[Chase2b]

I just bought a new 2" 85 UL. This is my first snub and have read of there "inaccuracies" before (all snubs). I took it to the range and shot at 7 yards and my placement was all over the place. I am a decent shot and can shoot my 4" S&W, at 10 yards, with 1-2" groups. I know that you can't expect that with the snubs but at 7 yards, I was 1-2 FEET off. Is this normal or can there be something wrong with the gun?

 

[thunderjohn]

I have an 85 and an 85UL. Both are great SA and not bad DA. At 7 yards DA rapid fire :shooter:
I suppose I'm off a couple feet also.

 

[MrTuffPaws]

Depends. Were you shooting in double action or single action? If you were shooting DA, then it is normal to be pretty poor coming from a SA auto back ground. DA take a while to get used to, so practice. Get some snap caps and dry fire it till the cows come home.

One good way to determine if your gun is accurate is to fire it single action with light loads from a rest. Another way is to ask someone else to shoot it. That removes most of the operator issues such as flinch.

 

[Robby]

Well it was my experience, when I changed to a 3" from a 6.5" barrel that I was all over the place. Took me a couple 100 rds to get everything on an 81/2 by 11 target sheet.

But I did not have the same problem when I changed to a 2" snubby. Like Thunderjohn said, it could happen in DA.

 

[Chase2b]

Forgot to mention that I was shooting in SA.

 

[TitaniumMan]

My Taurus is not inaccurate... this is a 20 yard group DA:

Let someone else shoot it and see what results they get... it may be the gun.

 

[Steelheart]

I've noticed that my M85 prefers 158gr slugs. Other weights may have a radically different point of impact, I recall that I tried some Corbon 110's and they had a vastly different point of impact.

Also, how do the grips feel to you? Does the gun point well or are you having to shift it to get it pointed where you want it to go?

Snubs are/were considered to be inaccurate by some due to the short sight radius making them more difficult to shoot well. They'll (the snubbies) probably outshoot most owners as most won't put the time in to learn how/where they shoot.

Steelheart

 

[NativeTexan]

I like to shoot 6" falling steel plates DA with mine at 25 yards. It shoots 3" groups at 25 yards off sand bags. I'd say it's probably you. Do some dry firing, see if you flinch. Load 4 rounds and shoot. See if you anticipate the shot and flinch on the empty chamber. Practice dry firing with a dime laid across the flat atop the frame. When you get to where you can fire all 5 empty chambers without the dime falling, then go do some shooting. Lots of ways to work at it.

Yeah, the 158s work best in my gun, too, or 140s do pretty well. Light stuff shoots WAY low.

Oh, you might want to rest the gun in sandbags and see where/how the gun shoots. I do this with ANY new gun before I go wasting ammo with it. I'll shoot it at 25 yards, my standard for group size comparison. I've not owned a 2" gun I could shoot any better than 3" at 25 yards due to sight radius so I'm quite sure the gun shoots better than I do.

 

[Robby]

You guys come up with more ways to test what the heck we are doing wrong or right as the case may be.

"Practice dry firing with a dime laid across the flat atop the frame. When you get to where you can fire all 5 empty chambers without the dime falling, then go do some shooting."

They make so much sense, I wonder how come I never thought about it.
I bet it would work with the Semi Auto too. Boy am I gonna find out today.

"Oh, you might want to rest the gun in sandbags and see where/how the gun shoots. I do this with ANY new gun before I go wasting ammo with it. I'll shoot it at 25 yards"

Not during the snow today, but I need to find some bags, and either make my own, or buy some. So I can truly test that accuracy. Cheaper than buying a shooting vice I guess.

I did seem to find one problem in the attempt to use the coin technique! No matter how I have tried, when the hammer drops the coin pops off. Am I doing it wrong? or is this not possible! I was using a Rossi 461 for my first try at this. DA or SA, too much reaction to the hammer drop. But it did not fall until the hammer hit!!

 

[flounder22]

Same thing here with my 85 UL, hammer drops, coin falls. :-\

 

[Robby]

Just for information sake! I tried another method of placing the dime, on the barrel itself resting on the edge of the front sight and the other on the front slope leading to the groove we call a rear sight, and so far I have been able to keep it in place for a maximum of two DA pulls. Maybe, the first way I tried it was wrong (coin on the widest part of the frame over the front of the cylinder.)

