by MackaySagebrush on Jun 20, 2016 13:22:56 GMT -5
Is there anything related to handguns that you don't do well Dick?  . . . . . . . . That is besides compile all your awesome short stories about handgunning in the West, into a book!?! That is a not too subtle hint.. |
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Post by seancass on Jun 20, 2016 18:48:08 GMT -5
A week ago I ran my moderately-tuned 929 in a local match and I had at least one light strike on every stage. This weekend was the State Section match and misfires would be completely unacceptable. My smith included a Heavy spring to light off non-Federal primers per my request. I swapped that in for the first time. It felt an awful lot like a stock spring. However, it lit off every primer with authority! And thank goodness! I had the best day of shooting of my life! It was surprisingly easy to switch from an approximately 6lb trigger to about a 10lb trigger! (I'm borrowing a gauge tomorrow, so i can update those numbers.)
I'd love to share a range with Dick and Tyrone, I bet this novice could learn a thing or ten!
I'm glad you've sorted out your issue. I chased moon clips and primers, but I think my spring just worked it's way a bit too soft!
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Post by cas on Jun 20, 2016 19:14:29 GMT -5
My 625's trigger pull was heavy compared to most people, but it was smooth. And it would fire any primer, though I mostly use Winchester. My 650 produces ammo for about 14 other 45 acp's and I'm just too lazy to make special ammo for just one of them. I never felt hindered by it and it made me a better shooter across the board.
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Post by sixshot on Jun 21, 2016 2:21:58 GMT -5
cas, smooth is good! And its also fast, anytime you see a smooth shooter you see a fast shooter. Its the guy that's running out of control for speed that struggles early on in USPSA. Once you learn to slow down just a tick & follow that front sight you will actually speed up.
When my son was setting up my competition guns we never once changed springs, he just worked the factory action & we adjusted the main spring down to the minimum where it would run 100% with Federal primers & I won a lot of matches with that setup. We never, ever bobbed the hammer on one of my guns although I did own one once. Doing that in my opinion solves one problem but adds another. Yes, you speed up the hammer action but you also take away some of the hammer strike. I never liked that & never needed it. On a good day I could empty the revolver on target under 2 seconds from the draw, reload under 2 seconds (most times) & fire the seventh shot. That bobbed hammer was the answer to a problem that didn't exist in my opinion.
Also I liked a heavy gun, my 610's had 6 1/2" barrels with full under lugs, to me the added weight was like having a muzzle brake on the gun. My best 610 (I had at least 6-7) was an unfluted cylinder so the fast spinning was somewhat hard on the cylinder but I ran hundreds of thousands of rounds down that barrel, 54,000 in one year. So, have a smooth trigger, keep track of that front sight & you can shoot double action very, very fast, even at distance.
Any of you ever see some one shoot an El Presidente, you face up range, surrender position, turn & fire 2 shots on 3 different targets, reload & fire 2 more shots onto the same 3 targets. A select few have done it under 3 seconds!
Dick
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Post by seancass on Jun 21, 2016 4:36:56 GMT -5
... I ran hundreds of thousands of rounds down that barrel, 54,000 in one year. Any of you ever see some one shoot an El Presidente, you face up range, surrender position, turn & fire 2 shots on 3 different targets, reload & fire 2 more shots onto the same 3 targets. A select few have done it under 3 seconds! Dick Dick, Did you have any parts failures with that many rounds? Like cylinder bolts/stops on that unfluted cylinder? |
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Post by contender on Jun 21, 2016 7:10:00 GMT -5
Dick, my previous problem was light primer strikes. I had a very ugly Area 6 match. My adjusting screw did back out some & caused some of it. I added nylon fishing line to the screw hole & it stopped backing out. But I still had light strikes. Mixed brass, different chambers etc. I added an extended firing pin,,, still happened. But when I added a spent primer cup to the bottom of my adjusting screw, then tightened it up, my problems ceased. No, I didn't have any Federal primers to try,,, and that's why I'm looking for some now. I'm also ordering a couple of new mainsprings to where I can assure myself of a proper tensioned spring.
I also have plans to have the chambers chamfered in the next few weeks.
You are so right about a misfire causing a huge loss in time. I zeroed 2 stages at Area 6. I'm really enjoying this 40 cal revolver too. Now that I have the problem figured out. Unfortunately, now that there are the 8 shot revolvers, as well as stages built 8 shot friendly, it makes speed reloading very critical. I got this S&W before the big changes made by revolver shooters using the 8 shot 9mm's. Maybe I'll luck up & find one of those things eventually,, at a fair price & step up a bit more.
Sean, kudos on your match! Those 929's are what I'm talking about. Time is critical, and many places an 8 shot revolver, allows reloading on the move vs. a standing reload eating time up. I actually keep my eyes out for somebody who's got one & not competing with it or who is getting out of it etc. What they want for a new one is a bit above what I want to spend. And Dick is right, smooth is fast & fast is smooth. I saw this a long time ago with a local shooter. He had health issues, meds often, walked with a bit of struggling etc. Yet, when he shot, he was smooth to the point of not appearing fast, yet his times always showed us differently. He defied our logic in how he had walking issues, yet could be so quick in moving a stage.
I agree about the bobbed hammers. I look at it like it's an answer to a non-existant question. In a SD firearm, where snagging the hammer spur on something could be an issue, get a firearm built for that. But in a competition gun, I want positive ignition, all the time, so added weight in that area is a plus.
Again, I agree with Dick in the use of a heavier gun. Reduces felt recoil, faster times for your follow-up shots. Less taxing on you the shooter too.
And El Prez. I've seen video of Todd Jarrett doing it under 3 seconds, & heard stories of a FEW others. Scary fast. To go from a holstered firearm turning, & engaging 3 targets, 2 rounds each, doing a reload, and re-engaging those targets again with 2 rounds each in under 3 seconds is FAST. Consider all the moves made. 1 draw, 180 degree movement, shoot 6 times, do a reload off your belt, shoot 6 more times, AND not miss. I know casual shooters who can't fire 2 rounds from a drawn handgun in under 3 seconds AND hit the target. I know I'll never see it myself, (old age, bad eyes, and not enough time & ammo to practice it enough,) but it sure is fun to see it done. I think El Prez is an excellent stage to practice. It teaches movement, speed, accuracy & reloading.
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Post by sixshot on Jun 21, 2016 12:09:02 GMT -5
seancass, I never did have any problems with that unfluted cylinder but it did peen a bit on the "stop" side & I would very carefully remove the effected area using my Foredom tool or a fine stone & wearing an Optivisor. I had to do that 3-4 times but not once did my cylinder ever skip. Also the bolt stop was extremely worn but I never did change it out.
The gun really needed to be sent back to S&W for a re build but after my back surgery I was pretty much done competing. I could still shoot fast but the young guys could easily out run me, the back surgery left me with a bad foot & I was too embarrassed or too proud to continue.
My load by the way was a 205 gr. RN slug using 3.7 grs of WST & that load made Major all over the western US. If some of you would like to try a few of these bullets let me know. I have a bunch that aren't sized or lubed.
Dick
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