Another Wheelgun Night at the Range

Having been laid low with a sinus infection for most of the past week and a half, I really needed to do something enjoyable.  So, Saturday night I went the to range with my dad and did some shooting.

As is usual for our Saturday night range trips, we stopped at Wal Mart to see what ammo they had in stock.  Dad wanted to pick up some .45 ACP for his Colt 1911, since he'd shot all of his handloads.  No dice there, so he just wound up shooting his S&W Military & Police 9mm.  (We noticed they had plenty of 9mm and .40 S&W.)


I picked up three boxes of Winchester white box .38 Special 125 grain JHP +Ps, and a single box of Remington .38 Special 130 grain ball.

I brought two guns with my tonight.  First was a World War II vintage S&W Victory Model Military & Police .38 Special which I bought back in May.  Additionally, I brought along my S&W Model 28-2 .357.

S&W Victory Model .38 Special

This was my first time shooting the Victory Model.  As expected it runs like a champ and is very accurate. I put a 50 round box of Winchester 148 grain wadcutters into one fist-sized hole at 7 yards shooting double action.  Dad put a couple cylinders through it, making a rather small one hole group.  The action is extremely smooth, especially considering it's unlikely that gun has been shot much, based on its exterior condition.

Aside from the wadcutters I put two or three cylinders-full of the 130 grain Remington loads through it.  I bought this ammo mainly out of curiousity, never having tried this GI-type load before.  It's hotter than the 148 wadcutter load and with the old style skinny service grips, the Victory Model wacks my hand with them.

After putting around a box and half of ammo through the Victory Model I took out the Model 28.  Dad's range doesn't permit shooting magnum loads indoors, so I shot it with .38s.  Wadcutters are real easy shooting in the big N-Frame, while the 130 grain Ball loads were still very pleasant to shoot.  I also ran about a half box of the WWB .38 125 grain +Ps through it.  They, too, aren't bad to shoot in that gun.

Since my last range trip a few weeks ago, I'd replaced the Herrett's Shooting Star wood grips on the Model 28 with a set of Pachymar Presentation grips I had in my spare parts stash.  I'd originally bought them for a 1937 Brazilian contract S&W .45 ACP revolver.  I'll be taking them off.  They cover the backstrap, which makes the trigger reach too long for me and throws off the gun's balance.  I may buy a set of Pachymar Grippers with an expose backstrap.  I have a set of these on my S&W Model 625, so I know they're comfortable.