Category Archives: Customizing

Three-Part Plan

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Dick Williams| Leave a comment
Published in “Shooting Illustrated” June 2007
 

At the age of seven it became apparent that I was destined for a lifelong love affair with firearms.  There would be other even greater loves in my life, but my interest in guns has never faltered and remains a dominant force these many decades later.  For almost that entire time, my focus has been on recreational rather  than tactical uses of guns.  Unfortunately, the world is not as safe or friendly a place as it used to be.  As a younger man. I kept a loaded handgun in the house, but unless there was some kind of civil disturbance or unrest underway, I rarely risked breaking the law by carrying a handgun in my vehicle.  Today, many citizens believe quick access to a self-defense firearm is nothing more than good, common sense.

In the mid-’80s, Florida enacted the greatest piece of firearms legislation since the Second Amendment. That state made it crystal clear that no one could deny an honest citizen the right to carry a concealed weapon. Many states followed Florida’s lead with similar laws, including those recognizing concealed-carry permits from other states. The majority of states now have “shall issue” laws, while others that have not passed such legislation still have provisions for their citizens to be granted concealed-carry permits.
It may come as a surprise to many shooters to know that in California it is still possible to obtain a concealed-carry permit, depending on where you live in the state. This apparent contradiction of California’s anti-gun law reputation exists because permit approval is left to the discretion of the applicant’s senior local law enforcement official. If you live in Los Angeles or San Francisco, don’t bother applying. Those bastions of personal security and welfare simply don’t grant permits to average citizens. But in many communities and counties, permits are issued to citizens who have presented a viable reason to carry, attended mandatory training and passed the required tests. It’s not as good as a “shall issue” environment, but it’s far better than a “won’t issue” state.
Fortunately, I live in a California county whose sheriff ran for office promising to make concealed-carry permits available to us common folk, and to date he has kept that promise. I’ve submitted an application for a concealed-carry permit, and in the process have encountered the kind of dilemma a gun writer dreams of. California allows a maximum of three guns to be listed on the permit, and the bearer of it is prohibited from carrying any gun not listed. For years I have avoided the classic “if I could only have one gun” dialog. But if I were allowed to choose three guns, maybe I could get through the exercise and generate only a minimal amount of hate mail.
Wilson Combat CQB

Proven design and a record of superb stopping power gives the Wilson Combat CQB in .45 ACP high credentials as a primary concealed-carry pistol. A slightly shorter 4-inch barrel makes it easier to carry than the standard 5-inch barrel of a full-size 1911.

 
Concealed Considerations
An immediate thought was to pick the “best” gun and follow that up by choosing two almost identical guns for backup. This would ensure I always had the optimum gun available regardless of possible downtime for such mundane things as repairs or modifications to the primary firearm. There would be no retraining on handling procedures when switching guns, and I could use the same accessory gear no matter what gun I carried. I mulled this strategy over for some time because it made a great deal of sense and offered a solution with the utmost simplicity. It also defined the type of firearm I would carry, because if there would only be one kind of gun, it would be the one with which I am most familiar and proficient. That meant I would have three 1911s in various configurations and sizes, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. But ultimately I discarded this approach, thinking that since this would be a concealed-carry gun. there would be situations and dress codes that might suggest a different firearm in order to maximize concealment and carrying comfort.
This change in approach made it easier to choose the type of gun that would be number two on the license. With some kind of 1911 as number one. the second choice would be a pocket pistol of the utmost simplicity. It could be carried anywhere on my person for a reasonable period of time without fear of discharge and would function with absolute reliability simply by pulling the trigger and if there was a failure to fire, another pull of the trigger would be all that was required. You’ve probably guessed that I’m talking about a small-frame revolver, with only the model and caliber to be determined.
My thoughts on the third gun didn’t start to gel until I took one of the training classes that California mandates in order to obtain the permit. My instructor was Bill Murphy, an active-duty California police officer and head of the SureFire Institute’s low-light training program. He did not tell the students what gun they should carry, but he strongly advised our alternate guns function the same way as the primary firearm with which we trained. Murphy’s key message was that during moments of stress we do not rise to new levels of performance, rather we revert to our basic training. If you trained with a Glock or Springfield Armory XD. for example, and had to deal with an emergency using a gun with an external safety, you would probably forget to deactivate the safety and try to fire just by pulling the trigger, because that was how you had trained. Such an error, however short lived, could prove fatal. It became clear my third gun would have to be a 1911. but probably tailored to different circumstances than my primary.
 
