hooting uracy - scalemodeler.co.za accuracy.pdf · 1111 d te ld with his since all combat shooting...

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By Bud Lang 9"'? here was a time when the on ly U compe tition open to revolver own- ers was paper punching, or bullseye shoot i ng, a discipline not too many shooters were attr acted to. When Prac- tical Pistol Course shoo ting came around, thing s picked up a bi t, as compe tit ion was a bit more realistic, what with the use of barricades, etc. When IPSC-style combat s hooting came i nto being about a decade ago, many handgunn ers accepted it with open arms, as it appeared to be even more realistic, or practical, than any- thing offered to date. But the founding gurus apparently did n't believe revolv- ers deserved a place on the firin g lin es , as many courses of fire decidedly fa- vored pistols. If not that. then the fact th at ju st about any handgun outside of a .45 ACP was labeled a " minor" cali- ber, and unless a co mpetitor got noth- ing but X-r ing hits, he was out to lun ch, sc or ewi se. But as you' ll see, it tool< a while, but things began to change. Around 1976, a band of pistoleros got together and staged the first hand- gun silhouette match in this country, as a tal<e-off on rifle silhouette shooting that was imported from Mexico . Here was a sport that was to prove ch alleng- ing to more handgunn ers than any to date, especially so to those who enjoy long range shooti ng. To s ilhouette shooters, hearing the clang of a bullet at long range, and watching the steel fall, is more exciting than punching holes in paper. While many silhouette shooters are using bolt action and break-top pistols, there are many usi ng revolvers. and doing qu it e well with them. What all this boils d own to is there is plenty of action anywhere you go these days if yo u want to compet e. If you own a revolver and want to punch holes in bulls, do some combat shoot- ing, or l<nock over steel, you can do it. There's now a sh oo tin g di sci pline for This S&W Model 14 ."4- screw" revolver has been in use for at least 30 years, but it's completely rebuilt and helps Pride win championships In /PSG- PPG competition . 44 to steel-banging .. u HOOTING URACY A review of America's top scoring revolvers in PPC, IPSC and· Silhouette Competition-and the marksmen and gunsmiths behind these guns. John Pride, veteran LAPD (GA) officer and PPG and /PSG shooter, practices with h. Almpolnt-slghted Model 14 Sm/111 & Wesson.

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Page 1: HOOTING URACY - Scalemodeler.co.za Accuracy.pdf · 1111 D te ld with his Since all combat shooting is done double action, gunsmith 81/1 Jarvis bobbed the flammer on Pride's M14. Tfl/s

By Bud Lang

9"'? here was a time when the only U competition open to revolver own­

ers was paper punching, or bullseye shoot ing, a discipline not too many shooters were attracted to. When Prac­tical Pistol Course shooting came around, things p icked up a bit, as competition was a bit more realistic, what with the use of barricades, etc.

When IPSC-style combat shooting came into being about a decade ago, many handgunners accepted it with open arms, as it appeared to be even more realistic , or practical, than any­thing offered to date. But the founding gurus apparently didn't believe revolv­ers deserved a place on the firing lines, as many courses of fire decidedly fa­vored pistols. If not that. then the fact that just about any handgun outside of a .45 ACP was labeled a "minor" cali­ber, and unless a competitor got noth­ing bu t X-ring hits, he was out to lunch, scorewise. But as you' ll see, it tool< a while, but things began to change.

Around 1976, a band of pistoleros got together and staged the first hand­gun si lhouette match in this country, as a tal<e-off on rifle si lhouette shooting that was imported from Mexico. Here was a sport th at was to prove challeng­ing to more handgunners than any to date, especially so to those who enjoy long range shooting. To silhouette shooters, hearing the clang of a bullet at long range, and watching the steel fall, is more exciting than punching holes in paper. While many silhouette shooters are using bolt action and break-top pistols, there are many using revolvers. and doing quite well with them.

What all this boils down to is there is plenty of action anywhere you go these days if you want to compete. If you own a revolver and want to punch holes in bulls, do some combat shoot­ing, or l<nock over steel, you can do it. There's now a shooting discipline for

This S&W Model 14 ."4-screw" revolver has been in use for at least 30 years, but it's completely rebuilt and helps Pride win championships In /PSG- PPG competition.

44

to steel-banging .. u

HOOTING URACY

A review of America's top scoring revolvers in PPC, IPSC and· Silhouette Competition-and the marksmen and gunsmiths behind these guns.

John Pride, veteran LAPD (GA) officer and PPG and /PSG shooter, practices with h. Almpolnt-slghted Model 14 Sm/111 & Wesson.

Page 2: HOOTING URACY - Scalemodeler.co.za Accuracy.pdf · 1111 D te ld with his Since all combat shooting is done double action, gunsmith 81/1 Jarvis bobbed the flammer on Pride's M14. Tfl/s

1111 D

te ld

with his

Since all combat shooting is done double action, gunsmith 81/1 Jarvis bobbed the flammer on Pride's M14.

Tfl/s M14 S&W Is filled with a six-inch, 1-114-/nch diameter bull barrel. Muzzle is recessed for Improved performance. Top Is milled to accept the aluminum Almpolnt sight mount, which Is Interchangeable with PPC mount.

every revolver owner, and the only reasons one can give for not competing are either not having equipment, or just being too lazy to get away from the boob tube. But if you're a handgunner, you're bound to own some guns, so it can't be the first reason.

Naturally, just any kind of revolver won't suffice for any of the shooting sports we've talked about. Some guns are certainly better than others, and as we all know, most of these guns are modified to some degree to make them precision machines. What we've done here is contact some of the better gunsmiths and shooters in the country with the intent of telling you what they are using to win matches with. We'll be talking about the guns they use, why they chose them, what modi­fications were made, and the reasons ~hy. The best equipment in the world Isn't going to make anyone a cham-

S&W M10 features a 1-114-lnch dlame­' ter stainless Atkinson barrel and Arist-O­Crat sight. PPC gun v,:as buill by Royce Waddell for Pride. ·

pion, so don't believe it will. Inherent ability is half the battle, but ha.ving good equipment will make a difference for any of us. An old hot rodder I once knew. said "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?" Well, that also applies to shooting, in a sense. If you want to win, you do have to have a good gun, and they do cost money.

What we'll be doing for the rest of this article is talking about some of the people involved in winning champion­ship matches, or building guns for championship shooters, and what their equipment comprises. In no particular order, we'll take them one at a time.

John Pride, IPSC and PPC Shooter

An active competitor, John Pride has been a member of the Los Angeles Police Department for nearly 14 years. joined the LAPD pistol team 10 years ago, has been an LAPD firearms in­structor for 9 years, and alsc> works with their explosives unit in scientific investigation.

