Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

Remember that Cowboy guns will have a lot more value to cowboy shooters than to the average gun buyer. And that (at least) three things will be adjustments up or down on what prices you can ask: * condition, age and rough number of rounds fired * special tuning or customization that has been done, and the gunsmith's name * how easy the commonly-done speed tuning can be done on the gun and how reliable the gun is when tuned (especially important on shotguns - SKB doubles command a premium because they can be easily be made to be very fast guns, and BSS doubles because they are mechanical triggers and very reliable) It's worth trying to write down a description that includes most of those factors. ALWAYS include manufacturer, model, caliber, barrel length, and special features from the factory. Great pictures really help sell guns, if you are not working face-to-face with a buyer. Either figure out how to take them, or pay someone to take good photos. So, it's not like there is a real "Blue Book" on the values of cowboy guns. Prices you can expect to get will depend a LOT on how hard you want to work to sell them. You CAN always post a SASS Classified ad for a slightly high end price, plus a "Or Best Offer (OBO)" note at the end. Then you and prospective buyers can work your way down to a settlement price. If you do post on the SASS Classifieds, figure out how you will work with out-of-state buyers ahead of time, including getting the shipping and FFL costs covered, if you need to. You and your buyer will be more pleased if you have done that kind of homework, too. If all else fails, my rule of thumb is take the gun's current new price "on the street" (not MSRP), then multiply by about 2/3. If your used guns are in good condition, working 100%, and not real dinged up, they may be able to garner about that amount. Good luck, GJ

I also use an 8MM socket that I have ground to thin the walls so as to fit in the firing pin recesses. The retaining nut is also slightly tapered on the faces, so the root of each face is slightly larger than the tip. You may have to make a kerf cut with a fine hackblade to get a firm grasp on the nut, slicing perhaps 1/4 of the way from the opening on the socket towards the square drive end. One of my TTN's recently starting hanging (sticking) the firing pin in the fired primer. Thus preventing opening the action until I bounced the gun on the recoil plate hard. I had to install firmer springs than the factory installed, and now have reliable operation. Good luck, GJ

Cerakote - easy to make it just about any color you want. GJ

Needs a stronger spring in the base pin latch. May have to experiment with a spring assortment (like Brownell's has) to find one that is 50% os so stronger. Also, check for a burr where latch pin locks in the base pin - burr may be preventing latch from locking in place. Good luck, GJ

Nice move by Ruger. Will be quite popular, I'd wager. GJ

Using THAT in a sentence referring to a person, instead of who/whom.

Thinner grips often give a shooter better control. Lighter loads would be what I'd try, though, as they will much more likely give you a solution to knuckle rapping. The Cowboy 45 Special case is ideal for making a light load that runs fine in .45 Colt chambered revolvers. Good luck, GJ

Blue Dot, or most powders that are slow enough for full-load 9 MM, make very lousy light shotgun loads in 12 gauge. But Red Dot load would be OK for 9 (not my first choice though), and EXCELLENT for a shotshell load. Perhaps you are willing to optimize for shotshell and squeak by on the 9 while he is here. Ditto for Clays. Good luck, GJ

I would suggest that the cartridge paper is NOT powder, and thus would be allowed to be used with BP without being considered a duplex load. But I am surprised you were able to create such a lengthy title to a post. Good luck, GJ

I use a lot of WST, and it's about as clean as the cleanest powders I've used. It and Clay Dot are real favorites of mine for Cowboy loads, with Clays close behind. I've not loaded either 32 Long or 38 spl with WST, however. I have loaded a lot in shotshells. Here's a one ounce load from my logs: Rem STS hull, 1 ounce shot in ClayBuster CB1100 (pink) wad, 19.0 gr WST, Fed 209A primer. That's going to make about 1150 FPS....kinda warm for strictly Cowboy, but I also shoot this for Wild Bunch. For me, it's not a hard recoiling load. WST is not cold sensitive. The factory claims it actually shoots stronger (slightly) in cold weather than in hot. I certainly found (Australian) Clays to be weak in cold weather in cowboy loads. Clay Dot is not, in my experience. Good luck, GJ

