Range report

So, I got a chance to go to the range today, and boy, did I enjoy it. I actually wasn't just going for fun, but it was all fun. There were a few objectives I had in mind when I went out to the double action indoor range. First, I just wanted to refresh my skills with the 1911. Second, I had wanted to get the crimson trace laser grips "zeroed" for the Smith & Wesson. While I am not a big fan of lasers, they do have their place. In this case, it's for a small revolver chambered in 38+P. The Smith is basically for circumstances when the 1911 is too much. Face it; there are times when a full-size, all-steel gov't 1911 in .45 acp is too much to carry and/or conceal. For such times, I avail myself to the 5-shot J-Frame revolver. It is a snub nose revolver with a shrouded hammer made of alloys, keeping it's weight down. It is very light, handy, and reliable. It's primary drawbacks as a carry piece are the poor accuracy from such a short radius, and a relatively low ammo capacity, and marginal round. Now, when I say 'marginal,' I mean that it is about the minimum caliber in the capacity vs. caliber tradeoff in handguns. i.e., generally speaking, as your caliber increases, the number of rounds that can be held in a handgun goes down. This is the primary reason why the .45 cal 1911 holds 7+1 rounds, and the 9mm glock holds 16+1. For revolvers, the larger the caliber, the larger the cylinder, and the less concealable it becomes. Also, since the J-frame S&Ws hold five rounds instead of six, they have even smaller cyclinders, and are even more concealable. Now, one could get a .22lr revolver with an 8-shot capacity, but the problem is that you lose firepower. IMHO, the .38spl rounds is the minimal caliber where you can get a somewhat reliable one shot stop if you hit someone in the chest. The shrouded hammer allows for single action shooting, while protecting the revolver from snagging. It also allows for "inside the garment" shooting. So, if you have your hand in your pocket, grasping your revolver, and some thug is suddenly clutching your throat in his left hand, while his right hand wields a knife, you can just point/push the revolver towards his cardiac box and dump the cylinder into him.

Back on topic; while I understand the arguments against them, and while those arguments do have validity, the lasers in this case are really handy. they require no extra step, and they give you a much better idea of where the round is going to go than the iron sights. Of course, you should still be familiar with the use and employment of the iron sights, but being able to make accurate hip shots, and keeping your eyes downrange is a significant. anyway, that snubbie will shoot point of aim/point of impact at 15 yards, now.

The second thing I did was to rent a 10mm Glock. I am planning on having a custom 1911 built in the next couple of years, and combat controller, that bastard, put a bug into my ear about getting it in 10mm instead of .45acp. Now, keep in mind that I carry a full size all-steel 1911 as a preferred sidearm. I do not carry commander or officer length 1911s, and I do not carry 1911s with plastic or titanium or aluminum frames, either. If it is too much, then -again- I get the S&W. Anyway, so there is no loss of weight advantage with going with a 10mm, and because the .45 cartridge is such an old cartridge, it actually is not very efficient since it had to be constructed based upon the powders and mettalurgy that were available when there were still a Hell of a lot of vets running around from the civil war. As such, the cartridge is fairly inefficient when you look at the volume versus power. The 10mm, OTOH, can both occupy less space (which translates into greater magazine capacity) *and* deliver greater absoute muzzle foot pounds. The dowside to this round is that it has greater recoil. Now, this can be somewhat alleviated if you reload, and you put less powder behind a lighter slug. Still, if this is going to be "the new bluesmobile," I need to be pretty sure about that decision, since I do not plan on purchasing another custom 1911...ever. btw, I am planning on getting into reloading. I think that it is inevitable given the calibers I am playing with, and part of me is looking forward to it. Anyway, the 10mm recoil was fine. It was certainly more stout than the .45 auto shooting 230 gr. slugs, but it was not unbearable. In fact, the most unpleasant part of shooting the 10mm Glock was the Glock part of it, not the 10mm part of it. Sorry to the glockophiles, but that trigger dingus did get on my nerves, and the overall experience  of the glock was what it normally is for me. The trigger was as crisp as a sponge, the grip was raked out to far, and it had the ergonomics of a plastic brick. Some people like it, but not me. So, the verdict on the 10mm is that I want to kick it around a while longer before I make a decision.

Of course, the highlight of the night was shooting the 6.5 Grendel. Especially this time. Tonight, I broke out the quality ammo produced by Alexander Arms using Lapua brass. So, the first thing I did was run the target out to the 50 yard line, throw the weapon into my shoulder, and take five fairly well-aimed shots. I ran the target back, and was mildly impressed with the group. Until this time, I had only used the cheap Wolf ammo. It is cheap, and since I had to break the barrel in, I saw no benefit in spending money breaking it in. Well, with this group, I decided to go for a real grouping. I sent the target back out to 50 yards, and this time used the vertical grip as a monopod on the table. Now, I was still handicapped because I was using a $20 red dot scope to sight in, and I had no sling, but I had a go at it. After shooting the group, I ran the target back. I had pulled one round, but aside from that, the group was basically a pair of keyholes right next to each other. I did not have a ruler, but I got a quarter out of my pocket to compare. The quarter covered all four holes. I was very happy with this. I still have to get some good optics for this 6.5, and that will probably be ordered here within the next week or so. A good set of bipods is also on the shoppping list. In the meantime, I saved the brass, and am looking at reloading it, hopefully sometime soon. I did have a Command Arms Accessories adjustable cheekpiece which I got rid of. the damned thing does not work well, and ends up just working it's way loose.

Anywya, overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. And don't worry; once the Grendel is complete, I will post pictures.

Respectfully Submitted,
-doc Russia