Strong, mechanically efficient grasp is key to good double action shooting.
Shooting a double action revolver accurately really isn’t all that difficult, once you know how to do it and give it some directed practice. In this chapter we’re going to put together what we’ve learned about sight picture/alignment and trigger control to make accurate double action shooting easier.
Start with a good foundation
By now you should understand that trigger control is the most important part of shooting the revolver. Sight alignment and picture are relatively easy and don’t really require much practice; once you know what a proper sight picture is, you have it. It requires no physical practice to remember.
Poor trigger control, on the other hand, will destroy even the most precise sight picture. If the gun wanders off target during either compression or reset, the deviation of your bullets will increase. (That’s a polite way of saying that you won’t hit what you’re aiming at!) It’s trigger control that makes the difference between hoping you hit your target and knowing that you can hit it.
Before proceeding, make sure that you’ve read and understand the preceding chapter on mastering the double action trigger. It’s important that you be able to manipulate the heavy, long trigger without moving the gun around. If you can’t, do some targeted dry fire. As I’ve mentioned, it shouldn’t take a lot of dry fire to cement these skills, as long as you’re paying attention to what you’re doing.
(Dry fire isn’t an activity that can be done while you watch television. To do it right, to get any real lasting benefit, you have to concentrate on the act and pay attention to what you’re doing. Done this way, it takes very few dry fire repetitions to cement the skill. Done with watching the distraction of Spongebob Squarepants, it might take years. It’s your choice.)
Start from the top: a solid grasp is essential to double action shooting. Remember that you have a trigger that is at minimum four times what the gun weighs, and the only way to keep the force applied to the trigger from moving the gun is a strong grasp. How strong? I coach my students to grasp the gun as tightly as they possibly can, until the gun starts to shake from muscle tremors, then back off the pressure just enough to stop the trembling. The resulting grasp should feel extremely solid, as if the gun and your hands were carved out of a single piece of granite.
I suggest applying equal pressure with both hands. There are those who suggest that the support hand apply more pressure than the shooting hand, but this leads to an inconsistency when shooting one-handed. If you’re accustomed to the shooting hand having less pressure, you’ll have to dramatically increase the pressure to shoot one-handed effectively. In essence, you’re learning two different grasps. Keep things consistent, apply the same pressure with both hands, and whether you’re shooting with both or only one you’ll have a predictable hold on the gun.
Compress and release the trigger without steering the gun in any direction. Pay attention particularly to the smooth, predictable release. You should be able to do several dry fired trigger strokes without moving the sights off alignment with the target.
Once those things have been accomplished, it’s time for live fire. But there is still a psychological barrier to be crossed, one which trips up a lot of people (your author included): attempting to get just the perfect sight alignment before hurriedly stroking the trigger. It’s an accuracy killer, it’s common, and there is a way to banish it forever.
How to hit the four-inch center of a Bianchi target? Let your sights wander, as long as they stay inside that circle.
Moving point of aim
There is a concept which has been around a while and is applicable to all kinds of shooting, but unfortunately doesn’t seem to be well understood by all that many people – including a lot of instructors I’ve spoken to. It was explained to me years ago by ace instructor Georges Rahbani, and at the point that I finally understood its value my shooting took a big stride forward. I’ve made use of it ever since, and I’ve watched it work wonders both with his students and my own. It’s called “moving point of aim.”
It starts with the understanding that very few people, if any, can stick a handgun out in front of their body and hold it perfectly steady. There is always some movement of the muzzle with respect to the target, and the longer one is holding the gun the more movement there will be. It’s visible by use of the sighting system, and it is inevitable.
The shooter sees that the muzzle is always moving, and tries to hold it steady on target just long enough to ‘grab’ the shot when the sights hit the perfect spot. Because the gun is already moving and because the sudden contraction of the hand muscles tends to pull it off target, this usually results in the shot being thrown wildly off target. (Again, why I don’t like the term trigger pull!)
Some people call this snatching the trigger or grabbing the shot, and it’s very common. If you’re trying to shoot accurately in double action but find a percentage of your shots hitting low and/or to the right (to the left if you’re a southpaw), you’re probably doing this. Many times instructors will diagnose a flinch when in reality the problem is trying to grab the shot.
