Did the Accuracy & Power tests on both my SAA's (hmmm)

[Marc.RG1]

Hi guys

A few hours ago i did the accuracy & power tests on both my umarex colt SAA peacemakers, which gave me some interesting results i much say..

First of nice picture i think..

http://i60.tinypic.com/i2lhue.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/30tqvys.jpg

Well the tests i did were, chrony and accuracy tests with H&N Copper coated lead BB's, Gamo lead balls and umarex steel BB's and a total shot count, all with both guns, and i did get some interesting results i think..

First of then chrony results.
Antique SAA
Umarex Steel BB's: (5.4grain) 404.6 fps - 400.6 fps - 398.1 fps
H&N Copper Coated Lead BB's: (7.4grain) 348.7 fps- 347.6 fps - 342.4 fps
Gamo Lead Balls: (8.18grain) 330.1 fps - 326.6 fps - 325.1 fps

Nickel SAA
Umarex Steel BB's: (5.4grain) 394.1 fps - 391.6 fps - 385.7 fps
H&N Copper Coated Lead BB's: (7.4grain) 344.3 fps - 340.6 fps - 334.6 fps
Gamo Lead Balls: (8.18grain) 318.9 fps - 315.6 fps - 313.1 fps

Reasonable FPS with quite good consistency, the Antique version seem to shoot a little hotter but i think that could be the shells, but that much difference in FPS is nothing really, both guns also gave me around 90 shots per Co2 capsule as well..

Now for what i found to be most interesting and fun to do, the shooting accuracy tests..

Ok in both guns i used gamo lead balls just once, i found them to group ok at 18ft but they was the least consistently accurate and shoot lower so i decided to stop using them, plus the graphite lube makes the inner barrel dirty fast..

Right the Nickel version first then, same tests 18ft distance with the gun semi rested on a sand back, i did 6 targets of 6 shots for each ammo type and took the best results..

I found, like a few of you H&N copper coated lead BB's to work well and ''MAY'' have been a little more accurate then the umarex steel BB's but really it was too hard to call, i found them to be as consistently as accurate as each other in a way, but because of the price difference ill be sticking with umarex steel BB's..

lets show you the target then for the Nickel SAA with H&N copper coated BB's and Umarex Steel BB's..
As you can see both were reasonably accurate, i think once i master the sights the groupings might get a little tighter.. The H&N BB's had a tighter grouping horizontally but the Umarex steel BB's had a tighter grouping vertically, was it me? or was it the BB? only more tests and time will tell that, but either way im happy with both results on the Nickel SAA..

http://i59.tinypic.com/ms15bl.jpg

Now then, now the Antique version of the SAA, i got slightly different results, on every target i did and no matter what BB's i was using i had one or two fliers, Not a problem if your not a fussy twit like me or hitting cans, but yeah when your hitting scoring targets you dont want that lol.. Apart from the flier on each target, it was still a reasonable grouping, i did also find once again that the H&N and umarex BB's performed basically the same..

http://i62.tinypic.com/2u44g94.jpg

So then i thought, ok these fliers cant be me right? they have too be either the barrel or the cartridges, so i put the cartridges from the Nickel SAA in to the Antique SAA and i had no fliers at all..


http://i57.tinypic.com/xc21w9.jpg

So one or two of the shells from the Antique gun causes fliers.. So now im thinking buy some new shells and maybe sell these ones, or just keep them aside for plinking, because im just to fussy to know that i have 1 or 2 shells that can cause a flier when score card shooting, lol

All in all though im happy with how both guns performed and had a good evening shooting them, roll on tuesday so i can take them both to gun club and do some plinking..
ATB, Marc..

[magnummike]

Nice test Marc I'm getting one flyer all the time with my Colt and thought it maybe a rouge shell Ive bought 6 the other day so will identify and replace it ATB Mike

[Geezer]

Marc,

This used to happen with the old (now banned) Brocock guns.

Each cartridge varies in tolerances. So you'd end up with a little pile of good ones, a little pile of not so good ones, and a little pile of ones that didn't work at all. Then you'd rebuild the not good ones and the not working ones and test again, and put them in new little piles.

If you were me, at some point you would say "sod this" and shoot something more reliable.

At least for the SAA, cartridges are currently plentiful and fairly cheap. So a big pile of good ones shouldn't be too hard to acquire.

I imagine this also affects the MkVI, Nagant, Dan Wesson, Python, etc. Interested to hear if it does.

[jassi]

Marc,

This used to happen with the old (now banned) Brocock guns.

Each cartridge varies in tolerances. So you'd end up with a little pile of good ones, a little pile of not so good ones, and a little pile of ones that didn't work at all. Then you'd rebuild the not good ones and the not working ones and test again, and put them in new little piles.

If you were me, at some point you would say "sod this" and shoot something more reliable.

At least for the SAA, cartridges are currently plentiful and fairly cheap. So a big pile of good ones shouldn't be too hard to acquire.

I imagine this also affects the MkVI, Nagant, Dan Wesson, Python, etc. Interested to hear if it does.

I noticed years ago that the bores in the DW cylinder varied slightly and that one was always slightly undersized compared with the others. While the difference was small, it might go some way to explaining flyers, particularly if an oversize bore coincided with an undersize cartridge.

The Webley shows the same variability, though I haven't checked the SAA

[Marc.RG1]

Hi Mike thank you for the comment mate..

Fingers crossed with the new shells you will be able to eliminate that flier, i have just ordered another set of shells to..
i think i will still keep the other set that i get a flyer with because even with the flyer it would still hit a tin can no problem at 20+ft, but when we want that 1'' or 1.5'' grouping, we cant accept that flyer a.. lol

[Josie & John]

I used to own a Uberti TAC fiting Cattleman, which with its case hardened frame was probably better made than the original Colts! As nice as it was, you could never rely on the TACs, which took a lot of messing with and often misfired. The Umarex Colt is more accurate and more consistent than the Uberti was, despite the latter's edge on power. Give me accuracy and consistency over power any day.

John

[Benelli B76]

We were shooting ours at our forest range Friday. I noticed that the cartridges are a lose fit in the chambers and slightly tip down with gravity at the exit end opposite the flash gap. Has anybody tried centralising the cartridges somehow with PTFE tape or suchlike ? You can do this with the Colt as the cartridges can be kept in place when loading bbs. Accuracy could then be improved.

Baz

[Benelli B76]

We were shooting ours at our forest range Friday. I noticed that the cartridges are a lose fit in the chambers and slightly tip down with gravity at the exit end opposite the flash gap. Has anybody tried centralising the cartridges somehow with PTFE tape or suchlike ? You can do this with the Colt as the cartridges can be kept in place when loading bbs. Accuracy could then be improved.

Baz

I took the silence as a "no" and have just done it myself. One layer of Stadium PTFE tape at the front of the cartridge and one layer at the back tightens the fit in the chamber. Off to church now so will have to test grouping when I get home.

Baz