Magnum Research Inc. Desert Eagle Mark XIX .50 Action Express

Magnum Research Inc. Desert Eagle Mark XIX .50 Action Express
The Desert Eagle’s been a firearms icon for more than 25 years and has more acting credits than most Hollywood celebrities, yet despite its price tag, people continues to purchase them. I don’t feel this is because the Desert Eagle gives you the versatility to fire three calibers from the same frame. It’s because you can own a piece of movie history and being able to fire the most powerful semi-automatic cartridge in the world doesn’t hurt either. But it does offer you the versatility to fire the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .50 Action Express with a change of a few parts. If you purchase the .357 Magnum, upgrading to .44 or .50AE just requires a bolt and caliber specific barrels and magazines. However you feel about the Desert Eagle, it’s here to stay and will remain a legend, Icon and highly desirable.

Mossberg 510 Mini Turkey THUGS

Mossberg 510 Mini Turkey THUGS
Kids shouldn’t be focusing on how heavy and long the shotgun their hunting with is, they should be building memories of a lifetime. Mossberg has put that issue to rest with their 510 Mini Turkey THUGS and 510 All-Purpose pump shotguns. Designed from the ground up as a youth model shotgun, it grows with your son or daughter and allows them to focus on the hunt. Available in 20 gauge and the light recoiling .410 gauge, they will beg you to go shooting. Click on the picture to go strait to the Mossberg 510 page.

The 2014 SHOT Show will unveil new products.


The start of the 2014 SHOT Show and Conference on January 14th will signal the unveiling of the newest outdoor products for the coming year. Everything from firearms to hunting gear will be highlighted and released to the public in this grand event. For me this means new firearms and products to test and review. I look forward to sharing a small sampling of these items with you on my Blog and through the magazines and websites I write for. SHOT reports that this is the largest trade show of its kind in the world and the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas, the SHOT Show features more than 1,600 exhibitors filling booth space covering 630,000 net square feet. The show, which is a trade-only event, attracts more than 62,000 industry professionals from all 50 states and 100 countries. The Monday before the show starts I will attend “Media Day at the Range.” The firearms industry event allows me and over 1000 members of the shooting press to examine and shoot the latest and greatest products the firearms industry has to offer. Until then look for posts on gear and gadgets I am using in my work and thanks for stopping by and reading my Blog.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Ruger SR22 Is Making Plinking Fun Again


The Ruger SR22 provides a whole days fun for the entire family without breaking the bank.
1949 was a landmark event in firearms history, when Alexander Sturm and William B. Ruger set up their first factory in a wooden structure in Southport, Connecticut. Within ten years Sturm Rugers product line included a target model of their Red Eagle semi-automatic pistol as well as single action revolvers, double action revolvers, shotguns and rifles. Today Sturm Ruger & Co., Inc. produces firearms from their Newport, New Hampshire and Prescott, Arizona facilities and is America’s largest gun maker with over 20 million sold. I think it’s safe to say they are here to stay and looking forward to a very bright future in firearms design and manufacturing.

The SR22 and Crimson Trace CMR-201 Rail Master makes a perfect combination for training young and new shooters the fundamentals of marksmanship.
There are over 250 entries in the Blue Book of Gun Values showing the values of various models of Ruger pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns and the list grows from volume to volume. This is a testament to their vision in producing firearms the public wants and collectors desire and Ruger has knocked another one out of the park with their introduction of the SR22PB in .22 Long Rifle. Along with their already famous Ruger 10/22 and Mark Series of pistols, the SR22 will be a welcomed modern addition to the SR line and their growing .22 LR lineup. I am already looking forward to a Stainless two tone model in the very near future, because I feel this pistol is going to have a long life.

The Rail Master fits on the SR22 like a glove.
I had the opportunity to shoot the Ruger SR22 in January and I was surprised how well it fit my hand. I wear extra large gloves and with the standard grip sleeve and finger grip extension, it was like it was made for me. Shooting at two targets, one at about 7 yards and another at 25 yards, it was easy to hit both with standard and high velocity .22 LR ammunition. The Ruger representative also demonstrated disassemble and reassembly of the SR22 on the range and he did both in under a minute while extolling its virtues.  Since it has a fixed barrel like the Walther PPK it has less parts to worry about losing and leaves you with the slide, guide rod and guide rod spring. 

