rodney brown

HI I am in Ireland, but have been able to read everyone's comments, so far. I did break the pivot pin on the trigger a while ago, because I had the side plate off. I accept that as my stupidity. The hammer pivot pin, I can no figure out. The side plate was on and I was just checking moon clips. Guess I will chalk it up to manure happens and be happy it did not happen during a match. I will send the gun to a S&W smith as soon as we get home. Thanks to all. Rod

Hello all Just got back from shooting a match. I had some moon clips with 3 or so live rounds in them. I took out the spent brass and loaded the moonclips with new ammo. I then put the moon clips in my gun to try them. I always do this before a match and was just trying to be prepared for the next match. I pull my hammer back slightly and spin the cylinder, to make sure the moon clips are not bent or I have a high primer. After doing this a couple of times, with different moon clips, the cylinder would not spin. Long story, the pivot pin on the hammer broke. Anyone have this happen to them? Is there anything I might have done to make this happen? I called my long time revolver shooting friend. He said he never has heard of this happening before. WHY do I have to be first!!!! I am away tomorrow for 8 days travelling overseas. Look forward to your comments when I return. Rod Brown

To all who replied, many thanks. I think I will try Clays with some Rainier 230gr jacketed, that I bought a couple of weeks ago at Cabella's. Thanks to all Rod Brown

Opinions Please I have been shooting USPSA and IPSC using Bullseye and 230 gr Jacketed bullets in my S&W 625 45ACP. I have been looking for something cleaner and am thinking of switching to Hodgdon Clays or Titegroup. From what I have read, the recoil is more of a push rather than a snap, with Clays or Titegroup. Recoil is not a problem with me, but I have read it seems less with the two aforementioned powders. Then today, along comes my friend, who shoots the same gun as me and he has just changed to Hodgdon Longshot. He says it is great, clean and easy to shoot. But it is much slower burning than Clays, Bullseye or Titegroup. I would appreciate any opinions and load data from any of the forum members. We need to make 170 PF here in Canada, to shoot Major, so if your loads are at the top end of the suggested range and don't make that PF, I may be out of luck with your load. I have searched the reloading forums. If you know of any threads discussing this, please point me the right direction. Thanks Rod Brown

I have only been shooting 1 1/2 years and have only used small pistol primers. I live in Canada and small pistol primers were easier to obtain when I started shooting. I have shot 6-8 thousand rounds in the past year and a half. I shoot a 625 S&W and have had absolutely no problems. I have a friend who has done the same for many, many years. You don't need as much main spring tension, if you are using Federal small pistol primers. I believe that it is much harder to obtain small pp brass than large pp brass, though.

To all of you that replied, many thanks. Because I live in Canada, I will send the gun to a S&W authorized dealer here in Canada. Getting the gun across the border for repairs might be a lenghty process, although I can take it across to shoot a matches. I did not realize that cycling the trigger, with the side plate off, might put "stress" on the supported side only. Live and learn, this is a GREAT forum. Thanks for the information

Aerosigns There is no doubt I am sending it back. Cleaning and lubbing are all I do. Just wanted to know if this is a common problem or is this something that happens very very seldom. As well, is there anything that may cause this to happen.

I am not a very frequent poster on this forum, mostly just a reader. I am only one year into IPSC/USPSA shooting, so trying to learn all I can. I have a 625-3. I bought the gun used, don't know the round count before I bought it. I have put about 6000 rounds through it in the year I have had it. Yesterday, getting ready for a match today, I was cleaning, checking out everything, etc. I took off the side plate, sprayed a very little bit of lube on the "working parts". With the cylinder out, I pulled back the cylinder release and was going to dry fire the gun a couple of times, to work the lubricant around. The trigger locked up. Long story short, the trigger pivot pin sheared right at the frame. The gun worked fine two days earlier at the range. Is this just one of those," manure happens," situations or is there something I should be on the look out for. Only thing done to the gun is JM main spring and rebound spring. Thanks for any info Rod Brown

XD Niner Thank you for the report on the Chrony. I too am looking for a chronograph and have just started reading all I can. You are right, the Chrony is alot cheaper than the CED that I was looking at from Dillon. Rod

I shoot with my dominant/right eye open. I have tried and tried, to use both eyes. It works for a shot or two and then my sight picture goes to heck. I think it is because my left/non dominant eye takes over. Maybe my eyes change back and forth to which one is being dominant!!!. Jokingly, I shoot with both eyes closed, when I know I have had a BAD shot. I close both my eyes and say "heck" or something similar. I just took a two day course at Universal Shooting Academy. We talked about one/two eye shooting. Although the consenus was the majority of people shoot with both eyes open, there are good shooters that shoot with one eye open only. I am a one eye only person, just not a good shooter. BTW the Universal course was excellent, I would higly recommend it, even for us revolver folks.