His . handgun achievements ln.­elude being a member of the Gov­ernor's Twenty (in California) for 8 of the past 9 years, and he's been rated #2 ·most of that time. In 1979, he was the Canadian Police Champion. In 1983, as a member of the LAPD revolver team, they won the team title at the Bianchi Cup as well as the California State Championship. Also, at the '83 Bianchi Cup shoot, John came in second over­all, losing out by a single point.

At this time, Pride has three differ­ent revolvers with which he wins matches, so we'll cover each of them.

The first began life as a Smith & Wesson Model 14 4-screw, probably made in the late '40s. This is the one John shot in the '83 Bianchi Cup match (he came in second, one point behind winner Brian Enos). and also uses in PPC competition with the Aimpoint sight removed.

This gun was customized by Bill Jarvis, a Huntington Beach, CA. gun­smith and former CHP officer. Bill in­stalled a six-inch, 1-1 /4-inch diameter

Keeping as much of his body behind the barricade as possible, John Pride shoots a S&W M10 In PPC competition.

Douglas barrel, aluminum scope mount, Mark Ill Aimpoint sight, bobbed the hammer, tuned the trigger, smoothed it and installed a trigger stop, and installed a pair of custom grips by John Hurst. Hurst is a retired LAPD officer, and (still) record-holding PPC shooter and former Olympic com­petitor.

Pride removes the Aimpoint and mount from this revolver, replacing them with an Arist-O-Crat sight sys­tem, when using the gun in PPCshoot­ing.

The second gun in Pride's gun box is a later model M 10 standard 3-screw. This is the piece he used in 1983 to take .. the Canadian National Police Combat match, the equivalent of the NRA Na­tionals in the U.S. His M10was built by Royce Waddell, a retired policeman and respected gunsmith in Norman, OK. Designed for PPC work, the M10 features a 1-1 /4-inch diameter stain­less steel Atkinson barrel, Arist-O-Crat sight rib and John Hurst custom grips.

The heavy barrels both absorb re­coil and help him get back on target fast. Waddell milled the Arist-O-Crat sight base to fit the heavy barrel, since it's much larger than the standard tube. One reason so many shooters use this sight is because it features three pre­set settings for 7, 25 and 50 yard shoot-

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Page 3: HOOTING URACY - Scalemodeler.co.za Accuracy.pdf · 1111 D te ld with his Since all combat shooting is done double action, gunsmith 81/1 Jarvis bobbed the flammer on Pride's M14. Tfl/s

I • An Inexpensive rubber eraser is glued to trigger guard of Pride's M 10, acting as a stop for the polished and contoured trigger.

ing. Once the gun is sighted in for a neck hold at 25 yards, it's a simple matter to turn a cam and have it auto­matically set for one of the other dis­tances. Pride prefers Hurst grips on many of his guns because they leave the backstrap exposed. This permits him to wrap "more hand around the gun and consequently get more finger around the trigger which is very impor­tant in double action shooting." This gives him total, positive control of the trigger.

Designed for IPSC speed shoot­ing, Pride's next revolver is an older model 4-screw S&W M15. It, too, was built by Bill Jarvis. A six-inch, 1-1/4-inch diameter Douglas barrel is home for a prototype sighting system that started. out as a Bo-Mar ramp . The unique Buckhorn rear sight allows John to pick up his targets quickly, · which can't be stressed too much.

Up front, John had Jarvis install a red plastic sight insert, again to aid in

46

Atkinson barrel Is concaved at muzzle rather than recessed. Arist-O-Crat ~amp sight was mllfed to fit the barrel.

Brian Enos, 1983 Bianchi Cup champion, fires from a barricade with his Frank Glenn customized S&W M10 Almpoint-sfght­ed revolver, during a practice session. Tim· lng Enos Is Rob Leatham, close friend and competitor (Rob finished 6th In the Bianchi Cup In 1983, and was the '83/PSC National Champion).

quick target acquisition. This gun fea­tures Hogue combat grips, a bit larger than most, because they afford him the ability to draw quickly. They also keep the backstrap exposed, again keeping more finger on the trigger. Pride used this gun in the 1983 Bianchi Cup Speed Shooting event.

He uses Ted Blocker leather to carry his Aimpoin t-scoped revolvers whi le competing. These rigs are heavy­duty and feature open fronts to accom­modate the scopes. John uses both Winch~ster 148-grain HBWC factory ammo and handloaded 148-grain Speer bullets for most of his shooting. For the Bianchi Cup competition , he found the Winchester 158-grain AN

Custom wood grips by John Hurst are used by Pride on both his M14 andM10revolvers. Backs/rap of frame Is exposed, allowing you to gel a better grip on gun, and more finger on the trigger.

standard velocity factory load afforded him the accuracy needed to compete in this match.

Brian Enos, IPSC Shooter

A 27-year-old import car mechanic in Mesa, AZ, Brian Enos has been shooting for 10 years, but only in the last four has he engaged in serious competitive shooting. But what a wild fou r years it has been. I feel it's safe to say that no other combat shooter in the world has come up as fast as this young man. While he may have outstanding equipment to shoot with, he's also a born shooter. He discovered what oth­er shooters were using in combat matches when he got the urge to com- . pe'te, and acquiring similar equipment , he then set out to do the best he could. This has always been foremost in his mind; do his best. And that meant practicing diligently, learning what he was doing right, and overcoming his faults. He claims to be a perfectionist, and this is certainly borne out in his accompl ishments. Brian also openly gives credit where it's due. He states that former Olympic Team member and U.S. Shotgun Champion, John Satterwhite, has been vei-y instrument­al in teaching him the importance of mental discipl ine.

Take a look at his accomplish­ments. In 1981 , he finished 21st in the Bianchi Cup, respectable for a new shooter. Then in the '81 Steel Chal­lenge, a speed shooting event, he placed 5th, which is darn good. At the 1981 IPSC National Championships, he came in 13th, again respectable. Competing in the '81 Soldier of Fortune 3-gun match, he placed a very credible second.

In the 1982 Bianchi Cup Brian

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The Davis Custom bull barrel PPC revolvers....,lllll.-:~~~ are based on Ruger, Colt or Smith & Wesson Model 10, 13, 64 or 65 (shown is the S&W M10) guns. This Is Davis's Grade II which features an Apex heavy barrel of 1-inch outside diameter, Davis's sliding cam ad-justable rib and front sight, trigger s lop, Pachmayr grips and tuned action.

finished 2nd, one point behind th ree­time winner Mickey Fowler, who was shooting a highly modified Colt pistol. Needless to say, Brian's Aimpoint­sighted revolver raised some eye­brows, and the fact that he raised his standing from 21st to 2nd in one year indicated he learned a lot about shoot­ing and his gun in one year. A 7th place finish in the Steel Challenge meant he was still hot, while a 15th in the IPSC Nationals indicated he was still very competitive. He also entered the '82 Second Chance event, and came away wi th a 10th overall finish- highest ever for a .38 Special revolver. Brian also placed 1st in the 4-inch unmodified re­volver event.

