Going back over the thread, also agree with comments from @szihn who has experience across a wide range of firearms. He’s the only one I’m aware of on the forum who converts bar steel to a round barrel.
I can almost get groups like that at 5 yards. 
It’s like kayaking string, it takes practice and equipment. Accuracy is relative. I practice draw and shoot with a magazine fed co2 pistols that isn’t capable of aimed groups better than 1 inch (usually a 1 1/2 inches flyer every 10 shots) at 7 yards. However, that’s adequate for unaimed shots using a dangling 2 liter plastic bottle at 3 to 7 yards, or aimed shots at 10 yards. Beyond that, resort to dice, because its a craps shoot.
After a lot of research, I settled on two models based on features, complaints and function. The Sig-Sauer .177 is a near exact copy of a M17, with removable mag, blowback slide and it gets about 45 shots per cylinder. I believe in the 1911, so I also have the Springfield 1911, because it has similar features, including functional grip safety, thumb safety to practice cocked and locked, lock open slide after last. Both fit a standard holster, functional slide stop and mag release, comparable weight.
For target practice, I use a Diana RWS LP8 break barrel spring action .177 magnum air pistol with a compas in the grip. I bought it when they were amost half price of today’s cost. It gives 3/4 inch groups at about 10 yards, not reliable paat that.
Why not the real thing? Cost of 2 cents a shot, sounds like a suppressed sub-sonic .22 when fired, safe with a good backstop in the back yard or basement. Allows draw and shoot with eyes closed. Less than lethal when compared to a powder filled cartridge.
I’m surprised that you even contacted the company since you stated that it performed as advertised with CCI . The bulk lead head 22 have always been known for not only inaccuracy, but also for being dirty to shoot. {and duds} With the requirements of consistent loading’s to run the action and eject the spent casing {in all semi’s} Good ammo is a must especially in rimfires. And dirty ammo is especially bad in a semi.
{Pikabike, center fires are different and can tolerate much more variance since it doesn’t have to cycle using the force from the ammo}
Sounds like you already knew this. Just surprised that you contacted Taurus , sounded like you had already traced it to the ammo and not the gun.
@pikeabike. S&W revolvers were typically around 12 lbs in DA, around that timeframe inspection wasn’t as good as the old days. If you were original owners and it hadnt been fired much, they’re good at warrant service. I arrange for my son to buy a beautiful old, virtually unfired Model 14 with the same problem. The cylinder would only spin one revolution when in the open position. Careful polishing of contact surfaces fixed the problem. Unfortunately, I’ve seen some gunsmiths overlook such issues as the cylinder rubbing the forcing cone, inadequate endshake in the yoke, etc. Too many gunsmiths take the shortcut of clipping the rebound slide spring, bending the mainspring, or filing the sear. That can cause inadequate hammer reset when shooting fast or light hits and misfires. Hope he did a good job for you.
Well, the DA no longer needs as high an effort anymore. It was not even easy in SA at first. I did buy the gun new but just put it away until I could commit to training with it. I had done a little shooting before but that was with a .22. Boy, it took me long enough to start using this one!
The cylinder rotation was smooth enough to not bind. EDIT: Just now I got curious about how many rotations if given a spin with the action open: definitely more than one.
First trip to the smith, I had not yet done any live fire with the gun but knew it was going to need something to make it tolerable to me. He replaced the trigger return spring with one a bit lighter. He left the mainspring alone. That made enough of a difference that I proceeded on to target practice and a class. And continued target practice, plus then I added dry fire practice. (BTW, someone told me the smith would do just as you said NOT to do: cut a coil or two from the spring, and shim it back if that went too far! I’m glad the guy I took it to simply changed the TR spring.)
Second trip to the smith, I had fired a few hundred rounds but wanted a smoother feel in DA. The smith said he would smooth the works to remove irregularities that caused drag/roughness. This time, the difference in feel was huge. I loved it.
But…on my first range session after that, my previously-reliable ammo had a lot of FTF. Of 22 rounds attempted, only 16 actually fired, and some of those took a second firing. The hammer strike was too light. So then it was time for a
Third trip to the smith! He said that when he had done the smoothing job, he had also tried to further lighten the DA pull. He had reduced the tension on the mainspring (turned the screw), and that’s why the pin had not struck the primer hard enough. This was a quick fix that he did right in front of me as I waited. Then he test-fired the gun, using the same rounds that had FTF just a couple hrs earlier. All but one of them fired. The one that did not had something wrong with the primer itself; he took the cartridge apart, removed the bullet and the powder, and then tested the primer. Could not tell what was wrong with it but that was the only one so far, out of 350 rounds of the same brand/line.