No matter how big or small your hand is, their are two grip sizes to fit you.
Most people, and there are exceptions to every rule, don’t clean their rim fires making it one of the most neglected calibers in this area. Mainly because they are hard to disassemble and the Ruger 10/22 is guilty of this even though in my opinion, it’s one of the finest .22 rifles on the market. Not so with the SR22, it field strips in seconds and cleans up fast and that alone would make me want to take it out more. That factored in and the weight and size of this amazing little pistol has made it an instant success. As of this writing I had already aided in the sale of an SR22 and have many more looking into it, but availability is coming up as Ruger clears its backlog of orders; that alone tells you their doing it right.

Ruger supplies two factory 10 round magazines with a pair of flush fitting or finger rest floor plates to suit your hand size and shooting style.
The current craze of small lightweight pistols and calibers is at its peak and like all things will die down into something else. But I really like a small compact .22 pistol that is easy to tote and even with 100 rounds of Winchester Super X Hollow Point ammunition still weights about the same as most empty full size handguns at 31.20 ounces. Empty, my SR22 weighed in at 17.75 ounces and with 10 rounds of CCI Stinger’s still only weighed 18.75 ounces and packs away easily or carries in a holster at your side for quick access. Since I live in Arizona, home of the Western Diamondback Rattler, I have found a new friend in the SR22 carrying it with CCI Shot Shells. It delivers the payload of #12 shot in an area about the size of a grapefruit in less than ten feet. Also keep in mind while the SR22 will reliably feed this ammunition it will not cycle the action to allow another follow up shot. You must hand cycle the slide to eject the spent case and allow another to feed from the magazine into the chamber.

The SR22 manual safety/decocking lever is ambidextrous and very easy to use, if red is showing you are ready to fire. In the down position the trigger is disconnected and will not fire.
Besides the light weight, it’s small; did I say it was small? The length of the SR22 is 6.40” the height is 4.90” and the width is a slim 1.29”. The barrel is small as well, being part of the complete package at 3.50” with a 6 groove 1:16” right hand twist. The frame is Polymer while the slide is machined aluminum and brandishes the Ruger logo and the word, “RUGER,” on the left side and the word, “SR22” on the right. The slide has serrations in the front and rear giving you a firm grip while chambering a round and you can use the front serrations for a press check. (The act of moving the slide backwards far enough to see if there is a round in the chamber without ejecting it.) If you try this technique make absolutely sure while doing this your hand is “NOT” in front of the barrel.

The trigger is single action or double action and the trigger guard is generous for large fingers or gloved hands. The front of the trigger guard also has serrations for your non trigger finger.
Use your trigger finger and thumb of your left hand if you are a right handed shooter and grip the front serrations under or over the barrel, I prefer over the barrel. Some semi-automatics come with a loaded chamber indicator, but the SR22 does not so a press check can be used to see if a round is in the chamber in a safe manner. A press check is easily done with a round in the chamber and the hammer back, but requires some hand strength with the hammer down so use caution. Practice this technique with an unloaded firearm or on the range with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.  The slide also carries the three-dot sighting system with a fixed front site and rear sight that is adjustable for windage and elevation. Ruger has also given the shooter the choice of allowing the rear blade to be turned around so it will be solid black.

The disassembly lever is located in front to the trigger and easy to reach with your finger.
The stainless steel barrel is replaceable and can be taken off via a hex screw. Ruger also has a threaded barrel for the attachment of a suppresser if your state laws allow private citizens to own them. The polymer frame sports a Picatinny rail for mounting your favorite light and/or laser accessories. Forward of the trigger inside the trigger guard is the takedown lever for field stripping the pistol. Just drop the magazine, lock back the slide and check to make sure the chamber is empty, allow the slide to go forward. Push the disassembly lever down and with your hand on top of the slide push back until it stops and then lift up. Allow the slide to move forward and remove the guide rod and guide rod spring and it is ready to be cleaned.

