Summertime!

by Glen E. Fryxell

originally published in The Sixgunner

reprinted with permission

            Ah, summer!  That lazy time of the year when swaying hammocks, sizzling grills, and games of catch in the backyard take on special meaning.  Dogs love it, kids love it, and Dads love it.  What more could you ask for?  Well, guns, of course!  As soon as you mention guns in the context of summer, there are two subjects that logically follow -- plinking and varmint shooting.  Both of these pastimes are amenable to pretty much anything that goes "bang!", and so one is allowed to play favorites to one's heart's content.  And I do, pretty much every summer.

            Summertime plinking and varmint hunting give me a chance to break out some interesting guns -- some vintage pieces and some more specialized stuff -- that might not get shot much otherwise.  Exercising these fine pieces gives me a good excuse to get out and hike in the mountains, get some fresh air and exercise, shoot a few varmints, and evaluate some carefully worked up loads.  Like JD says, it's hard work, but somebody's got to do it!  I'd hate for all that fresh mountain air and bright, sunny, blue sky to go to waste....

Vintage guns

            Activities like plinking and varmint hunting very naturally lend themselves to cartridges like the .38 Special, and so when I think of "summer" I think of the .38 Special.  The laid back nature of the season allows me to break out old guns that wouldn't normally get used during hunting season for summertime powder burning.  A fine old example of this is a S&W Hand Ejector M&P 1st model, dating back to 1902.  This gun is in fine shape, with an excellent bore, but it's built of soft (i.e. un-heat treated) steel, so I keep loads moderate to keep this gun in good shape.  This weekend when I was up in the mountains for some varmint shooting, I had this gun loaded with the Lyman/Ideal 358477 150 grain (not the newer 158 grains version) SWC over 3.5 grains of Bullseye.  This load acquitted itself quite nicely, and does a fine job on vermin, and it's not too destructive for edible small game.  The only drawback to this gun are the very fine sights, and when you couple them with my middle-aged eyes and bifocals, well marksmanship takes on an additional challenge!  I am learning, and sooner or later I will get these sights figured out.

Photo 1.  Vintage K38s:  Model 1899 M&P (top), and Model 1905 M&P Target (bottom).

            Somewhat easier on my eyes is the Model 1905 M&P Target, the target sights being much easier to see.  This gun dates to 1908, and like the First Model M&P described above, has soft steel in the barrel and cylinder (i.e. it has not been heat-treated).  When I was out varmint shooting this last weekend, this gun was loaded with the Lyman/Ideal 358477 HP (a 140 grain SWC-HP that I modified the mould to drop HP bullets) over 4.4 grains of Bullseye.  These HPs were cast nice and soft (BHN about 7.5) and were traveling about 950 fps with this load.  This is a very accurate load, and 2+" exits are the norm with this load, even though peak pressures are modest.  It is a dandy varmint load!

            One of my personal favorite sixguns is a 5-screw K-38 Target Masterpiece that was made back in the early 1950s.  I picked up this revolver at a gunshow years ago for a song, and it has just grown on me over the years.  It has an almost magical way of hitting targets that I really have no right to be hitting (K-38s are like that...).   This Masterpiece absolutely dotes on the Ideal 358439 (Keith HP) over 8.5 grains of HS-7 for a little over 1000 fps.  This +P load is very accurate, and when cast nice and soft (BHN of around 7.5 or so) it provides excellent expansion.   This load just flat hammers big, tough, wiry jack rabbits right now, with 2 1/2" to 3" exits being the norm (not a good choice for edible small game).

Photo 2.  5-screw K-38 Target Masterpiece (circa 1954) with gunbelt.

            Don't get the impression that only old, vintage  revolvers are suitable for varmint shooting -- absolutely not!  All it takes is a good accurate revolver, especially one that holds special value to you, and that you enjoy shooting.  Varmint shooting requires two things -- accurate shot placement, and that you have a good time!  I've got a "beater" revolver that is a fine example of this.  I bought this 4" heavy barreled S&W Model 10 from a buddy who had fallen on hard times and needed money fast for mounting legal bills.  I came to learn that this M10 HB is quite the shooter, and that the bold sights are something that I can see, and shoot, well.  This revolver, even though rather homely, has quickly become a personal favorite.  An excellent way to gain confidence with such "kit guns" is to take them out varmint hunting and use them for shots at small targets, at unknown distances.  Varmint hunting can be a wonderful confidence builder. 

