Had it up to the range on the weekend, with some friends.
First, a couple of comments on fit and finish. Although the gun overall seems to have flaw free finish, the trigger and to a lesser degree, the hammer showed some casting or machine marks. Not significant enough to 'take away' from a gun of this calibre (!), but a little surprising from S&W PC.
I generally prefer front FO sights, however the big orange/red front ramp is plenty clear. The front sight virtually fills the rear notch, unlike my Shadow or particularly my Beretta 92 where there is lots of space either side of the front sight. Maybe this is a 'revolver' thing!
At the range with .38 Spl loaded, my buddy (DSG03)'s wife promply drilled little holes all around the bullseye. Me not so much. Even with this large frame, the grip seemed small to me, and I was having trouble getting any supporting traction with my weak hand, on the lower left of the grip (I have large hands and fingers). DSG03 suggested I take a higher grip, with my thumb web over the top grip, just clearing the cocked hammer. Purchase with my weak hand went up significantly; as did accuracy.
Recoil with factory .38 Spl was very mild, as would be expected with a gun of this weight. 357. Mag recoil was fairly dramatic (a little more than I expected) with the exposed metal frame at the back of the grip, driving straight back into your palm. This is probably the result of the extra weight out on the barrel, and the compensator doing its job. I forgot to check specifically for muzzle flip; maybe because I wasn't getting that much. Next time.
DA trigger pull is quite heavy, but fairly linear, with only a slight change at cylinder lockup. SA, there is no take up, and virtually no movement of the trigger to release the hammer. Its like the trigger only needs pressure, not movement, to fire. Very light...no flinching with this gun.
DSG03 and I are going to do a side by side at the range with his 686 and my V Comp in a week or two. Should be an interesting comparison!