The longer the shooter waits while attempting the shot, the worse the grab tends to be. It’s a psychological issue, not really a physical one. There is the desire to make the shot, and the brain – seeing the sights coming up to the aim point on the target – says “NOW! Come on, you schmuck, PULL that trigger NOW! Hurry, hurry, HURRY!” The shooter obliges, and the shot is off the point of aim – sometimes radically so.
Moving point of aim (MPA) gets us past that block. First, we acknowledge that we’re not going to hold the gun perfectly steady on a spot. Second, we understand that even if the gun is moving, as long as it’s moving inside of the target area we want to hit, we’ll hit it.
Let’s say that the target is a standard 8-1/2x11-inch sheet of copier paper, and any hit on that target is equal to any other hit. Stand 10 yards away and align your gun on that target. You can watch your sights wobble a bit, but let’s be even more generous – let your sights wander all over that sheet of paper, but not off of it. That’s a huge amount of movement, and controlling it is well within the capabilities of just about anyone.
As long as you stroke the trigger smoothly back, without imparting any further movement to the gun, no matter where your sights are on the target you’ll hit it. As long as your sights are somewhere, anywhere, on that piece of paper when the shot breaks, you’re going get a hit on target. It’s really that simple!
It makes perfect sense. If the gun’s ‘wobble zone’ is within the confines of the target and you can stroke the trigger without moving the gun, without steering it in any way, your shots cannot go anywhere but on the target. The key is watching the gun move as the trigger is smoothly stroked, paying more attention to the movement than to the trigger. Exactly when the shot breaks doesn’t matter, because the sights are always on target.
The importance of the smooth trigger stroke in this process should not be overlooked. Shooting well with a revolver really isn’t a matter of the perfect sight picture, it’s a matter of smooth trigger control. As this little experiment shows, the sights can be a surprisingly long way off and the shots will still hit the target, as long as the gun isn’t being thrown off target by an untrained trigger finger.
Need to shoot more precisely? Simply reduce your wobble zone.
One of the odd things about the human mind is that if you try to hold the gun perfectly still, think about holding it perfectly still, your gun will seem to wobble even more. It’s like seeing a pothole in the road and thinking “don’t hit the pothole, don’t hit the pothole.” What usually happens? You hit the pothole!
(Many years ago, when I first started riding motorcycles on the street, my instructor, a superb rider, pointed out this phenomenon. “Don’t look at where you don’t want to go, look at where you do want to go!” Moving point of aim is the same idea, just without the handlebars.)
It’s this natural tendency that you can use to your shooting advantage. If you tell your mind to “let the sights move all you want, as long as it’s within this particular area,” the brain will happily oblige. This might seem counterintuitive, but it works; you look at where you want the gun to be, not at where you don’t. Philosophically speaking, the brain will accept a limit if it’s thought of as a freedom (a very real concept that is all too familiar to social manipulators. They succeed because the idea works.)
How can we put this to use? Let’s take a smaller area, like the four-inch diameter x-ring of a Bianchi target, at that same 10-yard distance. If you tell yourself that it’s okay to move all you want as long as your sights stay in that four-inch circle, you’ll find that you have no problem holding the gun on target. Now all you need to do is watch your sights as they move around on the target, making sure they never stray outside, and stroke the trigger smoothly. If you’ve done this carefully, all of the shots should be inside that circle.
You can take this further. The tighter you want your groups to be, the smaller the area in which you allow your sights to move. Pay attention to the sight movement on the target and nothing else. The trigger stroke should be nearly automatic, and you really don’t care exactly when it happens because your sights are always in the target area, whatever its size.
This is key: you don’t care about the precise moment at which the gun fires because you’re not trying to catch the sights at the perfect time. Watch the sights, making sure they wobble inside the intended target area, and the rest is essentially autopilot.
Works with all sights
It doesn’t matter whether you’re focused on the target or on the sights, as you can see the sights move regardless. The ultimate precision of your alignment will probably be better if you can focus on the sights, but in my case I ironically find it easier to determine the target wobble area if I don’t. This is how, despite bad eyesight that doesn’t permit seeing the sights clearly, I can still shoot fairly precisely up to the distance that I can no longer see a well-defined target area.
This works with lasers, too. In fact it may be the best way to shoot with a laser, as most people see the exaggerated wobble of the dot and then make a huge effort to grab the shot. Just watch the laser dot on target and concentrate on making sure it stays within your desired target area while you smoothly stroke the trigger.
