Joe Berk

A Model 60 Load Development Plan

This blog outlines the development plan I’m using for my new-to-me Model 60 Smith and Wesson revolver. You might recall that I bought this revolver not too long ago and I had my good buddy and master pistolsmith TJ (of TJ’s Custom Gunworks) go through the gun, get everything perfect, do the trigger, and add a bit of tasteful polishing.

My custom Smith and Wesson Model 60. Note the polished ejector rod, cylinder, trigger, cylinder release, and hammer, and the smooth rosewood grips.

TJ did a hell of a job, I recently qualified with the Model 60 for my concealed carry permit, and now I want to find the most accurate load for this handgun. To me this means two things: The smallest group size and where the revolver hits with respect to the point of aim. I’m not concerned with velocity. All the velocity in the world doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t hit your target.

When I develop a load, I generally do a bit of research on the Internet to see what others have found to be an accurate load, I see what components I have on hand (bullets and powders), and I consult my reloading manuals. I never take loads off Internet forums as gospel unless I confirm their safety in my load manuals or they come directly from the manufacturer’s websites (there is just so much inaccurate information on the Internet), and I never load at the manual’s max without working up to that level. My approach is to load a few rounds at the minimum level and a few a bit below the max level with each bullet and powder combination to get a quick feel for further load development. Or, I might find a combination in the initial tests that is so good I don’t need to do any further testing.

From left to right: 158-grain cast flatpoint, Hornady 158-grain jacketed hollow point, Hornady 110-grain jacketed hollow point, and Hornady 148-grain swaged wadcutter.

These days, I’m governed by what I have on hand, as the component suppliers are out of nearly everything. For me and this test series, that means four bullets:

- - A 158-grain cast flatpoint bullet from a local caster
  - Hornady’s 158-grain jacketed hollowpoint
  - Hornady’s 110-grain jacketed hollowpoint
  - Hornady’s 148-grain swaged wadcutter

All are shown in the photo above. My powders include Winchester 231, Unique, Bullseye, and Power Pistol (as seen in the featured photo at the top of this blog).

Here’s what the test plan looks like:

I’m going to test at 50 feet and fire two groups of three shots each for each combination. That will keep the total number of rounds fired to a manageable 150 rounds. It’s a quick look at what works and what doesn’t.

You might notice that I’m only going to test one load with the 148-grain wadcutter bullet. That’s because it’s been the known accuracy load for years, and it’s also because it’s what I have my Star progressive reloading press set up to make. Stated differently, I’m not going to change this load because it’s my standard wadcutter load, and the Model 60 will either do okay with it or it won’t. I already know this load shoots significantly to the right of my point of aim in the Model 60, but I’m including it here because I have the ammo and it’s easy to include in this test series.

That’s the plan. I’m reloading the ammo as you read this, and I’ll have it tested most likely next week. Watch the ExNotes blog for results in the near future.

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Tough Rides: China

Here’s another Amazon Prime television show and video review. This one (as the blog title suggests) is on a series titled Tough Rides China. It’s about two Canadian brothers (Ryan and Colin Pyle) who circumnavigated China on BMW F800 motorcycles, and you can either watch it on Amazon Prime (if you have that streaming service) on your TV or on your computer.

The bottom line first: I enjoyed this 6-part series. A big part of that was because Joe Gresh and I rode around China with the cult of the Zong and we had a whale of a time, so it was easy to relate to what these two fellows did.

I didn’t think this series was as good as the one I reviewed recently about the two German dudes who rode from Germany to India (Himalaya Calling, which was a stellar production), but I still enjoyed it.

Surprisingly, the Pyle brothers’ BMWs broke down a couple of times during the trip, which suprised me. They were concerned about how long it would take to get parts and the lack of a strong BMW presence in China (now there’s a switch). For the record, our ten Zongshen RX1 and Rx3 motorcycles didn’t have a single breakdown during our ride. The Pyle brothers had breakdowns that mandated trucking the bikes significant portions of the trip (does GS actually stand for Go Slow?).

The Pyles also put their bikes on trucks when they wanted to get on the freeways because motorcycles are not allowed on some Chinese freeways. When Gresh and I were over there with the Zongers, we rode them anyway. It made me nervous that we rode around the toll gate arms (without paying the toll) and I asked one of our Chinese brothers about it. “We’re not allowed on the freeways, so if we tried to pay, they wouldn’t know what to do,” he told me.

