So the first item on today’s agenda was working out the stovepipe arrangement on Landlady’s new woodstove, because it gets damned cold in there and the propane blueflame heater isn’t a lot of help. We needed to call in the big guns via Neighbor D to work it out, but at last things were on fire.
Then we opened the door and all the windows, and disabled both smoke detectors, and went out in the cold to eat lunch, while the oil coating burned off the stove. Fortunately it didn’t take long, and it certainly appears that this stove is sufficient to warm Landlady’s little house.
THEN I could go out and play.
Yes, I know. Forgot to put my earmuffs back on while posing.
Oh, guys, this revolver is so much better than the 431. Once I got it sighted in I was running the rack at 25 yards, double action. Moved out to 50 yards and started getting some pretty embarrassing misses, but in actual pistol range this gun is sweet. With .44 special loads it’s very mild shooting and probably the porting is superfluous but why take a chance: It’s still cool.
Ian and I put 100 reloads through it. Its SA trigger is heavier than the 431’s but I swear I can already feel the DA trigger smoothing out. I used the 431 in DA as seldom as necessary just to say I had practiced with it, but this one is a pleasure. I can actually hold the pistol on target while pulling back the trigger. And since I can sight this pistol in, which I never could with the 431, I can just point the sights at the target instead of holding low and hoping. What a country!
As a proof of concept, the 431 was useful but I kept it – and made excuses for it – too long. Now thanks to a helpful reader who prefers to remain anon, I got a good deal on what looks to be a good boonie gun. I’ve got a proper holster coming and a set of Hogue grips, not that there really appears to be all that much wrong with the stock “ribber” grips but I just like Hogue.
Might have to try some magnum loads just to see if the barrel porting is really all that. The Tracker is marginally lighter than the 431 but very pleasant to shoot with next to no muzzle flip using .44 Special loads, but I can’t say it’s that huge an improvement over the 431 in that regard. Never had a gun with a ported barrel before, and I’m just curious.
Ian also brought a toy for us to play with. The Glock is just a Glock but the optic is something special. I’ve used cheap red-dots before and left very unimpressed, because in full sun you’ve got to crank them to 11 and the dot is vague and sometimes bigger than the target. But being Ian means sometimes you get to T&E expensive gear. This is a Trijicon that costs several hundred dollars, but the dot is sharp and clearly visible in bright desert sun and the battery life is such that the thing doesn’t even have an on/off switch. And when it’s sighted in, you can snap shots in a most satisfying manner. Too bad it costs so damn much.
Glad your new toy showed and you like it. Pro tip for new wood stoves. Before you carry it inside…burn the oil off outside. Then go inside and watch out the window.
I bet you’re not going to put your left index where it is in the pic when you live fire!
I’m not trying to be critical – but I just noticed it right off.
It’s good to see a photo with other things in it to give one an idea of the scale of the firearm. It looks good – glad to hear that you’re happy with it.
Joel: Yay, new toy! Do you know which model Trijicon on the Glock? Some of us need all the sighting help we can get.
PNO: And those thumbs! Mayhaps Joel has been spending time with semiautos. Last time I fired a revolver, it took me a bit to adjust my digit placement, too.
Who…Me?: The outside vs inside idea is why the pros get the big bucks. Why, I remember the first (and last) time I tried to season some cast iron pans inside. “Surely, opening the windows will be sufficient. Um.”
🙄 I knew somebody would have something to say about my ever-so-professional lack of good form. Yeah, until the 431 I hadn’t picked up a revolver in decades. Probably when the loads get hotter my form, such as it is, will change.
That new wheel gun you have looks great and I’m sure it works as advertised. I have been a wheel gun fan for a lot of years. I like the simplicity and the multi caliber aspect to them. Don’t get me wrong, I have a couple of autos that I like very much and that work very well. It just took a little longer to get them to the stage where I would have no hesitation in grabbing one should the situation require it than it has for my wheel guns.
I think you will like the porting feature if you are going to use full .44 magnum loads. It will save your wrists some punishment. I was never that big a fan of porting having been of the mindset that there is a loss of muzzle energy. Then a few years ago I got to try a S&W 629, what a difference, it was like shooting my S&W M19.
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Please-oh-please arrange to have video coverage of your very first full-house 240-grains at 1300FPS Magnum round shot.
Ear protection, of course.
😉
Robert, it’s an RM-02.
So my notes having one as well
Normal 240s 44mag loads are unpleasant… Hot 300s kinda suck. Most anything hotter or heavier wont fit in the cylinder.
Warm 240s (PPU are 240@1400 box flap) are nearly in the range of the 300 suck…
Really think of the gun as a nice 44 special that can punch above its weight class. A steady diet of hot full house loads though can lead to a short lifespan.
10 loads of hot 300s trying to get a chrono reading and my elbow hurt for the next week.
Hot is defined as a 300g horandy xtp on top of 19g of 2400 with a cci lpp
I know it’s an old thread, Joel – but I’m assuming that in order to approve a comment you’ll wind up reading it too.
It’s been more than 7 days now since you’ve first fired your new tool – surely you’ve deepened your acquaintance by now – what say you? I don’t know that much about the Taurus brand and I’m curious as to your impressions as you go along.