What kind of firearms??

The Ruger 10-22 rifle is a good shooting rifle and it has been years since I've had one. Mine was dependable for a semi auto...but I gave it to my brother and got a bolt action .22 long rifle and also two pump .22 rifles as these will take shorts, longs, and long rifles.

These Ruger 10-22 rifles seem today to come in numerous variations and now even in takedown models.
I was at one time interested in one of the 10-22s in a heavy barrel...but passed on it and went with a bolt action.

The Ruger Government heavy barreled pistol is also dependable and very accurate with iron sights. I enjoy shooting this pistol..and is one of the few semi pistols I shoot...the other being a 1911.

Other than that I prefer wheel guns. I even have a Taurus Tracker five shot pistol with 6 inch barrel in .45ACP. Now this pistol is very very accurate. It uses five shot clips to hold the rounds and I have purchased these clips aplenty.

I have managed to pick up two pistols in .41 Magnum. A Ruger Blackhawk and also a Smith and Wesson Model 57 with 6 inch barrel. Both of these revolvers are 6 inch barrels and I verily like that length for accuracy.
Both are good shooters.


I like what Ruger has done with the Blackhawk. They have kept the features of the single action Western pistol with modern metallurgy and also a good set of iron sights....along with the transfer bar for safely loading all six cylinders.
And this gun comes in a variety of good calibers.

One thing I can say for Sturm Ruger is that over the years they have made many good judgment calls on what the marketplace will bear.

I would never have believed that they could bring back the cowboy revolver ...in a time and date of fast shooting semi autos and also I would never have believed they could sell a single shot falling block rifle...in the Ruger No. 1 rifle .

And the 10-22 rifle continues to sell all across America. I believe they have maintained the Ruger 10-22 in the X ring all these years. Quite an accomplishment in an intensively competing marketplace.

Thanks,
Watcherechris.

 

The new Ruger Mk IV .22 semi-auto handgun is easy to disassemble and reassemble. The original model is a Chinese puzzle-box to field strip an reassemble. I've kept one of the older models (Mk II, I guess) for decades; 6 7/8" barrel, custom grips with thumb rest. Shoots like a rifle, but I've cursed the thing when reassembling it. They were a royal pain, but not anymore, so I've recommended to a friend to get the new Mk IV in target config. I don't know if they still make the longer barreled target or if Ruger just makes the shorter bull barreled version.

One of my 10/22 rifles has a bull barrel, however one cannot truly call it a target barrel. A true .22 lr target barrel has a shorter chamber so that the bullet does not leap to the beginning of the rifling (no deformation of the bullet = better accuracy). However, the bullet being right on the rifling at ignition generates higher chamber pressures -- combine that with hot ammo and sometimes that shortens the life of the rifle. The 10/22 "target" barrel does not have a shorter chamber, thus reducing the chance that high velocity ammo will hurt it.

 

Agree Olde Geezer,

What I have is a MK II Government....and it is a pain to completely disassemble and then reassemble the barrel from the frame...but I have learned to manage it after several false starts. I no longer have that problem.

However ..I have heard similar about several Ruger model Pistols...of the semi auto variety. This to the extent that stories have been generated of them being brought to gunsmiths to be reassembled after cleaning/disassembly by people who cannot figure out how to reassemble them. These gunsmiths speak of adding an additional charge for reassembly and call it "A stupid charge." I had to laugh at that one....but consider it well done on the part of the gunsmiths.

But ...there are people out here who are not so or in that manner mechanically inclined....and cannot figure out how to follow a manual of instructions.

I gotta hand it to the designers of the AK 47....that is a easy design to disassemble and reassemble.

I am aware of that business of shorter chamber in target grade rifles or for some reloaders to load the bullet closer to engaging the lands when possible. The olde timers at the gun club explained this to me.

That is one of the things I have enjoyed at this gun club...hearing and speaking with these olde timers who know such a plethora of firearms details.

And some of these olde timers have some beautiful beautiful olde rifles and handguns. Some beautiful wood on many of them. Some of these guys shoot those olde Martini rifles of the British Empire. Now that is a big big metallic cartridge ......of some .455 calibration.
I believe some of the members have this Martini action in more modern calibers too.