Number 1 Gun
More than a year ago. I wrote an article on Wilson Combat’s CQB entitled “The Perfect IDPA Pistol” (November 2005) in which I stated the CQB would make an excellent concealed-carry handgun. The CQB became my pick for the first and primary handgun on my concealed-carry permit, and while no man ever needs to defend his choice of a Wilson Combat pistol for his self-defense gun. I will review some of my thinking during the original evaluation.
This pistol was absolutely reliable, first shot, every shot, regardless of the ammo I used. Its barrel is 4 inches long, and it’s 5.4 inches high, making it easier to hide than a full-size 1911. However, since the gun is steel it is not unpleasant to shoot serious self-defense loads.
The CQB has excellent, fixed Combat Pyramid sights with tritium inserts, and all sharp edges have been rounded and smoothed. Its trigger is a crisp and repeatable 4 1/2 pounds. Though the colors are not particularly important, the Armor-Tuff finish does protect the OD green frame and black slide from corrosion. The feed ramp is polished, the barrel is throated, the frontstrap and flat main spring housing are checkered, and the magazine well is beveled. There is a high-ride beavertail grip safety and an extended tactical ejector.
Wilson offers two magazine sizes, a feature I particularly like. The standard seven-round magazine fits almost flush, while the eight-round spare magazine extends slightly below the grip frame. This allows concealed carry of the gun with eight rounds (seven in the magazine and one up the spout), and provides eight more in each tucked-away backup magazine.
While shooting three Black Hills .45 ACP jacketed hollow point loads (185, 200 and 230 grains), the lighter bullets printed dead-on at 25 yards and the 230-grain slugs hit about an inch left. I’d call that street-ready.
 
Backup Made Better
Smith and Wesson Model 442 and Model 340PD

Smith & Wesson's Model 442 (right) weighs just 3 ounces more than the company's Model 340PD and is nearly half the price of the top-tier .357 Magnum. The author plowed that savings into an XS Big Dot front sight, along with some refinements and an action job from Cylinder 8 Slide.

Nothing is as inherently reliable as a revolver, and while I normally prefer the large-frame magnums, concealed carry dictates something smaller. Since this was to be the go-in-any-pocket gun. and therefore would not be supported by a belt or other type of body harness, lightweight was the order of the day. Smith & Wesson makes some very light snub-nose revolvers, and then it makes some insanely light snub-nose revolvers. I say “insanely light” because when you touch off a full-house .357 Magnum in an 12-ounce scandium-frame revolver, you’ll start thinking only an insane person would do such a thing. In a moment of stress you might not immediately notice how painful the recoil is. but you will during practice sessions. Even if you minimize your practice. California requires that permit holders shoot 75 rounds through each handgun listed on the permit. I’m a big believer in handgun practice, so selecting the revolver and caliber required some serious thought.

Since this was a pocket gun. I wanted a hammerless model. The Smith & Wesson website shows two interesting candidates. One is the top-of-the-line Model 340PD. a scandium-frame .357 Magnum weighing 12 ounces. The other is the Model 442, an aluminum-frame .38 Special weighing 15 ounces. That’s not much difference in weight, but you can feel it when holding the gun in your hand or in your pocket. I’m not sure if the extra few ounces would make a difference in firing .357 Magnum loads, since the slightly heavier gun is rated for .38 +P. not .357. The real noticeable difference is in the price, with the scandium .357 retailing for several hundred dollars more than the aluminum .38. I made a decision and sent the Model 442 off to Bill Laughridge at Cylinder & Slide to work his magic.
The fixed sights on a snub-nose revolver are rudimentary at best. Even with the red insert in the front blade of the Model 340PD. I could barely see the sights in daylight. I couldn”t see anything in low light. The first change Laughridge made was to install an XS Sight Systems Big Dot Tritium front sight on the Model 442. Given the minimal space at the rear of the topstrap and shallow trough that was the rear sight. Laughridge rounded out the channel so the Big Dot nestled nicely into the enlarged half-moon notch. Without my shooting glasses nothing was clearly in focus, but I could see the large white ball in daylight and the glowing tritium in darkness. I wasn’t ready to take the little gun squirrel hunting, but I was definitely a force to be reckoned with even in low-light conditions.
Laughridge added some other nice touches that should prove useful, such as chamfering the rear edges of the cylinder’s chambers, polishing the trigger and tuning the action. My first thought in looking at the finished Model 442 was the vertical face of the front sight would be prone to catch the tight edge of the front trouser pocket during the draw. While true, I think this is a non-issue since it only happens in small pockets on tight pants like jeans, and when the pocket is that small and tight. I have trouble getting the gun and my hand in and out of the pocket. With more realistic clothing it is fine, and besides, ramped front sight blades frequently have serrations that can snag clothing as well. Eliminating the front sight would alleviate the problem, but in a situation warranting the use of a concealable firearm. 1 want to see something at the front end of that barrel.
 
