What if?

[BadShot]

If you were starting from scratch and were going to buy an 8 shot revolver for competition,  what would your choice be?  Would you stay with what you have now or switch to a different gun/caliber?

[alecmc]

929, no question.

 

 

Sincerely,

-627 shooter. 

[Fishbreath]

I might go to the 9mm Super GP100 if I were doing it again—I've had a lot of well-documented trouble getting a .38 Short Colt load working. When I was deciding to get into Revolver, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it so much that I could stand to have a gun not in a classic revolver caliber.

 

Why no 929? I'm a massive gun hipster, and can't stand to shoot what everyone else shoots.

[Mcfoto]

Another 627 shooter who would have gone 929. Ended up going short Colt which is basically rimmed 9.

[Dr. Phil]

929 all day.

Tried a 327 TRR8. Too light for me.

Would probably go 627 if I couldn't get a 929.

Never gave a thought to the Rugers. Have read far too much about the problems they have.

 

[MWP]

2 hours ago, BadShot said:

If you were starting from scratch and were going to buy an 8 shot revolver for competition,  what would your choice be?  Would you stay with what you have now or switch to a different gun/caliber?

There’s only 1 choice if you’re looking for 1 gun to go all the way. 929

[ysrracer]

I've got both a 627 and a 929. I guess I'm the outlier but I'd choose the 627 over the 929.

 

For me, it just works better.

Edited May 15, 2021 by ysrracer

[BadShot]

I had a 627, bought a 929 and set it all up but found that I liked the 627 better.  The gun itself was nice. But it was things like finding bullets that worked, brass that worked, cleaning the 627 was much easier, the BMT moonclip loader for the 627 was easier to use.  Now that I can't use iron sights, the longer barrel is less use to me.

[ysrracer]

My 929 barrel slugged at .357. When I tried using factory ammo, I got poor accuracy, and massive bullet creep.

 

In fact bullets were pulling completely out of the case.

 

I found .035 TK moon clips and Federal brass worked best. Winchester brass was too tight.

[revoman]

929 = 9mm

 

627 = 38 special, 357, 38 long colt, 38 short colt

[ysrracer]

7 minutes ago, revoman said:

929 = 9mm

 

627 = 38 special, 357, 38 long colt, 38 short colt

 

I've heard of people using .38 Short Colt in their 929s, and when I tried it, it worked. But I couldn't resize the brass down to .38 Short Colt.

 

I had to size it with a 9mm die.

[MikeyScuba]

We have a few worked over 929’s.

 

I have seen more than a few 627’s.  What exactly makes the 929 a better competition gun exactly?

[revoman]

1 minute ago, ysrracer said:

 

I've heard of people using .38 Short Colt in their 929s, and when I tried it, it worked. But I couldn't resize the brass down to .38 Short Colt.

 

I had to size it with a 9mm die.

Simple question would be why would you.  In a 627 you can shoot short colt and mimic 9mm loads and not have the problems of the 929. 

[pskys2]

Started with 627 PC added a 627 Pro, added a dot for ICORE open, before the 929.  Really like it, very few problems.

Then tried a buddies 929 set up for USPSA and really liked the longer barrel, handling and recoil.  He's got 2, 1 for USPSA/LTD ICORE & 1 for Open ICORE.  

But reading of the issues with it, I figure it would still be the 627 PC for both with maybe a new barrel with comp? for one? 

To me the 9mm is a false savings, possibly?  By that I mean to be really effective it looks like you need a specific brand of brass mated with the right moon clip and loaded with a certain diameter bullet (and that looks like .358 bullets anyway).  So the savings of 9mm brass which requires using cheaper range brass isn't there for if you need say federal brass with your moon clips and you get all of your brass back, it's no different than 38 short colt.

But I really don't think either is wrong and neither will be ready out of the box.

I kind of like Ruger's Super GP100, but the Smith's have so many choices in after market parts and gadgets.

BUT IF you can find a DEAL on any, that would probably be the deciding factor.

[ysrracer]

47 minutes ago, pskys2 said:

To me the 9mm is a false savings, possibly?  By that I mean to be really effective it looks like you need a specific brand of brass mated with the right moon clip and loaded with a certain diameter bullet (and that looks like .358 bullets anyway).  So the savings of 9mm brass which requires using cheaper range brass isn't there for if you need say federal brass with your moon clips and you get all of your brass back, it's no different than 38 short colt.

 

Good point, I could never get my 929 to run with factory ammo. So at that point I'm either reloading 9mm or reloading .38 Short Colt.

 

I've learned for me, Starline .38 Short Colt brass works well with TK moon clips.

 

And 9mm Federal brass works well with TK moon clips, and Winchester 9mm brass works well with Ranch Products moon clips.