While I don't know what it is called..this is the first and only place ..this gun club... where I have seen a civil war era carbine which is hinged at the top of the barrel ..and shoots a metallic cartridge with a hole in the back of it. It is cap fired...but the cartridge can be removed and reloaded....but oddly enough has no primer in it. I have also seen a modern adaptation of this brass cartridge made out of some kind of heavy plastic.

When opened ...the barrel hinges over the top of the stock and the spent cartridge removed. I think it is some 52 or 54 caliber.

It is great fun to watch these guys shoot their 52 or 54 or 58 caliber rifles from 50 yards and break ceramic tiles hanging from a string ...all the whooping and hollering going on. You can see those bullets going down range with smoke following the mine ball.....and of course all the smoke and smell of black powder.

It is interesting to me to see some of the olde type rifles and handguns shot there. Some of these olde guys have a lot of bucks tied up in these olde guns..and keep them shooting.
One of the best parts of this is the history these olde guys know of both the guns and that time ..that era.

Thanks,
Watcherchris

 

I have the Mark 2 target pistol in 6 7/8" barrel. It really does shoot like a rifle. LOL, It also really is a major pain in the butt to tear down. I am actually a bit of a Ruger collector and have at one time or another owned most of their handguns.

 

Like you TexDanm....I like both Taurus and Ruger wheel guns. I have a Taurus six inch barreled .357 magnum through which I have put thousands of rounds of .38 Special in practicing but carry .357 magnums normally in it.

I also have spent a bit of extra money to purchase the Ruger .357 magnum GP 100. ...;in a four inch barrel....blued steel on both pistols. They are both good shooters. I was willing to spend a bit more for the Ruger as I know they are well built.
The GP 100 is a hunk of metal. I carry it on the outside in a pancake holster with speed loaders.

As I posted earlier....I have my eye on two lever rifles...one in .357 magnum..and the other in .41 Magnum. They are not a priority but in the back of my mind down the road.

I think the .357 Magnum will come first because of the inherent simplicity of being able to handle both .38 Specials as well as .357 Magnum.

The reloaders tell me that bullet seating depth is critical in these rifles in getting them to properly feed .357 Magnums.


Thanks,
Watcherchris.

 

Here's my trick to get the reassembly accomplished: After having placed the locking assembly started back in the grip, I turn the weapon upside down such that the locking pin that goes through the top of the receiver dangles. At least with the locking pin dangling, one can more easily guide it into it's channel as the locking assembly is levered into the weapon's grip. And then there is the matter of lining up the smaller lower pin with the spring in the grip, then flipping the locking lever at the correct moment. For that, you have to bring the weapon upright and tip the muzzle up at 30 degrees so that you can feel tension on the locking assembly. ........ Wait, dang-it, I just want to give up. ..... I'm going to go buy me a Mark IV. Wish I had some cash for such. Why didn't Bill fix that long ago!!!!!!!

Now I remember why I like revolvers so much.

 

He should have done something like he did for the Early Blackhawks. He came up with a conversion to the transfer bar system that didn't change the basic structure. They would make the change for you for free and then ship it back with the old parts so if you ever wished it could be returned to the original configuration.

 

Hey Olde Geezer,

That is a pretty good description of the process...and much better than I could formulate into words....sans the colorful language in assisting with the process.

However...I am in no hurry to get one of these new fangled pistols...no matter how much they tout them.

My Ruger Government Mk II shoots very well so I will gladly put up with it's idiosyncrasies.


I remember some time back reading an article on how and why the design shoots better than the regular Ruger semi auto .22 Pistols.

There are some extra steps taken in the manufacture and inspection which help in the accuracy...which are not done in the regular .22 Ruger semi autos. I know this by experience as I at one time had an early Ruger semi auto .22 pistol and it was no where near as accurate. It functioned well...but was no where near as accurate.

Thanks,
Watcherchris

 

I forgot to mention something about wheel guns.

In the days of fast acting semi autos with high capacities the wheel guns are still hanging on out there. They refuse to die off and go extinct.


I came to realize one of the reasons for this....

