It's all P-F.com's fault

[Dagga Boy]

So I keep reading that the hot ticket for LEM improvement is to re-master my old revolver skills. Couple this with DetWD always bringing his "pet" snubby K-frame .38 to our training sessions (that he shoots like his "pet" G-19), and I have an overwhelming need for a good K frame revolver to start messing around with to shoot cheap .38 special out of. I have A LOT of revolvers, but they are mostly large frame big bores. I carried a .45 COLT 25-5 as my first duty gun so I am sort of attached to my big bores, but they are expensive to shoot.

So am at my favorite local gun shop (Jackson Armory in Dallas) picking up a 25-5 that was shipped there, and I spy this "weird" thing in the revolver case. I have been scouring these displays looking for an old revolver to appeal to my new "need". This one did not fit the "old" or "cheap" I was looking for, but weird was a magnet. I am well known for my love of "weird" guns. I pull out a Smith and Wesson 686 Pro Series SSR. It "looks" bigger than it is. It fit my hand like it was made for me. The trigger pull was really good and smooth. Instant credit card impulse purchase.

After playing with it, I think I may take a hard look at starting to compete with it. Revolvers were really my thing back in the day, and I would like to start doing some "fun" shooting for a change vs. how serious and worked up I get with the serious tactical shooting I have focused on the last twenty years. My only disappointment is that this gun now uses a MIM hammer and trigger that are made to look like the forged ones they used to use. I also saw a picture of a guy's gun who got a seven round cylinder with six holes (bad mix) accidently and when Smith fixed it they put in an un-fluted cylinder that looked absolutely PERFECT to me with the slab slides of the SSR's barrel shroud. It may get a trip to Smith at some point for this and a trigger stop, but for now I plan to invest some time into both the SSR and my TLG LEM'd P30. We'll see how it goes.

[Sparks2112]

The SSR and the R8 are on my list of stuff I'd like to buy once I'm legally allowed to buy stuff again. (Divorces suck btw)

[jetfire]

Best thing about the SSR is that the hammer is forged instead of MIM, which means you can chop the hammer spur off AND remove the single action notch on the hammer entirely to get rid of that worthless "single action" mode without worrying about messing up the part's surface hardening like you would with a MIM part.

The chamfer on the charge holes could stand to be a bit more aggressive, but hey at least it's there.

[Dagga Boy]

Best thing about the SSR is that the hammer is forged instead of MIM, which means you can chop the hammer spur off AND remove the single action notch on the hammer entirely to get rid of that worthless "single action" mode without worrying about messing up the part's surface hardening like you would with a MIM part.

The chamfer on the charge holes could stand to be a bit more aggressive, but hey at least it's there.

The new SSR's are MIM hammers and triggers. I don't know if a retrofit is possible to get the overtravel stop and to modify the hammers like the old ones. I was kind of pissed because when you initially look at the gun the parts are made to look forged, but are not.

[GJM]

I have a SSR and it is a nice revolver. I understand you may compete with it, and that makes sense, but as a LEM trainer I prefer my 317 kit gun .22 as it is cheaper to feed and I care most about the trigger practice.

PS: if you need a holster for the SSR, think I am using one that works well from Sidearmor.

[jetfire]

The new SSR's are MIM hammers and triggers. I don't know if a retrofit is possible to get the overtravel stop and to modify the hammers like the old ones. I was kind of pissed because when you initially look at the gun the parts are made to look forged, but are not.

That's a bummer. The one I had was all full of forged goodness.

[SouthNarc]

I have a 2.5" Smith Model 12 that will shoot inside a quarter at 10 yards. Airweight K frame is a keeper!

[Tom Givens]

I have 2 of those snubby Model 12's and I'm keepin' them.

[Dagga Boy]

That's a bummer. The one I had was all full of forged goodness.

I may have to call Smith and play the "gunwriter" card.......

[Lon]

So I keep reading that the hot ticket for LEM improvement is to re-master my old revolver skills. Couple this with DetWD always bringing his "pet" snubby K-frame .38 to our training sessions (that he shoots like his "pet" G-19), and I have an overwhelming need for a good K frame revolver to start messing around with to shoot cheap .38 special out of.

I got bitten by the same bug. I bought a 3" Model 65 as a project gun a couple of months ago. It was in rough shape and needed some work. Still needs some trigger fine tuning, but as soon as the trigger is squared away and my CCC holster comes in, I'm going to dedicate serious training time to it and carry it as an off duty gun.