It’s a matter of the point of concentration. Most people align their sights then concentrate on getting the trigger stroke at just the right time. Moving point of aim turns that around and forces us to concentrate on keeping the gun on the target while we wait for the trigger finger to catch up. We don’t care when that is (within obvious limitations), and by taking that time pressure out of the equation we can shoot more precisely.
Correcting bad habits
Moving point of aim is a useful concept to help eliminate flinching as well. A true flinch is really a trigger grab motivated by the anxiety or anticipation of the gun going off (usually accompanied by closed eyes.) The concentration point of MPA is the mechanism by which a shooter can get past this problem.
Remember that the concentration in MPA is on the sight movement, not the trigger. By emphasizing this aspect the person with the flinch becomes preoccupied and doesn’t anticipate the gun firing.
When I encounter a student with this problem I take him or her aside and run through an MPA drill, emphasizing that I want them to concentrate on the sight movement, letting the sights move all they want but keeping them within that target area, and as they do that to let the finger compress the trigger smoothly. I don’t care when the shot goes off, and I coach them to keep watching the sights move on target even as the round fires. This is key! They have to watch the sights at all times, even as the gun goes off.
I’ve found that this seems to work better with a focus on the target, not the sights, but I’m not sure I can explain why. My theory is that there’s less anxiety when the student has a perception of lessened precision, despite the fact that they usually end up shooting better.
How do I know this works? Because it worked for me! I developed a severe flinch some years ago, a flinch that was situationally dependent: it only happened when I shot steel targets with a handgun. It started when I shot a match that used some beat-up Pepper Poppers.
Poppers are steel targets, shaped a little like fire hydrants, which fall down when hit. They’re usually made of 1/4-inch hardened steel plate, but not always. Some ranges try to get by with cheaper, softer steel, and as the targets are used they develop pock marks in their surface. Sometimes these are actually fairly deep divots, and in extreme cases the target bends. When new, the flat hard surface causes bullets to disintegrate and the pieces to be thrown aside, parallel to the target. This makes shooting safe, as nothing can bounce back toward the shooter. When worn, the combination of divots and misshapen surface causes pieces of the slugs to catch, sometimes being ricocheted back from where they came. For this reason steel targets should always be carefully inspected before use, and if there is any doubt as to their serviceability they should be retired.
At this match the poppers were dented and misshapen to the point that the range operator shouldn’t have allowed them to be used. I didn’t see them up close before I shot; if I had, I probably wouldn’t have participated.
The result was sadly predictable. Someone was shooting and caught a piece of ricocheted jacket material in his leg. Just a few rounds later a similar piece of shrapnel managed to make it past my safety glasses and lodge next to my eye. There was some blood but no permanent damage. No physical damage, that is, because from then on I couldn’t shoot a steel target without a blink and a flinch. I couldn’t convince myself that this was a fluke, a freak accident, and not all steel targets were inherently bad.
This was particularly painful to me because, up to that point, I loved shooting steel targets! There’s just something about the ‘clang’ that appeals to many shooters, and my self-imposed mental block kept me from doing what I enjoyed.
It wasn’t until I spent some time doing MPA drills that I was able to again shoot steel. I forced myself to concentrate on the sight movement instead of the fear of losing my eyesight and the desire to get the shot over with quickly, and that did the trick. I still have to consciously think about it when I shoot steel simply because of the depth of my irrational fear, but it enables me to overcome the anxiety and shoot.
I’ve used MPA drills on students who had unexplainable flinching issues, and it has always worked marvelously. That is, as long as he/she understands that MPA is a dominant shooting technique and not a one-time quick fix.
If you’re an instructor, this is a valuable addition to your bag of tricks.
This is an excerpt from the Gun Digest Book of the Revolver. To get a hard copy, visit gundigeststore.com. To learn more about revolvers visit gundigest.com.
