practical_man

@Squirrel45 Have you checked ejector rod run out? Also, is the proximal end of the crane actually square to the axis?

Bench The hammer pin had to be squared to the frame. That level maintenance is above my comfort level so I sent it out to a pro

Bench i had a similar issue. In my case the hammer stud was not completely square with the frame. That angle caused the hammer to rub on the right side of frame. Being feint of heart I had to consult a pro to make the adjustment. It runs fine now and hammer looks centered in the frame. YMMV.

First, pattern your shotgun on a pattern board. See where it’s hitting from a snap shot. Chances are you’ll need to make some minor changes to the stock to get the POI you want. Second, keep your head on the stock. You may be missing because you’re looking for the bird to break. This would put you behind and below the bird. Skeet has always been better practice for me to get on target. YMMV. There’s a gun mounted camera in the market that’s supposed to help diagnose misses. Can’t recall the name right now.

My experience bears this out. My 617 works much better after reaming. I have a seldom used 317 that might benefit from reaming too. As to ammunition, I like CCI SV, Blazer, and minimags. Generally in that order. Varies from lot to lot. I’ve had some Federal automatch that does very well and some that does poorly.

@eboggs re: springs the stock mainspring is a superb part. A little bend here and there will help tune it to your liking. rebound slide spring is balanced to match the main spring. Wolff makes a good package to try out which one you like best, varying from 11 pounds up to stock weight. Brownells and others sell them. I like the 13# rebound spring when set up for factory ammunition. as always, a little judicious polish when parts rub together is helpful to smooth things out. A lot of dry fire can accomplish the same effect.

@perttime I bought some a few years ago when VZ was all the rage. I do not like them at all. I’ve gone back to Hogue conversion grips for my N frame.

It’s a small job to mill off the front sight and install a DX-style base. That would allow you to swap front sights easily. I had this done to my 586 some years ago. It was money well spent. @Toolguy did a fine job with the work.

@Couch-Commando enjoy your new revolver. Hope to see it at the next match.

@Couch-Commando Dave offers some pretty good advice. I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand. I like blue steel and walnut too. It’s what I grew up with back in the days when all police carried a Model 19 in a leather holster. Time change. I still enjoy the older revolvers. For competition it’s hard to beat stainless guns that you can easily source repair parts. @Toolguy makes a very versatile and secure rig. I have one that I use with K, L, and N frame revolvers interchangeably. It’s the only holster I have that will accommodate tube style optics or a Wichita rib (yeah, I’m showing my age). Anyway, let me know if you want to try out the holster. I’ll happily loan it to you.

@Couch-Commando @Toolguy is the local guy to talk to about moon clips and cylinder relief for the big bores. He’s been shooting the 44s and 45s a long time in silhouette, pins, and such. I just tool the plunge into Limited 6. I listened to everyones advice and bought moon clips from TKCustom. They’re decent for 38 special mixed headstamp brass. No complaints. TK clips are head and shoulders above the Ranch Products clips and whatever S&W sends in the blue box. On barrel length. I’m a fan of the odd inch lengths. I really like a 3” K frame for convenient carry. My hunting revolver is a 5” 629. It’s more accurate than I can hold using 240 grain bullets. Long ago I owned a 5” 625. I like the way it balanced and transitioned, but I’m old and slow. That said, I shoot ICORE with 6” and 2” barrel .38 special revolvers. To sum up, I don’t think barrel length matters all that much for normal humans of average skill. Longer sight radius definitely helps with precision and making power factor with less powder. PF won’t be an issue if you stick with 44. My best advice if you’re buying another revolver is to get what the best shooters are using. Seems that most are using 627s or 629s. If I were buying a new revolver for ICORE I would get a 5 or 6 inch 627 because they’re available and I’m fairly set on 38 Special after decades of messing around with the caliber. A 629 would be good too, if you can find one. like others have said, get what you really want and shoot the heck out of it. If you rationalize any other decision you won’t be happy about it for long. Hope to see you at the next Mill Creek match.

I loved the 140grain version of the China Camp bullet. Worked great in the lever gun. Who is making them these days?

@wanttolearn I’ve had good results from the Bayou 160 round nose at moderate velocity. They group well at 25 yards. I also like the Bayou 135 Wadcutter for PPC loads where one doesn’t need to as load fast. For 50 yard accuracy I get better results with a decent JHP bullet. XTP are always good performers in my guns but pricey. Zero JHP and Precision Delta JHP have also been good, tho occasionally difficult to source .357’diameter.

Great problem solving!

That might be the understatement of the century. Factory ammo isn’t very consistent in my revolvers. About 1 time in 50 I will get a click instead of a bang. Annoying as hell and tends to add considerable time to my already slow run.

