Multiple Range report, back east trip

Maximizing the performance of your Rossi firearm.
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Multiple Range report, back east trip

Post by Archer »

It's been a while since anyone posted a range report. I've been as bad as anyone else.
I've been trying to hit the range once or twice a month over the past couple years.

I recently did a road trip back east and hit the range with my father and a few handguns I took with me and a couple Dad brought to the range with him.

It had been a couple years or so since I was at the range with dad and I think that was the last time he had been to the range.
He brought a .22LR Browning Buckmark slabside and the Sig P228 I had sent to him a couple decades ago.
He also brought a Remington R51 he'd picked up for me a year ago or so.
I'd brought the Kimber Eclipse 10mm, the new Colt King Cobra .357, Sig P238 .380 auto, Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm and a Kimber Ultra CDP in .45 ACP and Springfield EMP 9mm.

We went out to a local DNR range and after slipping the payment envelope into the bear proof steel can near the parking lot walked out to the range. It was pretty covered up for a weekday with a half dozen guys in the rifle section. As we walked over to the short range side of the range one of the guys walked over to get his stuff out of our way. He'd had an AR or two and other range stuff spread over half the pistol section as well.

Dad wanted to work with his guns as it had been long enough that he needed the practice.
He was shooting ok for short range if pulling a little to the side of his point of aim.
I did get him to run the King Cobra and a couple others I had brought but for the most part he concentrated on the Browning and the Sig P228.

For me the 10mm did well and I didn't have any failures to feed or fire. I need some more practice with it as the recoil is somewhat sharper than the with the .45 ACP that I've been running for years and have the most experience with.

The Shield continues to work well. This has been an excellent purchase. Fully reliable, easy to use and has become a favorite among the smaller guns I own.

I ran a box or so through the R51. This is an all metal 9mm with a rather unique design. Remington touted it as being easy for those with limited hand strength to use. I suspect that may be partially true. The recoil spring surrounds the barrel so it is pretty compact and has nice smooth 1900 era art deco lines. Remington had major issues with the first issue of this gun and essentially recalled all of them offering refunds or if the buyer was willing to wait to provide them with the redesigned product. This was one of the second issue guns.

I had no failures of any kind. The gun felt ok, although the grip safety is a little odd on this one as it is the entire backstrap of the gun. I only had the two magazines that came with the gun although I'd picked up 3 more from a friend when my father purchased the gun. It seems as if Remington may have fixed the problems with this gun they had with the initial release. The delay in getting a reliable version to market has however allowed the competition to come out with what I feel are probably better solutions in about the same sized package. I'm not certain the Ruger LC9 is a better solution but I feel it is probably on the same level although the thin profile of the Ruger may make it less pleasant to shoot and the Ruger usually runs more money than Remington was selling the R51 for when my father bought it. Sig, Kimber and Springfield all have mini 1911 style 9mms now such as the Sig P938. I have not fired one of these as our Kommunist masters here in Kalifornia won't allow us to buy the firearms of our choice but I feel they are probably excellent. While they are affordable they are quite a bit more expensive than the R51. The Smith & Wesson Shield is a bit bigger than the R51 but is only a little more expensive and is very reliable and comfortable although I've been told some may be hard to manipulate for those with limited hand strength although I've not found mine to be bad at all. The Springfield EMP is in a different class as it is not only slightly larger but CONSIDERABLY more expensive. There are two or three other manufacturers of small 9mms that I don't have much experience with. Kahr for example and Beretta is making the Nano which is another we can't get here in CA.

Ran a couple mags out of the EMP, excellent as always.

Ran a box or so out of the King Cobra mixed .357 and .38SP. 2nd time I've had this one to the range. Very nice.

A couple mags out of the CDP Ultra, one 7 and one 8. Smooth and on target. This gun is the one I purchased after firing one at a range and it while it was expensive it's been worth the price. I recently had this one at the range with a coworker who had a Colt Officer's model in steel there at the same time. We both shot the alloy framed Kimber better than the steel Colt. No comparison, even with the lighter frame the gun was more comfortable to hold, fire and easier to put lead on target.

The Sig P238 worked well. This is one I got dad to shoot and he did ok with it although it was almost too small for him and it was obvious he wasn't entirely comfortable with it. I've had that happen with one of my coworkers who said it was tiny but once he shot it he liked it and found it easy to use and accurate.

The Sig P228 is always a joy to shoot. Well behaved and accurate. I put a couple mags out of the gun.