Photo 3.  The "beater" heavy barrel S&W Model 10.

            This last weekend, I had this gun loaded with some trial loads built around the Cramer #11 HP (the Cramer version of the Ideal 358439, aka "the Keith HP"), in this case loaded over 4.2 grains of Bullseye.  I haven't actually gotten around to chronographing this load yet, but it should be doing about 900 fps.  This is a very accurate load, and if the HP is cast soft enough (e.g. about BHN of 7.5), then it expands just fine at this speed.  The beauty of the Cramer #11 HP is that it comes from a 2-cavity mould, and once one gets the cadence of casting with such a mould down, then production with these 2-cavity HP moulds is almost as fast as a normal 2-cavity mould (i.e. MUCH faster than your typical single-cavity HP mould).  It's too bad that this basic design is no longer in production.  If updated to include the benefits of CNC machining, Allen screws, etc. then such a mould could become the handgun hunter's best friend.  The HB Model 10 shot this load very well indeed (and shot it to the sights!).

Photo 4.  Cramer #11 HP mould (casting is fast with a 2-cavity HP mould).

Special guns

            Summertime plinking and varmint hunting is one of my favorite pastimes as it allows me to take out some very special guns and give them a little exercise up in the mountains.  One such gun is a 1930s vintage S&W M&P.  It is a 5" .32-20 that I picked up a few years ago, and it is a surprisingly flat-shooting little varminter.  The .32-20 can be a little cantankerous to load for, but the recipe for success with this particular gun is the Cramer #52D 93 grain flat-point powered by 6.5 grains of HS-6 and a CCI 550, for right at 1000 fps (the Saeco #325 is a very similar bullet, and is currently available).  Best accuracy is obtained in this gun when cast bullets are sized .314".  This gun has reach all out of proportions to its paper ballistics, and 100 yard shots are no problem (assuming that the shooter can actually see the rodent at that range).  This is an excellent sixgun and load for edible small game.  Next on the agenda is to try working up some loads with the Ideal 31133 (the HP version of the Ideal 3118) bumped up to .314".  The mould I have drops bullets at almost .313", and as cast, they leave a little something to be desired accuracy-wise.  But given the soft alloys that are suitable for the .32-20 at 1000 fps, I should be able to bump them up to .314" and open up a whole 'nother level of performance for this fine old sixgun.  I'll let you know how that works...

Photo 5.  1930s vintage .32-20 M&P (5").

            A few years ago, I converted an Old Model Ruger Blackhawk to a 7 1/2" .25 Hornet.  I used a cylinder from Hamilton Bowen (with .218" pilot holes), a reamer from Dave Manson, and a chunk of barrel from a Ruger 77 .25-06 (1 in 10" twist).   This revolver was built specifically for summertime varmint hunting.  I have worked up a number of good, accurate cast bullet loads for this gun, but my "go to load" is easily the Lyman 257420 70 grain GC-HP over 6.0 grains of HS-6 for 1550 fps.  This load is exceptionally accurate, and is capable of really stretching things out, well beyond my ability to consistently hit rodents using iron sights.  This HP is not as explosive as the Keith 358439 because the HP cavity is much smaller and the bullet only weighs half as much, but it does a dandy job on rodents nonetheless.

Photo 6.  Old Model Ruger Blackhawk converted to .25 Hornet.

            It wouldn't surprise me if you had an old, pet revolver that hasn't been shot in a while.  Well here's an excuse to take it out and let it sing its song!  The nicest thing you can do to an old, soft steel barrel is to shoot it with moderate cast bullet loads, lubed with a good grease, so that you keep the bore clean and work a fresh coat of grease into the pores of the metal.  Summertime varminting is an excellent excuse to do exactly that.  So do your old guns a favor and treat them to a fresh dose of nitrocellulose/bullet lube therapy.  It'll be good for both of you!