Tough Rides China has a long introduction at the beginning of every episode, and it was the same in every episode. That became a bit distracting, and I blitzed through the lengthy and redundant intro after watching the first two episodes.

Tough Rides China featured the giant sand dunes and camels in the Gobi Desert around Dun Huang. Gresh and I were there. It was an awesome place, as was all of China. It really was the adventure of a lifetime.

Tough Rides China is part of a series. The Pyle brothers have done similar series in Brazil and India, too. I’ll have to look for those. While I didn’t think this series was as good the Himalaya Calling adventure ride we recently reviewed, it was still good and I recommend seeing it.

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Would you like to read about the Zong trip when Gresh and I rode around China? Hey, just click right here!

Halcyon 450 Riding Footage

You will recall our recent post on the new Janus 450. Those Janus boys are not sitting still….here’s some exciting footage of the new Janus feeling its oats in the great American Southwest:

This is definitely cool. I can’t wait to ride one. 360 lbs. That’s amazing.

Check out our earlier Janus posts here and here!

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Harrison Ford bikes Baja

“Tough as Nails” could be an alternative title for this blog, as it is about Harrison Ford bicycling from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, a distance of roughly 1000 miles across deserts, over more than a few fairly steep and long climbs through Baja’s mountains, and widely varying weather conditions. I’ve encountered a few other folks bicycling the length of Baja on my motorcycle rides, and I’ve always been in awe of such an undertaking. TJ to Cabo. On a bicycle. Color me seriously impressed.

Another cool fact is that Ford is 78 years old. He’s got 8 years on me, but even when I was in my prime, I doubt I could have accomplished this ride. Ford’s bike, judging by the frame’s headbadge, is a Colnago, a very high end Italian roadbike.

I’ve bicycled bit in Baja, having ridden the annual Rosarito Beach to Ensenada ride several times. That’s a 50-mile ride along the ocean and up in the mountains, and I’d like to do it again someday. But TJ to Baja…man, that’s impressive.

Mr. Ford will be completing his ride about the same time as you read this blog. Now I’m wondering: What would it take to organize a bicycle ride like this? Who could I get to go with me? What would Gresh or Baja John look like in Spandex?

Heading into Baja? Get your Baja insurance here!

CSC’s 2021 RX4 Colors

The new CSC RX4 is here, and they are moving out quickly from the CSC plant in Azusa, California. CSC Motorcycles is offering two colors on the new RX4, as shown in the photo above Steve Seidner recently sent to me. One is a vibrant yellow and the other is a deep, rich blue. I like them. If I had to pick one, I’d go with the yellow. Yellow just seems to work on ADV bike. There are a number of changes incorporated on the new RX4 motorcycles, as outlined in the CSC mailer below. The big ones are the spoked tubeless wheels, the new TFT dash, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

We tested the RX4 extensively when it first came to America and published a comparison between it, the CSC RX3, and the Kawasasaki KLR 650. You can see those reports here. I may well have been the first American to ever ride an RX4 when I was in China visiting the Zongshen factory not that long ago. I rode the prototype (literally a 450cc engine in an RX3), and on a subsequent visit, one of the early preproduction models.

Tooling around the Zongshen test track on a preproduction RX4…those were fun times.

I love traveling to China, and I particularly like visiting the Zongshen plant and Chongqing. It’s a city most folks haven’t heard of here in the US, even though at 34 million inhabitants it is one of the largest cities on the planet. With that, here’s the info from CSC Motorcycles:

Get More Than Ever! CSCMOTORCYCLES.COM

The new 2021 CSC RX4 is the motorcycle ADV riders have been waiting for. Powerful. Economical. Modern. The RX4 is an all-around versatile motorcycle that is perfect for real-world riding – including highway cruising, adventure touring, or simply commuting to work economically.

The 450cc single-cylinder, 4-valve, overhead cam, counter-balanced engine produces 40.2 horsepower and achieves a top speed over 95 miles per hour. The RX4 is water-cooled and equipped with Delphi fuel injection and electric start. The bike features a six-speed transmission.

