That’s exactly what’s going on. The guys at S&W have 7 and 8 shot revolvers out. I think I saw a 10 shot .22 from them or Ruger…GAH! If your tactics tend toward spray and pray, get a semi auto and go all in! But whadda I know… some sectors of the market buy into the concept, so I can just go stick my head down the toilet and flush a few times if I don’t like it.
Fact is that market caters to guys like me too and goes the other way… there are some heart stopping beautiful single actions chambered in earth shakers like the big 500 magnum 5 shooters. I wonder if the big 500s can be downloaded successfully for casual plinking? I do that with all my guns: my range loads are all easy going patty-cake loads; but if I need something for hunting or social work, i stoke them up to the gills. The easy going plinkers for the range, and the TNT loads for special occasions… Why put accelerated wear and tear on ya gat if ya don’t have to?
Think I will stick with the classic six guns, myself. I have nothing to prove, and my guns are all about fun for the most part.
The number of rounds in a gun is a function of the expected use for said gun. For some things like hunting or target shooting round capacity is a secondary consideration at best. But in many locations the ability to fire multiple rounds at MULTIPLE bad guys is becoming a very real consideration. Not uncommon in some of the cesspool cities like BallMore, Detoilet and Chiraq for a citizen to come face to face with several attackers at once. Under those circumstances six rounds is likely to be inadequate.
ReplyDeleteWell that's true too Dan. Still... the ergonomics and handling of the auto in such a situation...? And the SA/DA thing...? If it comes down to social work... I think I'd rather do that with an auto...
DeleteCouple of thoughts here: on the S&W message board, a number of people have reported difficulties in safely down loading the big 500 magnum. They have indicated some explosive characteristics taking place with so much empty space in the cartridge - I have no experience with this myself as I do not own one of those big guys - I have a couple of 44 mags and half a dozen 41 mags (because I just love the 41, that's why).
ReplyDeleteAll of the 41's are six shooters except for a five shooter that I had built for me so that there would not be any 41 magnum that would be "too much" for the gun as there is quite a bit of steel around each chamber with a five shot cylinder.
As to the seven and eight shooters: I have a couple of S&W 627 revolvers that come with the eight shot cylinder - I use them for steel challenge, which requires you to shoot five steel targets in a timed event - these guns are also cut at the factory for moon clips, so that they can be reloaded quite quickly in between the runs at a challenge stage. Sometimes it helps your head space to know that a miss or two won't put you out of the running for that stage - I also have the S&W 617's which are the ten shot .22s - I use them for the same steel challenge events for my rimfire entry. Speed loaders are necessary in this gun so that you can reload and not make people wait on you to do it one chamber at a time.
I get that with my BPCR rifles and smokeless loads PJK. I use the Dacron fillers and shoot cast lead with great results... but ya gotta use at least a chronograph to develop your loads.
DeleteI am a big 41 Magnum fan too. Elmer Kieth came up with that, and it is an accomplishment that should be right up there with anything by John Browning! They can do anything the 44 can, and do it with less muzzle blast and recoil too.
That is a very cool Ruger Biseley.
ReplyDeleteAs I age, I appreciate the low - mid velocity handguns more and more. Two cylinders of fully loaded .44 Magnum and the fun ends - pain begins.
The kaboom is real. It's a double humped pressure wave due to lack of propellant. The bullet quits moving due to the incomplete combustion, then it's a bore obstruction. Combustion resumes after the pressure builds and "kaboom". I remember either Skelton or Grinnel down loaded shells with a filler of some sort. Like oatmeal or Maltomeal or some such. I even thought about seating the bullet deeper to lower the case volume, but never had test gun to try it with.
ReplyDeleteI just used black powder. It's a different pressure wave, but it works fine. And big clouds of blue smoke and the lower register BOOM of the round makes for a lot of questions. I just say it's a diesel and keep going.
I did that for my youngest back in the day. He wanted to shoot the .44 and he could barely hold it up. I made him a "forked stick" to help out and he did well with it.
An 8, 9, or 10 shot .22 revolver is great trail, farm, ranch companion. My awesome Ruger 22/45 leaves evidence all over the place, not so with a revolver.
ReplyDeleteMy dad had a Harrington & Richardson DA .22 revolver that he bought back in the fifties. I think that it was supposed to be a target pistol. It shot fairly decently from what I remember.....
ReplyDeleteOops, I forgot to say that it was a nine shot. That was the whole point of my comment......
DeleteI suppose an added bonus is that they don't throw their brass all over the place...
ReplyDeleteYes, my autos have a habit of throwing their brass into nearby cactus patches and thorny growth. Damn ungrateful of them.
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