Bill Sahlberg

This is commonly called "short stroking" where you pulled the trigger 90% of the pull, activating the cylinder and almost the firing pin but not the 100% necessary to engage the firing pin to the primer. Take your gun and slap the hammer on single action, you will find that even though the hammer falls the "safety bar" will block the firing pin. Take FULL stokes with the trigger following 100% through and you will never "short stroke. BTW, this is very common for fast bottomfeeder shooters as they do own guns that are not as reliable as revolvers and try to make it sound like it is the gun and not them :-)

Since 1995 I have shot revo in minor. I shoot mostly IPSC / USPSA but also Steel Challenge, ICORE, 3 Gun and PPC. All my different classifiers have been shot with revo in minor inclding Open (with an 8 shot & scope) and most recently Production with my 627 8 shot. My last Limited Nats in 1999 was shot with an 8 shot revo in minor. I had ROs wanting to bump me into open class :-) Dumb idea? I don't think so because I enjoy shooting a revo. Am I making it tough on guns with 20+ rnds shooting major? Hardly. Am I making it harder on other revo shooters? No. I play with my revos because they are fun and I shoot IPSC as the game it is intended to be. Do I have any trophies? Look to see who won the 1998 Open Nationals and the 1999 Limited Nationals with Top Revolver. I am an obsure name since Jerry M was not shooting these two matches but nobody is ever going to take those two National Championships away from me. Shoot for fun and smile alot. It makes people wonder what you are up to :-)

For my 625, I had to file both sides of mine down and it did not have the hole as this was made to have a tight fit (by a gunsmith) I drifted my .0055 pin and matched this to a drill bit. Much better than the old patridged front sight. BTW, I bought the tallest one with red fiber. rear sight was changed to a Millet with me filing out the rear knotch to .250. Now the gun is much faster to acquire targets and with sunlight the red dot really stands out. If you are not a gunsmither by nature spend the extra $20 and have it installed by a pro. SDM makes the best front sight I have ever seen.

Tim, You must use the full or half moon clips. Your rounds are moving forward away from the firing pin. How do these even eject without a clip?????????

MIM = metal injection molding. This is like what particle board is to the lumber industry, you just press all the crap together and tell people it is just as good as solid wood :-) I dunno about your S&W question but you should be able to find it at www.smithwesson.com

Check to see if your primers are properly seated by spinning the cylinder at the half cock position. Also primers too with too hot of load or oversized primer pocket may be backing out. Lastly, and if you are shooting lead file your forcing cone to keep the front of the cylinder is not dragging on lead build up. If all else fails take it to a good gunsmith :-)

Try Hodgdon Universal Clays, Titegroup, or HS-6, Bullseye will blow your gun apart at major. Remember Bullseye is also temperature sensitive and very inconsitent in FPS from the same medium range loads.

Hamp, Who won the donated DPMS rifle? Thanks, Bill Sahlberg thesahlberg7@webtv.net

There are three essential things that made the biggest difference in shooting revolver. 1.Practice 2.Practice 3.Practice

Alas, all the problems you mentioned we have all had, always throw out a bent full moon clip, these are only .25 cents. First of all used jacketed bullets as lead loads slower and builds up in both the cylinder and scrpes against the ejectors sharp edges. Secondly use a powder that burns 100% of itself and NEVER leaves any residual flakes under your ejector star. I use 230 gr Maontan Gold bullets , ONLY Federal Primers, and 4.5 gr of Bullseye IPSC major) In one post it mentioned not crimping your bullets tight enough allowing them to move forward....... I always crimp tight. I have tried Titegroup and Universal Clays in my 625s but neither burn 100%. (however in my .38 Colt Short the Univ Clays is best!) Jerry Miculek only shoots Bullseye and it must be for a reason, why try to reinvent the wheel?

You are not the first one to have this happen. I had a double charge while shooting a Taurus 608 (8 shot.357) at the 1996 Canadian Provincials. I was using .38 Special brass and 10.5 grains of Winchester 540 under a Montana Gold 147 gr RN. When it lit off I just kept shooting and when I tried to reload I had to "hammer" the extractor against the next prop window. Much to my surprise I checked it out after finishing the stage and all was well. The case had blown ou the side and relieved the pressure and I still shoot the gun with no long term effects on accuracy or performance. Taurus makes a tough gun and in 1998 I went on to win USPSA Open Nationals with this same gun (no, Jerry Miculek was not shooting a wheelgun) I now shoot my 627s and load .38 Colt Shorts only to minor @ 135 PF. I would shoot the gun with good ammo and see if your accuracy or performance has changed before sending it back. This may save you alot of money as I am sure S&W will replace the cylinder and yoke assy and possibly even the bbl.

The 3rd Annual DPMS Tri-Gun is now history. Again we had a great turnout for 9 challenging stages with great weather (mid 70s) and a slight breeze. I am traveling back to Spokane late tonight and results should be posted soon at www.trigunchallenge.com A request was made by a fellow shooter, Wayne Hollaway, to help out a buddy in Odessa, TX. named Doug Fox. His new baby is extremely sick and has had emergency surgery with more surgeries needed in the near future. Doug works for TSA and his wife also works but now must stop for 3-4 months due to these medical complications with their newborn child. Doug could not make this years Tri-Gun and may soon be selling his guns and stop shooting to raise money for these medical procedures. With Randy Luth's permission and blessing, a hat was passed around the Tri-Gun competitors and sponsors just before the prize distribution. $2339 was given in a period of 5 minutes during the match results! To top this Pete Brownell wrote a note to Randy stating that his company will match these funds. Please remember the Fox family in your prayers at this difficult time and get a hold of Wayne Holloway to help them financially. Bill Sahlberg 2005 Tri-Gun RM/MD

I pioneered and have have shot .38 Colt Shorts in my 627s and other guns for 10+ years. I use a 130 gr Montana Gold RN with 4.5 gr Universal Clays, a Fed 100 primer at 1.100" OAL and a tight crimp. This is 1130 fps from a 5" bbl, low recoil, accurate and very fast to reload. Starline Brass always works and I never have had any case fatigue. I load full rounds them with a pair of pliers by the hundreds :-) Many guns and many 1,000s of rounds with no troubles. I shoot IPSC, ICORE, and Steel Challenge with this same load. Other powders may work but I can shoot 15 stages without having to clean my cylinder.

