Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

That ugly crud near the FP channel probably was the culprit! Easily could have been migrating around and causing the off and on FTFs. Glad you found it! GJ

Might take a close look at the hammer's half cock notch. Roughness during manual cocking could be a damaged notch, or even a bend or chip in the trigger's tip. And that might even cause a drag on the hammer fall that results in light strikes. Also examine hammer sides for burrs and scratches showing the hammer is dragging on the frame. good luck, GJ

Click in the 97 action is the action slide lock opening (getting out of the way) to allow the action to be opened with rearward pull on the forearm. Sometimes holding the gun loosely (either on forward hand or the shoulder mount) can keep that action lock from opening on firing. Sometimes it's due to a very light shotshell load. Even can be due to a dirty action. The lock is designed into all the 97s to keep a shooter from opening the gun quickly while a hang-fire shell cooks off. Recoil from firing a normal load pulls the forearm forward a short way, unlocking the lock and you don't even hear it over the muzzle blast. If you have the action slide lock NOT opening on this gun with a factory level load and the gun held firmly, then, yes, the slide lock needs to be reshaped to open on normal firing. Until it gets fit properly, you will have to remember to shove the forearm (slide) forward, then open the action. Which can be frustrating. Note: the helical spring in the forearm around the mag tube is NOT what makes the noise. It's normally a very light force needed to compress that spring, so I WOULD LEAVE THAT ALONE! Fit the lock instead so it unlocks properly.. good luck, GJ

Remember that in cowboy loading, we are often OFF BOOK. Not even the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook goes to as low a velocity, recoil and powder weight as many competitors want to get to. So, not surprising that some folks have to experiment with powder selection and minimal functional charge weight. We get to see what the ballistics techs have to face when developing new loads. Good thing we are experimenting on the low end of the power ranges, where squibs and dirty loads are the main failures. (We could be trying to HOT ROD loads (like Elmer Keith did) where blown up guns and injury could happen.) good luck, and keep all your digits and eyeballs! GJ

There is a rule in the Loading and Unloading Area Conventions: However, I find no statement of exactly what penalty is to be assessed if this happens. I assume that the SDQ penalty ties into a similar situation of a shooter leaving the firing line once the stage has been started by timer buzzer. And the penalty is not listed in the RO Pocket Card. This rule book oversight is kind of a frequent problem with our rulebook. If a rule states that a shoot shall not or may not do something, then the penalty needs to be stated RIGHT THERE in the rule. Almost all the major impact safety penalties are SDQ, so that makes this rule "in line with" the other SDQ penalties, IMHO. good luck, GJ

If the match director is doing some overriding of SASS rules, then it's highly likely some shooters are getting a benefit from that and the rest are not. I find there seems to be VERY little reason for a match director to override what the TO and posse marshal have done during the stage, and most things that seem to need attention are when the posse did NOT interpret the SASS rules as written, but put a different spin on them. And for that, careful selection of posse marshals next time often solves the problem. As well, the "re-litigating" of rules at matches costs valuable time and decision making. Slowing matches and adding chaos and possibly causing hard feelings.. Avoid overrides! GJ

Stand hits will make a target plate move sometimes, and they sometimes will give a dull ring. I never count just a wiggle or a thud as a hit. I need the visual of a splash of lead and a real hit ring. Watch out for "only stand hits" - they ARE misses. good luck, GJ