You must be talking about Alf M and Paul L. RePete Exactly, in fact I was on the phone to Alf for 20 minutes today, talking about IPSC matches in April. Paul has always told me he can miss faster than me, which is 100% correct. He can also hit A's ALOT faster than me. Hope to see you in the spring at a match. If either of those two are there, I won't be far behind. Rod

imashooter2 I too started shooting IPSC last year. I am a Canadian and regularly shoot with the Canadian IPSC Revolver Champion and another guy who taught the Champ how to shoot. You don't need to be a genius to know where I always end up. But I had more fun, this past year, than most 57 year old guys. I am getting better, I couldn't get worse. Don't know if I will get to an acceptable level before senility sets in!!!! Enjoy yourself. It is a great sport. For the most part the shooters are first class. And that one day when you get it all together and beat one of those good shooters, on one stage, it is a GREAT feeling. I am now in Florida for the winter and have signed up for Frank Garcia's two day course at Frostproof. I am determined to get better, even if I go broke trying. Have fun. Rod

Mike and Rob Thanks to both of you for your information. I will tinker with some 250 gr RN bullets and Clays. But considering all the info this forum has provided me, I will likely stick with 230 grs and Clays. They seem to work for most people and all of you have alot more experience than me. Rod

Truer words have never been spoken. Strange that truth came from a lawyer's mouth! Seriously, I used to use Montana's JHPs for USPSA and they had a tendency to hang up if you weren't absolutely perfect on the reload. Since I switched to FMJ heads reloads are lots easier. I don't think anybody at Nationals this year used anything other than an FMJ style head (except maybe some of the 610 crowd). The ability to easily find FMJ style heads is one of the reasons the 625 dominates USPSA Revolver Division. Add in the ability to easily make PF, cheap and durable moon clips, easier reloads because you have to fit a big round bullet into a big hole, and lots and lots of good, affordable used guns and you've got a winner. My personal load is Montana's 230 gr. CMJ seated to 1.270" over 4.3 gr. of Clays. Clean, accurate, and makes 173 PF according to the chrono at Nationals (Two years running! made 173 at the Summer Blast as well). Dillon and Rob V Thank you both for your information and personal load info. One question for Rob. I have copied Hodgson load info from their manual below. It states that 4.0 grains of Clays is max for a 230 grain FMJ. I am not trying to raise manure, I get a ton more info from this forum than I put in, just want your thoughts. 230 GR. HDY FMJ FP COL: 1.200" Longshot 6.8 908 17,200 CUP HS-6 8.2 825 15,400 CUP UNIVERSAL 5.6 844 16,800 CUP HP-38 5.3 832 16,800 CUP TITEGROUP 4.8 818 16,700 CUP CLAYS 4.0 732 17,000 CUP I was going to start out with 3.7 and work up to 4.0, checking my PF as I went. Not that I doubt you. Have you had any pressure problems with 4.3 grains? Rod Brown

Mike Thanks for the info. If you don't mind sharing, what loads do you shoot at matches? Don't know if that is a too personal question. If it is, please disregard. Rod

Jaxshooter Thank you for the load and PF info. Rod

Viggen We live in Kingston, Ontario. It is about 2 hours north of Syracuse, N.Y. About powder, I have bought a pound of Clays and will try and work up some loads with that. Right now I am reloading and trying to get ready to go to Florida. I have a permit to transport my 625 to Florida and plan to shoot there this winter. So that is occupying my time. Thanks for your .02 Rod

I would appreciate anyones 2 cents worth about my question. My friend and I both shoot 625's. We are Canadians, so we need to have a PF of 170 to make Major. We have been shooting 4.4 grains of Unique over 230 grains of lead. PF 178 or so. But now we are going to start shooting 230 grains jacketed/coated Berry's or Rainiers. Less smoke, especially on indoor ranges. Of course we will have to work up a load. But the question came up, why not try 250 grain jacketed bullets. From what I have read, you would have less "felt" recoil. This, in theory, may allow a faster front sight reaquistion on a second shot. Am I missing something? Perhaps on very long shots you might have to be concerned with bullet drop, but anything else. From what I have read, most of the forumites use 230 grain bullets. They also work for us, but in my opinion, any little thing that might help is worth trying. And I need all the help I can get!!!! Rod Brown