If you want faster reloading times you need a shorter overall round :-) I use a .38 Colt Short case (Starline Brass) with a 130 gr Montana Gold bullet with 4.5 gr of Universal Clays a Federal 100 primer and 1.100" OAL This is 1125 fps and easily makes IPSC minor, is super clean burning, and very accurate. Now for PPC accuracy and loading I reverse the 130 gr (yes, it is put in backwards with round nose facing the powder) and put 3.2 gr of Bullseye with a crimp at the top of a .38 Special case (not the shorty) This is just as accurate as my old 148 gr HBWC that we shoot at the Police Academy but they are very clean and leave no lead on the face of the cylinder or bore. I may be crazy, my wife says so, or I think she says something like that, but I have used these recipes for 10 years and have the results to prove they work :-) Bill Sahlberg IPSC / ICORE / IDPA / PPC "revos rule"

Wow! I have always wanted to add the IRC to my yearly matches but I run a match the same weekend in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for an old Canadian buddy of mine that helped my sons and I learn to shoot the Steel Challenge. Eddy Brown died at age 37 of a massive heart attack and we put on the funnest and fastest weekend in the Northwest at the Eddy Brown Memorial Metal Match. Go to www.sppl.us for details.

Chamber flags would be a nice idea to add that extra level of safety to all. mandating them may be tough, however if I was a Match Director and gave them out in the shooters packet, a DQable safety offense it is NOT but I would surely want them used if they were provided. A company called EZ Caps (no website that I know of) makes a soft vinyl / plastic unbreakable BRIGHT NEON YELLOW 3' long X 1/2" wide bolt thread protector that is pliable and would not leave anything undesirable in your chamber or bolt face. These only cost .25 each. You may see some soon

When and where is this match? I missed Area 1 due to a torn cartlidge and may be healed by this match with my 625 Bill Sahlberg thesahlberg7@webtv.net

I still use TiteGroup in my 148 gr HBWC 650 fps PPC loads but found that Universal Clays burns more complete than TiteGroup in both my 627 and 625. I use Bullseye in my 625 for steel loads, it is dirtier on my stainless fonish but is still very accurate. I also only use the best in bullets though....Montana Gold 130 gr RN, 185 gr JHP, and 230 gr RN (185 gr JHP @ 50 yds in my 625 are < 2" off a bench :-) www.montanagoldbullet.com They also support our sport better than any other bullet manufacturer!

I have a new 627 with a 6" comped SS Shilen barrel, C-More scope, champered cylinder, super trigger job, and bobbed hammer, comes with modified Safariland 002 holster and 5 moon clip holders. (less than 1500 rnds all minor loads) .38 Colt Shorts shoot 1" groups, at 25 yds, this is a fast reload at 1.100" oal but fastest reloads only comes with practice. Must sell to finance my new 3 Gun addiction. Bill thesahlberg7@webtv.net cell 509.979.9575

The 2005 DPMS Tri-Gun Challenge is August 12-14, Match hotel is Best Western Kelly Inn St Cloud, MN. Match info and details are at www.trigunchallenge.com Match is almost full, do not wait to long to decide! Bill Sahlberg Match Director / Range Master

Tri-Gun match hotel in St. Cloud is Best Western Kelly Inn, match info and details are at www.trigunchallenge.com

I just tried the website in PDF and could download a registration form. If you are still having trouble call DPMS Monday and have them fax out or snail mail you a copy. Yes, we had to go to a 3 day format to let in more shooters, add a Team Event, side matches to be held on the shotgun range, and add more vendor display area. DPMS sent out invitations along with DVDs of last years match to last years competitors first. They have just a very short time to commit before we contact the waiting list. Sorry, good matches fill up fast, I missed the 2005 Superstition Mountain this year by not mailing off my check on December 1 and 298 people signed up in less than 10 days! Lesson learned the hard way, "do not put off to tomorrow what you can do today"

I just tried the website in PDF and could download a registration form. If you are still having trouble call DPMS Monday and have them fax out or snail mail you a copy. Yes, we had to go to a 3 day format to let in more shooters, add a Team Event, and some side mathes to be held on the shotgun range. We sent out invitations to last years competitors first but they have just a very short time to commit before we contact the waiting list. Sorry, good matches fill up fast, I missed the Superstition Mountain this year by not mailing off my check on December 1 and 298 people signed up in less than 10 days! Lesson learned the hard way, "do not put off to tomorrow what you can do today"

This peanut gallery says you have the right gun. The .38 Super has more expensive brass and a whole lot less load data. Try .38 Colt Shorts with a 130 gr RN at 1.100" OAL using 4.6 gr of Universal Clays and a Fed 100 primer. 1135 fps = 147 pf but is accurate with low recoil. This is the shortest round and fastest to load in the gun. I have several .38 autos but never felt the urge to get a circle cycler in .38 Super.

Without shipping through FFLs and avoiding the 2nd day air, cost (these are BATF rules mandatory for FFls) you can ship gun(s) to yourself, yes that is correct to your own name c/o business name or person. Ammo must ship separately and be clearly marked ORD