But 1983 was his year. Enos came through with a third in the Steel Chal­lenge speed event, 2n d in the IPSC Nats, 9th in the IPSC World Champion­ships, and FIRST in the Bianchi Cup matches. Not only did he dominate th e Bianchi Cup matches (took first in two of five events- something no other shooter did, and stunned everyone· When he downed 505 fal ling plates in a row), but his performance there had a marked influence on many other com-

petitors. While some thought his near dominance in '82 with a revolver was a fluke, many others didn't.

Facts: Seven of the top 10 finishers in th e Bianchi . Cup competition used Aimpoint-sighted revo lvers (14 of the top 20, too), the four~member LAPD team won the team event-all using Aimpoint-sighted wheelguns; while 116 Bianchi competitors shot Colt .45s, 77 shot .38 Specials/.357 Magnums · (revolvers?) ; and, John Pride, second place finisher (one point behind), also used an Aimpoint-sighted revolver.

Brian Enos is currently using three different revolvers in competition. For Bianchi Cup shooting , he uses an S&W M10 built up by Frank Glenn of Phoenix AZ, renowned gunsmith and PPCcom­petitor. One of the most talented 'smiths around, Frank installed a six­inch, one-inch diameter Doug las barrel on the M10, including a concave muz- . zle. Atop the frame is a Ml< II Aimpoint sight and mount. He also bobbed the hammer and gave the gun one of his accuracy jobs, which involves smooth­ing up the trigger more than reducing pull. Grips are by Pachmayr. Brian can remove the scope and mount, replac-.

ing same wi th an Arist-O-Crat sight rib, shou ld he · want to engage in PPC shooting, which he does on occasion.

When it comes to ammo, Brian uses custom reloads by Sun Cartridge Company in Phoeni x. They consist of 148-grain cast, bevel-base wadcutters, moved by 3.5 grains of 700X powder, Federal primers, and housed in Win­chester brass. Brian carries his revolver in Gordon Davis leather, with speed loader pouches located at his belly, not on the hip.

He does a lot of com bat shooting with a local club, and for this work he relies on a round-butt M19 S&W wear­ing a 4-inch Python barrel (Smython). also built up by Frank Glenn. He calls this his fun gun,and it is sim ilar to those used by other cactus busters.

The final revolver is a S&W M25 in .45 ACP caliber. Whi le this gun is de­signed for half-moon clips, Brian uses full clips (provided by good fri end Rob Leatham) as they are faster and sturdi­er. This gun, too, is used in some of the

\ loca l matches. It's a stocker, as modifi­cations to it really aren't necessary. Both of these latter guns provide him wi th plenty of practice without boost­ing the cost of his shooting (for custom guns).

Davis Company Guns

Based in Sacramento, CA, the Da­vis Company is headed up by Bill and Gil Davis. While they are a major dis­tribu tor of firearms and eyery conceiv­able product for law enforcement agencies, th ey are also heavily involved in building custom PPC guns, both revo lvers and auto pistols.

Bill Davis , a former CHP officer, is the holder of six NRA National combat records, and his c ustom PPC guns are used by many of the country's top shooters.

At present, Davis Company is pro­ducing five different grade bull bar­reled PPC revolvers. They will build you a gun on your frame, or furnish you -a new PPC gun on your choice of Ruger, Colt, or S&W Model 10, 13, 64, or 65 frames.

Their basic gun, the Grade I, fea­tures a one-inch diameter Apex barrel, tuned action with trigger stop and your choice of Pachmayr or Rogers grips. This gun also features the Davis Accu­Lock, an under-barrel weight that holds the crane of the gun in place by spring tension-assuring shot-to-shot accuracy. A ramp or patridge front sigh t is also offered .

The other grades feature addition­al refinements, on e of the most impor­tan·t being you have a choice of an Arist-O-Crat rib or the new Davis rib. The Arist-O-Crat rib all ows you to sight your gun in at 7, 25 or 50 yards with a · spec ifi c ammo, then make on the spot

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Page 5: HOOTING URACY - Scalemodeler.co.za Accuracy.pdf · 1111 D te ld with his Since all combat shooting is done double action, gunsmith 81/1 Jarvis bobbed the flammer on Pride's M14. Tfl/s

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Davis offers five different grades of PPC guns, each with varying accessories. Here Is their Grade IV, which also features a heavy barrel slab under the borellne to help con­trol recoil.

The Davis rib features an adjustable front sight with three Instantly available positions (7, 25 and 50 yards). This allol'ls you to pre­set your front sight for your particular sight picture and ammunition; when you change aiming points, simply push the front sight latch to your next position. It also allows you to use your rear sight for fine tuning.

changes in a matter of seconds. The Davis rib features an adjustable front sight with three instantly available po­sitions: . 7, 25 and 50 yards . .This unit then allows you to use the rear sight for fine tuning.

Davis PPC guns are guaranteed capable of X-ring accuracy at 50 yards with factory ammo.

Fred's Gun Shop PPC Guns

A respected gunsmith in Mechan­icsville, VA, Fred Schmidt specializes in PPC conversions, but also builds combat .45s and undercover guns. One of his conversions, a Short Cylinder model, is quite unique, and to explain why it was developed will require some basic explanation of how the revolver functions.

The standard gun used in PPC shooting is usually a revolver. For the cylinder in a revolver to rotate freely, the gun must present a substantial amount of barrel-to-cylinder gap, which is usually around .004-.006-inch. Cases such as the .38 Special/.357 Magnum headspace on their rim, and it's common practice for manufactur­ers to ream cylinder bores to just a fraction over maximum case length, leaving the area in. front of the cylinder bore, the throat, necked down to ap­proximately the same diameter as the bullet, or maybe .001-inch larger.

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This Short Cylinder PPC gun was built by Fred's Gun Shop. It's their Model# 100, with a Douglas barrel, underlock, Povler com­petition sight rib, and Rogers grips. Fred offers a variety of sight systems and grips to satisfy the customer's demands.

This shot shows a ball detent used by Fred Schmidt to lock the cylinder up tightly. The ball is 5/32-lnch In diameter, larger than that used by many 'smiths.

When a revolver is fired repeatedly, the cylinder heats up, thus closing the barrel-to-cylinder gap somewhat. But, because the gap is still there, unburned powder and lead tend to "spit" through it. Further, when a lead bullet encoun­ters the barrel's forcing cone, it is slowed, while expanding gases in the ·case expand the hollow base of the bullet to seal those gases. This occurs while the base of the bullet is still in the cylinder throat.