BONUS MATERIAL: Cleaning and Maintenance Kit
8-inch bore rod (rotates to follow rifling – for barrels)
8-inch fixed rod (doesn’t rotate – for chambers)
Bronze bore brush, caliber-specific (buy several, they wear out)
Jag or nylon bore brush, caliber-specific (for running patches through barrel)
Bronze bore brush, one caliber size up - i.e., a .40 caliber for a .357 gun (for brushing chambers)
Bronze Tornado brush, caliber-specific (for cleaning leaded barrels)
Nylon bore brush, one size up (for running patches through chambers)
Toothbrush or ‘GI Toothbrush’ (general cleaning)
Patches, cotton twill (I prefer squares of appropriate size)
Chore Boy Pure Copper scrubbing pads (for cleaning leaded or very dirty bores, cylinder flutes)
Oiler with narrow, long spout
Cotton swabs
Bore cleaner of your choice (do not use copper removing cleaners)
Lubricating oil (light, prefer type with anti-wear and anti-oxidant properties)
Rust preventative, your choice (based on information in Chapter Ten)
Spare batteries for laser (if so equipped)
Gunsmith (hollow-ground) screwdrivers (to occasionally check screws for tightness)
“Ed’s Red’’ Bore Cleaner: Home-Mix Really Works
By C.E. ‘’Ed’’ Harris
Years ago I mixed my first Ed’s Red (ER) bore cleaner and hundreds of users have told me that they think this home-mixed cleaner is more effective than commercial products. I urge you to mix some and give it a fair trial, compared to whatever you have been using. Competitive shooters, gun clubs, and police departments who use a gallon or more of rifle bore cleaner annually can save by mixing their own, and they will give up nothing in safety or effectiveness.
This cleaner has an action very similar to standard military-issue rifle bore cleaner, such as Mil-C-372B. Users report it is more effective than Hoppe’s for removing plastic fouling in shotgun bores or caked carbon fouling in semi-automatic rifles or pistols, or in removing leading in revolvers. It is not as effective as Sweets 7.62, Hoppe’s Bench Rest Nine or Shooter’s Choice for fast removal of heavy copper fouling in rifle bores. However, because ER is more effective in removing caked carbon and abrasive primer residues than other cleaners, metal fouling is greatly reduced when ER is used on a continuing basis.
I originally came up with this mix because I am an active high power rifle competitive shooter and handloading experimenter who uses a lot of rifle bore cleaner. I was not satisfied with the performance and high price of commercial products. I knew there was no technical reason why an effective firearm bore cleaner couldn’t be mixed using common hardware store ingredients. The result is inexpensive, effective, and provides good corrosion protection and adequate residual lubrication so that routine oiling after cleaning is rarely necessary, except for long-term storage of over one year, or harsh service environments, such as saltwater exposure.
This formula is based on proven principles and incorporates two polar and two nonpolar solvents. It is adapted from the one in Hatcher’s Notebook for “Frankford Arsenal Cleaner No.18,” but substituting equivalent modern materials. I had the help of an organic chemist in doing this and we knew there would be no “surprises.” The original Hatcher formula called for equal parts of acetone, turpentine, Pratts Astral Oil, and sperm oil, and optionally 200 grams of anhydrous lanolin added per liter. Some discussion of the ingredients is helpful to understand the properties of the cleaner and how it works.
Pratts Astral oil was nothing more than acid free, deodorized kerosene. I recommend K1 kerosene of the type normally sold for use in indoor space heaters. Some users have reported successful substitution of civilian aviation grade kerosene such as Turbo-A. I am reluctant to recommend substitution of aviation grade kerosene, because the effects upon firearm components of the additives required in aviation fuels are unknown. Some jet fuels are gasoline/kerosene blends and absolutely should not be used because of their increased flammability.
An inexpensive, effective substitute for sperm oil is Dexron (II, IIe or III) automatic transmission fluid. Prior to about 1950 most ATFs were sperm oil based, but during WWII a synthetic was developed for use in precision instruments. With the great demand for automatic transmission autos after WWII, sperm oil was no longer practical to produce ATF in the quantity demanded, so the synthetic material became the basis for the Dexron fluids we know today. The additives in ATFs, which include organometallic antioxidants and surfactants, make it highly suitable for inclusion in an all-purpose cleaner-lubricant-preservative.
Hatcher’s original Frankford Arsenal No. 18 formula used gum spirits of turpentine. Because turpentine is expensive today, and is also an aromatic solvent, which is highly flammable, I chose not to use it. Safer and cheaper is aliphatic mineral spirits, a petroleum-based safety solvent used for thinning oil-based paints and also widely used as an automotive parts cleaner. It is commonly sold under the names odorless mineral spirits, Stoddard Solvent, or Varsol.