I had a thought about the whole proceedure, and tried the technique again using a penny. This time it did stay in place for me during multiple DA dry firing. Maybe with more practice with a penny, or nickel then I could progress back to the dime, which is much lighter and subject to the hammers impact to a greater degree.

If you try the coin thing on a flat topped semi Auto, striker action, it is wide enough to not show very much reaction.

However, with my PT111, I was able to place the coin on top of the front site, which is flat. The dry firing caused no jumping like a hammer. In my case the coin stayed in place.

But I could see no way to keep the coin on a hammer fired revolver, or pistol after the hammer strikes with the coin over the cylinder.even though the coin was in a more stable location.

I take back the almost negative comments from my earlier post.

 

[Steelheart]

The military uses a similar technique for M-16's (of course this also will work for AR's). A buddy places the dime on the barrel behind the front sight when the "shooter" is in the prone position. The shooter squeezes the trigger while taking a "shot". If the dime stays there you're fine. If it falls off you need to practice your trigger squeeze more. I've seen guys be able to, carefully, work the slide on the M-16 without the dime falling off to squeeze the trigger again. Some can do this for several times until it finally falls off.

Steelheart

 

[Robby]

Practice dry firing with a dime laid across the flat atop the frame. When you get to where you can fire all 5 empty chambers without the dime falling, then go do some shooting. Lots of ways to work at it.

I totally agree, but as stated by NativeTexan, it did not work. But as SteelHeart stated it did.

A buddy places the dime on the barrel behind the front sight when the "shooter" is in the prone position. Steelheart

I assume, "but well more than assume" that the positioning behind the sight, allows it to counter the impact of the hammer forward with a revolver or other hammer gun, and as I found in doing it this way, tells the tale of whether you are pulling to the left or jerking.
Because, I notice that when I jerked or pulled the gun, that the coin fell in the opposite direction, "off the right side of the barrel when I pulled or squeezed the gun to the left."
I very shortly was able to DA a full cylinder, "using a penny", still need to work up to the dime.

Thank you both very much for a tool to help me work on my trigger pull, and grip. I have already noticed the difference.

 

[Jkwas]

I put it right on the top strap of my 605 and it stays. Try a nickel, it's heavier.

 

[Steelheart]

I totally agree, but as stated by NativeTexan, it did not work. But as SteelHeart stated it did.I assume, "but well more than assume" that the positioning behind the sight, allows it to counter the impact of the hammer forward with a revolver or other hammer gun, and as I found in doing it this way, tells the tale of whether you are pulling to the left or jerking.
Because, I notice that when I jerked or pulled the gun, that the coin fell in the opposite direction, "off the right side of the barrel when I pulled or squeezed the gun to the left."
I very shortly was able to DA a full cylinder, "using a penny", still need to work up to the dime.

Thank you both very much for a tool to help me work on my trigger pull, and grip. I have already noticed the difference.

Robby, I was talking about an M-16 (you know, a real assault weapon) not a revolver. At that point the barrel is a cylinder.

Steelheart

 

[Robby]

I totally know, what you mean! All rifles I have ever owned were round barreled.

Your method of the coin placement took care of what happens when the hammer hits the firing pin, or the hammer, hits the back of the frame. It makes NativeTexan's way of doing it work. That was all I was saying.

If I placed the coin on the frame back to front anywhere but just behind the front sight on the barrel, the impact knocked the coin off. Not the hold or the trigger pull.

 

[NativeTexan]

I had a thought about the whole proceedure, and tried the technique again using a penny. This time it did stay in place for me during multiple DA dry firing. Maybe with more practice with a penny, or nickel then I could progress back to the dime, which is much lighter and subject to the hammers impact to a greater degree.

And, there you have it.

 

[Robby]

And, there you have it.

TY very much, and maybe we have helped others who are having the same problem I am with the Semi Auto.

You would not believe, I balance the coin on the top of the front sight, and went thru a dry fire sequence. But for that to be a true test, I think I need a brass in place to give the striker something to hit on to be similar to the revolver hammer hitting something.

If I had money to burn, I would get some of those other things, whose name escapes me at this moment to dry fire with!! Oh shoot, now I remember Snap Caps. Maybe my memory is not bad just slow.