It is Schmidt's contention these

Tills close-up reveals how the Douglas bar­rel extends through the frame to within .002: Inch of the Short Cylinder Fred's Gun Shop employs. Hammer Is de-spurred and over­travel screw Is Installed In the polished trigger.

actions cause undue friction in the cylinder throat {as the expanded bullet drags on its walls). heating up the cylinder, and leaving lead residue on the throat walls. It is also his contention th is heat bui ldup is what requires the use of such a large cylinder-to-barrel gap, from which the lead residue and unburned powder are spit. He also believes the bullet friction encountered at the small, stock forcing cone in­creases reco il and reduces muzzle ve­locity.

What we're buiding up to here is a patent Fred Schmidt has on a modified revolver that is illustrated herein, and the reasons for it.

Schmidt feels he has solved these problems with his "Short Cyl inder" PPC revolver. It features a shortened cylinder, only 1.22-inch long {.093-inch longer than HBWC round) , designed for use only with HBWC .38 Specia l ammo. Because the cylinder is almost exactly the same length as the HBWC cart ridge, it precludes use of any other rounds. Further, Schmidt el iminates the cylinder throats entirely, leaving the few thousandths of throat left in the

Page 6: HOOTING URACY - Scalemodeler.co.za Accuracy.pdf · 1111 D te ld with his Since all combat shooting is done double action, gunsmith 81/1 Jarvis bobbed the flammer on Pride's M14. Tfl/s

1glas bar­·thln.002-;un Shop md over­polished

1 in the ed bullet 1 up the sidue on •ntenti on uires the to-barrel idue and He also

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ved these Cylinder" .hortened .093-inch designed 8 Special is almost

1e HBWC any other !liminates t, leaving : left in the

Jerry Bartlett, one of the lop sllhouelle shooters In IHMSA compel/lion, shoots his stainless Ruger .44 Mag Blackhawk from the standing position. He just started using this gun, and has shot a 37 x 40 from the freestyle position, while his wile, Jo, has been shoot­Ing 38s and 39s with II.

cylinder bores at least .005-.020-inch larger in diameter than the bullets. Because the cylinders are shortened, barrels of these guns extend back through the frame, and come with a cylinder-to-barrel gap usually around .002-inch. Whereas stock forcing cones may be as shallow in depth as 1/8-inch, Fred builds his PPC guns with forcing cones between 1/2 and 5/8-inch deep.

Here are reasons for the above described modifications, if they aren't apparent. With tile short cylinder, when the HBWC bullet contacts the begin­ning of the rifling in the deepened forc ing cone, its base is still in the case mouth, and expanding gas pressure does not make the bullet base expand. Because the minute throat left in the cylinder is opened up, the bullet does not contact it as it leaves the case. Thus there can be no leading in the cylinder, and thereby lead buildup, excessive heat and spitting of lead. With less friction , velocity is improved, too. So much for theory. How does this system work?

Five of 20 shooters making the West Virginia Governors Twen~y in 1983 shot Schmidt Short Cylinder PPC guns, including those in number two and three slots: In addition, two of five on the Honorable Mention list sho t these guns. The Most Improved W. VA shooter boosted his score 49.8 points after switching to a Schmidt gun. Six shooters in Virginia used this Short Cylinder gun, and made th~ Gbvernors Twenty in 1983, a l ~o.

M.B. Delaney, an NRA Master shooter from Michigan, put over 4000 rounds through his Short Cylinder Schmidt PPC gun the first year he had it (1981), and reports no trouble, no misfires, no leading, and a boost in his scores. He and another officer made the· Michigan Governors Twenty in 1980 with these guns. Other users report similar performances.

Relative to lead/powder spitting, Schmidt tested his first revolver by suspending tissue sheets on each side of the cylinder-to-barrel gap (one-inch away). After firing 40 rounds, the tissue revealed only powder marks, no lead splatter. A stock, unmodified revolver sprayed the tissue in subsequent tests, with both lead and powder.

Schmidt's #100 Short Cylinder PPC gun features a Douglas 1-10 twist premium grade 1.08-inch diameter, six-inch barrel , slabbed to one-inch. tapped for all ribs (BoMar, Davis, Arist ­O-Crat, Mascot). The gun also features

Jerry Bartlett checks cylinder bore concen­tricity with the barrel bore 011 this Ruger Blackhawk while prepping it lor the silhou­ette game. There Is not much one can do to Production guns, so everything counts here.

a yoke lock and cylinder lock to keep the cylinder in swung-out position while reloading. A smooth single and double action trigger, adjustable strain screw, spring loaded hammer nose, chamfered cylinder, and extractor un­dercut finish it off. This model is built up on S&W, K, L, and N frame guns, as well as Augers.

Fred has a #110 PPC conversion that includes all of the above except for the short cylinder, for those who don't wish to go that route. A long forcing cone in the barrel of these guns is specially shaped and highly polished to reduce leading and spitting, how­ever.

Assisting Schmidt in the develop­ment of his Short Cylinder conversion was Sgt. L.E . Seigel, Henrico Co. Po-

lice Dept., VA. Schmidt produced the conversion, Seigel did the range test­ing, putting over 9000 rounds through the prototype, and 20,000 rounds through the first production gun. They discovered little evidence of leading in the barrel, cylinder charge holes or around the barrel extending into the frame. Occasionally the recoil plate was cleaned of powder residue, com­mon to 1111 revolvers.

Jerry Bartlett, Silhouette Shooter

Southern Californian Jerry Bartlett has been an active si lhouette shooter for around fi ve years now. So much so, in fact, that he's involved in just about every aspect of th e game. He competes ·on a regular basis with the Inland Silhouette Club in Redlands, CA, shoots in Regional, State and lnterna­tionaiiHMSA matches, owns and oper­ates the Iron Sight Gun Works, through which he sells silhouette guns and accessories, including his own metallic sights for a va ri ety of handguns, and does gl,Jnsmithing to boot. Not only that, but he shoots in all categories at IHMSA matches, and is one of the top shooters in the country.

In the Revolver c lass, Bartlett shoots a Ruger stainless bull barreled .44 Magnum. Because this is a Produc­tion gun, modifications are very limit­ed. Jerry gave it a trigger job, not so much to reduce trigger pull, bu t to smooth the action to a point where release is quick and c risp, the only internal modification permissible un­der IHMSA rules. He also installed a set of Pachmayr grips, famous for cush­ioning the fierce recoil of the .44 Mag. Jerry's favorite load for this gun is the 240-grain Sierra JHC bu ll.et backed by 24 grains of W296, CCI 350 Magnum primer, and Federal brass. His best to da te with this combo is 37-40.