Acetone is included in ER to provide an aggressive, fast-acting solvent for caked powder residues. Because acetone is an aromatic, organic solvent, it is recommended that users leave it out if the cleaner will be used in enclosed spaces lacking forced air ventilation. The acetone in ER will evaporate, liberating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere unless containers are kept tightly closed when not in use. The cleaner is still effective without the acetone, but it is not as fast-acting.
There isn’t anything in Ed’s Red which chemically dissolves copper fouling in rifle bores, but it does a better job removing carbon and primer residue than anything else which is safe and commonly available. Numerous users have told me, that exclusive use of ER reduces copper deposits, because it removes the old impacted powder fouling which is left by other cleaners, which reduces the abrasion and adhesion of jacket metal to the bore surface, leaving a cleaner surface condition which reduces subsequent fouling. Experience seems to indicate that ER will actually remove metal fouling if you let it soak, so the surfactants will do the job, though you have to be patient.
Addition of the lanolin to ER bore cleaner mix is entirely optional. The cleaner works quite well and gives adequate corrosion protection and lubrication for most users without it. Incorporating the lanolin makes the cleaner easier on the hands, increases lubricity and film strength, and improves corrosion protection if weapons will be routinely exposed to salt air, water spray, industrial or urban corrosive atmospheres, or if you intend to use the cleaner as a protectant for long term storage of over one year.
If you use other protective films for adverse use or long term storage, you can leave the lanolin out and save about $8 per gallon. At current retail prices you can buy all the ingredients to mix ER, without the lanolin, for about $10 per gallon. I urge you to mix some yourself. I am confident it will work as well for you as it does for me and hundreds of users who got the recipe on the Fidonet Firearms Echo.
MIXING INSTRUCTIONS
Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean one-gallon, metal, chemical-resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA approved plastic gasoline storage containers are also okay. DO NOT use HDPE, which is permeable, because the acetone will eventually evaporate. The acetone in ER will also attack HDPE, causing the container to collapse, making a heck of a mess!
Add the ATF first. Use the empty container to measure the other components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate lanolin into the mixture, melt this carefully in a double boiler, taking precautions against fire. Pour the melted lanolin into a larger container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and stirring until it is all dissolved.
I recommend diverting a small quantity, up to four ounces. per quart of the 50-50 ATF/kerosene mix for optional use as an ER-compatible gun oil. This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the remaining mix.
LABEL AND NECESSARY SAFETY WARNINGS:
RIFLE BORE CLEANER CAUTION: FLAMMABLE MIXTURE HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
1. Flammable mixture. Keep away from heat, sparks or flame.
2. FIRST AID, If swallowed DO NOT induce vomiting, call physician immediately. In case of eye contact immediately flush thoroughly with water and call a physician. For skin contact wash thoroughly.
3. Use with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing vapors or spray mist. It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain and nervous system damage. If using in closed armory vaults lacking forced air ventilation, wear respiratory protection meeting NIOSH TC23C or equivalent. Keep container tightly closed when not in use.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
1. Open the firearm action and ensure the bore is clear. Cleaning is most effective when done while the barrel is still warm to the touch from firing. Saturate a cotton patch with bore cleaner, wrap or impale on jag and push it through the bore from breech to muzzle. The patch should be a snug fit. Let the first patch fall off and do not pull it back into the bore.
2. Wet a second patch, and similarly start it into the bore from the breech, this time scrubbing from the throat area forward in four- to five-inch strokes and gradually advancing until the patch emerges out the muzzle. Waiting approximately one minute to let the bore cleaner soak will improve its action.
3. For pitted, heavily carbon-fouled “rattle battle” guns, leaded revolvers or neglected bores a bronze brush wet with bore cleaner may be used to remove stubborn deposits. This is unnecessary for smooth, target-grade barrels in routine use.
4. Use a final wet patch pushed straight through the bore to flush out loosened residue dissolved by Ed’s Red. Let the patch fall off the jag without pulling it back into the bore. If you are finished firing, leaving the bore wet will protect it from rust for one year under average conditions.
5. If the lanolin is incorporated into the mixture it will protect the firearm from rust for up to two years. For longer term storage I recommend use of Lee Liquid Alox as a Cosmolene substitute. ER will readily remove hardened Alox or Cosmolene.