Disassembly is fast and easy and can be done in seconds with only three parts.
The frame houses the ambidextrous safety, magazine release and slide stop. The safety is a trigger disconnect where in the magazine is released the pistol will not shoot even with a round in the chamber. With a magazine in, round chambered and the safety pressed down to cover the red the SR22 will not fire since in both instances the trigger is effectively disconnected. I personally don’t like this feature because if I was presented a target I could not fire the round in the chamber without first inserting the magazine. Although being a .22 pistol and not a carry gun this is irrelevant to most people. One of the unique features and most liked is the changeability of the rubberized palm swells. Ruger has supplied two of these serrated rubberized sleeves, the first being a slim design for smaller hands such as a woman or child’s hand and wider version for larger hands and both may be changed without tools in seconds.

The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation with the rear blade being reversible so you can have two white dots or an all black blade.
Ruger supplies two, factory, 10 round steel magazines with two different floor plates to choose from. The first set of floor plates fits flush with the pistol grip and they come with these already installed. The second option is the extended finger rest floor plates that accommodate larger hands and to have a place for that pinky finger to rest. These install easily, just use a small punch to push the floor plate retention pin down and slide off, just be careful of the spring tension. Extra magazines can be purchased from www.shopruger.com for $34.95 Item number 90382. As of this writing I am not aware of any company producing after market magazines for the SR22 but I’m sure they’re on the way.

The front sight is a simple white dot.
Shooting the Ruger SR22 is a blast and when you take a 3.50” barrel and put a .22 through it that’s capable of 1640 feet per second you better have your ears on. So we know it’s loud, but it’s also a lot of fun too. The trigger pull broke at 4.1 lbs. in single action and double action was stiff at about 10 lbs. but rarely did I shoot it that way after loading a magazine so I wasn’t too worried about it. I had roughly 20 people shoot the SR22 and the only complaint was, “I can’t find one,” although I do know of one person who purchased one right after shooting mine. You can have hours fun with this pistol and 500 rounds will only set you back an Andrew Jackson and anyone can shoot it. I used and purchased many makes and types of .22 caliber ammunitions during my testing and all performed very well. Inherently with .22 ammunition you will get a misfire or two but it has come a long way since your grandfather’s .22 ammunition.

The ambidextrous magazine release is easy to press and sits flush enough not to cause an accidental magazine release. The magazine drops free easily both loaded or empty.
Manufacturer and Velocity:   

CCI CB 22 Short - 634.8
CCI 32 gr. Stinger High Velocity Hollow Points - 1153.7  
Federal 36 gr. High Velocity Hollow Points - 995
Peters 40 gr. High Velocity Lead Round Nose - 970.1
Remington 33 gr. 22 Yellow Jacket High Velocity Hollow Points - 1011.5
Remington Thunderbolt 40 gr. High Velocity Lead Round Nose - 984.9
Remington 29 gr. High Velocity .22 Short Plated Round Nose - 876.7
Winchester Super X 40 gr. High Velocity Round Nose - 990.6    
Winchester Super X 37 gr. High Velocity Hollow Points - 974.8

Velocities are the average of 9 shots measured on a Master Shooting Chrony at 15 feet.

With the CCI Pest Control Shot Shells filled with #12 shot unwanted critters don't stand a chance. This shot was taken at about 10 feet.
All the .22 Long Rifle ammunition tested performed within standards and I had no issues loading, feeding and extracting. The CCI Shotshells loaded and extracted with no problems, but as I said earlier you must manually work the slide to load another round as these are not designed for blow back operated pistols, but mainly revolvers. The CB and Shorts loaded fine but since the SR22 was not designed to shoot them some loading problems occurred. You can only load about 5 or so while making sure they are towards the front of the magazine, then cycle the slide manually. Again the shorts are designed for revolvers or rifles designed for them and don’t work very well in blow back operated pistols.  I had fun testing all the ammunition I ran through the SR22 and even when it was not designed for that ammunition it feed it with only a slight hiccup.