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Tl1is United Sparling Arms Seville revolver, In .357 Maximum, Is used by 10-yearoldJ.J. Bar/lei/. He's shot a 38 x 40 with it, and 74 x 80 (Including 20 rams) allhe '83 IHMSA Inter­national Championships.

Shooting from a modified Creedmore pas­ilion, tills silhouette shooter uses a 10· 112· Inch barreled Ruger Blackhawk In .357 Max­imum caliber. Gun Is unmodified except for improved trigger pull and an opened up forcing cone to prevent bullet shaving.

His wife, Jo, also shoots the same gun in IHMSA competi tion: and the same load. Don't tell Jerry, but hi s better half (Jo) has shot a pair of 38s and a 39 during the first three matches she entered with them. Jo also shoots in the other IHMSA catego ries, and takes many trophies on her own, and, combined with Jerry, the two have taken many team trophies.

J.J. Bartlett, Silhouette Shooter

Can't leave out J.J. Bartlett, 10· year-old son of the above couple. This litt le guy outshoots most of the adults he comes up against, and also is shoot­ing all four categories in IHMSA com­petition . For the Revolver class, J .J . has chosen to shoot a 10-1/2- inch Sevill e chambered for the .357 Maximum car­tr idge. In his first three matches, J.J. came through wi th scores o f 37 x 40 . 38 x 40, and a 74 x 80 at th e Internation­al Championships, taking down all 20 rams. When you consider the gun is almost as big as the kid, th is is some­th ing. He not only takes on most of the juniors, and dominates them thorough­ly, but most of the men. His favorite load is the 180-grain Sierra FPJ bul let

50

and 21.8 gra ins of W680, Remington brass , and Federal 205 primer, which is an excellen t combination. His dad gave th is gun a trigger job, too.

Tim Zufle, Silhouette Shooter

When it comes to banging steel, Tim Zufle out of Gretna, Louisiana, is a veteran. He was one of a privileged few at the first-ever National Handgun Me­tallic Si lhouette Championship staged by Lee Jurras in Tucson, AZ, during September, 1975. Tim shot a standard Smith & Wesson six-inc h Model 57 revolver, chambered for the .41 Mag­num cartridge, and even thou gh he was competing against a battery of Auto­Mags, had one of the best scores of the match. ·

At the Second Nats, held in El Paso, TX, the following year, Tim used the same gun. The rules were a bit different this time out, and 53 shooters showed up. This time out he shot a 14 x 40, respectable for a six- inch box-stock wheelgun.

During the summer of '78 Tim was shooting a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag chambering, and IHMSA was now a reality. Si lhouet te matches were being held all over the country. He holds a Life Membership in IHMSA (1110) , and his wi fe, Dianne, is 11 11 . He also served two years as the Louisiana State Director, as wel l as Region II

Ten-year-old J.J. Bartlett shoots In all four /HMSA silhouette categories. One of the nation's lop shooters, he uses a 10 112-inch Ruger SRM, chambered for the .357 Max­imum round, with 12-ounce trigger, In the Revolver class.

director for IHMSA. In July, '78, Tim shot a 33 x 60 in Production Standing class with his Blackhawk, using a 240-grain Sierra JSP, Federal case, 22.0 grains of 2400 (nice warm load), and a CCI large pistol primer. In August, 1978, he was shooting the same co mbo in Production AA class, and shot a darn good 29 x 40.

The next gun isn't a revolver, but we have to mention it. John Towle, famous for building up single shot pistols for Unlimited shooters, con­vinced Tim to go with a 15- inch Hart barreled Wichita pistol, in full length .358 Winch ester chambering. It was called the TNT .358, and Tim states it bit you at both ends. He shot a 37 x 40 with this com bo in 1978.

He still shoots in IHMSA co mpeti­tion, but much of his time is now devoted to his gun shop and indoor range in Gretna, LA, where he also teaches civi l ians firearms training, and how to survive. In addition , he manu­fact ures Si len t Partner soft body armor for law enforcement and execu tive use.

lchiro Nagata, Combat Shooter

A resident of northern Cali fornia, lchiro Nagata was active in Practical Pistol Course (PPC) shooting for a few years, then got caught up in th e world o f combat shooting, IPSC-style. For th e first two years, he shot a modified

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1n all four 1e of the l 112-inch 357 Max­•er, in the

'78, Tim )tanding 1g a 240-tse, 22.0 d) , and a August,

1ecombo 10t a darn

liver, but n Towle, 1gle shot HS, con· nch Hart Jll length l It was 1 states it a 37 x 40

competi-3 is now 1d indoor ~ he also ining, and he manu· )dy armor ;utive use.

nbat

California. 1 Practical 1g for a feW 1 the world -style. For a modified

A 10 1/2-/nch Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum keeps this silhouette shooter hap­py. Leather leg shield Is a must for the revolver shooters, due to the cylinder/barrel gap, otherwise flame would burn the leg. Shooting glove helps absorb some of the recoil.

Colt .45 auto, and while he figures the auto is easier to reload in combat matches (faster), there are some cours­es of fire where this speed isn't re­quired. The Bianchi Cup, for one, where he experienced two jams last year. .

When this occurred, he decided to buy a revo lver for these matches, and what a revolver he chose. He owns one of two custom revolvers designed by Ron Power, gunsmith from Independ­ence, MO. The other gun is being used by Mickey Fowler, also of California, and three-time Bianchi Cup champion and winner of the '83 Steel Challenge: the World Speed Shooting Champion­ship.

Power chose the Smith & Wesson Model 686 stainless .357 Distinguished Combat Magnum revolver as the basis of these Grand Master Deluxe guns , two of the finest combat guns you'll ever see. The guns feature a 6-inch Douglas premium grade barrel, coCm­ter-bored with a target type crown, and milled sides. A stainless ejector shroud/barrel weight is also employed on the underside o f the barrel. Power bobbed the hammer, gave the Smith an act ion job, and contoured and polished th e trigger.

Other custom touches include numbering the cylinder bores, stip­pling of the backstrap, Hogue custom one-piece grips, slight scro ll engraving on the barrel, sat in finish on both gun and barrel, and installation of a one­piece vent rib with fully adjustable sigh ts. This unit, the Power Custom Grand Master rib, features a multi­range rear sight that permits rapid sight changes with the turn of a wheel , from four d ifferent fixed ranges. Nagata car­ries his Power Custom revolver in Ted Blocker leather, designed specifi cally for this gun.

Mark Duncan, PPC and I PSC Shooter

Mark Duncan runs his own sport­ing goods shop in Wilkesboro, NC, which keeps him pretty busy, but every chance he gets, you'll find him practic­ing for local and national PPC and combat matches. While he shoots a Colt .45 ACP in most of the combat­type matches, he uses revolvers exclu­sively for his PPC shooting and the Bianch i Cup competition. He has been involved in handgun competi tion for six years now, and is "definitely one of the better shooters in th e country.