6. Wipe spilled Ed’s Red from exterior surfaces before storing the gun. While Ed’s Red is harmless to blue and nickel finishes, the acetone it contains is harmful to most wood finishes.
7. Before firing again, push two dry patches through the bore and dry the chamber, using a patch wrapped around a suitably sized brush or jag. First shot point-of-impact usually will not be disturbed by Ed’s Red if the bore is cleaned as described.
8. I have determined to my satisfaction that, when Ed’s Red is used exclusively and thoroughly, hot water cleaning is unnecessary after use of Pyrodex or military chlorate primers. However, if bores are not wiped between shots and are heavily caked from black powder fouling, hot water cleaning is recommended first to break up heavy fouling deposits. Water cleaning should be followed by a thorough flush with Ed’s Red to prevent after-rusting, which could result from residual moisture. It is ALWAYS good practice to clean TWICE, TWO DAYS APART whenever using chlorate primed ammunition, just to make sure you get all the corrosive residue out.
Sources
Grips
Altamont Inc.
P.O. Box 309
Thomasboro, IL 61878
(800) 626-5774
OEM grip supplier for S&W revolvers.
Hogue, Inc.
P.O. Box 1138
Paso Robles, CA 93447-1138
(800) GET-GRIP
Rubber & wood grips for a wide variety of revolvers.
Pachmayr - Div. of Lyman Products Corp.
475 Smith Street
Middletown, CT 06457
(800) 225-9626
Rubber, nylon grips for many revolvers.
Don Collins
7761 Lakewood Dr.
Unionville, IN 47468
http://www.collinscraftgrips.com
Custom gripmaker, works in wood, ivory, and Corian.
Craig Spegel
P.O. Box 387, Nehalem, OR 97131
(503) 368-5653
Grips from rare woods for S&W revolvers only, but he might make them for your Colt if you plead your case!
Eagle Grips
460 Randy Road
Carol Stream, IL 60188
(800) 323-6144
Grip manufacturer, makes wood & plastic grips for many hard-to-fit guns; one of the few to offer a selection of Ruger grips.
Herrett Stocks, Inc.
P.O. Box 741
Twin Falls, ID 83303-0741
(208)-733-1498
True custom-fit stocks at reasonable prices.
Blu Magnum Custom Grips
2605 East Willamette Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 632-2780
High end custom grips for S&W revolvers.
LB Custom Grips
The only custom gripmaker I know who works with Dan Wesson revolvers.
Gemini Customs - Marc Morganti
717 Botkins Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 226-1230
Grips for S&W and Ruger revolvers.
Less-lethal Training Ammunition
Code-Eagle
1741 Forrest Way
Carson City, NV 89706
(775) 885-9992
Industry Organizations
Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI)
11 Mile Hill Road
Newtown, Connecticut 06470-2539
(203) 426-4358
The source for technical information regarding any aspect of ammunition performance. Extensive website.
Revolver Competitions
Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA)
826 Metcalf Street PMB 73
Sedro Woolley, WA 98284
(360) 855-2245
International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE)
P.O. Box 6898
Los Osos, CA 93412
The only organization exclusively devoted to revolver competition
International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA)
2232 CR 719
Berryville, AR 72616
(870) 545-3886
United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA)
P.O. Box 811
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
(360) 855-2245
National Rifle Association
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
(800) 672-3888
International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association (IHMSA) Inc.
P.O. Box 95690
South Jordan, UT 84095
(801) 733-8423
Sights
XS Sight Systems
2401 Ludelle
Fort Worth, Texas 76105
(888) 744-4880
“Big Dot” Express handgun sights.
Champion Sights
The only direct replacement for Colt Python sights.
HiViz Sights
1941 Heath Parkway, Ste. #1
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(800) 589-4315
Fiber optic sight blades for many revolvers.
Bowen Classic Arms Corp.
P. O. Box 67
Louisville, TN 37777
(865) 984-3583
The most rugged adjustable rear sights for S&W and Ruger revolvers; front blades for select models and the best J-frame sights available.
Gemini Customs - Marc Morganti
717 Botkins Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 226-1230
Fiber optic & gold bead front sights for Ruger revolvers.
Tooltech Gunsight, Inc.
20 Church Street
Oxford, Michigan 48371
(248) 628-1811
Custom night sight installation for most revolvers.
SDM FABRICATING Inc.