The new RX4 includes an adjustable windscreen, comfortable touring seat and foot pegs with removable rubber inserts. The RX4 features an all digital TFT Display Gauges: dash with digital speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip odometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, neutral light, temperature gauge, clock, turn signal and high beam indicators, and Bluetooth connectivity for caller ID. Above the dash there are USB and 12-volt charging outlets included as standard equipment.

The new CSC RX4 includes a 300-watt alternator to power accessories with two prewired outlets under the seat.

The RX4 features LED turn signals and brake light plus LED day-time running lights. The headlamps are controlled by an automatic light sensor. The RX4 has a standard 5.3-gallon gas tank with locking cap. With fuel consumption exceeding 60 miles per gallon, the RX4 has an honest range approaching 300 miles.

The CSC RX4 is outfitted with spoked wheels, black anodized aluminum rims and 80/20 tubeless tires.

The RX4 comes standard with molded side cases, mounting racks and a TALL rear top box – which is large enough for a full-face helmet. Or RX4 owners can select the OPTIONAL package of Tourfella aluminum side cases and rear top box, all with custom side pannier and rear mounting racks.

The CSC RX4 is an unmatched value in the adventure motorcycle category. The powerful and economical 450cc motor is paired with a huge list of standard features that cannot be duplicated elsewhere.

CSC RX4 Standard Features:

- - 450cc liquid-cooled engine, 4-valve, overhead cam, with counter-balancer.
  - Long maintenance intervals (5,000-mile valve adjustment) and easy repairs backed by a full Owner’s Manual and online service tutorials.
  - US Delphi EFI system.
  - 6-speed transmission.
  - Stainless steel twin pipe exhaust.
  - 5.3-gallon fuel tank with locking gas cap keyed to ignition.
  - All Digital TFT Display Gauges: dash with digital speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip odometer, fuel gauge, gear indicator, neutral light, temperature gauge, clock, turn signal and high beam indicators.
  - Adjustable windshield.
  - 12-volt and USB charging outlets on dash.
  - LED turn signals and brake light.
  - Dual-flash hazard lights.
  - 3D Anti-fog headlamp with LED day-time running light. Low light sensor with handlebar switch controls.
  - 300-watt alternator.
  - Automotive-type waterproof connectors under the seat. An optional handlebar-switch for accessory outlets is available.
  - Adjustable inverted front forks with anodized finish. Fork lock keyed to ignition.
  - Adjustable rear shock absorber.
  - Large diameter dual front and single rear disk brakes with ABS.
  - Front 110/80-19 spoked wheel with tubeless dual sport tire, black aluminum rim.
  - Rear 150/70-17 spoked wheel with tubeless dual sport tire, black aluminum rim.
  - Tire Pressure Monitoring System {TPMS}.
  - Front and rear mud guards, with added rear lower mud guard.
  - Steel engine skid plate. An optional full coverage aluminum skid plate upgrade is available.
  - Frame-mounted engine guards.
  - Comes standard with molded luggage. An upgraded aluminum luggage package is available.
  - Wide foot pegs with removable rubber inserts.
  - Passenger foot pegs and grab rails.
  - Tapered aluminum handlebars with bar-end weights.
  - Dual rear view mirrors.
  - Ergonomic rider and passenger seat.
  - Available Colors: Fire Yellow or Saphire Blue.
  - The RX4 is covered by a ONE YEAR unlimited mileage warranty.

If you’re a serious international adventure rider, the RX4 is one of the best motorcycles available. I believe it is one of the six best motorcycles you can take into Baja if you are seeking a great bike at a super price. You can read more about the new RX4 on the CSC blog.

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The Model 52 Smith and Wesson

I’m a lucky guy. One of the Holy Grail pieces in my collection is a Model 52 Smith and Wesson. These guns were discontinued nearly 30 years ago and a lot of folks (myself included) consider them to be the finest handguns ever manufactured. I had always wanted one, and finally, after pestering a good friend relentlessly, he agreed to sell me his.

An impressive target handgun: The Smith and Wesson Model 52-2. It has one of the best triggers I’ve ever experienced.

The Model 52 was built as a no-compromise bullseye target handgun chambered for mid-range .38 Special wadcutter ammunition. What that means is that it’s not a duty weapon or a concealed carry weapon. It’s a full-sized, 5-inch-barreled, adjustable sights, tightly-clearanced handgun with but one objective in mind: Shooting tiny groups with wadcutter ammo.