A new mold set needs to be scrubbed REALLY well in hot soapy water to remove all cutting fluids from the cavities (and rest of block), or you have trouble with mold fillout. That is a VERY LARGE mold, and it really needs to be pre-heated before you start casting or it will never heat up. Then dry COMPLETELY for a day or so at room temperature or in the sun outdoors because you do not want a steam explosion when starting to cast. You need to get your mold blocks up to about 400 F before starting casting. I do that by using an old hot plate, set about 1/4 of full heat. You are fortunate to have a temp reading laser thermometer, and you can get real close to that without overheating and damaging your blocks. You are definitely casting too cool, if your alloy is at 600 F. At that temperature, you get wrinkles in the slugs, and rounded corners and incomplete fill out. That also indicates the alloy in the pot is a VERY hard alloy if it is melting at 600 F. A .44-40 bullet that you shoot for cowboy at about 800 or 900 FPS maximum velocity, does not need to be real hard. I would get twice as much soft lead (plumber supply house or a scrap yard will be reasonable local sources of soft lead) then mix your left over alloy with the soft lead until you can cast a bullet that you can scratch with the edge of your finger nail. That will be hard enough for cowboy shooting, and will seal the bore better. I too cast for cowboy bullets at about 700-725 F. Your pot needs to heat the alloy to that. If it cannot, it needs replaced or overhauled. I seriously would melt out that "unknown" alloy and start over with clean, known alloy that gets you fairly soft bullets - like what a fingernail will mark. Unless you don't care how great the bullets are or how accurate they shoot. If you are casting for modern Italian made or even Ruger firearms, most likely a 0.429" sized bullet will be just about right to fit the barrel well. You are sizing as if loading for original 1800's guns, which were cut in ranges from 0.424 to 0.427" groove diameter. Another tip for casting with a 6 cavity mold. Start by only filling two cavities until the bullets come out well filled and the sprue cuts almost with hand pressure. Then start one more cavity, casting 3 bullets. Repeat this process to step up to casting 6 cavities. Otherwise, you try to cut sprues when you have to pound on the sprue plate, and you damage the plate or even the blocks, and it's hard work too! Lyman publishes a GREAT manual that explains how to set up and cast. Also has tons of good loads. If you don't have it yet, get the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, 4th edition Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook Casting and sizing is a lot of work, but if you can find lead to cast at a good price (somewhere less than $1 a pound), then you will be well off. good luck, GJ

If they did not SEE the miss, it's a hit. My bet would be on a double tap on same location. Benefit of doubts go where? To The Shooter. good luck, GJ

Such a shooter would not be welcome again on a range I was in charge of. What happened to the Cowboy Way? GJ

Obviously, he had the muzzle pointed at the other shooter's gun when it fired. Serious lack of muzzle control. "Never point the gun at something you do not want to destroy" Shooter had also better be ready to pay for any needed repair to that other pard's gun. good luck, GJ

Pressure is only adjusted by filing some material off the arm of the extractor to thin it. Do not be trying to bend it to reduce pressure. I go by the pounds of pressure the extractor hook gives at "fully down" position. I can measure it precisely with a fishing scale and some mono line or small gauge wire caught in the groove. Pull straight up with the action mostly closed, but still have the extractor nose clearing the back of barrel. I like 4 pounds of pressure. Or, with having done extractors for years, I just put my finger tip on the nose of extractor and try to lift it. If it hurts my fingertip a little, it's tight enough. Killing my finger - too tight. With bolt out of gun, you DO NOT want any slack between the hook and edge of case rim, nor any wiggling of case, if you have the case placed between the hook and the cartridge tab and you shake the bolt up and down or side to side. Slack there, or not enough pressure, means the case has a good chance of slipping off the cartridge tab at bottom of bolt face, then bouncing around in the carrier actioninstead of being held firmly enough that the carrier block coming up can slap the case up and out of the gun. A stock extractor will probably have about 10 pounds of pressure, and will work, but many folks don't like the little bit of resistance that a tight extractor gives in the last 1/2" of bolt travel during cartridge chambering. And, I change extractors about every 3 years - just because it's a flat spring with lots of force on it. good luck, GJ

Almost all the guns we use now for cowboy action are just parts kits already assembled by factory. I find VERY few that do not take at least some cleanup and tuning before they will run in a match. Sounds like the factory may have skipped the finish reaming of the chamber! And then paid no attention to very balky ammo chambering! Serious faults which would qualify for a warranty repair in my book. If you had the time to wait. Sounds like you took a practical approach! But, then, how did that first gunsmith do an action upgrade without SHOOTING the finished gun and finding the real problem? Hmmmmm. good luck, GJ

Many powders will work for the light loads we shoot in cowboy matches. 700-X,, WST, TiteWad, TiteGroup (High Over All Gun is another name for the exact same powder) are some of the common ones that are in moderate production and often available. ExtraLlite, Red Dot, Unique, Green Dot, Clay Dot, American Select, are occasionally made and on the market now, but you have to get very luck to find them. good luck, GJ

Most shooters find the .38 spl cycles faster (lighter ammo) and moves off target less between shots) than a .45 Colt rifle. good luck, GJ

