Range Trip yesterday. I packed up the Ruger SP101 and the Ruger Bearcat. Not wanting to limit myself to 22LR I drug out a S&W Model 10-8 (M&P) 38 Special that I had bought last January. I lugged a Model 15 Combat around for 16 years with a pencil barrel and suspect the Bull Barrel will be a better shooter.
The unheated, in door Gun Range is located just outside of Lexington, SC, in the country. It was 38 Degrees when I left the house this afternoon but had warmed up to around 41 by the time I got to a friend’s house. He’s in the adjoining lane, shooting a GSG 1911 22LR.
I started out with the S&W Model 10-8. Well cared for and with little use, this hefty, old gal was made in 1980 and packs the heavy barrel. I put around 50 rounds down range with her and she is an accurate shooter.
Next up was the Ruger Sp101, in 22LR. I had brought along half a box of Remington 525 Golden Bullets, so ammunition was no concern. The cylinder holds 8 rounds and with the Fiber Optic front sight on a 4.20” barrel she’s a hoot to shoot. The 30.00 oz body weight and a good set of grips add to stability and she’s going to get a return trip real soon.
Finally it was time for a classic design, the Ruger Bearcat (Shopkeeper). It holds a 6 round cylinder and a Blade front sight, with a cut non-adjustable rear sight. The Bird’s Head grips and diminutive size take some adjustment getting used to. But, since she was modeled after the old Remington Pocket Pistol that’s to be expected and unlike the other two revolvers it’s not a long range shooter.
I put about 50 rounds through her and she immediately makes one appreciate why swing out cylinders on cranes, with effective ejection rods were a necessary and appreciated step in the evolution of revolvers.
I ran into a Bearcat at Lawman’s on Monday. It was an older model, made around 2012. The Crescent Head Ejector had a thicker head on it and no doubt made for better ejection of spent cartridges than the newer version.
I used a glove to flick the ejector rod but there always seem to be that one casing that just wouldn’t budge. That necessitated removing the cylinder and using the rod to push the casing out and then reassembling the pistol.
Suspecting that Remington 525 Golden Bullets might be expanding more due to less Brass in the casing we tried some CCI Mini-Mags and they ejected easier. After a good cleaning and some more range time I’d suspect the Bearcat will break in and be a better shooter.
I went back to work with the Ruger Sp101 and put another 50 rounds or so out of it. A great shooter. It has a heavy action but that will loosen up.