Smith and Wessson Model 442 in .38 Special

When wearing a holster just isn't practical. Smith & Wesson's Model 442 in .38 Special is an effective alternative to going unarmed. Its simple operation and reliability, combined with the shrouded hammer and light weight, allow it to be carried unobtrusively in a coat or cargo pants pocket.

Last But Not Least
Picking the third gun was even more difficult than the second. I decided it would be another semi-auto, and based upon Murphy’s Law (the good one learned in class), it would have to be a 1911. However. I wanted something a little smaller than the CQB for slightly-easier concealment and a little lighter for more comfort during prolonged carry. This meant I needed a pistol with a shorter barrel than the one on the Wilson and an alloy rather than steel frame.
I recently spent some time with a pair of little 1911s from Kimber and Springfield Armory and was very impressed with the offerings of both companies. In the March 2007 issue
I reviewed Kimber’s Aegis and Springfield Armory’s EMP, both in 9 mm. Ordinarily I would have selected a .45-caliber micro compact for my third concealed-carry gun. but those pistols opened my mind to the world of mini-nines. They are easier to shoot than a comparably sized .45. Since they’re 1911s, all the controls are the same. If I suffered some kind of injury that forced me to shoot with the weak hand, I would do much better with a 9 mm than a .45. Finally, if I found myself in a life-threatening situation, the outcome of which depended on one of the women in my family picking up my carry gun. I think our safety would be better served by a more manageable, less intimidating 9 mm.
Springfield Armory's EMP

Springfield Armory's Enhanced Micro Pistol (EMP) in 9 mm takes the final spot on the author's California concealed-carry permit. The ability to carry as many as 27 rounds of 9 mm ammunition should make him relatively comfortable when venturing into the urban wilderness.

For now. I plan to list the Springfield Armory EMP as the third gun on my permit. The differences between the EMP and Aegis are small, but the EMP does have an ambidextrous safety, making it easier to operate with the weak hand. Its magazine carries one more round than the Aegis (nine versus eight), and its frame is slightly shorter.
I’m familiar with the arguments regarding stopping power of the .45 versus that of 9 mm. which is why the .45-caliber CQB is my primary gun. Likewise, the .38 Special gives up something to the .357 Magnum, but as always, measuring or calculating stopping power requires a hit rather than just a very loud miss. Perhaps a heavier weight .357 Magnum snubbie might be better for the number two gun, allowing me to use .38 Special loads for practice while carrying magnum loads on the streets.
During the next year. I may change my mind about what guns I want on my concealed-carry permit, and the good news is that for a few bucks and a short qualification session using the new gun, firearms listed on an individual’s permit can be changed in California. What I am comfortable with is the XS sight on the front end of that little barrel. In fact I might put an XS sight on the third gun. and as long as I don’t change firearms, this would not require any modifications to my permit. As always, more low-light practice sessions are in order, particularly since cockroaches rarely come out to dine in bright light.
Smith and Wesson new subnose revolver
Another Option
 
S ince I started this project. Smith & Wesson introduced a new snub-nose revolver that has some of the custom touches Cylinder & Slide made to my Model 442. It’s the Model M&P 340, and at a weight halfway between my two prior options (13.3 ounces) it’s worth a look. Mean­while, if any of you aging warriors with dim­ming vision have a snub nose on which you might someday bet your life, you might want to give Bill Laughridge at Cylinder & Slide a call.
 