While there are some serious die hard wheel gun fans out there like me...there is another reason for their popularity which is seldom brought out to the purchasing public.


The wheel gun...by design can handle heavier loadings than can most semi auto pistols and for a cheaper cost.

You seldom see .357 in a semi auto....and only in limited designs.

Neither .41 magnum nor 44 magnum..again only in limited varieties/designs.

This is the appeal to Handgun hunters of a wheel gun over a semi auto ...a larger variety from manufacturers than semi autos and also the power of the cartridge availablity in the wheel guns. And with most hunting...you seldom get but one good shot.....so make it count.

The other appeal for which one seldom finds in most semi autos...is the availability of rifles in pistol calibers..
.38 Special/.357 Magnum, 41 Magnum, and .44 Special/.44 Magnum...are readily available in rifles as well as pistols...and in variety...both rifle and pistol.

This is not the case in 9mm, .380, and 45ACP....the variety is non existent or very limited in variety as compared to traditioinal wheel gun.calibers...and rifles made by leading manufacturers.

Oh...by the way...this is also one of the features which make the .22 long rifle very very popular among those who know their tools.
Both accurate rifles and accurate pistols available in this calibration.
This in addition to a variety of ammunition potential/availability for the .22 caliber...from target grade to high velocity..to snake shot...insures its popularity.


Once some olde timers explained this to me...I looked around and found this to be pretty much true....as well as interesting...about the marketplace.


Thanks,
Watcherchris

 

Highpoint also offers a 45acp carbine. They also offer it in a 9mm but you are still just shooting a 9mm. I like my wheel guns because of the extra punch and knock down power. If I have a 357,41, or 44 magnum I don't need 17 rounds to get the job done. I honestly question the idea of getting in a full blown combat with a handgun. Bringing a handgun into a long gun battle is a lot like bringing a knife to a gunfight. There is a reason the infantry soldiers don't need a pistol.

After things get ugly a handgun is a sort of temporary emergency tool. It will be there just to give me something for the few moments that it might take me to get to my long gun. As long as things are as they are now, even as messed up as they are, it is unlikely almost to the point of impossibility that I will get into a protracted battle that will require more than the 18 shots that a revolver and two speed loaders in 357 mag offer.

In even a marginally civilized city i won't be doing suppressive fire so a team member can advance. All I will be doing if attacked by a large number of targets is holding place, dropping anyone stupid enough to show themselves and waiting for the bad guys to run before cops show up. Other than on TV, even cops don't often fire a lot of rounds and when they do it is more often than not unnecessary and caused by poor training. Ripping loose with a couple of mags is a good way to have civilian casualties.

If I could only have one GUN for the rest of my life both in current situations and TEOTWAWKI it would be either a pump shotgun or a 10-22 rifle.

 

Semi-autos need a certain range of momentum and a given range in case pressure and the case has to be a certain length and ....

Revolvers are not picky. A .357 mag can shoot .38 Special, .38 S&W, ...

A .327 Federal magnum can fire the .32 H&R mag, .32 S&W long, .32S&W.

A failure to fire in an auto means you must rack the slide. In a double action revolver, you pull the trigger again.

A J-frame size revolver can chamber 6 rounds of .327 Fed Mag = compact powerhouse. J-frame .38/.357 can only chamber 5 rounds. And hey let's face it, the .327 Mag is a performer.



If you really need to drive deep on the game you're after, then you'll need to go .357 with heavier bullets 158 gr, 180 gr, ... For BIG Hogs, you may need to go .41 mag, .44 mag, and beyond ... The Highway Patrol found out decades ago that if they wanted to shoot through cars, the .41 mag was an effective tool -- especially if you went with really hard cast bullets with gas checks added. Heard about a highway patrolman putting a .41 mag through a cargo van's steel back door, something in the back (?can't remember what?), through a front seat, on into the second felon riding shotgun.

 

Olde Geezer.

Wow!!! This is a story I've not heard....

I have purchased and put back about 300 rounds of these 250 grain flat point gas checks. I 've shot a few and they have significant recoil but I've not really checked them out for penetration.

It is just that observing the design of these 250 grain gas checks...it gives me the impression that they are designed for significant energy delivery....close up. And that was my rationale for purchasing them verses the standard semi wad cutters at 210 grain for which I reload.

I have also downloaded them a bit in power...as this is a stout recoil in factory loadings.

But I had not heard that story about the .41 magnums penetrating abilities. Thanks for that.


I normally reload 210 grain copper plated semi wad cutters...in .41 Magnum.

Here the gas checks I have put back in storage.

http://www.grizzlycartridge.com/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=CP41250


Oh...by the way....one fact for which I was greatly pleased with these gas checks is that it significantly lowers leading in the barrel lands. This was my first time using gas checks and I am well pleased with the results.

And You can certainly tell how deep down they sit in a brass case...compared to the 210 copper semi wad cutters.


I am rethinking getting this calibration in a lever gun and considering a 14 inch barrel for my Thompson contender in .41 magnum.

I do , however, like the idea of a lever gun in .38/.357 Magnum.



As to revolvers not being a picky as semi autos....agree.

I prefer to control the action ..the cyclic rate...

The only thing more simple for which I can conceive is a single shot.
And I've got that covered with my Thompson Contender.

Odd as this may seem in today's time of fast action semi autos and large capacity magazines et al.....I enjoy very much sitting down at the bench and just taking my time shooting this Thompson Contender in numerous calibers...my favorite being in 7mm TCU.

Plans are also down the road to purchase a barrel in .22 long rifle. I am thinking about a target grade .22 long rifle barrel for this single shot.


Been so busy here of late ..I haven't had the time for shooting or reloading for which I would have liked.


Thanks,
Watcherchris.

 

Olde Geezer,

Thanks for posting that chart on the .327 magnum. This is a more recently produced cartridge...and one for which I'd not given much thought.


The cartridges of olde which for some reason attract my interest go back some time....these are the 32-20 and 25-20 calibrations. They seem to have survived the black powder times and managed to keep going into the smokeless era.

They just strike me as efficient small to medium game getters. The problem is that brass is not so available as once they were.
I expect brass for these two calibrations would have to be ordered.


And this puts the .327 Magnum out there ....in a field by itself today...;pistol and rifle both.

Thanks for the charts,

Watcherchris

 

Again, I'm a sucker for the .32 family because of my paternal grandfather's use of them (especially the 32-20). At a gun show this past weekend, I saw several 32-20 pumps and levers from back when. There's the collector value, plus people see their efficiency in getting the job done with a small package. Heaven only knows how many deer have been taken with the 32-40 lever action rifles.

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-327s.htm

"Ruger's 7-shot GP-100 (top) & 8-shot Blackhawk (bottom) .327 federal revolvers."

Eight shot, yes 8 rounds with more power than the 32-20. However, I couldn't find this 8-shot on Ruger's website. What they have on their website and that which I would prefer would be the seven shot in either double or single action. The single-seven in .327 would be both cute and lethal. I love those little single-actions.
https://ruger.com/products/newModelSingleSixSingleSeven/models.html

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/733264123


And there is a lever from Henry repeating arms
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...federal-magnum-curious-caliber-worth-carbine/
This thing wouldn't have much, if any, recoil. It'd be a tree-stand here-to-there forest whitetail number (I'd go neck shot, however little eastern U.S. whitetails have no chest width). It would be very lethal against a human. I have a .357 mag Winchester Trapper and that thing tears the crap out'a anything it hits -- the bullets are designed to open up at much lower velocities. The .44 mag with hard bullets shoots through a little whitetail like the deer was tissue paper -- softer bullets must be used, but if you do, you'll get horrible tissue damage / ruined meat.

 

i'm a james wesley rawles follower and he suggested the following 5 firearm battery to me:

1. a good .22 rifle

2. a battle rifle in .223/5.56 or .308

3. a good deer/elk rifle like a 30-30 or 30-06

4. a good 12 gauge shotgun(remington or mossberg is great)most versatile weapon

5. a pistol with knockdown power i lean towards a .45 but some like 9mm

these 5 firearms should cover most situations that your average joe will find himself getting into...

most of these are legal in the 50 states but check your state/local laws and such before trying to buy and use...