Abilene, SASS # 27489

I guess I don't shoot enough (I certainly don't practice). My three most-used toggle guns have between 7K and 10K rounds of BP and smokeless through each, and have never had a failure to extract. BUT - - I did buy the kit from Scarlett and it's in my cleaning gear, because I know the time will come. I suppose if I just shot one rifle it would happen sooner.

Or maybe chamber a single round through the loading port, then fill the tube with regular 250 grainers. You'll have to remember to just cock the hammer for that first shot, though.

Jim, thank you for giving me the impetus to finally look into a similar problem that began when I installed a Shotgun Boogie " '66-style " gate in my '73. I put up with it because it was only the last round that was a pain (and I am lazy). It looked like this was going to be the same thing, with the bottom of the gate hitting the spring or lifter arm. Turns out the outer edge of the stop tab was hitting a humongous machining burr in the frame opening to the left. All I have at this location is a fine-toothed file so it took a while and it didn't take much off that burr, but enough. Did a little cleaning while I was in there, since the last time it was apart was when I put the loading gate in. It was surprising clean though, but then I'm using one of your V-V loads.

Hi Dred, You haven't showed us any pictures, and while your description of what is happening is understandable, and I know the top of the carrier can get worn, I just wonder a bit about this possibility: I've always done my own action jobs but my last '73 was extra rough so I gave it to Brushy Creek Bill for an action job. When he lightened the brass carrier, he added a little beveling to the inside corners at the top rear of the flat carrier top. This is to aid in single-loading over-the-top. I'm curious of any of what you called "worn" was perhaps a similar modification to your lifter? Either a mod that is machined into it new or one that someone did later.

I always have to give it several tries to get it spelled right. Gotta remember, in the address there are multiple cowboys and only one Indian.

N.D. that looks great!

One my one and only .38 case separation, Boogie's tool did not work, but neither did several other methods. It was He!! getting it out. However, I have heard good things about his extractor from others.

Next month La Sombra will be sitting at the kitchen table filling primer tubes by hand, and thinking "dang I wish I still had that filler, what was I thinking?"

Actually, he really only needs BRASS in 44wcf. As Coffinmaker mentioned, you can fireform 44wcf brass to .45 Colt and the thin brass works just as well to seal the 45 chamber as it did the 44 chamber. I've heard of this for years, and considered it briefly but then I already shoot BP in 44-40, 32-20, and .38, so I even though I shot mucho BP in my .45 and .44 Spcl rifles years ago, I only put smokeless in them these days. Although regarding fireforming 44wcf, I'm wondering how many will get split in the process? And since I don't plan on shooting the .45 with BP, I've never even considered annealing and then keeping those segregated from pistol brass, etc. But like Bull says, if you are in this game for a while you will be getting more guns. So consider a dash caliber for your next rifle. Also, I can understand how a full case of powder can be a lot of recoil in a .45, but if you are also concerned that it will be too loud and smokey, well then I feel sorry for you.

I'm curious if many other clubs do this. The Texican Rangers have yearly competition based on monthly match scores. If you shoot in any category at least 5 times during the year, you are entered into the competition for that category. Your best five scores are added up. They shoot Saturday and Sunday so there is plenty of opportunity to get the needed number. Their end of the year picnic is called Shindig which is a free match for members, and they give out the awards to all the category winners. It can be a plaque, a wooden laser cut item, an insulated mug with club logo, etc. To do this fairly the average stage times each month need to be pretty close, so the stage writers don't go crazy with 8-shotgun stages or anything that is more time consuming, and every match is always 5 stages. Obviously, just like annual matches, some categories will be more contested than others and many will win by default. But it's still fun. The Alamo Area Moderators used to do this until they folded, and the Tin Star Texans did as well. Those clubs and the Texicans are all in the same general area and it was the same shooters, so obviously those folks like to do this. It is a fun diversion. Any others?

You've had several answers saying that yes they dry the brass. But they didn't say why, because if you put wet brass in the walnut or corncob it can make the media pack inside the cases. At least that's what it did to me one time many years ago when my brass was still damp. After rinsing, I usually just spread the brass on a newspaper sheet on the back porch. In colder weather, which isn't that often around here, I'll spread them out in a low wide cardboard box and let them sit overnight in the house. Haven't had a need to dry brass so fast that I would use the oven.

My thumbs don't work as good as they used to so I don't gunfighter as much, but when I do I am a double cocker and if it is split pistol, I only cock one pistol for the first shot, then start the double cocking. For the second five, I will double, double, single. Idaho, I know that isn't what you asked, but hey, thread drift.