3775 Foskett Road
Medina , Ohio 44256
(330) 723-3098
Gold bead and fiber optic front sights, rugged rear sights for S&W revolvers.
Cylinder & Slide, Inc.
245 E. 4th Street
Fremont, NE 68025
(402)721-4277
http://www.cylinder-slide.com/
Extreme Duty fixed rear sights for S&W revolvers.
Lasers
Crimson Trace Corporation
9780 SW Freeman Dr.
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(800) 442-2406
LaserGrips for many revolver models.
LaserLyte
101 Airpark Rd.
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
(928) 649-3201
Frame mounted lasers for S&W and Taurus revolvers.
Ammunition Carriers: Speedloaders, Moonclips, Strips
Safariland Inc.
3120 East Mission Blvd.
Ontario, CA 91761
(800) 347-1200
My favorite speedloaders.
Buffer Technologies
PO Box 105047
Jefferson City, MO 65110
(877) 628-3337
JET speedloaders.
Dade Speedloaders
Available only on eBay; search for ‘Dade speed loader.’
Bobby Mac
(646) 926-2622
Imports SL Variant speedloaders.
HKS Inc.
http://www.hksspeedloaders.com
Wide range of HKS speedloaders, available only through retailers.
Maxfire, Inc.
3650 South Pointe Circle Suite 205
Laughlin, Nevada 89029
(877) 546-8701
One-piece rubber speedloaders.
5-Star Firearms
41666 N. Sheridan Road
Zion, IL 60099
(847) 731-7898
Aluminum billet speedloaders for a wide range of revolvers.
Ranch Products
PO Box 145
Malinta, OH 43535
(313) 277-3118
Moonclip manufacturer - wide range of sizes, very established company.
TK Custom
404 Fox Ridge Dr
Rantoul, IL 61866-1466
(217) 893-1035
Moonclip and accessory manufacturer, moonclip modifications to existing revolvers.
Bianchi International
A Division of Safariland
(800) 347-1200
The original SpeedStrip ammo carrier/reloading device.
Tuff Products Inc.
877-883-3776
QuickStrips ammo carrier/reloading device; available in wide range of calibers, sizes.
Rust Preventatives
Warren CustomOutdoor Products
3034 Aris St. NW
Warren, Ohio 44485-1601
(330) 898-1475
http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/
EEzox brand rust preventatives, cleaners, greases.
PMS Products Inc.
76 Veterans Dr. #110
Holland, Michigan 49423
(800) 962-1732
Exclusive producer of original Boeshield T9 rust preventative.
Birchwood Laboratories, Inc.
7900 Fuller Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
800.328.6156
http://www.birchwoodcasey.com/
RIG rust inhibiting grease.
Engravers
Firearms Engravers Guild of America (FEGA)
1452 Ivanhoe Rd.
Ludington, MI 49431
(616) 929-6146
Holsters
These are just some of the holsters that have caught my eye; the list is by no means inclusive.
AKJ Concealco
PO Box 134
Rupert, Idaho 83350
(208) 436-7828
Can fit a large number of revolver models; my oldest holster, still in daily use after more than a decade, is a Concealco.
Black Hills Leather
410 W. Aurora, Dept. WWW
Laredo, TX, 78041
(956) 712-9434
One of the better ‘corporate’ holster companies.
Brigade Gunleather
33301 Osawatomie Rd.
Osawatomie, KS 66064
(888) 600-2377
http://www.brigadegunleather.com
One of the few makers to offer a decently designed IWB for revolvers.
Haugen Handgun Leather
(701) 255-0723
http://haugenhandgunleather.com
Their Model 23 holster is one of the best tunnel-loops made for revolvers.
K.L. Null Holsters LTD.
161 School Street N.W.
Resaca, GA 30735
(706) 625-5643
http://www.klnullholsters.com/
Produces the SKR, one of the more unique shoulder holsters available, and my favorite gun belt.
Mernickle Custom Holsters
1875 View Court
Fernley, Nevada 89408
(775) 575-3166
Comes recommended by many of my clients.
Tauris Holsters
10 Compton Road
New Hartford, New York 13413
(315) 735-0530
One of the best selections of revolver holsters, including belt, pocket, and field models.
K&D Holsters
P.O. Box 4192
Plant City, FL 33563
(813) 659-3456
Offers an above-average number of revolver holsters to fit a wide range of models. Quality construction.
