Review of alfa proj rimfire revolvers

nickvaselino

nickvaselino

CGN Regular
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Hey there fellow gunnutz, i was wondering if anybody who has one could give opinions on these pistols, im stumped trying to decide on getting one. Other than price advantage do they compare to Smith or Ruger rimfire revolvers? I have read a couple reviews but cant seem to find much info.
 
Just bought one - .22LR. I had to wait a whole hour for the transfer - oh, the indignity! But, I haven't made it to the range yet - hopefully, later this week. However, hefting it and cleaning it - all seems really nice and tight. Its heavy for a .22 so I expect it will be a steady shooter. The test target included with the gun was set for 15 meters and the test shooter was pretty good. I have high expectations.
 
I've never owned a Smith or Ruger rimfire revolver so I can't really compare but I have the stainless steel model and have never had any issues with it. Seems to shoot well enough but I'm not a good enough shooter to say whether it's the gun or me :)
 
I have a blued steel 6" model with LR and WMR cylinders.

First the bad

Me and another CGN member from PEI had misfires in WMR in DA only. I had to put a small bushing under the hammer spring to raise the striking effort of the hammer. That took care of any misfires. On occasion when firing WMR I get unpleasant blast from the cylinder gap with gasses and possibly bullet or unburned powder hitting me in the face. Not too impressed with it but I shoot little of the WMR and it never get that effect in LR. None the less I am thinking of letting it go regardless of the fact that this is not so uncommon with any revolver.

Now the good

The thing is very accurate and easy to shoot in SA and manageable in DA. Very reliable (now) and it is a fraction of the cost of a S&W or Ruger. I love the interchangeable cylinders. LR for practice and WMR when you need to step it up a notch (about 32 ACP results).

Moe
 
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I wanted a 9mm revolver but my budget was limited so I picked the Alfa Project 9251 Classic. Overall I am happy with it. The fit and finish is acceptable but is not as nice as my S&Ws. In bright light the barrel is a slightly different colour than the frame. On the cylinder you can see faint machining marks around the circumference of the cylinder.

I have only put about 150-200 rounds through it. All factory AE 115 gr. No issues, it functions reliably with or without the moon clips. Empty cartridge cases don't eject without the moon clips. Moon clips cost $12 each, which seems expensive but is cheap compared to some speed loaders and they make picking up the brass easy. The tool for removing empty casings from the moon clips makes the job easier.

Single action the trigger is fine. Double action the trigger is stiff and not as smooth as my S&Ws but it might smooth out some more with use.

I think I got pretty good value for the money but I have two complaints. Firstly, the space between the grip and the trigger guard seems narrower than my S&Ws and my fingers go a little higher on the grip so the trigger guard rests on my finger. My 586 has factory wood grips and there seems to be more room between the grip and the trigger guard. My Model 15 has Pachmayr grips which fill the space between the grip and trigger guard forcing a lower hold on the pistol. The Alfa Proj does impact my fingers on firing which can be uncomfortable. The second problem is lack of accessories. I wanted the pistol for club matches but at the time (2 yrs ago) there was extremely limited options for holsters and grips and nothing available locally. I dont know if selection and availability has improved since, but if Hogue or Pachmayr make grips for it I will likely replace the factory grips.
 
Moe said:
I have a blued steel 6" model with LR and WMR cylinders.

First the bad

Me and another CGN member from PEI had misfires in WMR in DA only. I had to put a small bushing under the hammer spring to raise the striking effort of the hammer. That took care of any misfires. On occasion when firing WMR I get unpleasant blast from the cylinder gap with gasses and possibly bullet or unburned powder hitting me in the face. Not too impressed with it but I shoot little of the WMR and it never get that effect in LR. None the less I am thinking of letting it go regardless of the fact that this is not so uncommon with any revolver.

Now the good

The thing is very accurate and easy to shoot in SA and manageable in DA. Very reliable (now) and it is a fraction of the cost of a S&W or Ruger. I love the interchangeable cylinders. LR for practice and WMR when you need to step it up a notch (about 32 ACP results).

Moe
Click to expand...

If you own a revolver expect blow back from the cylinder. Wear safety glasses
 
I have one in 22LR stainless model 2261 :

alfa_proj_2261_ss.jpg


It's well made, trigger is so nice, haven't owned Ruger of SW revolvers, but tried few at stores, the trigger on my Alfa Proj feels smoother and lighter :)

Accuracy , can't really talk too much about it as only shot it once so far and it's my first revolver. But I had some tight groups when I shot it.

for 599 new is a good deal to have in my view.

Other options will be to wait to get used on EE, even some GP100 sometimes for around 600$ may come up.
 
I have a 2251 with a 4.5" barrel. It seems very accurate in SA. My trigger finger isn't educated enough to tell me if it is better or worse than my GP100 in .357. The finish on the Alpha is pretty good and I am really happy with it. I'll have to borrow my brother's 617 and shoot them back to back... Maybe then I will realise what I am missing...
 
We have the 9mm 4.5 barrel and it is a fun and very accurate gun. It is not on the quality level of a S&W or Ruger, but we wanted an entry level revolver for a decent price and I enjoy it for what it is. I can get moon clips locally for $5 apiece, and my LGS also carries holsters and grips for them as they are an Alfa dealer, so I have had no trouble finding accessories.
I think for someone buying their first revolver, perhaps not knowing if revolvers are your " thing", they are a very good choice, and an affordable way to find out. Now that I know I enjoy them, my next will be a Smith or Ruger in .357, but I really can't see us getting rid of the Alfa, it is a very nice 9mm to shoot.

Edit- sorry, didn't see the " rimfire" in the title,,,, but I still like my Alfa :)
 
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edgy said:
We have the 9mm 4.5 barrel and it is a fun and very accurate gun. It is not on the quality level of a S&W or Ruger, but we wanted an entry level revolver for a decent price and I enjoy it for what it is. I can get moon clips locally for $5 apiece, and my LGS also carries holsters and grips for them as they are an Alfa dealer, so I have had no trouble finding accessories.
I think for someone buying their first revolver, perhaps not knowing if revolvers are your " thing", they are a very good choice, and an affordable way to find out. Now that I know I enjoy them, my next will be a Smith or Ruger in .357, but I really can't see us getting rid of the Alfa, it is a very nice 9mm to shoot.

Edit- sorry, didn't see the " rimfire" in the title,,,, but I still like my Alfa :)
Click to expand...

Who's selling moon clips for that price??

Pls PM if not a site sponsor, I can always use more........:)
 
I've got the 6" .22 revolver. I really enjoy shooting it. It seems quite accurate, certainly more accurate than I am. The trigger is good in SA but heavy in DA. For the price I think it's a good buy.
 
I only have 3 revolvers. 686-3, GP-100, Alfa Proj 9mm. Love them all.

I believe the Alfa’s build quality is at par with the other two. I am still experimenting and developing my 9 mm reloads for the Alfa.
 
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