2nd Sentinel needed a little DIY smithing

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ruger22
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2nd Sentinel needed a little DIY smithing

Post by ruger22 » Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:43 pm

Did my full clean up today. I don't think this was fired much. There was no line on the recoil shield from the cylinder lock. No wear at all to the recoil shield in places where my first Sentinel was. I did find problems, that I would guess it left the factory with.

The hand was catching the edge of the cylinder slightly when you closed it, even cleaned and oiled. I compared hands with the first, and decided to reduce it's extension. Filed on the underside of the tooth, curving it just slightly to reduce it's length and keep a sharp point. Just a few strokes solved the hand problem, it's now flush with the recoil shield.

I smoothed the edges of the hand slot, raised more than the other Sentinel and pretty rough. The extractor was rubbing it lightly.

Opening and closing the cylinder maybe a hundred times smoothed that operation quite a bit! It was actually pretty stiff. The cylinder lock polished itself a nice line, like my first Sentinel.

Other comparisons with the first Sentinel showed a more inboard strike on cartridge rims, and the strikes look a little deeper. A slightly longer SA hammer stroke to latch the cylinder and bring to full cock.

Birchwood Casey Super Blue and Aluminum Black, and some Jay Scott pearl grips finished it up nicely. Now I just need next weekend to be dry.
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols

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Post by greener » Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:55 pm

There is a rumor that it might be.

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Post by ruger22 » Thu Oct 16, 2014 10:30 am

greener wrote:There is a rumor that it might be.
:lol: , might be what? A dry weekend?

I guess Richmond has gotten all the rain Roanoke has, with just a few hours difference. This fall seems more like we're living in Seattle.
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols

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Post by greener » Thu Oct 16, 2014 11:47 pm

ruger22 wrote:
greener wrote:There is a rumor that it might be.
:lol: , might be what? A dry weekend?

I guess Richmond has gotten all the rain Roanoke has, with just a few hours difference. This fall seems more like we're living in Seattle.
The rain moved out early this morning and Richmond will be sunny for the next 10 days as will Roanoke, according to Weatherbug. That means a 50% chance of rain: either it will or it won't. :lol:

I'm working on an air permit application out your way.

And don't mention Seattle. I'm putting off making travel arrangements to Seattle. I've spent 13 weeks in Seattle and, other than 2 half days, all of it at a landfill. Really nice weather. The first time I went, I was there 5 days before I saw Mt. Ranier.

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Post by ruger22 » Fri Oct 17, 2014 10:59 am

Really nice weather? You must have been there some of the 50 days a year it doesn't rain. For me, Seattle was actually a side bar to being in Yakima. The problem there is mud. From October to March, if it ain't paved, it's mud. And the mud oozes onto the paved anywhere it has a chance. You see those green rubber boots with yellow laces on everybody, even with suits and ties.

I was there a few months after St. Helens blew, and there was still quite a bit of ash in corners and crannies. The ash mixed in the mud and made it more slippery.

Latest forecast here is for 70's today, 60's Saturday, and barely 60 Sunday, which may have to do as my range day. I feel sure this latest Sentinel will shoot fine, but it's a nice feeling when you finish the first cylinder without a hiccup.
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols

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Post by ruger22 » Mon Oct 20, 2014 10:18 am

Made it to the range yesterday. Took both Sentinels and a Bearcat. Low 50's and breezy, not the best day, but at least it was sunny.

The "new" Sentinel did fine, no hiccups. In comparing the two, they perform the same, even POAs and POIs match. A six o'clock hold is dead on at 50 feet, just as the manual says. You can't tell which gun you're shooting. Something of a surprise, since although both guns shipped in 1969, the serials are nearly 75000 apart. I'm not sure how High Standard assigned serial numbers, but these two were certainly not made close together.

I was shooting my spinning prairie dogs, not paper, but to get a good spin you have to hit them in the head, which is about two by two inches. So I'll count that as group size!

Ammo was a brick of Federal American Eagle 40 gr round nose, that I found a month ago at Sportsman's Warehouse. Shot like Value Pack, even down to 2 FTFs out of 300 rounds. Both fired on the second hit.
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols

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Post by greener » Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:54 am

Sounds like both were good deals.

Good shooting.

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Post by ruger22 » Wed Oct 22, 2014 1:33 pm

greener wrote:Sounds like both were good deals.

Good shooting.
Thank you, sir. They're showing some age, but still good for 45 years. When they were new, I was in sixth grade. I'll be fifty-eight the day after the mid-terms.

IIRC, BAOM has some of the same rubber prairie dogs. They're fun, and save a lot of walking to change paper.
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols

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Post by greener » Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:39 pm

He had them. They took his best bravely, but he succeeded in overcoming them.

bgreene has spinners. The foam is no challenge, I shoot the wires.

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Post by bgreenea3 » Wed Oct 22, 2014 11:13 pm

those spinners are great fun and great marksmanship trainers. I have 2 they've probably taken several thousand 22lr, all of the major pistol cals from 380 to 44mag, and a couple 308 win... hitting a rubber spinner the size of a coke can at 25 yards with a service pistol/revolver is a good time.

sounds like your Sentinals were a great buy... you both dig them and they shoot well.
"Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway."

-John Wayne

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Post by ruger22 » Thu Oct 23, 2014 11:18 am

I like older guns more than new, and I don't think it's my age. The guns I had thirty odd years ago were old designs then, like the Single-Six, Mark I, and S&W 39 (my first and only 9mm).

Everything I have now is an old design, except my LCRs. The verdict is still out on those. I would have preferred two solid stainless snubs for SD and practice, but only brand that offered both was Charter, and I've never cared much for them.

Looking down at my signature, my collection now is kinda pitiful compared to years ago, but it serves my needs.
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols

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