If I need a filler with Black Powder, I use fine-grain activated charcoal. That is of course exactly one component of black powder itself, so it will neither be "more abrasive", nor prone to compress into a solid cake that raises pressures (as most cereals can do). It adds NO more power to the black powder load, because there is no "extra oxygen" in the BP than just amount needed to burn the black powder's charcoal and sulfur. Besides, that activated charcoal "crunches" just like BP does - so you can hear that you have gotten a little compression when you seat the slug. And no one thinks you are cooking breakfast. Good luck, GJ

Don't make your choice of cartridges based on the cost of ammo. If you shoot this Cowboy game much, you will be reloading. And thus in some control of the cost of ammo. That will not be your big expense. If you are looking for speed, use a small caliber gun. .38 special is shot by most of the fastest. .44-40 guns shoot real cleanly. .45 Colt guns are satisfyingly historic (other than rifle, for which none of the frontier guns were chambered, but they are now). Go watch some local matches - even shoot in some when folks offer to let you. The fun you see folks having will help tell you what you want to shoot. But if you make this a dry economics research project - what a way to pour cold water on a fun startup, IMHO. Good luck, GJ

That 0.442" soft lead ball is perfect to slug with. You will probably shave a bit of the lead off the ball as you start it down the barrel, but what you shave off is a small amount of the ball, and with it being soft that little bit will come off quite easily. If you have a muzzle loading ball starter, it makes a nice short safe rod with which to get the ball into the muzzle safely. Good luck, GJ

Baikal made several lousy hammered doubles. Their non-hammered doubles were a lot better designed. I would not hold that experience against a Baikal, as I have found them to be a better cheap shotgun than a Stoeger for folks who run guns hard. Good luck, GJ

Don't slug a barrel with a hard alloy bullet. Pure soft lead (muzzleloader balls) or a lead fishing sinker upsets so much better. Watch out for zinc sinkers (can be labeled non-toxic) - they don't work well. Good luck, GJ

OK, you are almost done! I'm assuming you have the mag tube out at this point. If not, drive out the cross pin (about a 3/16" diameter pin) that fixes the mag tube in place up at the mag tube hanger (close to the muzzle). Once the cross pin is out, you can pull the mag tube out of the action. The forend cap hanger (block) is a dovetail fitting into the bottom side of the barrel. Lay rifle left side up, with an inch of space clear under the barrel at the hanger block. (So, something like a wood block under the barrel in front of the block) Take a 1/4" or so punch and tap the block down (to the right side of gun) until it clears the dovetail. (Like you would a front sight). Then, the forearm wood slides forward until you can pull it down off the barrel. Let me know if you need more info or even a pic. I've got a 73 apart I'm working on right now and can send you some. Of course, when reassembling, you need to watch real closely (I put some light under the mag tube hanger) so you twist the mag tube to get the groove in surface of mag tube lined up with hole in tube hanger when you reinsert that little pin! Otherwise, you can dent the mag tube inside wall with that pin. Good luck, GJ

Time for a refresher on firearms safety. A muzzle up does not sweep anyone any more than a muzzle straight down. And it is MUCH more natural to carry muzzle up when you carry two long guns at once. And you never have a sweep problem with muzzles up when you place guns into a cart, also muzzles up. SASS has defined muzzle straight up as a suitably safe carry arrangement, either in hands or in cart. Them's our rules. And they work. Good luck, GJ

No practical need for grounding a reloading press. Static does not set off either smokeless or black powder or primers, by experience, and by manufacturer's lack of warnings about it. Use static-reducing spray or dryer sheets to reduce the powder sticking to plastic hopper problem, if that is a problem for you (it's not to me). Now, steel parts in measures that handle Black Powder - that may be able to find a quartz granule or sand particle in the powder and create a HOT spark that will ignite powder. So, use BP measures, and don't put dirt or floor sweepings in your powder. A gentle suggestion - Spend your time worrying about something that is a real problem. Good luck, GJ

That "range gunsmith" was not knowledgeable about how to load for Cowboy rifles!!! Most of the Uberti 73s in 38 caliber will handle a round with an overall length of 1.46" or more. Very easy to get that length with .38 special cases and lighter bullets. Which gives you a lighter shooting round with cheap components. Sorry you got such expensive advice. For powder for light .38 special loads, I recommend one of Clays, Clay Dot, Red Dot, or 700-X. Clean, easily available, fast enough burn rates to run light loads. Good luck, GJ

