Decided to give myself a treat...

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
so I went down to the LGS and put down a deposit on a GP100 with a 5.5" barrel in .22 rimfire. I've got a 4" in .357 and one of these days I will get one in .44 Special but right now the only convenient place to shoot is an indoor range that won't allow reloads and claims all the brass that hits the floor so I wanted to get a full size revolver in .22 to shoot there.

I haven't bought a gun in 7-8 years but I've worked to rehab myself from some health issues and built my business up to the point of being self sustaining and now I feel the need for getting some regular R & R via the shooting sports.

Gun is supposed to be in by end of week and since I have a lifetime state carry permit I can pick it up right away.
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
A little heavy but built like a bank vault. Can't imagine what it would take to break one.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Best part is no handloading for you with your busy schedule. Good for you, got to reward ourselves periodically to make all the trials and tribulations worthwhile.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
A little heavy but built like a bank vault. Can't imagine what it would take to break one.
If you break one you are way over max pressure.
I can’t imagine my GP100 357 ever having trouble with any safe load. Mine is SS and Ruger uses some tough stuff. I don’t think you can realistically shoot one out.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
I went to an indoor range once and only once. They informed me that all brass fired is theirs whether it hits the floor or not. Turned around and walked out never to return. I mean really, if they didn't want my business all they had to do is say so. :rolleyes:
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I could drive an hour one way to a better range (and only go when I have a half day or more to spend) or I can drive 10 minutes down the road and leave empty .22 brass on the floor and do that every week. Not a fan of indoor ranges, but if I am ever going to get better I need frequent practice. I sold this to myself and my wife as a way to improve my balance and strength - it's therapy!

I gave up shooting long guns quite a while back when my medical issues made standing erect with good balance impossible, I couldn't walk w/o a cane. I didn't feel safe with a long gun, I was afraid I would hurt somebody around me. Now I've gotten to where I can go up and down two or three stairs w/o needing a handrail, I can stand STILL when I need to, and I no longer use a cane. I want to practice standing up and shooting a handgun for a while until I feel safe and strong and then I want to try getting back into some shotgunning on clay targets.

I think burning up a couple hundred rounds of .22s every week or so is a good way to start.

I love casting and handloading (hey, its all manufacturing) but right now that is time I don't really have.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I went indoors today because it fit my schedule. I lost some brass that went forward of the line but I knew I would going in.
Soon it will be warm and dry enough to go outdoors.

Keith, any day shooting is better than a day sitting at home. Keep shooting no matter it takes.
 

Hawk

North Central Texas
It's therapy and I need it!
Tried that on my wife to see if it would work to buy another AR15.
Her reply was "Did I roll my eyes out loud!".
 

Ian

Notorious member
I sold this to myself and my wife as a way to improve my balance and strength - it's therapy!

Now that you're 65 you can get Medicare to start buying your "theraputic devices" for you. Might work as well as us trying to get a 55-gallon drum of Lake City XM855 written off as "security system" at work.
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I'd shoot center fire revos at the local range and keep my brass if they allowed reloads but they don't. And they don't carry ammo for some of my revos anyway (.41 Mag for ex).
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
Just to follow up... Picked up my new gun today. Pictures below. It is a heavy rascal, it will definitely help me build up some upper body strength! I plan to take it apart and clean it good, it feels a little gritty. After that I plan to shoot it and see what wears and rubs and shines up so I can do a little polishing. I can see that a spring kit is in my future. Single action is heavy but crisp, double action seems excessively heavy to me. Need to separate the spring issue from the debur/polish/friction issue.

Plan to buy several different brands of ammo to try. Academy has some pretty good deals on bulk ammo, and I have some stuff that's 20-30 years old that probably ought to get cycled through and replaced. Unless there is a dimensional issue of some sort with the firing pin, and it doesn't appear to be so, I can't imagine any problems with setting off any decent ammo. The hammer fall seems adequate.

I'm open to suggestions on what works and what doesn't so if you have an opinion on ammo good or bad feel free to share it. Same with spring kits.

I'm also going to check out some after market stocks. I generally put neoprene/rubber/polymer stocks on my centerfire revolvers. They fit my hand and help out with recoil. I'll probably go pretty on this one, i.e. wood, and go for fit only since recoil isn't an issue. I'm not at all impressed with the fit between the rubber stock and wood insert near the top, you can see that in bottom photo.

90109011
 
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Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Will be interested to see how it shoots.
The GP can easily have the trigger worked. That or just shoot a few K rounds thru it. Heck, sit in front of the boob tube at night and dry fire it. That smooths them out quite nicely.
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
I know there are several places that need to be polished in order to smooth things up, at least according to some of the videos and articles I've seen online. I know where to look when I take it apart after I've shot 400-500 rounds through it. I've got all sorts of stones and polishing tools that I use for other jobs so no problems there.

I'm going to try to go shooting sometime Friday. Looking forward to taking a little time off from work.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
With the new shop going in soon you are gonna be a busy man. Might as well get some time off now while you can.
Gonna post targets? Lots of interested folks here.
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
Realize I've shot a pistol one time in the last 5-6 years. I will be thrilled if I can even hit a piece of notebook paper at 15 yards. But I will post targets. I'm not afraid to embarrass myself, after my third colonoscopy I lost any sense of shame or humiliation...
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
bet they rival or beat my handgun groups.
I consider it a small miracle if I hit a clay target, or something the size of a grouse with one at stick poking ranges.