The external hammer spur is easy to cock back for single action shooting.
I know what you’re thinking, “Is there a holster out there that will fit the Ruger SR22?” absolutely there is and Uncle Mikes helped me out with a few of their finest. The first is the right hand Size 16 Paddle Holster item number 7816-1. This holster adjusts butt-forward or muzzle-forward (cross draw) carry as well as having molded offset spacers for height adjustments to custom fit to your liking or body style. The semi-rigid material molds to your hip and the Kodra laminate reduces bulk. The pistol seats well inside covering the trigger and the adjustable non stretch retention strap and molded thumb break secure the pistol in place and it will stay in place until you need it.
If you like a classic shoulder holster Uncle Mikes right hand Size 16 Cross-Harness Horizontal Shoulder Holster item number 8716-0 will fit you like a glove. This rig is completely ambidextrous for left or right handed shooters with a four way adjustment for a comfortable and perfect fit. An accessory panel on the non holster side can carry extra magazines or gear of your choosing. Smooth nylon strap construction makes it ride without chafing and waterproof foam will not soak up perspiration. And once you have it adjusted to your body the removable onside tiedowns will anchor it to your belt and strap traps will cover the thumb breaks so they won’t get lost. 

Place the SR22 and spare magazine in its padded case, grab the kids and go shooting.
I can highly recommend this pistol to everyone able to legally own one and with parental supervision it is a great pistol for kids to learn marksmanship skills and safe firearms handling. For new, older or experienced shooters, it’s a great pistol to learn on or just keep your skills up without breaking the bank in ammunition costs. The SR22 is a great and welcomed addition to the SR Series and I hope they continue putting out great firearms like this one. I have been asked by some woman shooters if they are planning on putting out a Pink model and as of this writing I have not heard of one, but it will sell and Ruger should give it some serious thought. So if you’re in the market for a great plinker and you don’t want to spend a fortune on a gun or the ammo it shoots, the SR22 is one that should be in your collection.

Uncle Mikes has a wide selection of holsters to fit the Ruger SR22 like the Size 16 Horizontal, SK 12 Hip, Inside pocket, Paddle 1 and SBS16.


Model: 3600
Catalog: SR22PB
Status: Available  
Caliber: .22 Caliber
Slide Material: Aluminum Slide
Finish: Black Anodize
Grip Frame: Black Polymer
Sights: Adjustable 3-Dot
Barrel Length: 3.50"
Overall Length: 6.40"
Height: 4.90"
Width: 1.29"
Weight: 17.50 oz.
Capacity: 10+1
Twist: 1:16" RH Grooves: 6
MA Approved & Certified: Yes
CA Approved: Yes    
Suggested Retail: $399.00
Warranty: Contact Ruger
Made in the USA
Sturm Ruger: www.ruger.com
Telephone: 928-541-8892 / Fax: 928-778-6633
Mailing Address: 200 Ruger Road Prescott, AZ 86301

Sources:

Crimson Trace: www.crimsontrace.com
Uncle Mikes: www.uncle-mikes.com
Winchester: www.winchester.com
Remington: www.remington.com

Norman Gray ©2012 POMA Member

Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Rossi Ranch Hand Is, “Wild West Tech”



The Rossi Ranch Hand was born in the Wild West but at home anywhere.
Most of us grew up on classic westerns and a few of us are old enough remember a black-and- white TV show that aired from 1958-1961 staring Steve McQueen called “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” This show featured a soft hearted Confederate Civil War veteran (Josh Randall) who made a living as a bounty hunter in the Wild West of the 1870s.  Steve McQueen was an amazing actor, but he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did without his trusty side kick, a modified .44-40 Winchester Model 1892 called the “Mare’s Leg.” He carried it in a modified gun slingers rig that attached to his belt and tied to his leg; he could draw and fire as fast if not faster than the western outlaws he was tracking.