Pocket Concealment Systems
PO Box 10271
Baltimore, MD 21234
(410) 426-9004
Largest range of pocket holsters for revolvers.
Diamond D Custom Leather
3800 East Wickersham Way
Wasilla, AK 99654
(907) 631-4212
http://www.diamonddcustomleather.com
Makes a well designed and constructed tunnel loop holster for revolvers.
Tucker Gunleather
7027 Concho St. Ste. 100
Houston, TX 77074
(713) 267-4822
http://www.tuckergunleather.com
Several revolver only holsters in the line.
J.W. O’Rourke Leather Products
PO Box 1296,
Hartselle, AL 35640
(256) 751-3387
IWB, OWB, pocket holsters; one of the few who will make holsters for the Colt Python.
Winthrop Holsters, LLC
14837 Detroit Ave #316
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
(800)-216-3217
http://www.winthropholsters.com
IWB and OWB models; fits a limited number of revolvers.
Cleaning Products
Chore-Boy Products
(866) 288-0414
http://www.choreboyscrubbers.com
Makes the Chore Boy Ultimate Scrubber from pure copper knit.
Outers Gun Care
N5549 County Trunk Z
Onalaska, WI 54650
(800) 635-7656
Cleaners, oils, protectants, cleaning kits. The old standby.
Hoppe’s: A Division of Bushnell Outdoor Products
9200 Cody
Overland Park, KS 66214
(800) 423-3537
Makes Tornado brushes and the best-known bore cleaner in the country.
Lewis Lead Remover
A Product of Brownell’s Inc.
200 South Front Street
Montezuma, Iowa 50171
800-741-0015
Lead Away Cloth
A Product of Kleen-Bore, Inc.
13386 International Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218
(800) 433-2909
Kleen-Bore makes a huge variety of cleaning products including rods, brushes, and cleaners.
J. Dewey Manufacturing
PO Box 2014
Southbury, CT 06488
(203) 264-3064
My favorite cleaning rods and brushes; one of the few sources for solid chamber rods.
Checkering
Pat Taylor Custom Checkering
1655 S. Elm St., Unit 112
Canby, OR. 97013
503-266-3684
Sherry Abraham
P.O. BOX 196
Colton, Oregon 97017
Barrel Porting
Mag-na-port International, Inc.
41302 Executive Drive
Harrison Township, Michigan 48045-1306
(586) 469-6727
The old standby for porting barrels, and still among the best.
Gemini Customs - Marc Morganti
717 Botkins Lane
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 226-1230
Only approved source for Jack Weigand’s ‘Hybra-Port’ system.
Bellybands/Holster Shirts
DeSantis Holsters
DeSantis Holster & Leather Goods Co.
431 Bayview Avenue
Amityville, NY 11701
(631) 841-6300
http://www.desantisholster.com
Bellybands available in black & tan.
Ace Case Manufacturing, LLC
160 North Main Street
St. Clair, MO 63077
(636) 629-4994
Bellybands made in white & black.
Kramer Handgun Leather
P.O. Box 112154
Tacoma, WA 98411
(253) 564-6652
Makers of The Confidant Shirt Holster.
5.11, Inc.
4300 Spyres Way
Modesto, CA 95356
(209) 527-4511
Makes a very form-fitting Holster Shirt; will carry heavier guns than others.
Gun Parts, Accessory, and Supplies Retailers
Brownell’s Inc.
200 South Front Street
Montezuma, Iowa 50171
800-741-0015
Brownell’s carries just about everything! Largest selection of tools, parts, and accessories.
Midway USA
5875 West Van Horn Tavern Rd.
Columbia, MO 65203
(800) 243-3220
Ammo, reloading supplies, accessories, parts - the shooting industry’s answer to ‘one-stop shopping.’
Lubricants
Lubriplate Lubricants Co.
129 Lockwood Street
Newark, New Jersey 07105
(973) 589-9150
The best selection of highest quality lubricants.
Women’s Resources
The Cornered Cat
Kathy Jackon’s online treasure trove of information for women who want to shoot.
Women & Guns Magazine
A Publication of the Second Amendment Foundation
12500 NE 10th Place
Bellevue, WA 98005
(425) 454-7012
The only magazine in the world written and edited by women gunowners for women gunowners.