I finally got to go the range today, and yes, it RAINED....but I, being the patient person I am, waited it out....stopped raining about 20 minutes later, so I broke out the 22A. I started by firing 40 rounds of Federal 510 (40gr, lead)....this is the stuff that my 22/45 loves.....at 15 yards, the 22A was grouping about about 4 in. high, and 3 1/2 inches right...the group was about 2 1/2 inches .....I was not impressed. Then, I loaded the 4 mags with Federal Value Pack ( 36 gr. copper plated hp, 550 rnds/box). What a difference. Group tightened down to about an inch, and shot about 1 1/2 inches high and left about 1 inch. I adjusted the rear sight and brought it into the red dot on a NRA 50 ft. target. Just a matter of the right ammo. Ended up firing about 200 rounds.....
Overall impression:
The gun feeds ammo very well. No jams or other issues.
Even though the gun weighs 39 oz., it handles very well, and points nicely. Will work good for competition.
When sweeping a row of 10 knockdowns, it is really easy to make a smooth transition from one target to then next, because muzzle flip is almost non-existant with the bull barrel.....
Out of the box, the trigger is way smoother than the MK III....way smoother.....
This particular gun seems to like higher velocity ammo.
Fieldstrips MUCH EASIER than the Ruger, and that's good enough for me..... :lol:
The sight adjustment screws are much larger than the ones on the MK III....not afraid of stripping these out....can use a larger screwdriver.....
The mag release is on the front of the grip, and will take some getting used to, but the mags fall freely...
The one place that I think the Ruger has the advantage is the mags. The springs are stronger in the Ruger. While loading mags, today, I got a couple of rounds that went in nosed up further than they should be....had to take that round out and reinsert it...will take a little getting used to.
Overall, I am really glad I decided to get the S&W....it is now the gun I will use in our steel plate and urban cowboy matches.....
