Revolvers for competition?

[erwos]

Deerassassin22, just looked up that S&W 625! What a nice revolver!

The 625 PC/JM, 627 PC, 929, R8/TRR8, and Ruger Super GP100 are all really beautiful guns that have suitability for competition.

Ultimately, though, revolvers in competition are pretty stagnant right now. Very few people shooting them and MDs don't want them (except in ICORE), so you wind up with very little desire to improve the ruleset - and what little there is gets shouted down by people who don't want to change their equipment to deal with the new rules (optics? NEIN!). No one shoots anything besides 625s (or maybe full power 357s through 627s) in IDPA seriously because they absolutely do not want to deal with speedloaders. Speedloaders are garbage on the clock compared to moonclips. Everyone knows it. And the hit you take from shooting major PF simply doesn't compare.

Similarly, if you're not running a 929 (or maybe a Super GP100 9mm) in USPSA, you're running at a real disadvantage. Those extra two rounds between reloads more than make up for the power factor difference.

I'm looking forward to shooting some revo this year, but I'm realistic about the state of these divisions... which is not great.

 

[deerassassin22]

The 625 PC/JM, 627 PC, 929, R8/TRR8, and Ruger Super GP100 are all really beautiful guns that have suitability for competition.

Ultimately, though, revolvers in competition are pretty stagnant right now. Very few people shooting them and MDs don't want them (except in ICORE), so you wind up with very little desire to improve the ruleset - and what little there is gets shouted down by people who don't want to change their equipment to deal with the new rules (optics? NEIN!). No one shoots anything besides 625s (or maybe full power 357s through 627s) in IDPA seriously because they absolutely do not want to deal with speedloaders. Speedloaders are garbage on the clock compared to moonclips. Everyone knows it. And the hit you take from shooting major PF simply doesn't compare.

Similarly, if you're not running a 929 (or maybe a Super GP100 9mm) in USPSA, you're running at a real disadvantage. Those extra two rounds between reloads more than make up for the power factor difference.

I'm looking forward to shooting some revo this year, but I'm realistic about the state of these divisions... which is not great.

I shot revolver because it was fun and more of a challenge you have to know how to reload better you have to stage playing better and you have to aim and shoot better When you’re forced to clean plate racks one for one it’ll transition over to any other gun

 

[w2kbr]

what Hi STANDARDS said: Precision pistol aka Bullseye and distinguished Revolver..25 and 50 yards, slow, timed, and rapid fire. lots of practice to become proficient.
22lr and center fire.. Worth the effort

 

[photoracer]

I have owned a few revolvers. Most were my wife's and when she passed away I sold them all and decided I would pickup a 9mm if chance placed one in front of me for sale. It did. A few years later my LGS had a S&W 986 in the used display case. So I bought it, and lots of moonclips. Did some mods on it myself , just enough so it would still shoot OTC ammo, about 2 lbs. off the trigger. Shot it in USPSA type steel matches at North Mountain and at MPC steel matches. Have not shot it in awhile due to concentrating on rimfire and PCC, but still plan on shooting it in Steel Challenge.

 

[Blacksmith101]

The toughest competition of all shoot against yourself and move that target out from 50 to 100yds. Think it can't be done read Elmer Kieth's book.

 

[erwos]

Sooooo, I got back to this project. Bought a few IDPA moonclip holders from a dude on benos, and ordered a belt/Alpha-X holster/8x holders for USPSA. Now, I can technically compete at all of it. I need to do a little more practice before I'd feel comfortable with it, but I might run the 625 in IDPA soon.

 

[Magnumite]

I love shooting revolver. But I rarely do anymore (except for fun) because where there are divisions for revolvers people just do not show up with revolver…at least on club level. Heck, I remember registering for revolver class and being the only one to sign for the revo division.

Revolvers don’t give away much in a pin match because if you have to reload (with either auto or revolver in respective divisions) you pretty much just shot a throw away run. I shot my 5.5” Redhawk with great success shooting pins and Hunter’s Pistol Silhouette. But for an IDPA/USPSA/steel it would be a Smith 4” 625…IF there were good revolver turnouts. Otherwise it would just sit in the safe.

Cowboy Action…refused it before I ever started it…equipment outlay is high and I don’t care to costume.

 

[photoracer]

OP probably knows this, but for the benefit of everyone else, it totally depends on what competition we're talking about. (I don't know shit about SASS, sorry / not sorry.) ICORE is functionally non-existent in MD and NoVA. Heard there's maybe a new club in Yorktown. ICORE allows most anything in centerfire to my understanding.

IDPA has three revolver divisions. Stock revolver is the usual rimmed rounds using speedloaders, max 4" barrel and 6 in the cylinder, no moonclips. Enhanced revolver is .357 or larger (aka, no 9mm), but moonclips are OK. Still 4" barrel max and 6 in the cylinder. BUG-R is 2.5" (or less) snubbies with five (or less) in the cylinder, 26oz or less, rimmed rounds / no moonclips (must be .38 Special or greater).

USPSA has one revolver division. Max of six in the cylinder if you're running major PF, max of eight if minor. Steel Challenge is similar, except there's an optics revolver division (OSR) that lets you run optics and comps.

The reason I bring this up is because revolvers that are top-end competitive for USPSA (S&W 929, Ruger Super GP100 9mm, maybe the S&W 986) are not even legal in IDPA. Guys who are serious about running wheelguns in popular competition own a few types of revos, and going to a good smith for work is basically a necessity.

Back to the OP: ICORE is what you want. You will never be top-end competitive even in IDPA with a revolver. I would suggest that you just learn to live with being way down in the overalls and focus on that one other guy you're shooting against in your division. Ruger GP100 in .38 Special should be legal for everything, though, provided your ammo makes power factor (which is a real concern with .38 Special).

Steel Challenge has 2 revolver divisions, Optical Sight Revolver (OSR) and Iron Sight Revolver (ISR) Not sure what limitations and allowances are there. SC has 5 plate steel stages and while you can use a 6 shooter most use 7 or 8 round revolvers.
Monocacy Pistol Club in Frederick has a Revolver Steel event (or did as I left the club after the pandemic). You can also shoot a revolver in their regular falling steel and speed steel events, and in their bowling pin events (real bowling pins).

 

[photoracer]

ICORE and revolver division of idpa. I own a few. I like shooting them as the long double action pull really forces good control. A single action semi practically shoots itself. Striker fired or dao semi would be in the middle.

Shot bowling pin with a 1911 and a 44 wheelgun. The problem seems to be finding a place where the targets are actually pins as opposed to some kind of goofy plastic or steel targets. The trick with pins is there is a relatively small area that must be hit to take them three feet back off the table. The more powerful the gun, the larger that area gets.

Monocacy Pistol Club in Frederick shoots a real monthly bowling pin match from March to November every year. Separate setups for centerfire and rimfire pistols but both shoot full sized bowling pins. Rimfire pins are set about 4" from the back of the table and centerfire ones are on 2 different levels around 2 feet from the back of the tables. I normally shot rimfire but also did .41 MAG and .45ACP.