Cowgirl Corner: revolver action this week

[North Country Gal]

I'll just let the pics do the talking. I have guns to clean. Enjoy.

Vintage 1973, S&W Model 17-3 22 LR

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S&W Model 17 Classic 22 LR (new gun)



Cimarron/Pietta New Frontier 357



... and my favorite

Dan Wesson 715 357

[CT_Shooter]

Well, there's no question that you've got a great collection of guns, NCG! In an existential way, that's important if you're a gun! As much as you appreciate them, I'm pretty sure they also appreciate you.

Thanks for another cool range report and for making your gun collection happy to be in the cabinet.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks, CT. Guess you might say I've been in a revolver mode of late.

[PT7]

A very good mode to be "revolving" in!

For looks -- that sharp-looking Frontier really catches my attention.
For POIs -- the DW 715 is soooo accurate.

Cool & enjoyable Range Report. Hope that mode continues, NCG.

[RanchRoper]

Excellent work. Gorgeous guns. Now I want to shoot my revolver.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks, guys.

The Cimarron was a nice surprise from day one. It's been very accurate. Got it cheap, so figured it would make a nice gun to shoot 38s, maybe a few 357s, now and then. Out of the box, it was dead on with 158 grain 357s, but, of course, low with 158 grain 38s. No problem. Just filed down the front sight to be on with 38s at 20 yards or so. Can shoot 38s, two-hand cowboy hold, as fast as a semi auto, almost. Fun.

Pleased to discover, on today's outing, that the 125 grain 357s shoot to close to the same POI with that lower front sight, just in case I want a bit more oomph than 38s. Gotta say, though, those high velocity 357 125 loads do sting a bit. Ouch! Can't get sloppy and loose with my hold.

The vintage Model 17 is one of my most prized guns in the collection. Made in the day when Smith did a lot of hand fitting on their revolvers. This one is flawless and as good a trigger as you will ever find on a revolver. The Model 17 Classic was added to the collection to save wear and tear on the vintage 17. Beautiful gun in its own right, but it will be shot a lot.

As for the DW, well, it's in a class of its own.

[BrokenolMarine]

Nice collection. I like them all. Nice groups too. Not everyone can shoot revolvers well.

Since I carried revolvers when I first started in LE, and shot competition in PPC which is mainly a revolver group, I am a revolver fan from way back. My two favorites are:

My old model 64, issued to me out of the academy, carried on duty, and shot in lots of "service revolver" matches. I purchased the gun from the department when we transitioned to the full sized Glock forty cal for our new duty weapon.

My Colt Diamondback 22. I bought this gun as a companion to the two Pythons I bought with a bonus, which were sold to buy baby furniture when my daughter was born in Hawaii. The Diamondback never left, and never will. All four kids learned to shoot with it, and shot it well. It will go to my oldest daughter when the time comes. It was her choice from the collection without hesitation. She loves that gun.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks, Marine. I do think shooting revolvers, well, offhand, is becoming a lost art/skill, especially shooting them in DA. Old retro me is determined not to let that kind of shooting disappear in our shooting program, at least. Bill and I both love revolver shooting. Revolvers, for whatever reason, form the bulk of our handgun shooting. In fact, there are days when revolvers are the only guns we take to the range. They just suit us. Oh, we do shoot our semi-autos (mostly our 1911s) and I'll be the last person to deny the advantages of semi autos, but I do think revolvers are still very relevant, even in this day and age of the semi auto.

I truly wish I had bought a Diamondback, back in the day, back when I had a chance and they were still available. Now they're just plain out of sight, as are all of the Colt snake guns. The other issue with those vintage Colts is now finding parts and someone who actually knows how to service them. To S&W's credit, they still take care of most of the older stuff, at least. The minty vintage Smiths, though, are also disappearing, now, and demanding a premium.

[BrokenolMarine]

Yup, I wish I had bought a six inch 38 Diamondback to go with the four inch 22 when I had the chance. I don't shoot the Diamondback much anymore, but the 64 still gets a workout now and then. Most all of my revolver shooting IS double action, unless of course, I'm shooting a "Cowboy Gun."

I have sold a few Classic Smith's I wish I had held on to, especially the old Model 27 357, and the Model 14 38. Both were in excellent condition, and went to good friends who had admired them for a long time. I still regret the sales, but... back then funds were tight... and I'm sure there were things that had to be done.

As for 1911s, I have a few. As a Marine... don't I have to?

[North Country Gal]

You sure do. The 1911 is a must for this gal, too. If there's one gun that gets me out of the revolver mode, it's the 1911. Might just be able to get out for some 1911 fun, yet, this week.

[BrokenolMarine]

I still shoot my 1911s, but my favorite auto has to be the P220 45 Miss T gave me as a gift the first year we were married. We just seemed to be a good fit... twenty five years old and still shoots like a champ. I did very well in service auto class with it.

[BrokenolMarine]

A couple years later she gave me a Kimber Tactical Ultra II 45 as an off duty gun. Beautiful... but we carried glocks on duty so I carried the mini or mid size glock off duty. Still have the Kimber... it was a gift, after all.

[North Country Gal]

Glocks are not my thing, but I will never knock the gun for what it is or how it works. Doesn't get more reliable or practical than a Glock for certain applications. There's a reason so many people carry them. Just not my style.

[BrokenolMarine]

They aren't pretty, I will grant you that. But I was the department's armorer and firearms instructor.
I shot in a number of glock matches and enjoyed them, and carried the glocks on duty for a decade.
You can run it over, bury it, freeze it, drop it, and fail to clean it... it still shoots. It's ugly, but it shoots and it's accurate... service accurate.

I have a lot of guns more accurate, but none more reliable.

[Mags]

I have a Model 17 S&W from the 1940's. Great gun for popping off moles and gophers.

[North Country Gal]

Would love to see a pic, sometime. Doesn't get any better than old Smiths for me.

[Mags]

Would have, but not at home for a while. Back in a couple weeks.

[North Country Gal]

Picked up new grips for the new Model 17 Classic. The 17 Classic is supplied with the old traditional S&W carry grip, the magna, as seen here. Not sure why Smith would put these on a 22 LR target revolver, but I'll probably find a home for them on another Smith, sometime.


Changed to the standard S&W target grip, as shown here. Much, much, much prefer the more hand-filling target grip. Makes more sense on this gun. Given that I got this Classic to reduce wear and tear on our original 17 with its target grips, the new 17 should is now better setup to do its job.


Now to get out and do more revolver shooting. I got this revolver shooting bug, bad.

[220]

Nice shooting, I'm guessing they are the 2" SNC targets.
Even on a good day I struggle to get groups like that standing.

[North Country Gal]

They're those monster 3" targets, not the 2", but I might just have to try some 2". Thanks, though.