I have seven on my belt but it is always good to have more. You might look at the Speedy Rack, It's what Jerry used at the Nationals except his has ten posts and the production one has seven. I think they are $110 shipped. With the Speedy Rack you have to use Herthco Moons. I have been using mine for about three matches now and it works great! John John Do you know of website that sells Herthco moonclips? I usually buy mine from Brownells, but would like to try some Herthcos. Thanks

Waltermitty I have had large primer brass and the small primers won't stay in the primer pocket when you are reloading. On my 550 press, when I seat a small primer in a small primered brass, there is tension/friction when I seat the primer. When I have inadvertently used a large primered brass, the small primer won't even stay in the primer pocket. It just remains in the reloading primer cup. I buy my brass from a commercial reloader in the area. It has been resized and rolled. I have found 2 large primer brass in the last 2000 brass I bought from him. That is why I have experienced trying to seat a small primer in a large primer pocket. As "pskys2" said maybe we were right on the edge of ignition with our spring pressure and the cold damp day effected the guns operation. When we did the trigger job on my gun we backed off the spring pressure until we did get misfires and then adjusted it heavier. I can not for the life of me remember how much we adjusted it, but I think 1/2 a turn. We then used the set screw to hold the starin screw. Perhaps I should buy a trigger weight guage, to help take out some of the guess work. Thanks again for your help. Rod

Hi all Thanks all for your opinions, suggestions, thoughts. First of all, we both have frame drilled set screws that lock our strain screws. We had not been adjusting or have we adjusted them for a long time. Well until the middle of the match!!!!. But we will look at our presses and see if we can find anything amiss. All my primers appeared and felt okay. Seated uniformly, just slightly below the rim of the case. We both use 45 ACP cases, Winchester or ICC. We use small pistol primers, because living up here in Canada, we don't have the same access to all the reloading components as you folks south of the border. But we can get Federal small pistol primers readily and so all our brass has small pockets. It has never been a problem before. But hey, figuring these things out is half the fun. Again many thanks for your help. Rod

My friend and I both shoot 625-5's. We use the same load, 4.4 grains Bullseye, 230 grains jacketed, Federal small pistol primers. Brass is Winchester or ICC. Went to our club Thursday to practise and put a 100-150 rounds downrange in preparation of yesterdays match. Drove the 3 hours to the match yesterday. The match was indoors. There were two ranges, three stages in each range. I have not talked to my friend today, to get his exact count, but he thought he had at least 8 misfires. I had 10 misfires in the first range (3 stages). We did not have time to adjust our spring tensions between stages. But we did adjust the main spring tension, in both guns, after the first range stages and no misfires. Can anyone give me a possible explanation of why this happened?. We reload on our own presses in our own houses. We used the same ammo to practise on Thursday as we shot yesterday. Why did we have enough spring pressure on Thursday and not enough yesterday, to set the primers off? Makes me want to pull out my hair, but I am getting pretty thin already!!!! The Match Director placed our results in with Production as we were the only two revolvers. Didn't win any stages, but always had some bottom feeders below us in the standings. Great time, even with the misfires.!!!!!

Mike and pskys2 Thank you for the links. As the Blues Brothers said, "we (I am) are on a mission". I will let you know what I find out. I micrometered (sp) my trigger and my friends. His is .500 and the one I want is .400. I have a Models 27, 627, 586, 625. I shoot my 625 97% of the time, but recently have realized I do like a wider trigger. Got a match this weekend, we will see how I do. The trigger will be fine, no doubt.!!! The shooter is questionable, as usual. Rod

Mike and Hopalong Thanks for the info.... Can I order different width triggers from S&W? Mike I have had my action done and it is smooth, lighter, but safe. Rod

Got a 625-3, which I really like. A good friend has an older 625, at -2 I think. He has a very wide trigger. It is definitely wider than anything I have on any of my S&W. He can not recall where he bought it. He has been shooting for 40+ years. Anyone able to point in me in the direction for finding wider triggers? For what it is worth, I find when I pull the trigger on his gun, the weight (pull) seems to be distributed over a wider area of my finger and the pull seems less. On a narrower trigger, it seems like there is more pressure. I am sure all of this in just in my empty head, but whatever works, I will take it.