Mouse guns on parade

[dannyb]

A range report.

I finally healed enough and got some actual time to go out to the range. I had shoulder problems that required surgery over the summer, and I had long long sessions of PT. I have been desperately wanting to get on the range, but I kept things on the mouse gun level so as not to risk a setback.

Pistols: 2X Colt Junior .25 ACP, 2 X Seecamp .32 ACP, Beretta Tomcat .32 ACP, Rohrbaugh .380 Stealth. (Some I've bought over the years, a couple I inherited).

Ammo: Hornady XTP .25, Fiocchi Browning 6.25 mm (.25 ACP); Hornady XTP .32 ACP, Winchester Silvertip .32 ACP; Hornady FTX .380, Federal Hydrashock .380.

Target: B 27 full size, head folded over so only torso section showing

Range: 8 Yards

Stance: one handed, strong hand and weak hand - actually both really weak hand because former strong hand at around 80% of former range of motion and strength.

Number of shots each - lost track, was also chatting with neighboring shooters on and off. Sorry. Was so happy to be shooting that I wasn't really keeping great track.

Brief report:
Best with either hand: Colt Jrs using Fiocchi ammo. Grouped mostly in the 10 and X rings with a few flyers in the 9. No failures.

Next best: Beretta with Silvertips. Tended to shoot high with either hand, most in the 9 ring clustered above the 10 or to the right of the 10, some 10s, a couple in X. A couple of FTFs.

Next: Rohrbaugh with Hornady FTX. Accuracy roughly the same as Beretta. No FTFs, one stovepipe.

Worst: The Seecamps (no surprise, no sights). Really not meant for 8 yards. Did best with Silvertips, had FTFs with Hornady XTPs. Rohrbaugh with Hydrashocks, FTFs were frequent. Colt Jrs. with Hornady .25 XTPs; generally OK, but frequent enough FTFs caused by the bullet edge catching on the feed ramp to be annoying. If you're carrying a Colt Jr. for SD (please, no arguments, I'm just making an observation), I would suggest making sure that the ammo works well with it.

Conclusions: I was surprised at the accuracy of the Colt Jrs. This model is pretty much the same as the Astra Cub and was made for Colt by Astra. Considering that the barrel is 2.5 inches, the grouping at 8 yards was great. I was hitting the target with the Seecamps, but the groups were not great; no sights is a definite handicap. The one thing I really don't like about the Beretta is true for any DA/SA, nice pull at DA becomes a major creep fest when it goes to SA. If you've not practiced with the Beretta, you may think that the pistol broke after the first shot.

Final word: Mouse guns are fun. I'm glad to get back on the range; I was really worried for a couple of months.

[solrac7]

Glad to hear you are healing up ! Mouse guns are a hoot to shoot, and the more you shoot them, the more you learn about their idiosyncrasies. Best to practice with them as much as you can if you trust your life to them (really the same as any gun, if you think about it). I enjoy mine a lot!

Cb