I Brought Home my First Handgun

Well, I took it to the range today and put 100 .38 specials (PMC 132 grain) and about 25 .357 magnums (Blazer Brass 158 grain) through the new gun. I stuck to all double action shots for my first time out with it. I shot at the range minimum of 21 feet for my first time out.

Things I learned: I definitely need more practice, that is for sure. I noticed that I tend to shot low and to the right. I'm sure it has to do with my trigger pull. Another thing I learned... .357 magnums are most definitely more "peppy" than the .38 specials, lol. I shot them about midway through the session and afterwards the .38s felt like a dream, lol. They weren't to bad though and didn't hurt, just caused the gun to rotate up into my web of my hand a bit more. I'm probably have to adjust my grip somewhat.

Here is pretty much what all the targets looked like. A few of them got away from me pretty far. They were all on the paper though. (again, really bad phone picture.. I need to get a camera, lol).



The range is new and only 15 minutes from my house. They also had a good supply of ammo at decent (not great) prices (you can bring your own, buy for range use or just buy and walk out with it). So, I don't foresee any problems with getting practice in!
 
The cure for pulling right is lots and lots of dry fire practice. It will strengthen your hand, making your hold steadier.

This will also smooth out the trigger pull.

You may want to clean and lightly lube the lockwork first.

For more live fire practice, I'd recomend a handloading set up. A Lee hand press kit, dies and components will set you back less than $200, and will fit in a couple of shoe boxes.

It does not get any simpler than loading .38 special target loads, and you can make them for as little as $16 per hundred, using plated bullets. Lead bullets are even cheaper, but I don't like the mess, myself.
 
The cure for pulling right is lots and lots of dry fire practice.
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Another fine technique for improving can be found in post #11. :D

OP, just for those who like numbers...
.38 Special SAAMI Max is 17,000 PSI
.38 Special+p SAAMI max is 18,500 PSI
.357 Magnum SAAMI max is 35,000 PSI

Yes, "more peppy" is one way to describe it. Another way to describe it would be twice the pressure!

Sounds and looks like you are off to a fine start.
Keep up the good work.
 
jimbob86 said:
For more live fire practice, I'd recomend a handloading set up. A Lee hand press kit, dies and components will set you back less than $200, and will fit in a couple of shoe boxes.

It does not get any simpler than loading .38 special target loads, and you can make them for as little as $16 per hundred, using plated bullets. Lead bullets are even cheaper, but I don't like the mess, myself.
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$16 per hundred?!?!?! Oh man, reloading just became much more appealing.
 
Another fine technique for improving can be found in post #11.
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Dry fire is cheaper ..... just sayin' .....


Thus...
You need to start shopping for a quality .22LR chambered semi-auto pistol!
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:confused:

How is a semi-auto .22 going to help with his DA trigger pull?

They do make a .22lr sp101.

Not that I don't think everyone should have a semi-auto .22 pistol, too. Ruger makes some very fine ones, IMO.
 
$16 per hundred?!?!?! Oh man, reloading just became much more appealing
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Primers run about 3.5-4 cents.... $35-40/1000, depending upon brand.
Berry's plated bullets are like 11 cents... ($27/250).
Powder is less than 2 cents/shot. (I can make about 1400-1500 loads out of a pound of red dot or 700X.)
The OP should have 100 pieces of brass already (thats the great thing about revolvers: you don't have to go on an Easter egg hunt after shooting, if you don't want to..... but you CAN.)

These are in-store prices for me locally, so no HAZMAT fees apply.....

There are probably cheaper sources online, and if you don't mind shooting lead bullets, it gets even cheaper.

If you are REALLY a tightwad, cast your own.

Like I said, it does not get any simpler than .38 Special- it's a low pressure straight walled pistol case ..... even a caveman could do it ..... and he could teach even ME.
 
:confused:
How is a semi-auto .22 going to help with his DA trigger pull?
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This is like asking me if teaching a 15 year old how to drive with an auto trans is useless for the same kid who already owns a 4-speed with a clutch & can't drive it, either. In fact, it teaches him the fundamentals of driving.

A semi-auto .22 pistol may not do much, if anything, to help his practice on a long, heavy DA snub revolver with regards to trigger manipulation, but it will improve his shooting ability, it will improve his skills with handgun sights and it will[/i] improve his muscle memory in holding a handgun.

He's completely new to handguns and a semi-auto .22 pistol offers a -LOT- of trigger time for low dollars and most of them are extremely accurate (fixed barrel helps a LOT) and for a high-quality double action rimfire revolver, it's a HEAP more money than for a decent rimfire semi-auto.

Keep in mind that I've been at the load bench for a quarter century myself. Maybe enjoy handloading even more than shooting (maybe! ;)) but I can't beat 525 rounds for $18 with handloads. (yes, I know, knee-deep in the '12-'13 panic, we can't get rimfire for that price... but we can't get PRIMERS or component slugs cheap, either)

Mine is a valid suggestion.
 
Yep, and if you want to get your "price" down to the lowest you can manage, you've got to by ALL of your three components (other than brass) in the biggest bulk you can financially justify.

