Around 1980, I was lucky enough to find a high-condition New Service Target in .44 Russian & S&W Special with a 7½-inch barrel at the Local Gun Shop for the princely sum of $600.

I was also lucky enough to have a friend who could afford it. He bought it, and we handloaded for the gun, and shot it quite a bit together.

As I recall, we settled on 11.0 grs of 2400 atop a ZERO-brand swaged 240 SWC. I think we went as high as 13.0 grs but decided that was 'too much' − mostly for the gun.

By then, we had solved the apparent recoil problem by mounting none other than a pair of Pachmayr grips on the pistol. The factory Fleur-de-lis grips were pretty, but painful to shoot, and Pachmayrs were still very much in style.

I should probably mention we usually shot 'target-style' in those days and took a very light hold on the gun. In retrospect, this was none too sensible, but it was what most of us were taught (by reading or whatever means).

I was also just thinking I got to shoot that fine old gun at a time when I could really appreciate it. I had been training constantly for about a year, − beginning with a .22, of course − shooting virtually daily, and it paid off. I had started out shooting at large coffee cans from 50-ft, mostly missing them, and by the time the New Service Target showed up, I was hitting 20-ga shotgun hulls endwise from 25-yds.

I believe the fact I had some ability to shoot the New Service Target − not quite the same as with the .22, of course, but some ability − enhances my memory of it.

Which, I guess, is how it's supposed to be.

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