Author Topic: New Cowboy looking for advice (Read 814 times)

Kilgor · « **on:** May 23, 2004, 01:57:43 PM »

Howdy all - this is a great site and perhaps the answers to my questions are to be found if only I take the time to read each and every post. However, in the interest of time I give you my story and await your words of wisdom.

I have a great intrigue with CAS, have contacted the local club, attended one match and other than having less than desirable support from the little woman am ready to take the plunge. Although I have 2 SxS 12 ga. and a 30-30 for long shootin', I need to acquire 2 pistols and a pistol caliber lever action as well as leather etc.

Initially, I was (and may still) go the traditional route - smokeless 357/38 caliber firearms (cheaper to reload) - but after reading through the BP forum I may go that way instead. One of my SxS is W&C Scott & Son damascus barrel sidelock with external rebound hammers - a nice piece and according to a local collector safe to shoot (though I will have that verified by a gunsmith).

Everyone here shoots Colt or Colt clones (other than the C&B boys) but I really prefer the looks of the 1875 Remington - it's soooo purdy - and I am seriously considering the Uberti Outlaw. Any comments on this choice of firearm? Quality? Suitability for BP cartridge loads etc.

My lever action of choice is the Marlin Cowboy carbine. Again in 357/38. Is this a reasonable choice (particularly for BP cartridge loads)?

I look forward to your input.

Cheyenne Ranger · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2004, 03:16:15 PM »

Hello Kilgore,

Welcome to the CAS fun and games. Know you're going to love it.

38/357 is a great way to go in both revolver and rifle. Marlins are pretty solid lever guns, too. You can always start out using smokeless and transistion to BP as you get more involved in the sport. There's enough stuff to get the hang of without the added "excitment" of BP. That said, many pards start off in it--guess I'm lazy.

I am going to let the BP experts speak to using it in your guns. I know I like the ability of waiting a bit to clean all the hardware. Just got done with 10 revolvers and rifles (a long story--some other time) and, while it took me the better part of the afternoon to do it (plus some taking apart and working on two "broke" wheelguns, I could have always taken a break till tomorrow.

I "think" BP requires clean up pretty darn quick--but I have been wrong before. :grin:

Let us know if you have any other questions.

ÇR

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2004, 04:33:45 PM »

Howdy Pard,

The 38/357 chamberings will handle BP jist fine! I started out with a .357 Rossi and shot BP in it for my first year and had no trouble with it. (I call it my 38-22 :wink: ) I've since aquired an Open Top in .38 Special and it's a supurb shooter! And to be honest, iffin yer into competition in a big way the 38s will give you an edge.

The big bores are fun and look way cool blowing smoke and fire down range, but don't pass on them 38s jist because yer thinkin' BP, cause they'll do the job great!

I shoot 75 Remmies fer my main match guns now, and they handle BP with aplomb, if you take some extra steps in reloading BP...adding a grease cookie is almost a neccessity, unless you have access to some of the specialty bullets, like the PRS, MAV, and Snakebite slugs, that carry huge amounts of lube. Those 75s don't have sleeve around the cylinder pin like the Colts so they foul the pin really fast unless you take steps to add extry lube to the loads.

Oh yeah...that Marlin will do jist fine with BP too! :-)

John Traveler · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2004, 08:50:00 PM »

Gentlemen:

Maybe you can help settle a "disagreement" between a friend and me.

I heard that before the Civil War the US Army tested and evaluated Remington M1858 and Colt M1860 cap 'n ball revolvers and found that the Colt design was more reliable with extended firing becasue of it's larger diameter cylinder axis pin. Any truth to this?

I've loaded BP .45 Colt cartridges for my Uberti M1875's and do find that it tends to foul up more often than similarly loaded Colt M1873 clones.

Thanks in advance!

John

MOGorilla · « **Reply #4 on:** May 24, 2004, 02:13:04 AM »

The colts do function through the fowling much better, but I am not sure this was ever tested. I know towards the end of the war, the change out cylinder function of the remington was a popular sought after feature. A good friend has the 1875 outlaw and it is one sweet gun. At present, I am exclusively a cap and ball shooter, but I am looking into a 1875 outlaw in .44/40 as an accompaniment to my Henry Rifle.