Don't mistake my words as some manner of an argument AGAINST reloading. Not at all what I'm saying. I love reloading, probably more than most do. (no, really!) But if you wish to approach reloading as a method of lowering your costs associated with ammo, the best way to do that (by FAR) is to spend as much possible money as you can purchasing components.

Handloaders are extremely familiar with this, but folks who've never reloaded are not. And when handloaders on discussion forums (or at a range) wanna try to impress non-reloaders, they love to flip out a silly-low number on a box of 50 rounds. :rolleyes: It's very misleading. It reminds me of the "spin" that mainstream media outlets process on an hourly basis. It's crap, and often times, it's extremely unhelpful - even when "techincally", the number that is flipped out is true. And it's worth noting that jimbob86's example is -NOT- what I'm talking about, so I really hope he doesn't take my post as yelling at him. (my plated .38 target loads?! $4.50 per box of 50rds.)

Do the non-reloaders realize that my most recent bullet purchase was $240? And frankly, that was a very good deal here in the summer of 2013.
 
The reason I want to reload is because I could load 158gr practice ammo. I buy reloads from a friend but he only loads 130. They are fine and dandy but I would love poi/poa in my fixed sighted revolvers.
 
Sevens said:
Yep, and if you want to get your "price" down to the lowest you can manage, you've got to by ALL of your three components (other than brass) in the biggest bulk you can financially justify.

Don't mistake my words as some manner of an argument AGAINST reloading. Not at all what I'm saying. I love reloading, probably more than most do. (no, really!) But if you wish to approach reloading as a method of lowering your costs associated with ammo, the best way to do that (by FAR) is to spend as much possible money as you can purchasing components.

Handloaders are extremely familiar with this, but folks who've never reloaded are not. And when handloaders on discussion forums (or at a range) wanna try to impress non-reloaders, they love to flip out a silly-low number on a box of 50 rounds. :rolleyes: It's very misleading. It reminds me of the "spin" that mainstream media outlets process on an hourly basis. It's crap, and often times, it's extremely unhelpful - even when "techincally", the number that is flipped out is true. And it's worth noting that jimbob86's example is -NOT- what I'm talking about, so I really hope he doesn't take my post as yelling at him. (my plated .38 target loads?! $4.50 per box of 50rds.)

Do the non-reloaders realize that my most recent bullet purchase was $240? And frankly, that was a very good deal here in the summer of 2013.
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But that $240 got you 2500+ rounds... Not 500.
 
If that is your first gun and first target, that is a good target! Good shooting!!!

Your shooting will tighten when you and the gun break in a bit, but then again, if you were shooting fast it is still a good target on most days for most folks. The is a short barreled defensive gun, not a target gun. It should give you long service and be a good companion on a dark night on the dark streets...

Have fun with it!:D
 
A semi-auto .22 pistol may not do much, if anything, to help his practice on a long, heavy DA snub revolver with regards to trigger manipulation, but it will improve his shooting ability, it will improve his skills with handgun sights and it will[/i] improve his muscle memory in holding a handgun.

He's completely new to handguns and a semi-auto .22 pistol offers a -LOT- of trigger time for low dollars and most of them are extremely accurate (fixed barrel helps a LOT) and for a high-quality double action rimfire revolver, it's a HEAP more money than for a decent rimfire semi-auto.
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$250 is NOT a "HEAP" of money....

$250 was the difference between the prices of a Ruger MKIII and a sp101 in .22 at the local BigBox..... and the 101 would help with the long DA pull.

As for the driving anology, how's about he becomes proficient with the car he has before moving on to another one?

I have an even better DA trainer, and it cost me $129+tax ...... but I just spent another $100 on dies and nigh $100 on components to reproduce the factory loads ...... guess what that was........
 
But that $240 got you 2500+ rounds... Not 500.
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I need them, I load them, and I do enjoy handloading and it's terrific that I don't ever have to go shopping at guns store or Wal-Mart for ammo.

That $240 got me 3,000 115gr 9mm slugs. To make them in to something I can use, I'm adding:
$105 in primers (buying them 5k at a time)
$31.34 in powder (buying it eight pounds at a time)
...and three thousand pieces of 9mm brass.
And the time it takes me to put all those things together.

The math definitely makes it worthwhile and for me, the hobby angle of it is even more rewarding. But the point is simply that a guy who hasn't ever reloaded before can't make a box of my light .38 Special load for the $4.50 that it "cost" me to make them. Not until and unless he's spent hundreds of dollars buying those components in bulk and we've not even addressed the tools and procedural skills he'll also need to assemble.
 
Handloaders are extremely familiar with this, but folks who've never reloaded are not. And when handloaders on discussion forums (or at a range) wanna try to impress non-reloaders, they love to flip out a silly-low number on a box of 50 rounds.
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Who bothers to load only 50 rounds??????
 
Congrats on a fine revolver. I had an SP101 with a 3" barrel. I should never have sold that gun. I will be having another in the near future.......if I can find one.
 
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