With some high quality Hunter leather and a good supply of Rainier bullets the fun never ends. 
If you’re a fan of the show, or just want a unique piece for your collection, Rossi has made it possible to own a replica of this famous movie gun. Rossi’s version of the Mare’s Leg is called the Rand Hand which is manufactured by Taurus International Manufacturing Inc. in Brazil. Rossi gives you the choice of three calibers to pick from, .38 /.357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and the .45 Long Colt. The sample I requested had to be the .45 Long Colt as it is a well known symbol of the old west and made famous by Samuel Colts Single Action Army known as the Peacemaker which was carried by many heroes and villains alike. Its stopping power was legendary for the time and still is today. Most cowboys carried a rifle and revolver that used the same cartridge; they carried only one type of ammunition and gave them the ability to take close and long shots.

Shooting the Ranch Hand off the MTM K-Zone rest was a breeze.
There are two models of the Rossi Ranch hand available in the .45 Long Colt, the Model RH92-57203 which has a case hardened receiver and retails for $655.00 and the RH92-57121 which is a normal matt blue receiver and retails for $579.00. The features are the same; it just comes down to what you prefer and all Rossi firearms carry their lifetime repair policy even on used models. When I received the Ranch Hand I had mixed feelings for this little pistol, but as time passed I found it very fun to shoot and hard to put down. The 4 lb unloaded weight of the pistol absorbs the recoil of the .45 Colt very well and using both hands holding it at arm’s length it’s easy to control.

The windage adjustable gold bead front sight was very easy to use and see.
The Ranch Hand can be fired with one hand, although you will need the other to work the action effectively for successive shots. The action was smooth right out of the box and becomes even smoother with use. When the trigger is pulled and the round fires and you work the oversized loop lever forward, two locking bars retract downward allowing the bolt to move rearward and extract the case and eject it upwards with force. A fresh round is ejected from the magazine and positioned in front of the chamber and when the loop lever is pulled back, it pushes the round into the chamber. All this happens in the blink of an eye and with practice you can shoot all seven rounds in less than ten seconds. This being said you should always wear shooting glasses as the empties are ejected strait up and can hit you in the eyes.

The elevation adjustable Buck Horn rear sight compliments the front sight very well.
The stock measures about eight inches from the receiver and merely acts as a hand hold for your shooting hand and was never meant to be placed on your shoulder. Since it ejects spent cases upwards, left handed shooting is no problem. You can either shoot from the hip or hold it at arm’s length and aim using the windage adjustable gold bead front sight and the elevation adjustable buckhorn rear sight. Using the sights the Ranch Hand is very accurate with a steady hold, but if you hip shoot it will take a little practice to get the bullets to go where you want them too, and did I mention it’s a lot of fun mastering this skill as well? The wood foregrip is a bit small and as rapid fire heats up the barrel slipping off the foregrip can burn a finger or two. A leather smith suggested wrapping a leather collar around the foregrip and barrel in front of the buckhorn sight using either stitching or snaps to combat this issue.

The safety is located on top of the bolt for easy access and operation.
The Trigger pull is light and measures a little over 3.5 pounds and the hammer is large and easy to manually cock. The first cocked position is called the half cock position and pulling the trigger while in the position will not allow the hammer to fall. Continue pulling the hammer all the way back places and the Ranch Hand in the firing position. On top of the bolt in front of the hammer you will find the manual safety with a green S and a red F. To place the Ranch Hand in the safe position the safety lever must be rotated counterclockwise fully so that the lever covers the red and exposes the green. The left side of the receiver you’ll find a saddle ring which was originally used to secure the rifle to the rider so he would not drop it while riding his horse. On the right side of the receiver you’ll find the magazine loading port which accepts 6 rounds and one in the chamber; you’ll have seven rounds to take care of business.