For me: Orange/amber, it brings out the most sharpness and contrast in most light. Gray 90+ density for bright days. Colors that YOU need will most likely not match what many other people use. So, you may get interesting answers, but not necessarily helpful for YOU. You have to try them out yourself. A big match with a vendor selling shooting glasses (even a regional or national shotgun match - Trap, Skeet or Sporting Clays) can be very helpful in letting you try several varieties of glasses. Good luck, GJ

I've been following the reports of higher than average blood lead levels that have been posted here for the last 15 years. Here's the major ways folks get lead intake when cowboy shooting, roughly in what I estimate to be the worst sources (based upon the number of shooters who have reported on this forum their high blood levels and where and how they shot and cleaned up): * airborne lead at indoor ranges (mostly from primers) - inhaled. This exposure is VERY common, can be VERY heavy, and is the main reason that OSHA has come down hard on public and police indoor shooting ranges, and that we have non-toxic pistol ammunition available. * lead oxides from cases and spent primers dislodged during cleaning - inhaled and possible skin absorption if wet cleaning. Keep dry tumbling out of living areas and non-ventilated spaces. Control dust. Clean the floor. If wet cleaning, dispose of the cleaning solutions (which carry lead) carefully. Wearing a lead-qualified breathing filter helps a lot. MOST hardware-store dust masks are not capable of removing fine lead from your air, however! * airborne lead at outdoor ranges (primers, and shotgun pellets atomizing into "gray clouds" on vertical targets) - inhaled and possible ingestion from fine dust on skin and hair * solvent-carried lead from gun cleaning (both fired primer residue and bore/action of the gun) - skin absorption * poor hygiene during and following shooting - failing to clean hands, face, hair after shooting, cleaning or reloading and before eating - ingestion * casting bullets - low inhalation exposure if properly ventilating the casting area and containing the waste dross from cleaning the lead (which is dusty and easily airborne). Melting lead at normal temperatures (less than 800 F) puts almost untraceable amounts of lead into the air. It's the other operations done while casting that are much more capable of contaminating the operator or clothing. * handling lead bullets while reloading - almost no link to lead uptake Folks who do a lot of ROing often are exposed to much more "range lead" than the shooter who does not work the line. They are right behind 5 or more shooters on every stage - just about where primer residue sprays out of our guns, as well as the exposure they get when running their own guns. Because it is SO hard to find well studied cause-and-effect data for lead uptake in the body, we do have to be a little cautious about all the possible exposure routes. Don't just work on one of the possible exposures and expect that to make a big difference to blood levels. Pay attention to all of them, but there are a lot of us shooting without major problems from lead exposure. So, be cautious but not worried, I would say. Good luck, GJ

Herter's line have been discontinued for several months. Last available by order were about first of January. Any found now are from cleaning out the stock room. Good luck, GJ

From shooting with the very top shooters in Wild Bunch for several years, there are few Marlins in the game, because short stroking is so hard to get done. And quality of new made by Remington is still a gamble.; old JM Marlins are few and far between. If you want a CLEAN shooting gun, think of a 73 in .44-40. I find a .45 Auto rechamber of a 73 to be mostly a waste of money, when I know how to load a .45 Colt so it will shoot clean and not too far above minimum power factor. In a 73, the .45 Auto doesn't give you a shorter stroke than .45 Colt. If you REALLY don't want to load one more cartridge (you want to load .45 auto for both) - Well, that will come with a big price for a gun conversion. Yes, the 73 can be slicked up to be very fast. But that won't begin to win anything in Wild Bunch. WB is a pistol and mag changing game. Good luck, GJ

THAT background always makes me suspect the lever has been bent by excessive force, either an out of battery or a hard levering when things got stuck. I'd lay the lever on top of a known correctly shaped lever and check that. Uberti 73 levers bend easily. Also they can be bent back into shape easily. It's possible to bend a lifter arm. But not common. It's possible to wear out a lifter to be out of correct geometry, but not common. Look for the usual suspect first. Or perhaps Uri Geller (a telekineticist) Good luck, GJ

Randy Redman is the premier artist at 22 relining. https://www.redmansrifling.com/relining.htm But with Redman liners and drills easily available, most gunsmiths capable of doing precision work can handle this locally. Good luck, GJ