S&W 986 ? Who needs one? Performance Center. 2.5 inch barrel. Action job. Amazing. Couldn’t resist and feel a deep connection with the past having this available.

https://americanhandgunner.com...enter-model-986-9mm/

https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/l-frame-10227

https://www.gunsholstersandgea...h-wesson-986-review/

This meets proposed VA capacity requirements, is easy to carry, uses cheap performance ammo, and is so perfectly suited for personal protection.

Blessed.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 4MUL8R,

I mean, the gun SCREAMS "buy me". Who could resist those sweet puppy eyes?

Finding one will be the trick.

I bought it today.

Congrats. Let us know how she shoots.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I bought it today.

Repeat after me:
“Hi! My name is 4MUL8R, and I’m a gun-a-holic.”

Now, not to surprise you, but the majority of us here will say:
“ HI 4MUL8R!”

It happens all the time! You’re not alone, you have friends here.

(Granted, most here will enable your addiction to guns, but that’s what we’re here for! It really is a double edged sword )

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I bought it today.

Do yourself a favor and, even if you have experience with other moon clip guns, buy and use the RIMZ polymer moon clips...

https://ezmoonclip.com/Rimz%20986.htm

They avoid all the hassle of metal moon clips in that they are not fussy about the brand of brass you use.

Metal clips only hold the case by the thickness of the clip which goes in the extractor groove, which means a precise fit is needed to hold the cartridge rigidly for insertion into the cylinder.

The poly clips not only hold the cartridge by the extractor groove but also surround the case head adding much anti-wobble support to the cartridge. They work with any brand of brass. Think old-style rebated S&W cylinder - the clip is rebated...

I use the ones they make for the 929 in USPSA competition. You also don't really need any special tools for loading and unloading the moon clip.

You can thank me later - LOL.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pizza Bob,

How does it shoot with hot loads?
That little barrel really squeezes velocity out of the loads they tested.


I was thinking about getting a 9mm SP101 and getting some work done on it.
This comes in at a close price point but has more capacity.

Damn

RIMZ also don't eat your thumbs like moons. One caution though-they have a top and a bottom.

Thanks for tip on rimz. Ordered ten. Never knew. It came with five Moonclip Depot clips. Checking these out two did not hold all cartridges. Hmmm. Some of the metal arms were chipped, suggesting a drop on a hard surface.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 4MUL8R,

Man……you can get Nills for that frame too…

In its first range trip I found that about 20% of the Winchester practice ammo cartridges failed to fire. Very light primer strikes.

The trigger pull weight is quite low, which is of course wonderful for double action defensive shooting.

Unfired cartridges did not fire with repeated strikes. Unfired cartridges in different moonclips did not fire.

Mainspring is a Wolff Gunsprings Power Rib. Unsure if this is stock or owner change. Strain screw was fully tightened. Mr. Wolff e-mailed me that a longer strain screw will solve my problem, which I ordered forthwith.

Grips were relacquered and that shiny finish chipped off in a few places, suggesting that the previous owner customized the revo. New 986 revo in store display case has matte finish grips.

New VZ grips are on the way, as the rather smooth factory wood were slipping in my hand.

Have TK factory moonclips, and five others by moonclip depot that came with the revo. May try those to rule out rimz clips.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 4MUL8R,

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:

Now, not to surprise you, but the majority of us here will say:
“ HI 4MUL8R!”

You got that right.

So, range day two report…

Winchester 100-round box number two. Loaded into TK Custom moon clips and Moonclip Depot moonclips. Moonclip Depot are muy no bueno. Rounds fall out. TK Custom moonclips are impossible to use without expensive tools. Still had failure to fire on at least a dozen.

And, worst of all, a bullet escaped from its case under recoil and locked up the cylinder. A nearby gunsmith tapped it back and saved the day.

Back to the range, I loaded up the PMC Bronze into the plastic RIMZ moonclips. Perfect invention. Shot the qual. Still had failure to fire, but only 12. Ha!

So, we learn Winchester cheap 9mm is not good. We learn that metal clips don’t fix bad ammo. And we learn that I need more mainspring force, regardless.

Progress!

I tune all my S&W revolvers, here’s what I recommend - the thing about troubleshooting a revolver like this is to try one thing at a time, that way you can pinpoint the problem, but that can be a PITA going from shop to range multiple times.

How to fix light strikes:

1. Get a trigger pull gage and see what your DA tigger is. You said it felt light. If it’s 6lbs or less, that’s a problem. I usually set mine to 7-7.5 lbs DA. Any less than that and reliability issues in light strikes start, depending on primer, some are harder than others. Get it running reliably, and once this issue is fixed, if you want to try to dial it in to a lower poundage, go for it.
2. You can place a spent small pistol primer on the tip of the strain screw, pressed against the main spring, that will give you a hair’s worth of added spring pressure that might do the trick.
3. I’d get a stock S&W mainspring or similar weight Wolf mainspring and try that. The current Wolf spring is either too weak or someone weakened it.
4. You can also try an extend firing pin, that might help. I have one in my 327 R8 - honestly don’t know if it helps.
5. Wolf also sells an extended strain screw - I’d try that too. That will put added pressure on the mainspring, or go to Lowe’s and get a couple 8-32 set screws of different lengths, but longer than the strain screw. Either way, added force is needed on that light Wolf spring.
6. On moon clips - you have fewer light strikes with the Rimz - that’s good, they are thicker and set the end of the round closer to the firing pin, hence fewer misfires. The TK moon clips are good, I use them almost exclusively, but note they are sold in various thicknesses, and not all brands of brass have the same dimensions on the extractor groove despite a SAMMI spec. So, shooters match the thickness of the moonclip to their brand of brass for a tight fit. If the TK moonclips are on the thinner side, it will place the end of the round farther away from the firing pin, hence more light strikes. Maybe try a thicker TK moonclip.

Try any or all combinations above, but I am betting either a stronger mainspring or longer strain screw will fix the problem. The good news is strain screws and main springs are cheap - a few dollars and a few mins of your time and I bet you have this running reliably.

I bet the previous owner put the wolf spring in, experienced light strikes, got frustrated and sold it.

Let us know how it works out. I can walk you through any or all of these if you want.

SB

I have a S&W wheel gun in 9mm. The only round it will shoot with any accuracy is 147's.

The accuracy of this example seems reasonable. 115 g PMC practice ammo. Virginia DCJS pistol course of fire.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 4MUL8R,

Light strikes were eliminated by replacing the Wolff Gunsprings Type 2 main spring with the Type 1, at factory spring force. I can only guess that the previous owner found the trigger pull to be heavier than desired and swapped the spring out.

Now considering an orange dot tritium front sight and a rear V-blade. And, replacing the plain cylinder with a fluted cylinder.

I’m glad you were able to get your piece working reliably with a simple and inexpensive solution. Plus there’s pride in fixing it yourself!

Ordered a Kirkpatrick holster yesterday. And, I'm working to recondition the original grips, which were relacquered or repolyurethaned or something by the original owner.

I think I'll carry 9mm +P ammo, to come close to .357 velocities in the 2.5 inch barrel. I have Winchester on hand.