@wanttolearn I shoot an L frame and wear large gloves. I use the stock grips without trouble. I do grind on them a bit to reduce the finger grips which do not fit me. The X frame stocks might work for you. I’ve tried the pachmayr presentation stocks that cover the backstrap and do not care for them. The difference is subtle but noticeable. Stocks can be a cheap. Doesn’t hurt to try different options to see what you like. Most revolver shooter have a box full of stocks they don’t care for. Wouldn’t hurt to ask around your club. Someone might have exactly what you want sitting in their spares box. Re:action job. The revup action hammer is quite an improvement over the stock hammer. It’s engineered so that the trigger pull actually gets lighter as you get closer to releasing the shot. I’m thrilled with mine. So much that I’m waiting on the next run for N frames. See their web site: https://revupaction.com. Or message @Toolguy on these forums.

Toolguy i can’t tell you how much I like the RevUp hammer in my 686. It’s a world of difference from the factory set up. Really like the way trigger pull gets lighter as you near hammer let off. Genius! Very useful. Folks don’t know what they’re missing

@Joe4d After a 12 year hiatus I just started shooting at the Desoto ICORE a couple months ago. I didn’t know a thing about it. Dave was helpful and welcoming about getting me started. I drug out my speed loaders from the PPC days and now shoot classic. Using what I already have until I figure out the sport a little. ICORE is loads of fun and the shooters at Mill Creek are a good crew; they are very encouraging to new shooters. @Toolguy has been really helping coaching me on faster loading; he’s really generous sharing his knowledge. I’m very happy that I took the leap into a new sport. It’s so much fun that I don’t mind being last when then scores are posted. Any day shooting revolvers is better than the best day working. Classic is loads of fun with both the 6” L frame and 2” k frame. I’m going to try limited 6 next season. Should be fun and a way to loose less brass All that said, I’d still encourage you to give the 8 shooter a serious try. I have a N frame 625. It’s a bit different than the smaller frame revolvers but not an impossible transition. Seems like a most of the serious ICORE shooters are using the 8 shooters in 9mm or some variation of 38 colt/ special. I’m old and heavily invested in 38 Special so that’s likely where I’ll stay and enjoy the hobby while I can. I don’t have any experience with the 686 SSR. Some guys shoot them at Desoto. Nice looking revolver tho. Kinda looks like a miniature 627 Pro

@Joe4d good advice from @gargoil66 I was once hesitant to start grinding on revolver stocks. When I started chasing DR points back in my Bullseye phase it became necessary to modify the grips for a better hold. You might be surprised to see how many revolver guys have JB weld on very expensive Nills grips. Now that I’m trying to shoot fast and accurately I’m back to modifying stocks again. The large factory target stock is a good base to start grinding on if you like wood. Aftermarket grip like those from Altamont are also good for modifying. I’ve never use the Broomstick grips, but they do seem interesting. As for the N frame not fitting, I’m sympathetic. I shot K and L frames for years. I wear a large size glove, so hands are definitely average size. Still getting used to the N frame. For me, I think it’s mostly mental. I’m sticking with it till I figure it out. I’m not competitive at all, so there’s that. I’d like to encourage you to stick with it till you figure it out. Of course if you want to sell off that 4” 627 for a song I’ll happily take it off your hands. I’m a 38 special shooter and too old to change now. Hang in there. You can whip that chunk of stainless steel and make it your own.

I need to have a look at current CMORE options. Haven’t seen one in years. The SRO is outside my budget but it looks attractive. I’ll have a better idea after visiting with Dave this weekend.

The RevUp hammer kit has worked out well for me in my 617, which was a pleasant surprise given the finicky nature if rimfires. Looking forward to the next batch of N frame hammers when they’re available. The RevUp works better for me than modifying the stock hammer.

Thanks to all for tour input!

BLUF: who makes a mini red dot sight with large dot (4 or 6 MOA) suitable for revolver. Details. Considering replacing my Holosun 2 MOA dot with a larger dot. Would like something easier to pick up when brightness isn’t maxed out. looking for input from folks who’ve tried large and small dots. Advantages and disadvantages. Dot would go a 627. thanks john

Llou, I’m no expert so take this with a grain of salt. I recently had my 686 cut for moons to shoot in Limited 6. I took a small burnisher to lightly break the edge on the extractor. Not beveled, just broken so it’s not a sharp 90. Seems to work ok for me. Granted, there’s a lot more meat on a 6 banger than those fancy high speed 8 shooters.

Nice meeting you on Sunday. I’m new to ICORE too. It’s great fun, and good practice. Really grateful to Dave for putting on the match and other shooters offering tips. i had some trouble with my Comp 1 loaders when shooting my 2” k frame this week. They’re not ideal for ICORE.