woad_yurt
Member
Not too long ago, I bit the big one and plunked down a bunch of money on a Hi-Standard Double Nine .22 LR/.22 WMR convertible revolver. I had been looking for a decent one, any one really, for over a year, looking every 2-3 days on Gunbroker, AuctionArms & GunsAmerica. I did find one in beautiful condition, finally.
Today, I had a few hours free so I took it to the range with a few others I hadn’t really shot too much. The LR cylinder was on the gun so I started with that. It’s a nice gun that holds 9 rounds in the cylinder. The grips were quite a bit beefier than those of a Single Six, something I’ve kinda always disliked about the Ruger.
In single action mode, it’s sweet. It’s a tack driver with a pleasantly light trigger. The sights are generous in size and easy to use. Hitting golf balls at 50 feet is pretty easy with this gun.
The double action trigger is a bit different from most. There are two very distinct stages to the trigger pull. The first stage, semi-stiff pull-wise, rotates the cylinder and kind of feels like it stops there. Once you’re used to it, it’s easy to poise just before the second stage, the part where the hammer drops. The second part of the pull goes to hair trigger mode. Once you rotate that cylinder, it only takes the tiniest bit of pressure to make it fire. The trigger on this revolver feels very much like the old top break .38 S&W hammerless Iver Johnsons. Once one gets used to the different feel, it’s very easy to control. Accurate, rapid fire, defense mode shooting is pretty easy.
Now, regarding .22 WMR performance, an embarrasing confession….
Sadly, I can not comment on this because, while attempting to swap out the cylinder, I took my finger off the little spring-loaded button that secures the cylinder arm to the frame & it shot into the gravel. I couldn’t believe it. That gun cost me a small fortune and I go and lose the friggin’ button the first time I really shoot the gun.
Thank God the owner of the place had a giant magnet. After 40 minutes of picking up countless 9 MM Wolf shells (they must be very popular,) I found the button. With a giant lesson learned, that I should check things out at home and not in the field, I put all of the gun’s parts in the case and went home.
Now, for the little guy:
A while back, for $85 or so, I bought a US Revolver Co (made by Iver Johnson) .22 LR revolver. It’s double action and holds seven rounds. I guess it was made around 1910 or so; I’m not sure, maybe 1920.
The freakish thing about this gun is its size & weight. It’s about the same size as my P3AT and its loaded weight is less than the P3AT’s loaded weight; it’s not even close. It is tiny. I mean, really small.
After one loads it, one has to pull back the hammer slightly to the first click. Then the hammer isn’t resting on a cartridge. This is how it should be carried, btw.
I’d shot it before today just as a function check. Today, I ran about 60 rounds through it, Aguila Super Maximums. And, the little thing did well. Accuracy at 50 feet was a bit iffy; it shot a bit low. At 7 yards, firing slowly, though, it wasn’t difficult to get decent groups, about 4” across. The gun went bang every time I pulled the trigger, spit no lead and shot where I aimed it. In an encounter with a bad guy, this little gun is plenty accurate at average bad guy encounter distances (I read somewhere that the average distance in shooting incidents is less than 15 feet.) This is definitely a viable pocket gun, no doubt. The little sucker works pretty well, I must say. Why anyone would choose a Phoenix semi .22 over this, I don’t know. It’s a great little gun. A good conversation starter, too.
Today, I had a few hours free so I took it to the range with a few others I hadn’t really shot too much. The LR cylinder was on the gun so I started with that. It’s a nice gun that holds 9 rounds in the cylinder. The grips were quite a bit beefier than those of a Single Six, something I’ve kinda always disliked about the Ruger.
In single action mode, it’s sweet. It’s a tack driver with a pleasantly light trigger. The sights are generous in size and easy to use. Hitting golf balls at 50 feet is pretty easy with this gun.
The double action trigger is a bit different from most. There are two very distinct stages to the trigger pull. The first stage, semi-stiff pull-wise, rotates the cylinder and kind of feels like it stops there. Once you’re used to it, it’s easy to poise just before the second stage, the part where the hammer drops. The second part of the pull goes to hair trigger mode. Once you rotate that cylinder, it only takes the tiniest bit of pressure to make it fire. The trigger on this revolver feels very much like the old top break .38 S&W hammerless Iver Johnsons. Once one gets used to the different feel, it’s very easy to control. Accurate, rapid fire, defense mode shooting is pretty easy.
Now, regarding .22 WMR performance, an embarrasing confession….
Sadly, I can not comment on this because, while attempting to swap out the cylinder, I took my finger off the little spring-loaded button that secures the cylinder arm to the frame & it shot into the gravel. I couldn’t believe it. That gun cost me a small fortune and I go and lose the friggin’ button the first time I really shoot the gun.
Thank God the owner of the place had a giant magnet. After 40 minutes of picking up countless 9 MM Wolf shells (they must be very popular,) I found the button. With a giant lesson learned, that I should check things out at home and not in the field, I put all of the gun’s parts in the case and went home.
Now, for the little guy:
A while back, for $85 or so, I bought a US Revolver Co (made by Iver Johnson) .22 LR revolver. It’s double action and holds seven rounds. I guess it was made around 1910 or so; I’m not sure, maybe 1920.
The freakish thing about this gun is its size & weight. It’s about the same size as my P3AT and its loaded weight is less than the P3AT’s loaded weight; it’s not even close. It is tiny. I mean, really small.
After one loads it, one has to pull back the hammer slightly to the first click. Then the hammer isn’t resting on a cartridge. This is how it should be carried, btw.
I’d shot it before today just as a function check. Today, I ran about 60 rounds through it, Aguila Super Maximums. And, the little thing did well. Accuracy at 50 feet was a bit iffy; it shot a bit low. At 7 yards, firing slowly, though, it wasn’t difficult to get decent groups, about 4” across. The gun went bang every time I pulled the trigger, spit no lead and shot where I aimed it. In an encounter with a bad guy, this little gun is plenty accurate at average bad guy encounter distances (I read somewhere that the average distance in shooting incidents is less than 15 feet.) This is definitely a viable pocket gun, no doubt. The little sucker works pretty well, I must say. Why anyone would choose a Phoenix semi .22 over this, I don’t know. It’s a great little gun. A good conversation starter, too.