Ruger reportedly has temporarily slopped production of their New Model Blackhawk SRM In .357 Maximum, but most silhouette shooters are not hampered by the forcing cone and mild flame culling problems that have popped up.

Mark Duncan fires from the lmeeling posi­tion during a PPC match. Two-handed hold, resting on the knee, keeps the gun solid.

In PPC shooting he competes in two different c lasses at times. If a snub­nose match is scheduled, Mark breaks out his Ruger Security-Six snubby, a stainless gun with Pachmayr grips, bobbed hammer, and an action job. Leonard Baity, in Mark's hometown, does all the work on Duncan's guns, including the Ruger .357 Mag. This is also Mark's "carry gun," when he finds it necessary to do so.

Mark also uses a Smith & Wesson

Mark Duncan, left, shoiiiJis PPC target in a match, from 50 yards. Every shot is In the 10-r/ng, for a perfect score.

M 15 with six-inch Douglas 1- in- 14 twist bull barrel. Baity also bobbed th e ham­mer on this gun, gave it an action job, installed Pachmayr grips as well as a Bo-Mar- sight.

Shooting this gun in National Marksman Association compet ition, Mark has taken six state and three regional championships, set six national records, and placed third, sec­ond, third and fifth in the last four Bianchi Cup matches. Now, this is

51

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One of the guns Duncan shoots Is a Ruger Securl/y-Six In .357 Mag chambering. This snubby features nothing more than an ac­tion job bobbed hammer, and Pachmayr grips. It's used In PPC snub-nose events, and as a "carry gun."

doing some pretty hot shooting. In the Bianchi Cup '83 matches, he placed second right behind Brian Enos, even­tual wi nner of the entire match, in the Moving Target stage. Duncan esti­mates he's put 150,000 rounds through this gun in both practice sessions and actual competition, and it's sti ll going strong . While it was designed for PPC work, as you can see, it fares well in IPSC shooting, too.

The final gun in his shooting box is another S&W M15, but this one is a plain service gun, sporting Pachmayr grips and · an action job. Shooting ammo from Atlanta Arms & Ammo, Mark set a NMA national record with it. He shoots both wadcutters and 158-grain AN ammo through it.

Ron Power Custom PPC Guns

Like a lot of custom gunsmiths, Ron Power of Independence, MO, liter­ally cut his teeth on guns. At the tender age of eight, he was given his first rifle, a thoroughly used Remington Model 12 pump that on ly fired in the sing le shot mode-and Ron was on his way to becoming a gunsmith. When he turned 12, his dad gave him an H&R .22 re­volver, which he proceeded to shoot so much he had to repair or replace (with handmade parts) just about everything in it during the next two years.

Over the years Power learned a lot more by working in a nearby gunshop as a 'smith, and a stint in the U.S. Army where he discovered the Colt .45 auto, and how to make it work. Back in civvies, he met Herb Binsbacher, who was also working with him at Troost Avenue Gunshop in Kansas City, MO. Herb, who recently retired from the K.C. PO, is a partner with Ron in Power Custom, Inc., and does most of the custom action work, while Ron does the mach ining and precision fitting of parts, each complimenting the others prec ision workmanship .

52

Ron Power displays one of Ills Special Edition Ruger Redhawks, one of a 1 of 200 series buill for members of the Ruger Col­lectors Association. This Grand Master De­luxe revolver Is a " full/10use" piece, built fo r "show or go."

This Ruger Security-Six has been fully customized by Power Custom, and features a Power's Almpolnt mount and Almpoint sight. It's designed for either Bianchi Cup shooting, or hunting. · This Grand Master De lux Cup revolver can a/so be made ont11e Redhawk frame, comes In .44 and .357 Mag chambering.

II '

Here we see a Power Cus tom PPC Grand Master Delux revolver, this one based on a Sm/111 & Wesson frame (they use K, L, and N frame Smiths, and Ruger DAs). This piece features mu/11-range sight rib system.

In addi tion to their evident talents, we must point ou t that Power Custom has been represented at every NRA National Championship PPC Match (as competi tors, not on-lookers) since that first match in 1962. They c laim they didn't invent the sport, but were there when it started . While both earned an . early reputation for their accuracy work with .45 Au tos, they're probably better known today for their custom revolvers, most built on Smith & Wes­son and Ruger frames. Power Custom is recognized as the firm that firs t used a custom heavy ribbed barrel on a PPC gun, the f irst to build " ful l house" com­petition guns, as the designer of pat­ented sighting systems (manufactured by Wichita Arms), the builder of high grade custom revolvers for both PPC and Bianchi Cup shooting, and as the designer and manufacturer of more than 30 different products and tools for the pistolsmith (sold , through Brown - 1

ell's, Montezuma, Iowa, and Power I Custom).

Because Power Custom makes many different custom guns, we can't

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'ully '.Ires oint Cup 1sfer 1 the Mag

lrand I on a ~ndN piece

t talents, Custom

•ry NRA latch (as ince that Ji m they Jre there Hned an Jccuracy Jrobably

custom 1 & Wes­. Custom 'irst used Jn a PPC se" com­:r of pa t­Jfactured r of high 10th PPC 1d as the of more

1 tools tor 1 Brown· d Power

n makes , we can't

This S& W M10 as modified by Campbell Irwin Is a far cry from the piece It once was. 1t'sacombogunthattl1eowner, Russ Dillon, can use for PPC work or hunting. BfJrrells by Douglas, grips are custom, and It's completely accurized.

touch on all of them, so we'll cover many of the features found on their Grand Master Delux handguns, based on either Ruger or Smith & Wesson stainless revolvers . As Ron declares, thi s model goes beyond the regular PPC revolver as it represents a marked advancement in the true state of the art in stainless steel.

One of the first steps they take is to check alignment of the barrel bore to that of the cylinder bores, to make sure they align perfectly. Then each cham­ber is numbered and indexed, bullets are fired, the bullets being retrieved from a water tank, and examined to determine if each is entering the forc­ing cone in correct alignment.

Next fore and aft movement of the cylinder is minimized (called end shake) so you' ll reali ze consistent igni­tion. The cylinder bores are also cham­bered so you can reload quickly and smoothly. The action is gone over com­pletely so everything works smoothly. ~ Douglas premiu_m grade barrel is mstalled,with its counter-bored muzzle. The shrouded underlug with yoke lock and lock ing bolt complete the barrel assembl y. Other features included a highly polished mainspring to remove tool marks and therefore fracture sites,

Campbell Irwin testflres a bull barreled cus­tom Model 10 S&W he just finished for a customer. Every gun he builds is tested for functioning and accuracy before being de· livered to make sure It's perfect.

a con'toured and polished trigger, and overtravel screw.