Cylinder & Slide
245 East 4th Street Fremont, NE 68026 (402) 721-4277 www.cylinder-slide.com
 
 
Smith & Wesson
2100 Roosevelt Avenue Springfield, MA 01104 (413) 781-8300 www.smith-wesson.com
 
Springfield Armory
420 West Main Street Geneseo,1161254 (800) 680-6866 www.springfield-armory.com
 
Wilson Combat & Scattergun Technologies
2234 C.R. 719 Berryville, AR 72616 (800) 955-4856 www.wilsoncombat.com

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Posted in Customizing, Kimber, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, Wilson Combat

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Smith & Wesson’s Tactical Revolver

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Dick Williams| Leave a comment

Published in “Shooting Illustrated” January 2007 

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away— Texas in the mid-1960s—Skeeter Skelton wrote an article about pick­ing one handgun in the event the balloon went up and you had to head for the hills. It was one of those “food for thought” pieces written in Skeeter’s relaxed, story­telling style. He made some interesting comparisons between the guns and ammo available at that time and evaluated every­thing against a set of performance criteria oriented toward specific goals. The most important goal was long-term survival. He acknowledged that his final selection of a weapon was not a surprise, but rather could have been predicted from the outset. In the end, he chose his favorite revolver, the .357 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 27 with a 5-inch barrel.

I suspect if Skeeter went through that process today, he would pick the same gun with some 21st-century upgrades from Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center. The company’s custom contingent took the basic Model 27 design and injected some modern technology influenced by tacti­cal lessons learned during the last few decades. Thus the TRR8, perhaps the finest law enforcement revolver ever built.
Two features that Smith & Wesson did not change from Skeeter’s choice of 40 years ago are the caliber and barrel length. In the ongoing debate about the stopping power of various handgun calibers, the 125-grain jacketed hollow point fired from a .357 Magnum has been acknowledged as having a superior one-shot stop record. Key to that success has been a barrel long enough to generate sufficient velocities.
TRR8 Revolver from mioth & Wesson

It's based on a 5-inch Model 27, but the TRR8 revolver from Smith & Wesson's Performance Center features an array of modifications intended tor tactical duty. An eight-shot cylinder, Hogue rubber grips and removable accessory rails tailor the .357 Magnum wheelgun to serious operators.

There are other good reasons for putting a 5-inch barrel on the TRR8, such as having mounting rails with enough length to han­dle various optics, lights and lasers, but terminal ballistic performance is the foun­dation. If, like Skeeter, you think a 5-inch barrel is the perfect length for an N-frame .357 Smith & Wesson, I certainly won’t argue the point.  You’ll notice some striking differences between the original Model 27 and the TRR8, and all of them were carefully defined and designed. The TRR8 comes with Hogue rubber grips. Underneath the grips is a scandium alloy, round-butt frame that has been “converted” to a square butt by virtue of the Hogue grips. If you prefer round-butt grips, you can get a pair from Hogue that follow the contour of the gun. For me, the preference is based on the balance of the particular barrel length. Any Smith & Wesson N-frame barrel 5 inches or less in length feels best with round-butt Hogue grips. Regardless of shape, I like the softening effect of the Hogue grips on any Smith & Wesson generating moderate to heavy recoil, or on one that I’ll be firing in a reasonably rapid double-action mode.
At first glance, the TRR8′s cylinder may result in a double take. There are eight charge holes as opposed to the traditional six on the Model 27 of yore. If you think the cylinder walls look a bit thin, rest assured Smith & Wesson has run all kinds of analy­ses that show the stainless steel cylinder is more than adequate for the pressures generated. An interesting aspect of the cylinder’s design is the charge holes are canted inward almost like they’re pigeon-toed, which leaves more steel around the outside of the cartridge’s front end where the higher pressure points are located. The chamber cant is so slight it has no effect on the bullet’s passage from cylin­der to barrel, noted Tom Kelly, manager of Smith & Wesson’s Performance Center.
Tightly fitted to the barrel/cylinder gap, the forcing cone is more than adequate to handle the transition. Just above the front of the cylinder, located on the topstrap, is a J-shaped piece of hardened spring steel that deflects the flame produced by hot gases and prevents it from cutting the top-strap. While that little piece of steel seems out of place on a Performance Center gun, it does preserve the topstrap.
J-shaped plate

A J-shaped plate of hardened spring steel located above the cylinder gap prevents hot gases from cutting the topstrap. It may look odd, but it has proven to be effective in preserving the structural Integrity of scandium-frame guns.

