A S&W M&P Shield in 9mm and a Ruger LCR chambered in .357...
On an ammo scouting trip a LGS a few weeks ago, I spied the M&P... Handled it a little and left without any ammo. On the way home, I had second thoughts and called the owner back and had him sit on it overnight so I could pick it up the next day. On pick up, he offered a box 9mm ammo with the purchase, so he was holding some back...
Fast forward to today. The better half and I were out on some errands and decided to stop by a nearby sporting goods/surplus store to look for ammo. She had been wanting an LCR for some time (some may remember me asking about it for her) and they just so happened to have one... Instantly she was giddy but frustrated because she figured we didn't have the $$$. Well, before the trip I grabbed some cash I had saved back from some side jobs "just in case", so when I asked if she had her NICS number with her, she knew what was up and was overjoyed! So she filled out the paperwork and I flopped down the cash, and now she's the proud owner of a Ruger LCR.
In the weeks prior, I had been buying .357 and .38spcl in anticipation of getting the LCR. Well, it payed off because the store where we made the purchase was out. Naturally when we got home, we made a trip to the gravel pit and had at it... It's got quite a buck, but not to the point of being unmanageable. We fired off some Blazer Brass 158grn JHP, some PMC 158grn JSP some Blazer Aluminum 158grn .38spl and some Hornady Critical Defense 125grn ammo.
The Blazer Brass JHP has, by far, the most snort! The Hornady CD stuff was actually quite manageable and I think that she will do well with it. The big JHP stuff makes her hand a bit sore after 20 odd rounds... But she's a trooper!
For having such a short barrel, that little devil is actually quite accurate!
We also learned an important lesson. Don't mix .38 with .357 in the cylinder. Her and I were shooting the rounds in descending order to compare them. Well, by the time I got to the .38 round, it was a no go. Both the bullet and primer had been knocked loose and was jamming the cylinder!
All in all, she's happy with her new acquisition and is in the process of selecting a holster or two.
As for the Shield, there's not much to say. It's a fine little pea shooter and acts quite similar to it's big brother, the M&P 9c but with a little more flip. I had shot it a few times prior, but after shooting the LCR, I'm pretty underwhelmed.
I foresee an LCR or similar in my future too, and the Shield and/or the LCR (of my own) will be my carry gun. The 1911 that I'm carrying now will be a more for home defense/target as will the stainless CZ 75B I've had on order for 5 months now.
On an ammo scouting trip a LGS a few weeks ago, I spied the M&P... Handled it a little and left without any ammo. On the way home, I had second thoughts and called the owner back and had him sit on it overnight so I could pick it up the next day. On pick up, he offered a box 9mm ammo with the purchase, so he was holding some back...
Fast forward to today. The better half and I were out on some errands and decided to stop by a nearby sporting goods/surplus store to look for ammo. She had been wanting an LCR for some time (some may remember me asking about it for her) and they just so happened to have one... Instantly she was giddy but frustrated because she figured we didn't have the $$$. Well, before the trip I grabbed some cash I had saved back from some side jobs "just in case", so when I asked if she had her NICS number with her, she knew what was up and was overjoyed! So she filled out the paperwork and I flopped down the cash, and now she's the proud owner of a Ruger LCR.
In the weeks prior, I had been buying .357 and .38spcl in anticipation of getting the LCR. Well, it payed off because the store where we made the purchase was out. Naturally when we got home, we made a trip to the gravel pit and had at it... It's got quite a buck, but not to the point of being unmanageable. We fired off some Blazer Brass 158grn JHP, some PMC 158grn JSP some Blazer Aluminum 158grn .38spl and some Hornady Critical Defense 125grn ammo.
The Blazer Brass JHP has, by far, the most snort! The Hornady CD stuff was actually quite manageable and I think that she will do well with it. The big JHP stuff makes her hand a bit sore after 20 odd rounds... But she's a trooper!
For having such a short barrel, that little devil is actually quite accurate!
We also learned an important lesson. Don't mix .38 with .357 in the cylinder. Her and I were shooting the rounds in descending order to compare them. Well, by the time I got to the .38 round, it was a no go. Both the bullet and primer had been knocked loose and was jamming the cylinder!
All in all, she's happy with her new acquisition and is in the process of selecting a holster or two.
As for the Shield, there's not much to say. It's a fine little pea shooter and acts quite similar to it's big brother, the M&P 9c but with a little more flip. I had shot it a few times prior, but after shooting the LCR, I'm pretty underwhelmed.
I foresee an LCR or similar in my future too, and the Shield and/or the LCR (of my own) will be my carry gun. The 1911 that I'm carrying now will be a more for home defense/target as will the stainless CZ 75B I've had on order for 5 months now.