If you order a Grand Master Delux for PPC shooting, your gun will come with a Power custom vent-rib sighting system, in stainless, with blue· sights front and rear. This unit is Power's va(i­able range system wherein the front sight post is protected with twin sight guards, and is click adjustable for ele­vati on changes. At the rear, you can pre-set the sight for four different ranges, then by turning a cammed wheel, you can immediately "dial in" the exact setting for a different range without having to count clicks. Wind­age co rrections are made at the rear sight.

If you're interested in Bianchi Cup type shooting, then your gun will be equipped wi th conventional sights and the Power Custom Aimpoint mount. This unit can also be used for bullseye shooting and hunting. The reason Power installs conventi onal sights on these guns is that his Aimpoint mount is a see-through ty.pe.

We could ramble on ·all day, but

other features of these guns include custom Hogue monogrips, stippled backstrap, mainspring adjusting screw, non-glare sighting surfaces, and a brushed satin finish. Power Custom builds only complete guns, and many are the champion shooters who rely on them. They built their name by relying on old world craftsmanship with modern technology . .

Campbell Irwin Combat Guns

A veteran shooter and hunter, Campbell Irwin, of East Hartford, CT, participated in handgun, rifle and shot­gun competition for years, before busi­ness demands got the best of him. In recent years, he's so busy building custom guns for customers both in the States and overseas, that he's missed out on more than one hunting season, something he regrets. Not so much because he's filling tags , but because he loves the outdoors and all that it offers .

Cam states that he works on all types of firearms, of every make, but he is known for producing some of the slickest revolvers around. Unlike many 'smiths, he d9esn't limit himself to one particular make of revo lver, nor does he produce guns incorporating spe­cific features, so that every one is identical to every other. He modifies Smith & Wessons, Colts and Augers, plus a few others, although most of his work involves the "big three".

In his own words, Cam states that he "builds guns for the individual. Everybody's hand is shaped differently, they stand differently while shooting, and they look down the sights differently. There are other ramifica­tions that come into the situation, and in my estimation we cannot make one gun for everybody. I've always been a believer that the gun has to fit the man, otherwise he won't shoot it, or at least , won't shoot it well ." In keeping with this theory, let's take a look at a Smith & Wesson Model 10 Campbell Irwin cus­tom built for one of his customers, Russ Dillon.

Dillon wanted a combination gun, one he could shoot pins with, steel plates, and if he wanted, rapid fire bullseye matches. He's also a "port­sider'', so Cam had to take this into consideration.

. After disassembling the gun, Cam polished the inside of the frame until it sparkl ed, removing every trace of

- machine marks and burrs. He also polished the pivot spindles for the ham­mer and the trigger, then stoned and polished their notches .so they were ultra-smooth, using extreme care not to changEl their ang les. Then all parts were put on matching blocks so that all

(Conlinued on page 78)

53

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.Am~~I1C§Y1@~~~

FIREARM BULLET WEIGHT POWDER

ABILENE Sierra 180-gr . . JHC 2400 ABILENE Winchester 210-gr. JHP H110 ABILENE Speer 225-gr. JHP 2400 ABILENE Sierra 240-gr. JHC W630 RUGER SUPER BLACI<HAWK Sierra 180-gr. JHC 2400 SUPER BLACKHAWK Sierra 240-gr. JHC W630 SUPER BLACI<HAWK Sierra 180-gr. JHC 2400 SUPER BLACKHAWK Hornady 240-gr. JHP 2400 SUPER BLACKHAWK Hornady 240-gr. JHP 2400 SUPER BLACKHAWK Speer 240-gr. SWC 2400 SUPER BLACI<HAWK Sierra 240-gr. JHC W630 SUPER BLACKHAWI< Hornady 240-gr. JHP 2400 SUPER BLACKHAWK Sierra 180-gr. JHC W630 RUGER REDHAWK Remington 240-gr. JSP W630 RUGER REDHAWK Remington 240-gr. JSP W296 RUGER REDHAWK Speer 240-gr. SWC Red Dot RUGER REDHAWK Winchester 210-gr. JHP 4756 S&W Model 29 Sierra 240-gr. JHC W630 S&W Model 29 Hornady 240-gr. JHP 2400 S&W Model 29 Hornady 240-gr. JHP W630 S&W Model 29 Sierra 180-gr. JHC W630 S&W Model 29 Norma 240-gr. Power Cavity Factory Load

RANGE WAS 25 YARDS for all Revolvers except those marked with ("). ·RANGE WAS 50 YARDS. and Blackhawk was fitted with a 1.5X Redfield scope and mount. Barrel Leng ths: S&W M29: 6 inches: Rug er Blackhawk & Redhawk: 7-1/2 inches: Abilene: 7-1/2 inches.

had placed his sights high up on the neck of a buck that was standing 3/4 facing him, about 140 yards off. He had sighted his Redhawk for 125 yards, so his hold was just right. The big slug punched its way right through the neck, and out the right shou lder. His trophy went down so quick, John said it didn't know what hit him. After taking care of the carcass, Rucker hauled it out to a friend's ranch and hung it in a shed to cool, then returned to cheer me on.

The area we were hunting was on private land, and fortunately, there are few hunters on it at any one time. Un like some wooded areas I've hunted deer on, where there's a hunter (or so it seems) for every square yard of land, out there it was a hunter for every couple of square miles. Sti ll, we heard gunfire echoing across the land, which kept the pronghorns on the alert, and forever moving about. As it turned out, a couple of days went by before I got a chance to make a killing shot. On the second day of our hunt, I did make a long shot, at about 175 yards, that completely missed a nice buck. When I saw dust kick up just beyond him, and he started to move out, I knew I was out of luck for that day.

We were both using metal lic sights on our Augers, but I'm considering going to optics for long range work. The old eyes ain't what they used to be. But then I' ll have to contend with mir­age which can be pretty bad on hot days, especially if you use a 4X scope

78

Here we have mo;e bullets that work well In the .44 Mag. The solid lead bullets are recommended only for short range shooting due to lower velocities Involved. From left, Remington 240-gr. JSP, Speer 240-gr. J­Mag-HP, Speer240-gr. LeadSWC,.Homady 240-gr. Lead SWC, and Remington 240-gr. Lead FP.

or higher. So, maybe I' ll stick with a Redfield 1.5X scope since it w ill give me the clear picture I need without distorting the distance ::;o much. I've always felt that high power scopes on rifles often give the shooter a false sense or range, because of their mag­nification, and the user then misjudges dis\ance and misses good shots.