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #5 on:** May 24, 2004, 05:09:59 AM »

John,

I'm not aware of any tests regarding this. But the cylinder pin on an 1860 is not only larger than that on the 58s but it is also grooved, giving fouling a place to go without binding the cylinder. The grooves will also hold lube, placed on the pin after cleaning, which will help too.

Later, when Colt started building cartridge revolvers, the large pin with grooves wasn't an option (especially in larger bore pistols) and Colt overcame the fouling problem by using a sleeved cylinder pin. Not long after that smokeless powders started becoming popular and it really wasn't an issue anymore. But Colt stuck with the sleeved pin design, permitting their guns to be affective with either BP or smokeless rounds during the transition period from BP to the newfangled stuff.

Kilgor · « **Reply #6 on:** May 24, 2004, 05:22:04 AM »

Thanks for the input Gentlemen!

I see no reason not to proceed with my planned purchases so will carry on down this path. The more I think on this and the closer I git to the actual doin' the more excited I git. The little woman is even coming around a bit, a very little bit - she's not into guns at all.

You'd think that after 30 years of wedded bliss she'd be more in tune with her man. After all it's not like I haven't always (as far as she is concerned) had shotguns and rifles in the house even if it's been 20 years since I last fired one. And I have an old SA pellet pistol and holster rig that I bought as a kid and would never let go just 'cause I'm a cowboy at heart. Ah, lets face facts ... I'm still a kid at heart and now I can afford more expensive toys :wink:

williamlayton · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2004, 01:46:21 AM »

Wemmen folk, that could be a long and never exhausted discussion. I have one around tha house, well, she says she allows me to hang around, you know this story.
I try real hard to keep tha hen happy and meet her needs but it aint gonna happen when it comes to tha guns. Never has never will. So I just ignore her when it comes to this topic and do it my way. Doan make her happy but I believe she is jest going to have to adapt and overcome her thoughts, kinda like I have to with some of her thoughts.
Marriage, well, I been with this one 43 years and I woulda killed me if'n I had been her, but that's tha reason ya get to know em pretty good fore ya commit.
She's a goodun an I'm happy with her, well most tha time.
Blessings

Lorelei Longshot · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2004, 09:29:35 AM »

Still waiting for an update on your first shoot and which guns you got.

Has your wife come around a little more? I hope so because I wish more women would get involved in CAS. It is such a blast when the targets go "plink" or fall down (as in knockdowns).
Bring her to a match and get some of the women there to talk with her about how much fun it is and let her borrow and shoot their guns. Maybe that will help get her interested.

Kilgor · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2004, 08:13:58 PM »

Well now Miss Lorelei there has been a bit of a delay in my plan. :cry:

Not to worry though - it is inevitable. :wink: Negotiations have been completed and monies spent on some equipment to support the habit. My wife looks at me funny and queries my sanity when yet another package arrives. Perhaps you can relate to her puzzlement when I spend time cleaning brass and setting up reloading equipment for firearms I don't even own yet.

I have a couple of projects that need to be completed before I commit much more time to this but rest assured that when the wheel guns (Uberti 1875 Outlaws) and Marlin Cowboy carbine arrive there will be lots of ammunition available to feed them.

I will definitely try to get my wife to attend a match and talk to the ladies that are involved but I'm afraid that will take an awful lot of patience, and perhaps some skull-duggery, as I have already made that suggestion and received a less than positive response. We will be travelling to St. George Utah for the Huntsmen World Senior Games in October and although I will not be participating in the CAS event there this year I am sure we will mysteriously show up at the Dixie Desperados Shooting Range :twisted:

If you were not aware of this CAS event - check out the following link http://www.hwsg.com/events/cowboy.html

Cuts Crooked · « **Reply #10 on:** June 26, 2004, 03:12:04 AM »

Hey pard,

If yer gonna be at that event you posted a link too, check around 'n see iffin ya cain't find a pard by the name of Wolf WindWalker. (that's his SASS alias) Tell him his 'migo Cuts sayz "howdy"!

I'd love to be at that one, but the price of feed fer my iron pony has gotten too high fer me to travel very far from the Great Plains area these days. :cry: