Range session 01/29/2011

[Sleipnir]

I just bought my first wheelgun on Thursday, a Ruger SP101 2.25" .357 Magnum, and got a chance to finally use it yesterday. Not much to report other than it's an awesome little gun and I cannot wait to get a holster for it as well as putting in a lighter 10# Wolff mainspring which brings to mind what I really wanted to show you guys. Be sure to watch them in HD! (I love my iPhone 4 for this feature except that it makes me sound all nasally regardless.)

This is my friend Sarah who found out just how strong that little trigger can be: here

This is her finally firing it: here

And here is me rapid firing some .357 Magnum rounds.

Other than the Ruger we fired my Springer Mil-Spec 1911A1 .45, it worked flawlessly as is to be expected and five of us burned through 150 rounds in less than an hour. Here we see Sarah loving my trusty 1911. Also used was my 20 gauge Remington 870 Express Magnum Youth model and was Sarah's first experience with a shotgun which is noted here. Also on the line was a surplus Mosin Nagant 91/30 manufactured in 1943.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[GM]

It sounds like you had a lot of fun. Congrats on the SP101

[gasmitty]

She sure looked scared of the SP101! Was it loaded with .357s when she shot it?
Funny how she adapted to the 1911 pretty easily... another gun with an undeserved reputation for recoil.

I give your lady friend credit for being game with your guns. Next opportunity, have her lean into the guns more... have her adopt a weight forward stance. The bark and bite will seem far less!

[LanceORYGUN]

Man, what an awful DA trigger pull it must have, for a grown woman to be unable to pull it.

You may need more than just a new lighter mainspring. Do you have a good gunsmith in your area that works on revolvers?

.

[Sleipnir]

It's a smooth trigger pull, but it has to have at least a 16 pound pullforce in double action, and close to my 1911 in single action (6.5-7.5 pounds), not to mention that it has less than 200 full doubleaction cycles so the spring isn't quite broken it yet. Regardless I'm switching the 14# stock mainspring with the 10# Wolff spring and that should drop the pullforce down to 12-14 pounds.

[LanceORYGUN]

It's a smooth trigger pull, but it has to have at least a 16 pound pullforce in double action, and close to my 1911 in single action (6.5-7.5 pounds), not to mention that it has less than 200 full doubleaction cycles so the spring isn't quite broken it yet. Regardless I'm switching the 14# stock mainspring with the 10# Wolff spring and that should drop the pullforce down to 12-14 pounds.

Man, those are all still heavy trigger pulls to me. I prefer a single action pull between 4 and 5 lbs, and a Double Action of no more than 10 lbs.

.

[Kerby]

Was this her first go a round with guns??? if so she did great, take her a few more times and she will be hooked.....

[Diddle]

If I may...

You all may want to change the spring to a lower weight of pull. Say 12, 10 or even 8lb.

Also, based on what I have seen at the range, the cup and sauser grip she is using is often problematic. Especially for women. My wife (a product of a hunting family and the only girl in a 3 brother eastern KY family) was bent on shooting this way. The only one to break her of that was our CCW instructor. Once she got a "hand full of gun" and really got intiment with the gun and got a more substantial grip on the gun, her accuracy and confidence inproved dramatically.

As I said - just a suggestion.

You all be safe, happy and enjoy shooting.

Diddle!

[Sleipnir]

She hadn't been shooting in two years or more and the only firearms she's ever used were a 9mm Sig, a Ruger Mk. III, a .22 rifle and a lever action 30-30. She loves my .45 haha. It was her first time with .45 ACP, .357 Mag, .38 Special, 7.62x54R, and 20 gauge #8 7/8oz birdshot in a 2-3/4 inch game load. I'm lightening the mainspring to an 10# Wolff spring when it comes in the mail.

[buckeye .45]

.357 snubs are always a handful.

Looks like a fun day at the range. Next time, work on not moving the gun towards the camera while moving her head.