Next day, I went to the range and all rounds fired normally. The DA feel was still better than it had been before the smoothing but of course not as light as with the reduced tension on the mainspring. I’ll take the tradeoff to get the reliability back, though! It is manageable.
I think it’s going to require much more practice to slowly build strength in hands, wrists, forearms. Not to mention control of very small joints and overall skill. At my age, that is asking for tendonitis.
Being a paddler, I also have been practicing so that either left or right hand can be the shooting hand, even though it is a two-handed hold. At first there was a big difference in strength between left and right trigger fingers. That has narrowed down a lot. It’s nice that during practice I can give each hand a semi-rest by switching sides.
It’s a heavy, long gun (6” barrel). I know a different gun could make things physically easier, but I just really like revolvers.
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Yes, revolvers! I recently bought one of these:
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/model-351pd?sku=160228&preselect=1
Very light and fits nicely in a jersey pocket. Not great for shooting long distances but how much can you ask of a 1.87" barrel?
Ya get 7 shots!
(Sounds and kicks more like a .38 sp than a .22)
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I read an article by a guy at Wilson Combat that said you need 15 rounds and a fast reload.
Maybe he was in Ukraine.
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Yes.
Wilson COMBAT.
Model 60 | Smith & Wesson This is their Pro model.
This is what my oldest daughter chose. {I like revolvers too and have a few different ones}
The 686 is nice but seems like a rather large gun for your size Pikabike.
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Yes, 686 for the home.
Model 60 for the car.
351 PD for the bike and the trail.
That’s quite a bit of cash! Gotta spread those purchases out.
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Nice combination…well thought out. I bought a 351 PD several years ago. Fun and wow so light. Surprisingly accurate.
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My favorite 9 and the only one I have is a Shield EZ. The first 3 moved on. I’d like a 9 revolver but am trying not to go down the kayak road with pistols.
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S&W J-frames are nice especially for small hands and light round like the 22 magnums. With .38 Special it can be a handful. In .357, it must be like holding firecrackers wearing a kevlar glove - exciting. I thought shooting 110 grn .38 Special +P+ was lively.
It’s big enough that the class instructors called it a hand cannon at our first meeting, which was classroom-only. But at the range session I shot it as well (or better) as anyone else there did with their gun, based on unsolicited comments from both of the instructors and another student. Now instead of jokes about hand cannons or hoglegs, they encourage me to do more.
There is still plenty of room for me to improve, and that’s why I expect it will take a fairly long time to get skilled in target shooting. The gunsmith said that revolvers can be tuned further to exacting (blueprint) specs and very light pulls if I later veer in that direction. Too early for me to say. The last thing I’m going to do is to blame the gun.
Obviously, it’s not a great choice for concealed carry except in winter. CO is an open carry state and this part of it is accustomed to seeing that, so I have choices, depending on what I want to wear. Not that I intend to tote it around everywhere or even most places! I don’t want to draw attention like a certain political rep from CO CD3, whose schtick is a gun jutting off her thigh as she struts in high heels and tight jeans.
The long barrel will help if I need to shoot one of the growing feral dog packs. So would a rifle…if I want to carry an even bigger, heavier gun which I do not.
Ha! Holding off on shooting the box of 357 magnum until I have more practice. The 38 special recoil in the ammo I’ve tried (90, 125, 130, and 158 grain, all in standard compression) has been mild in this gun. I shot one round of the 357 magnum long ago in a Colt Python (also 6” barrel). Yep, the 38 specials had felt—and hit—fine, but that magnum caused the muzzle to flip up enough the round went above the paper. Next time, I’ll be better prepared.
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This would mean that you would have to deal with moon clips {9 mm in a revolver} and I would assume also with bullet setback {no cannelure for a crimp since they space front and not one the rim}
Stay away from the air weight 38’s They may be carry friendly , but are not shooting friendly.
I would hate to have to find a good enough pistol smith these days…but would tend to question any smith that loosened the strain screw without testing the after effects before returning the gun. This is a known problem with a cheap fix for triggers on revolvers .
szhin may be an answer if he has been doing revolvers. {or could steer you to one} Revolvers take a different experience than semi’s and few smiths today have the expertise . {at least your smith didn’t start shortening your strain screw and could just tighten it back }
Yes, but the ammo is cheaper.
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