.357 Raptor SSR
- Thread starter Sharps '74
- Start date
We had this guy in the Queretaro Club who had a sister who lived just down the street from the Tyler T-grip shop. We just ordered them from her. You know, one of those "please pop over and pick us up 3 N-frame T-grips, 2 K-frame T-grips and 4 of the J-frame ones, make one of them silver...." and sent the cheque. Later on, like so many things 'going South' the package arrived with Aunt Matilda on her next visit down.
I've shot IPSC revolver division for 5 years. Started with a S&W 625, shot my S&W610 for kicks, even have a moon clipped S&W629 I want to run in a match (just once anyhow ... lol).
Once I got my S&W 929, there's no going back to 6 shot. Even having the benefit of scoring Major with my 625, my hit factors are consistently higher with 8 shot Minor. I went 9mm as I reload for that already, and they go in much easier in to the cylinder than 38/357 brass. You can run 38 short colt brass, but that's still a longer case then 9mm.
No one shoots a stage like you have laid out below. You plan your reloads in between shooting positions so you reload on the move, so a 32 round stage rarely has exactly 3 reloads when I'm running my 929. What is more important is the number of shots per position which is maximum 9. Match Directors are cruel, so we will occasionally design a stage with a 9 shot position just to mess up the revolver and classic Major shooters lol. It's much more common to see 7-8 shots per shooting position, so eliminating a stationary reload is a huge advantage.
Once I got my S&W 929, there's no going back to 6 shot. Even having the benefit of scoring Major with my 625, my hit factors are consistently higher with 8 shot Minor. I went 9mm as I reload for that already, and they go in much easier in to the cylinder than 38/357 brass. You can run 38 short colt brass, but that's still a longer case then 9mm.
No one shoots a stage like you have laid out below. You plan your reloads in between shooting positions so you reload on the move, so a 32 round stage rarely has exactly 3 reloads when I'm running my 929. What is more important is the number of shots per position which is maximum 9. Match Directors are cruel, so we will occasionally design a stage with a 9 shot position just to mess up the revolver and classic Major shooters lol. It's much more common to see 7-8 shots per shooting position, so eliminating a stationary reload is a huge advantage.
Agreed!
You are quite right about the way Match Directors will arrange targets from shooting stations. I was making a theoretical case for 6 shot revolvers vs 7-9 shot revolvers. Your practical explanation blows my case right off the range!
When I made the choice to buy the six shot "Rappy" it's was prejudiced by the fact that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool six gunner and because I happen to have a bunch of 6 shot "L" frame speed loaders on hand for it that came my way. If I was starting now with a revolver, I'd go the 8 rd route, moon clips and be quite happy with it.
You are quite right about the way Match Directors will arrange targets from shooting stations. I was making a theoretical case for 6 shot revolvers vs 7-9 shot revolvers. Your practical explanation blows my case right off the range!
When I made the choice to buy the six shot "Rappy" it's was prejudiced by the fact that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool six gunner and because I happen to have a bunch of 6 shot "L" frame speed loaders on hand for it that came my way. If I was starting now with a revolver, I'd go the 8 rd route, moon clips and be quite happy with it.
No worries, I also got into PPC shooting with our local LEAP group and really enjoying shooting my 6 shot revolvers with speed loaders. It's a different kind of shooting where accuracy is more critical than speed (so long as you are within the Par time of course lol). You should check to see if any of your local ranges offer that style of competitions. Your 686 would be perfect there 
No interest in PPC here. We tried IDPA but it was mismangaed badly and died stillborn due to personality clashes. I liked it as it was a "revolver friendly" discipline with no CoF exceeding 18 rds.
We have a Steel Challenge group and a struggling IPSC section that has a hard core of 6-8 shooters a mix of revolver and semi-auto shooters. I enjoy both.
We have a Steel Challenge group and a struggling IPSC section that has a hard core of 6-8 shooters a mix of revolver and semi-auto shooters. I enjoy both.
MY S&W 686-6 Pro Series "Raptor" arrived yesterday.
I'm quite pleased with it. I like all the little niceties (forcing cone, recessed muzzle, replaceable front sight, chamfered chambers, slab sided barrel, etc.) and I even like the "Raptor" engraving since I'm an old dinosaur myself! Who else would buy a 6 shot revolver in this day and age?
I do like the weight and heft of it compared to my 4" "K" frames.
My only complaint is that the front sight is too wide for the rear sight notch. That is an easy fix by replacement or widening the notch. Also, in comparing the rear sight to those on my other S&Ws, the notch is not as deep. Again, an easy fix.
As for the much vaunted S&W "Super Tuned Action" - meh. The actions in my other S&Ws where I have replaced the hammer and rebound slide springs are just as smooth if not smoother, but they've had a lot of rds downrange. The "Rappy " will wear in before I make a final judgement.
I DO NOT like the cylinder release latch! It's got an odd configuration due to the internal lock opening in the frame. Again, an easy fix as the lock will never be used.
I wonder if the rcmp regards the "internal lock" as sufficient to legally transport the gun .... ? It does render it unusable.
The rear sight notch has been made deeper, slightly widened and the corners of the sight slightly beveled. That flat, straight across the top of the rear sight puts me off.
We'll see how it works at our indoor IPSC practice tomorrow.
I'm quite pleased with it. I like all the little niceties (forcing cone, recessed muzzle, replaceable front sight, chamfered chambers, slab sided barrel, etc.) and I even like the "Raptor" engraving since I'm an old dinosaur myself! Who else would buy a 6 shot revolver in this day and age?
I do like the weight and heft of it compared to my 4" "K" frames.
My only complaint is that the front sight is too wide for the rear sight notch. That is an easy fix by replacement or widening the notch. Also, in comparing the rear sight to those on my other S&Ws, the notch is not as deep. Again, an easy fix.
As for the much vaunted S&W "Super Tuned Action" - meh. The actions in my other S&Ws where I have replaced the hammer and rebound slide springs are just as smooth if not smoother, but they've had a lot of rds downrange. The "Rappy " will wear in before I make a final judgement.
I DO NOT like the cylinder release latch! It's got an odd configuration due to the internal lock opening in the frame. Again, an easy fix as the lock will never be used.
I wonder if the rcmp regards the "internal lock" as sufficient to legally transport the gun .... ? It does render it unusable.
The rear sight notch has been made deeper, slightly widened and the corners of the sight slightly beveled. That flat, straight across the top of the rear sight puts me off.
We'll see how it works at our indoor IPSC practice tomorrow.
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