What's so hard about firing a .38 snub accurately?

[BigG]

I've found that 158 grain ammo prints to point of aim moreso than the wunderblitz Patrone neuer Art.

I think Old Fuff's advice really encapsulated what I was trying to say. Watch the front sight and pull thru on the trigger the target should be a blur.

 

[Quantrill]

Put a grip on a model 36 that fits your hand and then (as Mike says) practice, practice practice. Review the basics all over again. I have seen 36's whup some pretty decent target revolvers. Quantrill

 

[Unisaw]

Dry fire daily, concentrating on only three things:
Proper, consistent grip
Front sight focus
Proper double action trigger pull

Don't worry about speed, that can come later.

 

[Gordon]

When I was plainclothes in the Army 71-73 I was issued S&W Mod 12 2" barrel. I had to qualify on regular 45 range every 6 months with ball issue ammo (130 grain as I remember) and had to compensate for the guns slightly low right impact, BUT it did group as well as the .45's I was shooting against. Some of the older range NCO's shot the .45 real well too. Old Fuff was right again, at Camp Perry they taught you real good about front sight in sharp focus, I went in 64&65 with ROTC team. My mod 19 2.5" shoots as tight as my 3 1/2" 27 or 6" Mod 19. My Colt snubbies shoot real well too, just got to hold em and squeeze em.

 

[Topgun]

It is a misCONCEPTION

My CCW has 2 of em....M36 and M640.

Qual scores were 292/300 and 296/300 last time.

You don't have to just practice with the snubbies. Good practices with ANY handgun will suffice. If the sights are aligned properly and you are not yanking the trigger or flinching, they will shoot just fine.

Sure, practice with em once in a while and as often as you like, but IMO, just plain handgun practice will serve you just fine.

You don't hear of many worries about the 4" barrel being so hard to shoot as opposed to the 6"

People just THINK they are hard and they handicap themselves.

Get the hold, trigger control, sight picture right and your handgun will hit what you aim at.

I find that ONE HAND offhand shooting at 25 yards is my BEST and MOST EFFECTIVE practice. 25 yard offhand groups are good indicators of your ability. Then 2 handed seems like a sandbag.

 

[BigG]

Good practice with ANY handgun will suffice.

Basically what I was trying to say. I would specify a REVOLVER as DA trigger work takes some getting used to. A nice K-frame like a M&P (mod 10) will give you all the practice you need on accurate double action revo work but it IS WORK before it gets to be FUN.

 

[mashaffer]

Probably trigger

When I had my dearly departed Chief's Special it was deadly accurate beyond 25 yards firing SA. DA I was in trouble beyond 10 yards.

 

[22luvr]

Speaking of the model 36

My wife's uncle was a bank robbery investigator with the LAPD. He has a venerable old model 36, the original "Chief's special." He toted that gem around his entire career. One slick little gun; I wish He'd sell it to ME. (not likely in my lifetime)

 

[jake01]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll try some of your advice.

Right now, I'm using 125g fed Nyclad non +P. I'll try some 158 g ammo.

 

[Poohgyrr]

Old Fuff and others have it right. I've seen other shooters (not meself) shoot the snub J frames well out past 25 yards. It definitely can be done, just takes more parctice.

I have had fun shooting steel at 75 yards with a snub Speed Six against a bud's 6" Python, but I shot single action seated at a bench, and he shot dbl action standing up. I hit the steel at least as often as he did ..

 

[Kahr carrier]

Nothing .It just takes PRACTICE .

 

[SteelyDan]

Has anyone mentioned "practice" yet?

Also, since no one else has mentioned it, there is one little trick with the _42s. You can zero in on the target, pull the trigger about 3/4 of the way, until you hear the second click, then re-zero-in and pull the trigger the rest of the way. Not too useful in defensive situations, but it works well on paper.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I can hit 3 inch plates at 35 yrds all day long with my Taurus 650. If I'm playing with paper, the groups shrink abit with my Rossi M88. But I cut my teeth on a snubby (an old S&W model 37, wish that was in my collection today) and have never been without one. In case no one's mentioned it, it takes practice, just like any other firearm, but honestly, if you can put 5 inside 6 inches at 7 yrds, it should be adaquate for it's intended use.

 

[sm]

Have to agree with Mike Irwin: short sight radius, low profile sights...gun fit.
Of course I always mention gun fit, regardless of platform.
Practice, with a proper fitting firearm , always good idea.

 

[twoblink]

Shooting DA; I can't hit paper past 7 yards. Shooting SA, I can keep that group down to 4" WAY out there..

IT's the trigger man.. Your Kahr has a smooth long trigger that you are use to. Revolver DA's all suck except on the Colt Pythons that I've shot. It takes a lot of practice, or an SA.

It's accurate, you just aren't with it. Usually the story with Snubbies.

 

[280PLUS]

it's all about trigger control!!

