Range Report

I seriously need to get a set of stones if I want to do my own 'smithing on my '617--the DA pull was "chunky" because the mating faces of the trigger/hammer/sear have a lot of friction due to the angles with which they interact...took out the lockwork and touched them with a file, and dropped in a 12lb rebound spring (down from 14, which was down from 18) for good measure. It's a bit smoother now, and SA let-off is crisp to boot. Need to get back out to the range to try it out, though.

I also need to bring along a screwdriver next time--the '617's sights were set so that shots were hitting low...it could've just been me, since I haven't dicked with the sights in months. Oh well. 100 rounds through the 617, plus 20 more when I offered to let my neighbor shoot it. I must remember to stop using Remington ammo in it, though--on the last 10 rounds, it was binding up a bunch, and it was loaded with 10 Remington Golden rounds. Last time it bound-up this badly, I was working through a brick of Remington Thunderbolt .22s. Coincidence? Maybe, but I'm just going to put the 1000 rounds I have of this Golden Remington crap through my two Rugers and never buy it again.

Before that, I put 100 through my Mk. II, which was flawless this time, too. Seems like that my instincts were on the money--replacing the extractor indeed solved the problem. Plus, from what I've read, this one is made out of better steel, so it should last far longer (the last one only had about 2500 rounds before it started going south).

And finally (or firstly, since I'm going in reverse chronological order), I put 10 through my 10/22 before I decided to subtly show off to my neighbors, who were using a S&W 41, aiming at a target only about 50 feet away (mine was at 75) and using a Shoot'n'C target (that makes it easy to see where hits are landing, even at a distance) and not getting good groupings. This was mainly prompted, however, by the older fellow's rather loud comment that the younger guy try the '41 to "see what more expensive equipment will get". Horsepucky--my Mk.II was about $250, compared with the '41 which can go upwards of $800 (more, probably, because the guy had both the 7" and 5" barrel for it, and had optics ("glass") on the 5" barrel, as well as having what looked like 10 magazines--easily another $300 for the mags alone), and my Mk.II was doing far better. In this case, it's more the shooter's steadiness that wins the day.

Okay, so I fibbed a little: before my 10/22, I put 5 rounds through my friend's Nagant. That's a fun rifle, but I'm definitely feeling it in my shoulder. Felt like my dad's 12-gauge (single shot, no recoil-reducing butt-pad). Plenty accurate, too, putting all 5 shots in a nice tight group at 75 feet with open sights with a guy (me) who's never shot one before.

Good times.

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I now have a hard case for my 10/22--no more transporting it wrapped up in an old towel. I need a hard case for my pistols. I can stuff only so many in my range bag...