To be clear, you will definitely get the best accuracy with hollow base bullets, but you can shoot regular .38's in them (max OAL 1.42"). Due to the relatively big/close targets at most clubs these days, my '61 Uberti with a Kirst cylinder has not had a miss in the 5 matches at 4 different clubs that I used it. You won't beat the fast Ruger guys with these, but you will have plenty of style points!

I thought, hmm, wonder if Uberti parts would fit? So I checked. They don't.

Thanks, this was actually a case of "choosing my category wisely", same as last year! I shot FC because I knew Roys Creek Dan was shooting SFC. If I'd have shot SFC, I would have come in 3rd. And actually, I expected Lightning McQueen to beat me and he was until a couple of bad stages. I have to tell you, on his last stage, there were only 2 shotgun targets but his loads were not knocking them over. He was down to one shell and, standing on one foot, he shot and they both fell. No, I didn't get it on video. July, you were missed! Seeya later.

I used to slip hammer only on dump targets, but in the last year or two I started slip hammering every shot. The mindset shifts from when to pull the trigger, to when to let go of the hammer. I have to do the "go-around" rarely. This is two handed - no way I could do it when I shot gunfighter.

Let's see if this works. 04132024 CD 2024 Main Match Final.pdf

And the best weather we've had for it in quite a while!

La Sombra - just keep telling yourself that buckles are over-rated (well, they are). If there had been awards for most authentic loads, you and Texas Red would have led the way.

When I first saw the title to this topic I thought it said Cart Shelf Addiction. I was expecting to see a cart with shelves all over it.

Thanks, it was a fun match. I shot pretty well, but 3 misses and caught my watch chain (minus buckle fob) once when going for shotshells. And I was only 10 seconds per stage behind overall winner Buckshot Sully.

There's only one annual match that I normally attend that doesn't have a printed shooter book, but it is a smaller match so I know they are trying to save money. They send an email to everybody with the file, so people do know in advance. I've never printed it, but I do look it over. Whether a printed one is provided or not, I do like the idea of a digital copy so that I can look at the stages ahead of time. Often I just don't have time to look at a printed copy before the match starts. I buy cheap all-in-one printers, because I don't print much and do need to occasionally scan something. Regarding the ink drying, that happens a lot when you don't use it much, so I made a document that has only two words in it: PRINTER EXCERCISE. Each letter of those two words is a different color. Once a week (Tuesday, since that is also the day to water plants), I print that file with the two words. I can use paper that already has other stuff on it, and turn it over and then upside down, and use the same paper for 4 weeks. This uses very little ink but helps to keep it from drying out. Some comedian once told a joke about how a lot of the world's problems are based on who has oil and who doesn't, and folks think that oil is the most expensive liquid commodity. But it is not. Ounce for ounce, the most expensive substance is printer ink!

Since so many awards are given at annual matches, I'm sure a lot of us have stacks of plaques (mostly the old days) and buckles (mostly these days). Many will wear one or two of their favorites on their holster/shotgun belts. But what about the rest, gathering dust? I did just order a buckle board from Ruby Red Rider that will display a dozen of them in a vertical strip. But then at the Comancheria Days banquet last night, I discovered a new way to display one, and you don't even need a belt. Inspired by rappers with all their bling, I present - - the watch chain fob buckle!

Yeah, me too. It started as Excel but now I use Open Office for the same file.

I, too, use an Excel spreadsheet. I have a separate page for each firearm. Every time I shoot I update the pages to show how many of what ammo was shot in each gun plus any comments. This also gives the total rounds shot through each. A separate page for all reloading, with details, quantities loaded, etc. and each load has a name (main match smokeless is currently 38S-12b) to make it easier to ID the loads shot on the individual gun pages. The reloading page has gotten REALLY long after 25 years, but I can hide the lines for loads no longer used. Another page with matches shot, add a line at the bottom for each match, with info on club/guns shot/results, etc. I color code those lines so each club has its own color. Then the total rounds shot from each gun show up on a Totals page that has each gun listed and rounds through each on the one page. The latest page I added lists each gun, what I paid for it, and what I believe it should sell for in today's market. This is to help the executor of my estate to dispose of them. Other more expensive items like some of the leather, reloading gear, etc, is listed here as well. All that sounds like a lot but it only takes a few minutes to update it each week after a match, and to update the reloading page every time I reload. The only "calculations" needed is to sum up columns of numbers for a total.