Posting here because it covers both Semiauto and Revolver. Feel free to move as appropriate.
Went to the NRA Range at their HQ in Fairfax VA. I had two new toys to try out. As you'll see, results were, as they say, mixed.
1. CZ-52
Used my C&R license to get a milsurp CZ-52. As mentioned in another post, I had to return the first one the dealer (J&G in Phoenix, and I recommend them) sent me: the magazine was stuck in the gun, so badly that when I tried to get it out the baseplate fell off the mag, which stayed stuck. In addition, the hingepin for the slide lock lever was loose and had backed out a good 2 mm. You'll see why this is relevant in a moment. Anyway, they were very good about replacing it right away, and the new one was much nicer than the first: aside from not being broken, it was in newer condition. I replaced the fuggly Bakelite grips with some nice Pau Ferro aftermarket grips from Hogue, and it looks even nicer.
So, off to the range with a couple hundred rounds of S&B ammo. They were right about this cartridge. It's freakin' loud. Not particularly punishing on the hand, about like my .45. Accuracy, however, was another story. Now, mind you that I'm no Rob Leatham, but my Kimber can put rounds in the proverbial one ragged hole all day if I do my part. And also keep in mind that I'm still breaking this gun in (it looks hardly used at all) and that I'm new to both the pistol and the ammo. And lastly, I was shooting freehand, unsupported that is, in a modified Weaver stance. Still, you'd think I could do better than shoot 6" groups at a lousy 30'! Well, we'll see if we can improve that. So anyway, about 30 rounds in, the slide stopped locking back on the last round, and I saw that the damn hingepin was edging its way out! To add insult to injury, when I went to drop the mag (and like most European pistols it uses the annoying non-drop-free release in the butt, next to the silly lanyard ring) the damn baseplate dropped off, the spring fell on the floor, and -- you guessed it -- the bloody mag was still in the grip. By now I knew enough to field strip the slide/barrel assembly off the frame, and push down on the top of the mag while fidgeting with the release in the butt, while trying not to drop the gun, while trying not to draw attention from the range officers and get booted off the line. Put in the spare mag and shot another 25 or so. No real issues, other than having to push that damned hingepin back in every so often.
Results:
Accuracy: 5 out of 10 marks. Hopefully this will improve.
Reliability: 5 out of 10. I need to take it to Bernie at VA Arms and have him peen the hingepin so it won't back out. I also need to buy some new mags.
Fun Factor: 7 out of 10. Once I get the kinks worked out, this is going to be a blast. You should pardon the pun.
2. NAA Mini
The other new toy I took was a North American Arms mini-revolver, a tiny .22LR that holds 5 shots. I bought it thinking it would be a cool "last-resort" tool to repel boarders in an emergency. It's very nicely made, but boy is it small: the whole thing can easily be palmed, and the barrel is a whopping 1-3/4".
OK, I thought accuracy was bad with the CZ, and I know this is a point-blank range derringer, but Jeebus! Despite the anemic .22 round, it's tough to hold on to properly because it's so small. I mean, it doesn't really kick, but it does jump around in your hand a bit, making follow up shots hard. To make matters worse, you really don't sight one of these, just sort of point it at your target. But the sad truth is that even at only 5 feet, I occasionally missed the target (I was using paper plates coz they're lots cheaper than "real" targets) when shooting with my left hand. And let's be honest, the .22 -- even when using the new Velociraptor round or whatever the hell it's called -- isn't exactly a powerhouse. In fact, the real question is whether you'd stop a goblin by having them laugh themselves silly, or just piss them off, if you shot them with this. Seriously, I'm honestly not sure whether this is as effective as a decent knife! So, I'll really have to ponder whether to keep this toy or not. Maybe I can take it somewhere and do some penetration tests... put The Fear into some cantaloupes or something.
Results:
Accuracy: 3 out of 10 marks. Hopefully this too will improve. But I'm not betting on it. Maybe I can work on my instinctive or point shooting.
Reliability: 10 out of 10. Worked just fine. Damned heavy hammer pull, though.
Fun Factor: 5 out of 10, max. Sadly, not nearly as fun as I thought it would be. A lighter hammer and better grip would fix that. I know they make the latter (but that affects the pocketability), but don't know about the first.