 

Other than that, the only thing the 929 offered to me was a longer barrel and a comp. I had the barrel shortened to five inches, and the comp cut off.

 

 

.

Edited May 15, 2021 by ysrracer

[AzShooter]

I've had both the 627s and 929s.  I really like the 627s I've had and was able to shoot 38 short colt with no problems.  I like the ability to shoot specials and 357s in them but once I developed a good load with 185 grain .358 bullets that I cast, the guns really shined with groups under an inch at 25 yards.

 

The 929 has the advantage of a longer barrel for iron sights.  I'm almost 70 and my eyesight isn't as good as it once was so I now shoot C-More Railways and the longer barrel no longer matters to me. If I were shooting USPSA I'd buy a 929.  Either gun, having new brass helps.  Buy 1000 rounds of Winchester brass for the 929 or Federal for the Starline 38 Short Colts.  Load data for both is available but my custom loads are better in the 38.  

 

If I were to just start revolver I'd go with the 627 .  For me, I like the weight, sight radius and availability  to shoot .357 magnums if I want.   I blew up my first 929.

Edited May 17, 2021 by AzShooter

[Fishbreath]

10 hours ago, Dr. Phil said:

Never gave a thought to the Rugers. Have read far too much about the problems they have.

 

While I'm not disputing that I've had problems with mine (my post history would make that very hard anyway), as a counterpoint, 95% of the other problems I read about in this forum are impossible on Rugers owing to different design.

 

I'm sure that's in part because 95% of people shoot Smiths, but I think it's probably also in part because Rugers are built like tanks.

[Dr. Phil]

I used to love the Ruger Security 6! When they brought out the SP101 I tried one (it was comped along the backstrap and called the Hybred). Nice.

When they brought out the Super Redhawk and used that design for 8 shot guns I never looked back.

You can buy a S&W , put in a Michulek spring kit for 16 bucks, bend the mainspring to get the pull you want and shoot it!

i have S&W guns with well over 100K rounds and they still hold up. I find that every 25K or so the triggers need a little love.

Rugers have just as many problems.

But the S&W haters have no other choice but to go to Rugers and hope they can win.

I shot a match a couple times with a former S&W pro. (Actually 2 of them) One pro said he had 11 929s! I asked if they were for sale. He said he will never part with them! They are like gold!

Ruger 8 shots have a short history.

But they also have a pretty good track record of problems.

The wheel has been re-invented. And it is square!

[pskys2]

11 hours ago, ysrracer said:

 

Good point, I could never get my 929 to run with factory ammo. So at that point I'm either reloading 9mm or reloading .38 Short Colt.

 

I've learned for me, Starline .38 Short Colt brass works well with TK moon clips.

 

And 9mm Federal brass works well with TK moon clips, and Winchester 9mm brass works well with Ranch Products moon clips.

 

Other than that, the only thing the 929 offered to me was a longer barrel and a comp. I had the barrel shortened to five inches, and the comp cut off.

 

 

.

The 38 (SC, Spec, Mag all have the same rim/groove dimensions) Starline Case thing is a given, thankfully Starline keeps their spec's in line.  I liked the longer barrel on my buddies 929 though, the Comp, while the factory is worthless looks like it could be adapted for a better version and would be a plus.

 

Wonder if anyone has swapped out a 929 barrel that could be adopted out?

[MikeyScuba]

Are you referring to starlines rim dimensions?  Otherwise this chart proves otherwise.

 

I have accumulated ~25k of free blazer 9mm  brass.  The original batch of 7000 I loaded 11 times and sold.  There isn’t math anywhere that would equate 38 short colt to 9mm.  

 

 

[ysrracer]

2 hours ago, pskys2 said:

The 38 (SC, Spec, Mag all have the same rim/groove dimensions) 

 

Not in my experience. 

[pskys2]

4 hours ago, ysrracer said:

 

Not in my experience. 

All of those calibers from Starline fit the same in my HearthCo Moon Clips.  Other brands won't.  And I've not seen any variation in the Starline's.

[pskys2]

5 hours ago, MikeyScuba said:

Are you referring to starlines rim dimensions?  Otherwise this chart proves otherwise.

 

I have accumulated ~25k of free blazer 9mm  brass.  The original batch of 7000 I loaded 11 times and sold.  There isn’t math anywhere that would equate 38 short colt to 9mm.  

 

 

Yes I've seen no difference between Starline 38/357 brass, they all 3 work in my "tight" moon clips, and NO other brand will fit 8 into a moon clip (sometimes can get up to 4 of other brands but never more than 6).

[SSGGlock]

+ for the 929.

[IPSCLUVERRR]

If I were to start over I’d pick up a few old 627’s in .38 super. Shoot 9mm out of them and have a true performance center gun instead of this crap pc 929. If you’ve felt/owned one of the .38 super 627 you know what I’m talking about