PART TWO - Range Report and NAA Customer Service Report - With Photos

[timonbass]

(continued)

   

   After I posted in Buy-Sell-Trade about a Mini in .17, I heard from Forum member Grayelky. Good news – he owns a gun shop about 10 minutes from me. Bad news (for my wallet) he owns a gun shop about 10 minutes from me.

   

   I stopped by and met him the day I shipped the .22 LR back to NAA, and I returned a few days later to pick up the .22 Short Mini he had in his display case at the shop. He had a good price on it and I wanted the littlest Mini, so we never talked price – and I didn't pay attention to the final price until I got home and discovered that he knocked 10 percent off the price tag he had on the gun!

   

   I didn't expect that, but I appreciate it a great deal – and hope that any of you who can will do business with him. Thanks again Grayelky!

   

   So, the .22 Short went to the range for the first time yesterday when I took the repaired .22 LR. CCI is the only .22 Short ammo I was able to find locally – 29-grain copper-plated RN at 1,080 fps, and 27-grain copper-plated HP at 1,105 fps.  

   

   I fired four cylinders (20 rounds of each), and they were all over the place – and a few of each keyholed. It never occurred to me to try a cylinder of each in the .22 LR just for comparison; I'll do that next time I head to the range.

   

   At this point, I'm going to pick up Aguila, Remington and Winchester .22 Short ammo to see whether I can get any of them to group better than the two CCI loads I tried.  

   

   I suppose the overall length of the .22 Short revolver (3 5/8 inches to the .22 LR's 4 inches) could be affecting the groups. The grip (and, as a result, my holding of the Short) is identical to the LR, however, so I wasn't holding the guns any differently. The overall-length difference is a result of the shorter cylinder in the .22 Short model.

   

   Many years ago when I lived in the Kansas City area, I was blessed with the chance to get to know the chief ballistician for Hodgdon, and to visit their ballistics lab multiple times. I learned many things during those visits – the most important of which is that every gun does, indeed, prefer certain ammo.  

   

   I'm confident that I know what to expect with the Winchester Varmint HE round in the .22 LR – if I do my part. I hope to reach that same level of confidence with the .22 Short.

   

   I'll close with a picture of my first two Minis – definitely not my last. I've already received a quote from Jessica on a Pug with a custom serial number! And, of course, there is that ever-elusive Mini in .17....

   

   {guns}image

   

   Tim

[timonbass]

Trying to post the picture again; don't know why it didn't work.

   

   

[timonbass]

Louie - From Part One of my post:

   

   "NOTE – I'm providing the velocities for all the rounds mentioned in this post just so folks will know exactly which loads I'm referring to; I realize muzzle velocity out of a 1.125-inch Mini barrel is far lower."

   

   Yes ... I do know the posted velocities are NOT for a Mini revolver.

   

   Tim

[keith44]

short barrel mini LR with a wasp hammer and standard fluted cylinder...can't decide if I like it, or really like it...

   

   Congrats on finding Grayelky so close to you...

   My condolences for finding Grayelky so close to you

   

   ;)

[louiethelump]

Sorry, I missed that..............

[timonbass]

No worries, Louie. I just thought I should note the published (on the packaging) velocity ratings so folks would know exactly which ammo I used.

[blitzkrieger]

You can shoot all the different ammo you can find to shoot and still be all over a target with a "standard" mini until you have finally found that sweet spot on the front sight (definetly no where near the top, at least for mine). Tis why I modified mine. Although these were not made for distance accuracy by any means, doing so and experiencing positive results is an entertaining challenge all in its own. But yes, as with most guns, certain ammo performs better than others. As far as .22 lr, "almost" everything out there outperforms remington golden bullet. lol