Colorado Coffinmaker

PLUS ONE too ALL them guys ABOVE

Humpff. Most of yesterday my background photo was just a box with a question mark. Now ..... I'm BACK!!! So never mind.

When I wore a younger mans clothes (3 sizes smaller) and chased the Brass Ring, I shot the '97. I had 4. Then I woke up one day and thought, "This thing ain't Cowboy. Went to Hammer Double Coach Guns and never looked back. Hammer Doubles are FUN!! In the beginning, you're not going to be particularly "fast" with anything. Fast takes lots and lots of PRACTICE. I shoot with folks can run a Hammer Double FAST. A "Train Wreck" with anything is still a train wreck. Double guns ROCK Auto Correct is annoying

Anybody know why my Picture went away?? Somebody doesn't like it??

PLUS ONE too Garrison Joe. Poly Choke is NOT legal for SASS nor WB. If you elect to cut the barrel yourself .... DO NOT USE A PIPE CUTTER!!

It is VERY VERY easy to turn a nice shotgun into JUNQUE. Also understand, once one has "funneled" the chamber mouth, the only market for the gun is with CAS. Other shotgunners won't touch it.

PLUS ONE too ABILENE!!!! I'll be helpful too El Hombre. Colt and Uberti and Pietta ALL build their "Carry" size Open Top guns on the basic 1851 Frame. The only difference, as mentioned my Abilene being the rebated Water Table on the 1860 to allow the stepped cylinder for the 44. 1851, 1861, and 1860 are all built on the same base frame. Same same for Pietta. the only difficulty is Pietta Grip parts don't match up with Uberti Grip parts. There is also a difference from the Percussion type guns to the Cartridge Guns. Surprisingly, the Uberti 1851 barrel assembly will mount right up to an original 1851 Colt. I personally prefer the 1860 grip style and have switched all my Main Match guns to the larger grip. Except for my Pietta Capt. Schaeffer guns. Mix and match can be lots of FUN!!

Hi Griff, and Welcome You're going to get lots and lots of answers. Some really good, some not so Bueno. Ignore both ends. Unfortunately, right now, most of the importers such as Cimarron, Taylors and others are some short on supply as nothing has been coming in since the troubles. My suggestion is to look at guns with TWO triggers, with little to no work done. Many of the guns on the second hand market have been "over-modified" and are no longer reliable or are outright junque. Caveat Emptor. Scoring a nice, unmolested Stoeger Coach with double triggers is a great starting point. I cannot in all good faith suggest you lay out 13 or 14 hundred for your first rodeo. Also, ask around your local club. Be very weary of buying "on line"

PLUS ONE too Tyrel Cody.

PLUS ONE too Prairie Dawg. Except: If I get or deliberately produce a "Dry Ball" chamber, I remove the nipple and use a partial aluminum cleaning rod in the Drill Press to push the ball out. Since I load "off the gun" with a Tower of Power I have no problem at all seating 451 Ball in my Pietta Cap Guns. I don't shoot Uberti. At all. And, to measure a chamber, I dry ball the chamber and measure with the calipers. I have never found need to have the chambers honed out. If you absolutely must, Long Hunter Shooting Supply offers this service at $100 per.

One of the guys we shoot with runs an H&R 20Ga. He can keep right up with the single load crowd with their '97s. Don't be real quick to fault a single barrel shotgun with ejector. They can be humdinger quick.

Marshal. Lots to choose from. Remington and Fiocchi come immediately to mind. Read some box labels. Your going to want 1 ounce or less payload and under 1100 FPS. Try smooth hull and ribbed hulls. Also, WW LNLR ammo has been spotty in quality control of late.

PLUS ONE too EVERYBODY above. You should probably have the cylinder throats looked at. Ruger is famous for too small throats. But, if the guns are both accurate with the load, I'd leave them alone. PS: Tight throats will give you increased felt recoil.

No Horse. Yes. You have a Uberti. Yes. The grip is different from a Pietta. The Pietta does not interchange. A Uberti Navy grip will mount right up. Sorry, I don't have a grip to sell or trade.

A cautionary note here. Your shotgun was manufactured with hard chrome bores. That process also includes the chamber area. Proceed with EXTREAM caution, if at all. My suggestion is to LEAVE it alone and start experimenting with other similar ammunition. NEVER EVER use a flex hone without flex hone OIL. Lots of OIL.