August West, SASS #45079

Thanks, Zona, for posting this. What a terrible loss to our community!!! Tom was always kind, generous, and helpful. He would go way out of his way to be helpful to fellow shooters. His generosity to the shooting community, to other cowboys, and to the clubs that he supported with his participation will live on in the spirit of those who he touched. And, he could indeed put together a heck of a 1911. His work looked like the parts grew together rather than being merely assembled. He was a wonderful man with a spectacular sense of humor and heart full of kindness. We will miss him tremendously! I will miss him. Godspeed WBT.

My Doctor has instructed me to wash my shooting clothes separately from other laundry.

Packed my duffle with clothes, only to leave it home once. Forgot all my leather once. Forgot a hat once. Have forgotten my wallet a couple of times. This list idea seems like a good one to me.

Seems like if the humidity inside the safe is healthy for the gunz, it would be detrimental to the leather. And, vice-versa.

Wonderful!!! Please keep us posted as your thoughts about the various dimensions you used evolve. Those decisions about dimensions must have occupied your thoughts for a good while. From here, it looks like you made some great choices. Thanks for sharing this!

The right tool for the job

Spangenberg's Gunsmithing shop was located at 21 South 4th Street, Tombstone. The shop was connected to the store that fronts on Allen street. So, you could say it was at the corner of Allen and 4th Street (more or less). It was a wonderful store to visit twenty years ago. Lots of Colt's and Winchesters both old and new. You could get a nice set of cowboy action guns there and many of us did. Then, as time went along, the stock became more and more aimed (forgive me) to tourists. It went from Colt's, to clones, to pop guns, to rubber band shooters over about ten years. It was very, very sad to witness this transformation. The storefront is still there. The front part of the building is now "Can-Can Old Time Photos"; fronting at 336 E. Allen St. The phone number for that business is 520-457-3227. They may only be open on weekends.

Be forewarned that going to Old Tucson Studios makes for a strong likelihood that you'll become THAT guy, who is a PITA, remarking during every, old Western Movie, that the setting is inauthentic.

If I may opine.... Smacking an SKB to reset it is not only dangerous in the ways people have pointed out in this thread, it is also slow, and it is (potentially) harmful to the gun. Most are aware that the stock, as it meets the action, is a weak point on SKBs. The force imparted by whacking the butt stock is more than enough to crack the stock. In time, that's what will happen. Rather, use the barrel selector on the trigger to switch barrels. Practice doing it that way. It is safer, faster, and does no damage to the gun.

Give it a couple of days soaking in KROIL (accept no substitutes!). These are so finely machined and fitted that the slightest burr or off-axis force can cause binding. It should move without hammering after the KROIL soak. I'd use a wood dowel if it were me.

Geez. It's an idea. A sketch. How you orient it on the range, and how you place the gun in it come with many alternatives. Also, the dimensions of the side-walls, base, angle, width, height have many alternatives.

SASS Alias: August West SASS #: 45079 Location: Tucson, Arizona Territory How Long: Started shooting SASS in 1999 at the Oak Tree in the Wash, Joined SASS around 2000

Can you be specific about where it is breaking? At the pivot? At the tip? Along the "spring"?

If you do windows too, you're my huckleberry -- in a strictly Platonic sense.