The over sized cocking loop makes multiple shots easy even with gloves.
The overall length of the Ranch Hand is 24 inches and 12 inches of that is barrel. The barrel is cradled by a wood forearm that uses a barrel band to hold the wood to the barrel. In front of the forearm the magazine tube and barrel are joined by another barrel band making the fit tight even after many round have been fired. The wood stock and forend is unfinished Brazilian Pine and the fit and finish of the Ranch Hand is rustic. It reflects the Wild West heritage and is ready for many miles in a saddle scabbard. The feature that catches your eye is the oversized cocking loop and this is the one feature that makes the Ranch Hand really fun to shoot even with gloves.

The ejection port is large and cases eject straight up so watch your face.
However you choose to carry the Ranch Hand whether on horseback or your hip, there is some great quality leather available through the Hunter Company. They make a “Trapper Holster,” for your leg much like the one used by Woody Harrelson in the movie Zombie Land and “wanted: Dead or Alive.” The other is the holster / scabbard which can be used with a horse’s saddle or belt. Either way with the Ranch Hand loaded with your favorite ammunition, say TEN-X Ammo’s 250 RNFP you will be toting about 4.9 lbs.

Factory ammunition worked flawlessly through the Ranch Hand.
Shooting the Ranch Hand is like stepping back in time, but it will handle all modern and cowboy loads. I feel with the right ammunition there is no task this pistol can’t handle from target shooting to deer hunting. For my accuracy/chronograph tests I used four types of manufactured ammunition:

Manufacturer        Grain    Bullet Type                             Avg. Vel (FPS)     Std Dev.   
Doubletap               165       Barnes Tac-XP                        1239.2                  37.6
Barnes VOR TX      200       XPB Hollow Point                    1208.6                  30.2
TEN-X                     250       Round Nose Flat Point            838.7                    13.3
TEN-X                     200       Round Nose Flat Point            804.6                    20.7            
Winchester             250        Lead Flat Nose                       815.4                   14.0

Accuracy results are five-shot groups at 25 yards off a MTM K Zone shooting rest. Velocities are the average of 9 shots measured on a Master Shooting Chrony at 15 feet.

Young shooters found the Ranch Hand easy to shoot.
All the .45 Long Colt ammunition provided functioned flawlessly through the Ranch Hand with only one round of the Winchester not firing because of a bad primer. Another small problem encountered was in feeding wad cutter type bullets into the chamber, more rounded types fed reliably as expected. Accuracy was amazing for this pistol with the best group being 1.5 inches at 25 yards coming from a Rainier 300 grain TCJ backed by 22 grains of Winchester 296. The TEN-X 200 grain RNFP gave me the best group with among the manufactured ammunition at 2” at 25 yards. One drawback I can see now is the cost of ammunition, basic .45 Long Colt is selling on average for $35 and up for a box of 50 rounds. To combat this growing problem hand loading/reloading is becoming a must and there are companies like Rainier Ballistics who help take the bite out of shooting firearms like the Ranch Hand. They supply lead safe copper plated bullets for the .45 LC in 250 and 300 Grain TCJ (Total Copper Jacket) varieties.

TEN-X gave me the best performance at 25 yards with a 2" group.
For my tests I reloaded the once fired mixed cases using a variety of bullets from different manufacturers and used Winchester large pistol primers.

Brand:    Grain:     Bullet Type:                   Powder:                   AV (FPS):      SD:

Barnes     225         XPB Hollow Point          24 X 2400                 1796.4           17.9
Rainier     230         Total Copper Jacket     7.2 X 231                   952.7             20.6
Rainier     250         Total Copper Jacket     10 X Unique               1178.0            25.4
Rainier     250         Total Copper Jacket      6.2 X Tite Group        946.2             26.8
Rainier     300         Total Copper Jacket      22 X 296                   1408.8           10.0
Rainier     300         Total Copper Jacket     18 X Lil’Gun               1316.1           14.3
Sierra       300         Jacketed Soft Point      20.5 X 296                1214.0           25.1

Accuracy results are five-shot groups at 25 yards off a MTM K Zone shooting rest. Velocities are the average of 9 shots measured on a Master Shooting Chrony at 15 feet.