The .38 Special cartridge has been around forever, and the target variant uses a wadcutter bullet. One of my friends saw these and commented that it was odd-looking ammo, and I guess if you’re not a gun nut it probably is. The bullets fit flush with the case mouth, and because of the sharp shoulder at the front of the bullet, they cut a clean hole in the target (hence the “wadcutter” designation).

.38 Special wadcutter ammo, reloaded on a Star reloading machine. The secret sauce (not so secret, actually) is a 148 grain wadcutter bullet seated flush and 2.7 grains of Bullseye propellant.

I love reloading .38 Special wadcutter ammo, especially now that I am doing so on my resurrected Star reloader. You can read about that here.

You can see the clean holes cut by the wadcutter bullets in the target below, and that’s a typical target for me when I’m on the range with the Model 52. What you see below is a target with 25 shots at 25 yards shot from the standing position.

25 rounds at 25 yards from the Model 52, all in the bullseye. I’m a ham-and-eggs pistolero; guys who are good can shoot much tighter groups.

Yeah, I know, 2 of the 25 shots were a bit low in the orange bullseye. A gnat landed on my front sight twice during the string of 25. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

That’s a Hornady hollow-base wadcutter on the left, and the Missouri Bullets cast double-ended wadcutter on the right. The HBWC is orientation sensitive; the DEWC is not.

Reloaded HBWC and DEWC cartridges, with two of the double-ended wadcutter bullets that show the wadcutter end (which faces forward in the cartridge) and the hollow base end. These HBWC projectiles are Hornady bullets.

Next question: Which is more accurate in the Model 52, the hollow-base wadcutters or the double-ended wadcutters? The two I tried are the Missouri cast double-ended wadcutter, and the Hornady swaged hollow-base wadcutter. Here’s what they look liked (with me behind the gun) on a set of 50-ft targets:

50-ft targets used for comparing DEWC bullets versus HBWC bullets. These targets are about one-fourth the size of the silhouette target shown above.

And here’s the group size data from the 16 five-shot groups I fired a couple of days ago (all dimensions are in inches). It was all focused on answering the question: Which is more accurate? Hollow-base wadcutters, or double-ended wadcutters?

The load was 2.7 grains of Bullseye, a CCI 500 primer, and mixed brass for all of the above groups. They were all shot at 50 feet. So, to answer the accuracy question, to me the difference is trivial (it’s less than a 1% difference when comparing hollow-base to double-ended wadcutter average groups). The standard deviation (a measure of the variability in the group size) was a little bigger for the hollow-base wadcutters, but the difference was probably a statistcal anomaly and it was more due to me, I think, than anything else.

Folks often wonder how the Smith and Wesson wizards managed to get a semi-auto to feed wadcutter ammo. It’s partly in the magazine design and partly in the ramping (but mostly in the magazine). The Model 52 magazine is designed to only hold 5 rounds, and if the bullet protrudes beyond the case mouth, it won’t fit into the magazine. The magazine holds the the top cartridge nearly perfectly in alignment with the chamber, and when the slide pushes the round forward, it glides right in. It will even do so with an empty case, as the video below shows.

The Model 52 was first introduced by Smith and Wesson in 1961. It was based on Smith’s 9mm Model 39, but it had a steel frame (instead of an aluminum frame, although Smith also made a small number of Model 39s with steel frames), a 5-inch barrel (instead of the 39’s 4-inch barrel), and target-grade sights adjustable for windage and elevation (instead of the 39’s windage-adjustable-only sights). The original Model 52 had the Model 39’s double action first shot capability, although I’ve never seen a no-dash Model 52. In 1963 Smith incorporated a better single-action-only trigger and the 52 became the 52-1, and then in 1970 it became the 52-2 when Smith incorporated a better extractor. Mine is the 52-2.

I was lucky…when my friend sold the Model 52 to me, he had the complete package: The original blue Smith and Wesson box, the paperwork that came with the new gun, and all of the tools and accessories (including the barrel bushing wrench).

You might be wondering: Which is more accurate? The Model 52 Smith and Wesson, or the new Colt Python? They are both fine and accurate handguns, but in my hands and after coming back from good buddy TJ and TJ’s Custom Gunworks with a crisp single-action trigger, the Python gets top billing in the accuracy department. You can read about the Python’s accuracy with wadcutter .38 Special ammo here.