There is one feature on the Model 27 that has bugged me forever, and it has been retained on the TRR8. The extension of the barrel’s forcing cone into the frame limits the length of ammunition you can use in the gun. The shooter must either use lighter bullet weights or bury heavier bullets deeper into the cartridge case, which reduces powder capacity. Skeeter had to use .38 Special cases to load the heavy cast bullets he liked.
The explanation from Kelly was right on target. “Extending the forcing cone into the frame reduces freebore and enhances accuracy,” he said. I started to mention the limits this places on achieving high velocities with heavier bullets but remem­bered the TRR8 is a tactical revolver, mean­ing it’s designed around the 125-grain jacketed-hollow-point ammunition that gave the .357 Magnum its reputation for one-shot stops.
Forward of the cylinder there are lots of changes, such as all kinds of flats rather than the traditional rounded surfaces. What you see, though, is not the barrel, but rather a titanium shroud that fits over the barrel. Beneath the shroud is a custom German rifle barrel with eight lands and grooves, and it is screwed into the frame. The shroud has a keyway access near the breech and is locked in place at the muzzle, resulting in a barrel that is free-floating on the sides and anchored at both ends. This is not a system that allows you to adjust the barrel/cylinder gap; it’s fixed at the factory. Since the shroud is perpendicular to the cylinder face, it ensures any hard­ware mounted on the rails is parallel with the bore axis.
Titanium barrel

The TRR8's titanium barrel shroud is drilled and tapped on its upper and lower flats to accept two accessory rails included with the gun. The top flat takes a Weaver-style rail for mounting optics, while a Picatlnny-style rail attaches beneath the barrel for the addi­tion of lights and lasers.

You’ll notice four screw holes on top of the barrel shroud and three on the bottom near the muzzle. The top holes accept a Weaver-style rail for mounting the optic of your choice, while the holes under­neath take a shorter, Picatinny-style rail for a light or laser. Bushnell’s Holosight fits nicely onto the upper rail without

disturbing the front and rear sights. The iron sights remain dialed in, but in order to use them you have to remove both the Holosight and the rail on which it is mounted. The lower rail has more flexibil­ity in that a weapon light can be quickly slid onto it for use in darkness and later removed so the revolver can be holstered with the rail still attached. The iron sights are outstanding and consist of a black, adjustable rear and Patridge front blade with a gold dot. In adequate light, the black front blade presents a crisp, clear sight picture with no interference from the gold bead. In dim light, the gold bead is highly visible and more than satisfac­tory for close-range, defensive shooting. I am more accustomed to shooting with iron sights simply because that’s what I mostly use on handguns, yet with all the hardware installed, the TRR8 felt completely man­ageable and comfortable on the range.
Smith & Wesson went one step further by installing a ball-and-detent lockup in the TRR8′s yoke. Although not a new idea, this lockup is exceptionally strong due to a slight change in its design. The ball is offset 30 degrees from the detent. As the gun wears over the course of a few thou­sand full-house loads, the ball goes deeper into the detent, locking things up even tighter. Finally, all metal parts on the gun, including the tactical rails, have a black, bead-blasted finish. Kelly compared this to an expensive custom paint job on a car. “It’s nearly indestructible,” he said.
What I really wanted to do with this gun was take it on a small-game safari in the Southwest after rabbits and javelina. But the timing wasn’t right, and that’s not the gun’s real mission, so I visited a local range where many IDPA, IPSC and cowboy matches are held. The range trips revealed some interesting things. Shooting double action at 50 feet with iron sights, I could easily keep all shots in the upper portion TQ-15 target. I ran something like eight cylinders full of different ammo through the new revolver and only drifted a couple of shots slightly wide when I increased the rate of fire beyond my pro­ficiency threshold. It didn’t matter if the light was on the rail or not; the gun was quite easy to handle. Three other semi-auto pistol aficionados worked the TRR8 and loved it. Two of them—range masters and match directors—both expressed an interest in buying the gun. Both of these guys have produced a lot of ooohs and aaahs over some of the revolvers I bring to their range, but neither has ever wanted to buy one. Is this perhaps the beginning of a mass return to wheelguns?
 