Reloading the .45 LC was easy with loads from target to short range hunting.
When using a .45 LC revolver or tubular feed magazine, it’s important to remember that the jacketed bullets need a cannelure. This keeps the bullet from being pushed back into the case while in a tubular feed magazine and from shifting from the force of recoil in a revolver. In the case of the Rainier or any other metal plated bullets, they are soft enough to be roll crimped. If you have copper jacketed bullets without a cannelure such as 230 grain .45 ACP bullets, you can purchase a canneluring tool that mounts to your reloading table too give them a cannelure yourself. This gives you a cheaper and readily available source of bullets. Also remember the powder charge for copper jacketed bullets will be higher than metal plated bullets as these bullets are softer and easier to drive down the barrel. Use lead bullet data for cowboy loads or use the medium charge listings from your loading manual.

My Master Chrony worked overtime testing reloads.
I can recommend this pistol to anyone who likes or loves the allure of the old west, the .45 Long Colt and lever action rifles. It is loads of fun and can serve in other rolls as well including, home and personal protection and short range hunting without optics. As of this writing there are no mounts available for the Ranch Hand I have found. As I mentioned earlier the Hunter Company provides quality leather products for the Ranch Hand so you can carry and/or transport your Ranch Hand on two legs or four. .45 LC ammunition tends to be on the expensive side, but good ammunition usually is, reloading can take the bite out that cost and companies like Ten-X Ammunition offer reloading services using your cases a reduced rate. 

Rainier Ballistics was the top performer with reloads shooting a 1.5" group.
One of the things I love to do as a shooter is let other shooters have an opportunity to experience the firearms I test. On average I offered about 10 or more people the opportunity to shoot the Ranch Hand at my local range. I can only guess their shooting abilities, but they range from novice to very experienced. When I first offer them the chance to shoot the Ranch Hand I saw apprehension, but it quickly changed to excitement and smiles after the first shot. I asked them what they liked most about it and the general consensus was its different and fun and most said it would be a great pack pistol or vehicle gun. All of them came away with a fond memory of the Ranch Hand and my friend Rick loved it so much he offered to buy it on the spot.

With over 500 rounds fired and no cleaning the Ranch Hand never stopped.
As far as pro’s and con’s, the saddle ring while historic tends to get in the way sometimes and while just a minor inconvenience it can be removed. When firing full power loads, make sure you hold on tight as the Ranch Hand will buck out of your hand. Keep the pistol at arm’s length as the stock will not feel good against your chin. It is easy to aim, fire and cycle and cleanings are a breeze, ammo is plentiful and reloading components are easy to find for this historic cartridge. The safety while unattractive on the top of the bolt does serve to make this loaded pistol safer; of course it is up to you if you choose to use it. I prefer the use of the half cock as my safety as it allows for fast shots by simply pulling the hammer back fully. Whatever job you choose for the Rossi Ranch Hand it will deliver and after about 500 rounds we were still having fun doing it.

Model: RH92-57121  
Status: Available  
Caliber: .45 COLT  
Capacity: 6+1   
Barrel Length: 12”
Wood: Brazilian Pine  
Action: Lever Action Repeating Pistol  
Finish: Matte Blue  
UPC: 6-62205-98505-8
Weight: 4 LBS Unloaded
Warranty: Lifetime Repair policy 
MSRP: $579.00
Rossi USA: www.rossiusa.com
Phone: (305) 474-0401 Fax: (305) 623-7506
Mailing Address: 16175 NW 49 Avenue, Miami, FL 33014

Sources:

Sierra Bullets: www.sierrabullets.com
Barnes Bullets: www.barnesbullets.com
Rainier Ballistics: www.rainierballistics.com
Doubletap Ammunition: www.doubletapammo.com
Ten-X Ammunition: www.tenxammo.com
Winchester Ammunition: www.winchester.com
Hodgdon Powders: www.hodgdon.com
Hunter leather products: www.huntercompany.com
Shooting Chrony: www.shootingchrony.com

Photo credits go to Matt Howard for his help with pictures.

 Norman Gray ©2012 (POMA Member)