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Just my cup of tea…

My buddy Paul sent this to me. In our unending quest to bring our readers the latest in motorcycle technology, we are sharing it here. Check out this video of a Russian dude and his steam-powered motorcycle….a motorcycle that kind of looks like something Joe Gresh would cook up in the La Luz skunkworks.

Enjoy, my friends.

Janus Halcyon 450 Announced

Janus, the Roman God of Transitions, symbolizes looking to the past and the future. It is a fitting name for Janus Motorcycles, a company building ultra-high quality modern motorcycles with classic styling from the 1920s and 1930s.

The Roman god Janus on display in the Vatican.

You may remember a couple of years ago I rode northern Baja with the Janus guys. It was a great ride (any ride in Baja is) and the Janus is a great motorcycle…a gem of a bike handcrafted in Goshen, Indiana. I had a wonderful time and I loved riding the Janus Gryffin.

The Janus Gryffin on Baja’s Rumarosa Grade.

Well, those boys in Goshen don’t sit still. The bike I rode was powered by a 250cc CG Honda clone engine and it was a hoot, but the Goshen guys had bigger plans. Janus announced today that they are introducing a new Halcyon with a 450cc engine. I’ll let the press release below, the Janus videos, and the brochure do the talking. Watch both videos; you’ll enjoy them.

Janus Motorcycles Releases New Halcyon 450 Model

Goshen, Indiana (March 8, 2021) — After 18 months of confidential development, Janus Motorcycles of Goshen, Indiana is unveiling their newest model, the Halcyon 450. Building off the best of what they offered in their 250 line, the Halcyon 450 features a higher top speed, a rear suspension, performance brakes, and several new hand-crafted details.

“Our 250 series owners love the light weight, hand-built features, and classic lines of the 250 series. With the Halcyon 450, we’ve worked to refine those features while improving the top speed and ride comfort. We’re extremely proud of the result,” says General Manager Grant Longenbaugh.

The Halcyon 450 features an SWM 445cc single-cylinder four valve engine with EFI, Brembo brakes, Sargent seat, and a new proprietary cantilever rear suspension.

Production is slated to begin in early June, with several units completed weekly.

Co-founder Richard Worsham says, “Like the 250, the 450 is a manifestation of what we believe is the spirit of motorcycling: the connection between the rider, machine, and landscape.” “We’re very excited to share that spirit with more and more riders,” he continued.

Janus Motorcycles uses a network of craftsmen in the Northern Indiana area (many of whom are Amish) to manufacture nearly all of their body work including the frame, fuel tanks, leather storage, and stainless steel exhausts. They are made to order and can be personalized with various paint, pinstripe, and finish options.

Janus was recently featured on Jay Leno’s Garage and the New York Times.

The 2021 Halcyon 450 starts at $13,500, and customers may reserve their bike with a deposit.

There you have it, folks. I like this new Halcyon, and the spec that stands out for me is the weight: Just 360 lbs! Watch the ExNotes blog; we’ll have more info on Janus and the new 450 in future posts.

If you would like to read about our Janus Baja ride on the 250cc Gryffin and Halcyon motorcycles, you can do so here!

For more info on Janus Motorcycles, click here.

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Himalaya Calling

Himalaya Calling is the best motorcycle adventure travel series I’ve ever seen. Yes, that’s a strong statement, but this is a grand four-part series that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. It’s about two German guys (Erik Peters and Alain Beger) who rode Yamaha Teneres from Germany to India. No support mechanics, no movie star nonsense, mud and snow on the highest mountain passes in the world, and absolutely super photography and riding.

You can watch Himalaya Calling on Amazon Prime TV, or buy the show through the Amazon website. Trust me on this: You’ll love it.

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The Salton Sea 400

The date is 18 April 2021 and the event is the Salton Sea 400, an endurance motor scooter event that circumnavigates southern California’s Salton Sea. The Motor Scooter International Land Speed Federation is the group that put the event together (they do this sort of thing regularly), and I can tell you from personal experience that Alan Spears and the MSILSF crew are a good bunch of people. I rode a 150cc California Scooter (along with good buddies TK and Arlene) in a similar event around Death Valley a few years ago and it was a hoot.

The contact info is in the poster above and here (and you should register to run in the event). If you have a scooter and you’d like to run it around the Salton Sea, you might consider participating.