Fact is, the TRR8 was developed around real police department needs. There have been occasions where entry teams shoot­ing semi-autos around shields have expe­rienced slides locking back when they struck the shield during cycling. That doesn’t happen with revolvers. With eight rounds in the cylinder, we’re not giving up much to a single-stack semi-auto. The aver­age guy might lose some time on reloads, but with practice, some mighty fast cyl­inder charges can be accomplished with the moon clips that accompany the TRR8. Weighing 35 ounces, it’s 9 ounces lighter than an all-steel Model 27 and close to the weight of a steel self-loader.
The TRR8 is a Performance Center cata­log item, so it will remain available rather than being a limited-run firearm. I’m not rushing out to sell all my 1911s, but I’m very intrigued by Smith & Wesson’s tactical revolver. I think it would make a much bet­ter option than a semi-automatic for many shooters. Plus I can’t get that small-game safari out of my mind.

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The Bodacious .454

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Dick Williams| Leave a comment

Published in “Shooting Illustrated” February 2007

W hen the .454 Casull was intro­duced in 1983, it instantly won the title for most powerful revolver cartridge. With operating pres­sures a good 50 percent higher than the magnums on the market, it generated energy levels not previously seen in wheel-guns and became the caliber for hunting really big game with handguns.

Above: Polishing and jeweling dress up the Ruger Super Redhawk customized by Mog-na-port's Ken Kelly, but "Bodacious" is still a serious hunting handgun. A tuned action and trigger, along with a Mag-na-brake and Weigand scope base, are modifications that complement the power of the revolver's .454 Casull chambering.

The cartridge was housed in the new, sin­gle-action Freedom Arms Model 83 revolver that had been specially designed and built with a five-shot cylinder and extremely close manufacturing tolerances to contain the 60,000-plus pounds per square inch pressure. I recall some early articles on Dick Casull, the .454′s inventor, stating he was trying to achieve a muzzle velocity of 2,000 feet per second with .45-caliber bul­lets fired from a 77;-inch barrel.

The Ruger Super Redhawk's cylinder can hold six rounds ot .454 Casull, and a transfer bar lets hunters safely carry a round beneath the double-action's hammer. To make practice sessions a little easier on the hand, the revolver will also fire .45 Colt ammunition.

Using some exotic triplex loads—three different powders carefully stacked in the case—Mr. Casull did achieve his tar­get velocity, but the hazards and liabili­ties associated with triplex loads far out­weighed the extra feet per second gained, and commercial ammo makers went to more conventional loads featuring heavy doses of slow-burning powders. Even with the less-exotic loads, the cartridge still pro­duced some sizzling velocities with lighter-weight bullets, making it not only suitable for big game, but a prime candidate for long-range handgun hunting of medium-sized game. This is a long-winded way of explaining my selection of the .454 for an antelope hunt.
The hunt was scheduled with Hunter Ross of Desert Safaris and held on several ranches located near Fort Davis, TX. I had just received a Ruger .454 Super Redhawk customized by Ken Kelly, of Mag-na-port fame, and knowing that Hornady makes a high-velocity .454 round with a 240-grain jacketed hollow point, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to test the gun and lightweight bullets on a long-range, medium-game hunt. Given the lack of preparation time with the gun and ammo, my definition of long range for this hunt was 100 yards or less.
The Super Redhawk originally arrived with a standard 7’7/-inch barrel and integral scallops in the topstrap for mounting the factory-furnished rings. For those who may not know it, the .454 Casull generates lots of energy on both ends of the gun. It kicks big-time. Most of my other big-bore handguns wear muzzle brakes or feature porting systems installed by Mag-na-port to help manage the recoil. As I get older and heal more slowly, I see no reason to discontinue this policy. Besides, last year at the White Oak Plantation Handgun Hunt in Alabama, I got a look Kelly’s latest Super Redhawk creation, and fell in love with both the gun and the name he had given it—”Boda­cious.” Like earlier Mag-na-port handgun names, “Predator” and “Stalker,” it was a perfect choice.
Kelly shortened the Super Red Hawk’s barrel to 5 3/4  inches, gave the muzzle an inverted crown and installed an oversized muzzle brake he calls a Mag-na-brake.  Compared to some of the slender brakes he uses on single-action revolvers, this one seemed quite bulky, but somehow it was right for this rather massive handgun. He also added two custom pinstripe bands on the Mag-na-brake and another two bands on the cylinder. I rarely give Kelly instruc­tions regarding the decorative touches on his guns, rather letting him express himself and surprise me. You, of course, can decide what goes on your gun. Other barrel-related work included removing the lengthy Ruger liability warning, something many Ruger buyers would like to see done at the factory.

