Range Report

[Rimfire]

Went to NRA HQ in Fairfax, VA yesterday and spent a few minutes at their excellent range. Photo shows results of 15 rounds of CCI Maxi-Mag .22 WMR 40-gr solids fired from my Sidewinder offhand at 14 feet, consistent 6 o?clock hold on black. All except one hit the black, most hit left, and all show keyholing. I?m not a particularly good pistol shot, so I?m happy with the accuracy.

What I?m not happy with is that there were two failures to fire in the middle of the string. The two rounds fired on the second try. My Sidewinder has had about 300 rounds through it, with now four FTFs. It?s disappointing, because it makes this nice little gun unacceptable as a defensive firearm: it?s got to go bang when the trigger?s pulled or it?s nothing but a toy. I?ll clean it good and try again.

[bearcatter]

Over the long term, you'll never get 100% with a rimfire. Your results are good, 296 out of 300 is about 98.7 percent. I wouldn't blame the gun. Even the best rimfire ammo has an occasional dud, that will often fire on a second strike. Did you check for good firing pin strikes on the duds?

So far as that goes, even centerfire can FTF with a good strike, though that's more rare.

Iffy rimfire ignition is the reason I carry .32. I'd carry .25, but the ammo is too hard to find, worse than .32.

[billmeek]

I'd suggest trying another premium ammo such as Speer Gold Dot Short Barrel.  I've shot a few hundred rounds of it thru my NAAs and so far (knock on wood) have yet for a round to not go "bang"! 

[Rex T. Dog]

That is not bad shooting...I'm reading your target a little different, looks like a half dozen rounds were beginning to keyhole, not quite sideways yet at that range...totally understand your worry at having to hit a few rounds of that ammo twice...we shot a whole box of the same ammo last week without incidence, but .22, even .22wmr, can have failures...I tend to agree the Speer and Hornady ammo has been flawless, at least so far for us, but of course the next round could go phfft...ymmv...