In summation, I shou ld point out that many states do legis late what cali­ber of handgun you can use on big or trophy game. In Wyoming, they allow the following handgun cartridges only: .41 Remington Magnum, .44 Reming­ton Magnum, .45 Auto Mag, .45 Win­c hester Magnum, and .454 Casull; and that's it. .so, if you know where you want to hunt, mal<e sure your cartridge is legal before you buy a new revolver and decide to try your hand in the fie ld. o

CHARGE GROUP #SHOTS SIZE

26.3 grs. 1.9-inch 4 26.0 grs. 2.2-inch 5 19.0 grs. 2.1-inch 5 16.5' grs. 2.5-inch 5

26.3 grs. 2.0-inch 4 16.5 grs. 2.2-inch 5 25.8 grs. 1.6-inch 5 18.5 grs. 1,.6-inch 4 17.5 grs. 1.5-inch 4 21.0grs. 2.1 -inch 5 19.6 grs. 1.0-inch 4' 17.5 grs. 1.4-inch 5' 23.0 grs. 1.0-inch 3. 19.6 grs. 1.1-inch 3 24.0 grs. 1.8-inch 4 6.0 grs. 2.0-inch 4 13.9 grs. 1.2-inch 5 16.5grs. 2.0-inch 5 18.0 grs. 1.3-inch 4 16.5grs. 1.2-inch 5 23.0 grs. 1.9-incli 5

1.4 - inch 5

$l!Dtr®$!hJ©©~illllg /!J«:tl!Dtr~ccy (Continued from page 53)

sections of engagement could be checked to make sure they were per­fect. If a gun comes with a "spring kit", Irwin pulls it out. He works with factory parts, but he does mod ify many of the components, changing spring tensions by various m~ans to come up with what he terms a " ligh t" action . Di llon's M10 came in with a double action trigger pull of 18 pounds, and a 7 pound single action let-off. By the time Cam finished with this gun, the DA puil was reduced to 7 pounds. At the same time, he modified the gun so it was strictly aDA, high speed gun. A trigger stop screw was added, and the spring that slides inside the rebound block was highly polished , which is a rea l chore.

He also modified the trigger so that when you pull it doub le action the cylinder bolt does not jump out of the notch and then drop right back onto the cylinde r and score the finish. Mov­ing on to the crane and cylinder, all spindle and bearing points are poi J ished to the point where everything spins freely; nothing drags, nothing is loose and sloppy.

While Cam Irwin prefers Douglas or Sh ilen barrels, he will use barrels from other manufactu rers if the cus­tomer desires, and they are a reputable

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le d d e \, N

·s y

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The interior of this M19 S&W looks standard, but It's completely 'polished and re­fined by Campbell lfVIIn, using all factory parts.

firm. He installed a Douglas barrel on Russ's Smith, with a customary deep throating job. He's always believed that accuracy will be enhanced where a bullet can make a nice, easy entry into the bore, instead of abruptly hitting a shallow forcing cone. Once the M10 was completed, Cam tested it for func­tioning, then took it out to a range and put a few hundred rounds through it. He declares that while the DA pull is a lot lighter, all of his guns perform as reliably as factory models when it comes to ignition. Customers can also alter the mainspring adjustment screw setting in the butt to change the amount of pull.

When Dillon took delivery o f his Smith M 10, he couldn't believe it was the same gun (it wasn't). He reports that the action is ultra-slick, and the gun really groups now, and he can use it in different shooting disciplines; it's a real combo gun.

Before signing off, we have to touch on a few modificat ions Irwin made to a Colt Trooper MK Ill recently, in what appears to be a real combat revolver. Due to lack of space, we'll just hit the highlights.

First, Irwin replaced the Trooper's barrel wi th a four-inch Python tube, which really improved weight and bal­ance. The trigger was narrowed, highly polished and contoured on the finger side for better contact and control. D.A. pull was 14 pounds, and S.A. let-off was 8 pounds. These were altered to 7 pounds D.A., and 2-1/2 pounds S.A. Pachmayr grips were modified to fit the customer's hand better. Next, the MK Ill trigger and hammer were replaced with MK V units, which offer a shorter lock time. The mainspring and stru t were also changed to give a smoother D.A. pull. Now when the trigger is pulled, it doesn't move back to a certain point, then get hard. The interior of the

frame and the trigger assembly com­ponents are all polished to remove all possibility of drag and the barrel has had its forcing cone taper lengthened. Like many combat guns he builds, the finish is a non-glare type.

From what we've offered here, it's plain to see that Irwin believes in highly polished interior components, done to produce guns that are free to function smoothly. He also performs action jobs that allow the trigger/hammer to work smoothly. With a proper set of grips, and good sights, the shooter should have a gun that will work for him. If that happens, his scores are bound to im­prove. A nd that's what this entire article has been about. Shooters, gunsmiths, and their guns. What they're using, what they're doing to them, and how they are performing. We've given you a broad cross-section of guns and people from across the nation, and we think you have someth ing of value here. If you do, we succeeded in our effor ts. o

Best of the Imports (Continued from page 65)

front, by a catch in the top of the crane. Both are simultaneously released by a thumbpiece in the traditional location.

In .44 Magnum with the longest barrel, the Super Comanche is a mas­sive gun, and the well-shaped walnut grips wi th raised checkered panels are a real advantage for maintaining a steady hold. I tried the Llama with both .44 Magnum and .44 Special loads, by Federal, and found it pleasant to shoot even with the Magnum rounds. Like the other target-length revolver, it did bet-

T/1e fully adjustable sight on tile Super Comanche is particularly well-made.

ter in sighted firing than on the combat target. In single action mode, the ac­curacy was fantastically good. The ten­inch sight rad ius was a la rge factor in this, but credit should also be given to the careful workmen at Gabilondo y Campania. This is a high-quality piece , by anyone's standards.

In addition to thefivegunscovered here, there are other excellent revolver imports available. RG Industries pro-

. duces a good-quality .38 Special de­signed by Rohm Gesellschaft of West Germany, and lnterarms imports the fine Astra .357 Magnum from Spain . For those with almost unlimited funds, Beeman has the legendary Korth from West Germany. In the wide price range between the hand-made Korth and the more economica l guns, there 's some­thing for everybody. o

Here are the addresses of the import firms mentioned:

Allen Fire Arms 1107 Pen Road Santa Fe, NM 87501

Taurus International 4563 SW 71st Avenue Miami, Fl 33155

lnterarms. ltd. 10 Prince Street Alexandria. VA 22313

F.I.E. Corporation Postottlce Box 4866 Hialeah, FL 33014

Stoeger Industries 55 Aula Court South Hackensack. NJ 07606

RG Industries 2845 NW 20th Street Miami. Ft 33142

Beeman Precision Arms 47 Paul Orive San Rafael. CA 94903

79