I'm getting a kick out of all you folkies with your big 'ol hand cannons that can't shoot a decent group. especially with a snubbie. Just a FRACTION of an inch of movement of the muzzle upon firing is multiplied downrange enough to make you miss the paper let alone the bullseye. If you are not shooting a decent group you are not consistent in your trigger pull end of story, as long as the gun is not defective. Dry firing (while protecting the gun from damage ) is the best way to see that because you are not preoccupied with the fact that the gun is about to fire and you can actually see the movement of the gun when you pull the trigger. You'll be surprised how much you're actually moving the gun while pulling the trigger. I suggest you dry fire 30 to 50 times each session BEFORE you ever fire your first live round. Once you can do that and see NO movement in the gun when the hammer falls then i would do about 25 or so single shot, loading a new round between each shot. Another thing, if, after firing, you do not have a feel for where the round went on the target that is fairly correct in terms of where it actually went ("CALLING" your shot) then, without realizing it, you are involuntarily blinking, therefore your eyes are actually CLOSED at the exact time the gun has fired and cannot register the fact that the muzzle did in fact move as the gun fired. hence, you think you were aiming at the bull but the round is out or off the paper entirely and you just can't understand why.

more later, if you all would like. Ive been shooting decent groups out at 25 yards with that .32 mag snubbie ive been raving about, least ways i'm hitting the paper, (what 8" x 8"?) which aint bad for 25 yds.

PS, when I was working on my "Expert" rating in U.S Navy bootcamp (I qualified with a 298 at 50" with a .45, two hands, open sights, 18 y.o., never shot a handgun before) you shoot dry fire forever and then when they thought you were ready one shot at a time until you shot a perfect slow fire target, only then would they let you advance to timed and rapid fire. Meaning, maybe you all are taking it too fast and need to back up and start with the basics again. Just a thought.

m

 

[LAWDOGKMS]

Get a competent local gunsmith to do an action job on your 642..

I did...

It shouldn't cost more than $50.00.

The smith can put some mildly abrasive grease that will smooth up the action even more as you dry fire or shoot it over the next year or so..

My 1-year old 642 is silky smooth..

I also "almost" dry fire it alot, rolling on the trigger until I hear/feel the hammer locks back internally and the hammer is ready to fall internally, and then let off before actually dropping the hammer.

I can fire my 642 like a single action, because I practice this so much...

I love my 642......

 

[280PLUS]

yea, i like that trigger rolling youre talking about too. i like to practice finding that pause spot in between cocking and firing on mine. click, squeeze...click, squeeze...

i'm satisfied with the trigger out of the box but its really the only revolver i've shot for any period of time, it seems to have broken in ok. kind of heavy maybe but i thinking thats what i want.

a little more about calling shots. i'm shooting .22ruger mkII with a red dot at 50 ft right now. on the good days i'll pull a shot and think, hmmm,,,felt low and left, then when i spot it its on the 10 ring at about 7 o'clock. i love those days.



m

"Happiness is a warm shotgun, when you're outside and it"s 10 degrees"

Anon.

 

[Poohgyrr]

HEY !!!!!

Twoblink,

Hey !!! I've fondled and drooled over some nice Python actions, but Smiths' dbl action triggers can yes indeedy be verrrrrrryyyy smooth, sweet, and accurate !!!!!

My 640-1 is way more accurate than I ever expected, especially in my hands and with my aging eyesight. I routinely make one hole groups at 25' with maggies. Better shooters do even better than that. This is the second 640-1 I've been able to do this with, and I should have kept that other one.

This isnt EVEN discussing the fantastic K & N frame actions out there. My old 4" 686 (no dash #) was very good, smooth, and accurate as well. Its' new owner, a friend's wife, is so happy with it she laughs at the idea of selling it back to me and tells me to sit down and have some homemade pie ...

Dry fire practice goes a very long way and is one of the advantages of revolvers. My wonderful S&W's do so have accurate smooth triggers. They do they do they do...

 

[280PLUS]

just looked at the 640 on the s&w site, hmmm, very nice and how is the recoil with that one? its got to be better than the airlite. darn, now i really do have to go back to s&w i mean, you got the .50 cal, then i'm pretty sure im staying away from the .44 mag airlite then i see tamaras medium frame lightweight .44 special, now the 640,,,what can one do? what was the price on that 640?
i could see that one in a holster under my arm for certain occasions.

m

 

[Poohgyrr]

My 640 was about $350 back then. That was $100 less then other local shops, and I scooped it up. UM boot grips and the steel frame help with the recoil, but maggies still kick more than .38's (and .38's have worked well for a lot of folks).... It is entirely manageable for me, but followup shots are slower than , say, a S&W 908 or G27. I readily admit I do not want to shoot one of the new Ti models, my hand hurts just thinking about that.

You really can't go wrong with any good Smith, each has its strong points, but they all are good.