cwo4uscgret
10th February 2009, 23:50
Hi all. Finally a small break from the winter blues of Michigan Winters. I live in Port Huron about an hour north of Detroit. It was 55, cloudy, and windy. Wet and muddy as well; but I just had to go to the range and shoot some guns that I've bought recently and haven't shot yet. Here is the list of guns I took today:
Colt Series 80 Mk IV Combat Elite
Colt 1970 Combat Commander .45 acp
Colt 1971 Lightweight Combat Commander .38 Super
Colt 1908 Hammerless Pocket Auto .25 acp
Rock Island Nickle plated 1911A .45 acp
1884 Trapdoor Springfield .45-70.
Ammo used included MagTech .38 Super and .25 acp; Winchester white box 230 grain ball .45; PMC .45-70 405 grain lead flat nose; Cowboy Action Ammo.
My main purpose of going to the range was to function test these new (to me) guns and get out of the house and enjoy the warm weather. I used kraft wrapping paper and orange peel and stick target centers; 3" and 2" circles. I was on a short time leash so I rushed somewhat just to put some rounds down range so I left the target in the trash...
All guns functioned as supposed to; with the pistols I had 2 Fail to feed; one with the Rock Island (first magazine; first time I took it to the range); a firm push on the back of the slide with the heel of my palm and all was right; same with the .38 Super Commander; same action (push on the slide) and keep firing. I suspect with the Commander new springs are in order - any recommendations as to weight/make? With the RIA I think it is the newness of the gun; clean, lube, shoot, clean, lube, shoot...
For some reason (probably grips and the fact I've owned it for 28 years) my .45 Combat Commander was the most accurate. The Elite probably will be the most accurate once I put the Hogue finger groove grips back on. The 1908 was the most fun to shoot - although I only fired 2 magazines through it I shot the second mag as fast as I could; a fast little gun - from 5 yards it would have easily put all 6 rounds it the bad guy's (I mean canonball watermelon) face.
The trapdoor was shot from the bench at 100 yards; the ammo was PMC 405 grain flat nose lead ammo. I suspect it is loaded for Cowboy Action Shooting; it is relatively slow; I could hear the round hit the target a split second after I heard the discharge of the round...
I had one squib load; a little bit of louder firing pin strike; but no bang and puff of smoke. Wait 20 seconds, re-cock the hammer, shoot...click. Wait...wait...wait. Open trapdoor, eject empty brass. Remove cleaning rod bayonet, drop down the muzzle - oops fouled barrel. I was able to use the cleaning rod and push the round out of the chamber. Fired the last of 20 rounds and retrieved the target; 15 of 19 rounds on paper but all over. I had a friend spot for me; most rounds were very high; Kentucky windage got me more or less in the middle of the target; bad news - even though I didn't have a nice, tight group - bad guys beware; at least 10 rounds would have been center body mass hits.
Enough for now; at least I got to shoot about 150 rounds, outdoors, in Michigan, in February!
Colt Series 80 Mk IV Combat Elite
Colt 1970 Combat Commander .45 acp
Colt 1971 Lightweight Combat Commander .38 Super
Colt 1908 Hammerless Pocket Auto .25 acp
Rock Island Nickle plated 1911A .45 acp
1884 Trapdoor Springfield .45-70.
Ammo used included MagTech .38 Super and .25 acp; Winchester white box 230 grain ball .45; PMC .45-70 405 grain lead flat nose; Cowboy Action Ammo.
My main purpose of going to the range was to function test these new (to me) guns and get out of the house and enjoy the warm weather. I used kraft wrapping paper and orange peel and stick target centers; 3" and 2" circles. I was on a short time leash so I rushed somewhat just to put some rounds down range so I left the target in the trash...
All guns functioned as supposed to; with the pistols I had 2 Fail to feed; one with the Rock Island (first magazine; first time I took it to the range); a firm push on the back of the slide with the heel of my palm and all was right; same with the .38 Super Commander; same action (push on the slide) and keep firing. I suspect with the Commander new springs are in order - any recommendations as to weight/make? With the RIA I think it is the newness of the gun; clean, lube, shoot, clean, lube, shoot...
For some reason (probably grips and the fact I've owned it for 28 years) my .45 Combat Commander was the most accurate. The Elite probably will be the most accurate once I put the Hogue finger groove grips back on. The 1908 was the most fun to shoot - although I only fired 2 magazines through it I shot the second mag as fast as I could; a fast little gun - from 5 yards it would have easily put all 6 rounds it the bad guy's (I mean canonball watermelon) face.
The trapdoor was shot from the bench at 100 yards; the ammo was PMC 405 grain flat nose lead ammo. I suspect it is loaded for Cowboy Action Shooting; it is relatively slow; I could hear the round hit the target a split second after I heard the discharge of the round...
I had one squib load; a little bit of louder firing pin strike; but no bang and puff of smoke. Wait 20 seconds, re-cock the hammer, shoot...click. Wait...wait...wait. Open trapdoor, eject empty brass. Remove cleaning rod bayonet, drop down the muzzle - oops fouled barrel. I was able to use the cleaning rod and push the round out of the chamber. Fired the last of 20 rounds and retrieved the target; 15 of 19 rounds on paper but all over. I had a friend spot for me; most rounds were very high; Kentucky windage got me more or less in the middle of the target; bad news - even though I didn't have a nice, tight group - bad guys beware; at least 10 rounds would have been center body mass hits.
Enough for now; at least I got to shoot about 150 rounds, outdoors, in Michigan, in February!