Ports In the Mag-no-brake direct gases away from the shooter while alleviating the .454 Casull's Infamous recoil. The ports ore angled forward so gases travel to the front, and they form a twist pattern opposite to the Mag-na-brake s threading to ensure It stays tight on the muzzle.

Rather than use the factory rings, Kelly installed a Weigand scope base, mount­ing it into the existing scallop cuts in the topstrap. This Weaver-style base does two things: First it raises the height of the scope, providing more room for the thumb when cocking the revolver, and second, it allows more flexibility in mounting the scope either closer to the muzzle or more toward the shooter.
To say Kelly performed a trigger job would be inadequate. He completely tuned the action, polished and jeweled the hammer and trigger, and applied his glass-bead, velvet-hone finish. The result was a super-slick, double-action magnum revolver. Finally, he added his standard Mag-na-port custom logo and the brand new title, “Bodacious.”
I debated changing the factory Ruger grips since they are rather thin and can focus the .454′s punishing recoil into the web of the hand on a non-ported gun. But the factory stocks with rubber around the edges fit me pretty well, permitting an easier reach to, and good control of, the trigger with my rather short fingers.  Combined with Kelly’s Mag-na-brake, the grips did their part in softening the .454′s felt recoil. The last touch was installing scope rings and a 2X Nikon handgun scope. Much as I like iron-sighted handguns, antelope and wide-open spaces were on my agenda, and I wanted an optic to take full advantage of the .454′s flat trajectory.
There was time for one trip to the range before the hunt, so I did some homework and “hit the books” as we used to say in school. Specifically, I dug out Volume 2 of Hornady’s Handbook of Cartridge Reloading and opened it to the handgun bullet bal­listics tables that give distances in yards. Since the chronograph showed the 240-grain Hornady .454′s produced a muzzle velocity of 1,709 feet per second, I looked at the tables for the 240-grain XTP bullet traveling at 1,700 feet per second. With a 100-yard zero, the bullet would strike 1 1/2 inches high at 50 yards, 1.3 inches high at 75 yards, and 6 1/2 inches low at 150 yards. This seemed perfect given my self-imposed limit of 100 yards with the 2X scope. My concern was that on previous antelope hunts, some of my range estimations had been grossly inaccurate. Admittedly, I would have a Nikon rangefinder, but there was no assurance I would have access to it or time to use it when the time came to shoot.
Given the kill zone on an antelope is about 8 inches in diameter, I wanted to be less than 4 inches high at mid-range and less than 4 inches low out past 100 yards. Checking the tables for the performance of my load, a zero of 150 yards showed the bullet would be a bit less than 4 inches high at 50 yards and about 4 1/2 inches high at 75 and 100 yards. Since these numbers could result in a hit above my arbitrary 8-inch circle, I compromised and sighted in Bodacious roughly 3 inches high at 100 yards. I thought this should keep me in the kill zone all the way out to 150 yards, just in case I really screwed up range esti­mation. Shooting off a sandbag, the load produced 3-shot groups that measured 2 1/2 to3 1/2 inches at 100 yards. I was ready.
On the hunt though, I made a mistake. I was riding in the Yamaha Rhino with another outdoor writer who had taken a nice buck earlier and was now prepared to do the range-finding honors for me. When our guide, Troy Calaway, spotted another nice buck and the other writer announced quietly the Nikon showed we were within 87 yards of the animal, it was time to shoot. The buck was slightly quartering away from me, and thinking the shot would be no more than 3 inches high, I held the crosshair slightly low in the body and fired. The buck dropped in its tracks, an unusual event for an animal like antelope, which can cover many miles of prairie even when severely wounded. We learned shortly the shot was several inches high and, luckily for me, broke the buck’s back. The cross­hair had been exactly where I wanted it when the hammer fell, and I didn’t imme­diately realize why the impact point had been so high. Thinking back to the range, I realized the problem. On the range, I had been shooting with Bodacious buried solidly into a sandbag, while my shot at the antelope, like most hunting scenarios, involved nothing more than my forearms resting across an available surface. Even with the Mag-na-brake’s taming influence, the .454′s recoil caused the barrel to rise more than it had when resting solidly on a sandbag and range bench.
One might say that given my rookie mis­take. Bodacious and the Hornady ammo performed above and beyond the call of duty. Certainly the results were more than I deserved, but then I’ve become accustomed to outstanding performance from Ken Kel­ly’s Rugers and Hornady’s handgun hunting ammunition loaded with XTP bullets.

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