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Went to the NRA Range at their HQ in Fairfax VA. I had two new toys to try out. As you'll see, results were, as they say, mixed.
1. CZ-52
Used my C&R license to get a milsurp CZ-52. As mentioned in another post, I had to return the first one the dealer (J&G in Phoenix, and I recommend them) sent me: the magazine was stuck in the gun, so badly that when I tried to get it out the baseplate fell off the mag, which stayed stuck. In addition, the hingepin for the slide lock lever was loose and had backed out a good 2 mm. You'll see why this is relevant in a moment. Anyway, they were very good about replacing it right away, and the new one was much nicer than the first: aside from not being broken, it was in newer condition. I replaced the fuggly Bakelite grips with some nice Pau Ferro aftermarket grips from Hogue, and it looks even nicer.
So, off to the range with a couple hundred rounds of S&B ammo. They were right about this cartridge. It's freakin' loud. Not particularly punishing on the hand, about like my .45. Accuracy, however, was another story. Now, mind you that I'm no Rob Leatham, but my Kimber can put rounds in the proverbial one ragged hole all day if I do my part. And also keep in mind that I'm still breaking this gun in (it looks hardly used at all) and that I'm new to both the pistol and the ammo. And lastly, I was shooting freehand, unsupported that is, in a modified Weaver stance. Still, you'd think I could do better than shoot 6" groups at a lousy 30'! Well, we'll see if we can improve that. So anyway, about 30 rounds in, the slide stopped locking back on the last round, and I saw that the damn hingepin was edging its way out! To add insult to injury, when I went to drop the mag (and like most European pistols it uses the annoying non-drop-free release in the butt, next to the silly lanyard ring) the damn baseplate dropped off, the spring fell on the floor, and -- you guessed it -- the bloody mag was still in the grip. By now I knew enough to field strip the slide/barrel assembly off the frame, and push down on the top of the mag while fidgeting with the release in the butt, while trying not to drop the gun, while trying not to draw attention from the range officers and get booted off the line. Put in the spare mag and shot another 25 or so. No real issues, other than having to push that damned hingepin back in every so often.
Results:
Accuracy: 5 out of 10 marks. Hopefully this will improve.
Reliability: 5 out of 10. I need to take it to Bernie at VA Arms and have him peen the hingepin so it won't back out. I also need to buy some new mags.
Fun Factor: 7 out of 10. Once I get the kinks worked out, this is going to be a blast. You should pardon the pun.
2. NAA Mini
The other new toy I took was a North American Arms mini-revolver, a tiny .22LR that holds 5 shots. I bought it thinking it would be a cool "last-resort" tool to repel boarders in an emergency. It's very nicely made, but boy is it small: the whole thing can easily be palmed, and the barrel is a whopping 1-3/4".
OK, I thought accuracy was bad with the CZ, and I know this is a point-blank range derringer, but Jeebus! Despite the anemic .22 round, it's tough to hold on to properly because it's so small. I mean, it doesn't really kick, but it does jump around in your hand a bit, making follow up shots hard. To make matters worse, you really don't sight one of these, just sort of point it at your target. But the sad truth is that even at only 5 feet, I occasionally missed the target (I was using paper plates coz they're lots cheaper than "real" targets) when shooting with my left hand. And let's be honest, the .22 -- even when using the new Velociraptor round or whatever the hell it's called -- isn't exactly a powerhouse. In fact, the real question is whether you'd stop a goblin by having them laugh themselves silly, or just piss them off, if you shot them with this. Seriously, I'm honestly not sure whether this is as effective as a decent knife! So, I'll really have to ponder whether to keep this toy or not. Maybe I can take it somewhere and do some penetration tests... put The Fear into some cantaloupes or something.
Results:
Accuracy: 3 out of 10 marks. Hopefully this too will improve. But I'm not betting on it. Maybe I can work on my instinctive or point shooting.
Reliability: 10 out of 10. Worked just fine. Damned heavy hammer pull, though.
Fun Factor: 5 out of 10, max. Sadly, not nearly as fun as I thought it would be. A lighter hammer and better grip would fix that. I know they make the latter (but that affects the pocketability), but don't know about the first.
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These are a hoot! Kinda neat to "watch" the bullet en route to target. One finds themselves using "body English" to oooch the bullet in flight to hit where wanted. 