Here's some of my favorites with WST for Cowboy - considerably lower velocities! C45 Special 175 grain bullet, 4.2 grains 45 Colt 200 grain bullet, 5.8-6.2 grains 45 Auto 200 grain bullet, 4.6 grains Makes Wild Bunch power factor All stuff I have shot for 10 years. GJ

Yeah, 4.3 grains of 231 should make about 825 FPS. Not really a light load. 2.8 grains of Clays in a revolver will be down around 650 FPS. You WILL notice it's softer and cleaner. GJ

231 will be too slow a powder for light .38 special. Been tried by many. 2.8 grains of Clays or Clay Dot will work, but don't count on being able to buy any for QUITE a while. You could load until you run out, though. TiteGroup (also named High Gun) is often available now and will make good loads for that cartridge and bullet. good luck, GJ

Looks to me like heavy rust spots from where gun was stored touching something that could hold moisture. Maybe a cloth pad on a gun rack. Then owner scrubbed most of the rust off, leaving bluing thinned out around the spot. Something like a front sling loop would have normally been soldered to the rib, not both barrels. And desoldering a sling loop would not have left those pits. That's my guess. good luck, GJ

So disappointed I did not see a photo with tartan skirt on the box! It's a sad day you can't measure your muzzle velocity. Remember, "It's never too close to miss" GJ

Beware a wool content hat - any amount of wool. Unfortunately, that is the mainstay of the "cheapo" hat sellers. You will never be satisfied with a wool hat. Folks above gave you a good review of the minimum (10% beaver) to the very best quality (100% beaver) hats. I find it hard to get a hat now that is better than 50% beaver, what with the decrease in their population. A good high-beaver hat will be north of $600, but will hold up to rain storms of a biblical proportion, and last a long time if maintained and kept out of hot parked vehicles (which shrink a hat). A hat less than $300 would be quite suspect in quality. So, find yourself the best LOCAL hat shop in your part of TX (should be several). Ask at your SASS club (or the local farm/feed store if you don't have a clue). Get the best hat body you feel you can afford. It can be reshaped into just about any shape you desire. And never get in the habit of picking it up by the front of the crown - you will pinch a hole in it. Grab the brim or cradle the crown in your palm. And that LOCAL shop - will (knock wood) be around to reshape or clean your hat over time. good luck, GJ

Just so folks will find that alloy in a search, it's spelled "Cerrosafe." https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/bore-barrel-tools/reamers-cutters/cerrosafe~-chamber-casting-alloy/ This is a different way to spell the "sera" sound than with the metal coating - Cerakote. English is complicated enough (being a dog pile mix of languages that came before), then we have companies making up new words for their products every day. good luck, GJ

After years of use, the pin has worn enough to drift to the side a little. Reassemble it and put some red locktite (removable) on both ends of the pin - just a drop is plenty. Will help hold the pin from drifting. You could order a new one that MIGHT fit more tightly, then again, the wear may be in the holes of the toggle links. And, one could just polish the points on the side plates where the pin ends have been dragging. End round the pin ends slightly. That would reduce the feeling of friction. good luck, GJ

Allan Harton likely will be booked for a year out or more. Nate Kiowa Jones will work well - Steve Young, Steve's Gunz, Lampasas, TX (512) 564-1015 (from past work and he's also on the SASS gunsmith list in the FAQ pages) good luck, GJ

I like Brownell's OxphoBlue cold blue for just one small part. Here's how I have done an aged finish. Prep and clean part. Apply OxphoBlue following instructions. I like to heat the part right after application with a propane torch to where the solution just bubbles a little. Seems to make the blue penetrate and be more permanent. Bronze wool to rub off the rusty looking residue. Reapply for total of 3 coats to get it uniform. Normally one would apply a good gun oil at this point to seal the new bluing. But, if you want some patina, heat a little bit of vinegar (cooking vinegar works fine) to just short of boiling and apply a coat to the new blue. Rinse off within 5 seconds. Should give you the aged look after oiling. If not, repeat with longer application. If the vinegar treatment pulls off too much bluing, then I use some barrel Browning solution (a little harder to find, but I think Brownells and Midway carry some) to just darken and brown up the cold blue color. Sometimes called Plum Browning. good luck, GJ