We had another couple guys show up who wanted to shoot some handguns. I'm not certain what all they shot but I noticed a Ruger Bisley Balckhawk in .44 Mag that the owner said he'd bought some 20 years ago or more and never fired. His nephew wanted to fire it (about 200$ and 6'3" or so). I should have asked if I could trade them some 10mm time for a cylinder or so but I didn't.

While they were there I shot the Buckmark and had reasonable groups but nothing to write home about IMO at that range with a target .22LR. 20 or 30 year old bulk ammo. Probably as good or better than some of the boxed stuff they are producing now. I felt I should have been able to bring the groups down to maybe quarter size or less. Still the older guy beside us when we were cleaning up during a cold range pause asked what I was firing to get those tight groups, 'You were really punching them in there.' I love a good target .22LR.

We left the range about 20 minutes before the 5 PM close. As we exited and started down the road we passed a ranger car headed to the range probably to ensure folks stopped at 5.

A note on the R51. This little gun is NOT exactly easy to disassemble and reassemble. It CAN be done with your hands alone however without requiring special tools.

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On the way back west I stopped off at a friend from college and signed up for an Alabama wilderness pass that allowed me range privileges for the year. A bit expensive for a single trip at $22 or so but not too bad compared to indoor range fees. The next day we went to the range with my firearms and a HK91 he's been keeping for me plus one of his ARs, a Ruger PCC9, Rossi 92 in .357 and a couple of his handguns. He's not exactly new to firearms but he's never really been a gun guy and has over the last couple three years picked up most of his rifles and acquired some firearms from his parent's passing.

When we got to the range it was pretty well covered up with folks.
We set up at the medium range ~50 yards or so and set up a target on a stand out about 25 yards.
We got his AR dot sight dialed in for him and then I took a turn.
My group opened up from his and when I looked at the sight it had come loose from recoil. He'd had the sight mounted before I dropped by and I suspect he had not pushed it forward against the rail stops and properly tightened the mount screw. We fixed it but didn't really dial it back in.

He ran a couple mags through the PCC and got it on target ot his satisfaction.

We ran several tubes of .357 Mag through the Rossi 92. He'd had no problems running .38s through it but the .357s had been somewhat problematic. Using some 4 or 5 different types of ammo we determined that the Fiocchi ammo has a rather pointed bullet with small exposed lead. This bullet for some reason starts into the chamber and then has a hitch as it contacts the top of the chamber. Bullets with a more rounded profile and/or a larger exposed flat nose or hollow point didn't exhibit this hitch in loading. The gun ran well and shot to my point of aim.

I had him shoot the Colt Cobra and mixed .357s and .38s through it.

Ran a dozen mags through the 10mm. I think I got about 80% of my brass back.
Let the guy beside us run a mag through the 10mm and he said "NOW I'm going to have to buy a new gun!"

Ran a 5 round group through the HK91 and as I finished up my friend was laughing. When I asked why he pointed out to our right. We were on the right side of the range and EVERYONE to our right was looking our direction. It seems that the empties were flung a full 50' or so some 5 or 7 benches down the firing line EXACTLY at my 3 o'clock. Apparently I'd taken out a bumble bee with one of them.

My friend took a turn and I warned the line 5 more coming through. A couple hit the rafters and several ran the length of the bay right over the shooting benches. Everyone was warned this time and had sat up to watch rather than bearing down on the benches. As I collected the brass I was asked if I reloaded. I responded yes but then realized they were thinking it was the ammo and explained that this was ALL factory rounds.

We had picked up a few rounds the day before and I'd picked up a 'universal' cleaning kit and a couple specific sized jags. On this trip I hadn't brought cleaning tools or materials expecting that dad would have most of what I needed left over from my last trip and his shotgun stuff plus I figured my friend would have most of what we needed since he has about a dozen guns at this point. He said he'd gone mostly to boresnakes and had never really picked up much before that so I gifted him with a basic starter kit.

Cleaning took about half as long as the range trip.
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It had been too long since I'd been on a visit or had a vacation. I had a great time and ate too much and slept too well while I was visiting. The 6 days and 4 nights on the road wasn't fun and motels haven't improved much. The casino hotels were a little better than the motels but still not exactly great.
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Re: Multiple Range report, back east trip

Post by akuser47 »

Not bad for a trip n some shooting. I know I need some trigger time.
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Re: Multiple Range report, back east trip

Post by Ranch Dog »

That's what I need, a shooting vacation!
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Re: Multiple Range report, back east trip

Post by josef644 »

I don't go shoot, unless I have the time to clean um up. I don't leave a dirty gun.
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