Garrison Joe, SASS #60708
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Posts posted by Garrison Joe, SASS #60708
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progressive tri-focals
No such thing, AFAIK. Unless some company decided to make up this name.
Either progressives, which taper from near to far distance as eye moves around behind the lens, or there are bi and tri-focals with inserted segments for near and mid and a larger distance lens area. Where moving the head is really required to see through the right section. I hate moving head up and down when sighting. It's a major muscle rather than a precision muscle like one uses with progressives to shift the eye. GJ
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Longiotti's book has some reviews that show it gives takedown instructions and general maintenance assistance for the 97. But not performance tuning of any sort.
The great book I usually turn to, by David Chicoine, titled "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West," has a couple of pages on taking down a Model 97, but not ANY performance tuning techniques for it. For rifles and revolvers - this book is where I start for tuning up a cowboy gun. But not for tuning any of our shotguns.
good luck, GJ
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2 hours ago, Whip Assalot said:
There's an audible one for $99, and a by sight one for $50.
And the RCBS Lockout die which does not have to be listened for or watched - it physically locks the press from continuing until the powder level meets about +/- 15% of the correct setting. Thus it detects no charge conditions, most light charges and most over charges! The preventing of press stroke happens immediately and gets your attention! Is only for a straight wall case, because bottleneck cases can "smoosh" powder out from under the plunger (since the sensing plunger has to be slightly smaller diameter than the ID of the case neck). It's my choice by a "long shot" for all my smokeless pistol loading, because I can go as fast as I want and do not have to check for a tone or stem height in addition to watching case depriming, primer seating, powder drop, bullet seating and crimping,. good luck, GJ
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After shooting for years in progressive sunglasses (after early-onset-cataract surgery and lens implants), I converted to using shooting safety glasses. I have had those made with distance only lenses. (Mainly due to real high cost of getting my progressive prescription ground in those types of glasses). I shoot more accurately with pistol (always the hardest to achieve) now than ever before. The only challenge is reading real small print in stage books. I recommend using distance lenses! good luck, GJ
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So, your brass clumped up! 😄
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somehow, it went from giving me 3.1 grains to give me 1.2 grains in the shell.
Clumps in TiteGroup powder from leaving it exposed to the air between loading sessions. Really likely during summer with high humidity. Clumps collect just above the neck of powder bottle on reloader and give light and variable drops.
Another cowboy shooter at our last match had exact same problem using TiteGroup, but did not discover the light powder weights until he was shooting revolver targets. Stuck a squib bullet on first shot of second pistol. Had several more during match.
Any high-nitroglycerin powder has a tendency to clump if left out in the hopper after previous reloading session. Return powder to factory bottle and tighten lid!
good luck, GJ
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Never seen one, regardless of what that silly Claude thinks. good luck, GJ
(Marauder's site is as close as I've seen.)
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Mouth of the case can't catch on anything during chambering in a toggle gun - if the crimp rolls into the bullet's crimp groove. The NOSE of the bullet could be hitting the breech, though, but that would be possible only with really bad slop in the carrier. The common reason of a jam as the cartridge enters chamber is trying to run semi-wadcutters in a toggle gun, where the forward band on the slug catches the breech. good luck, GJ
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3 hours ago, Whip Assalot said:
If you scroll up, or go to the previous page, I added a picture of my crimp. I had a small hole and adjusted the pre crimp so it closed it up.
Oh, I saw and read what you think is a fix.
The better fix is to lower the cam crimp die just a tad. THAT is the most successful way to turn more hull wall into the crimp petals. Just pre-crimping more does nothing to force more plastic from the hull wall into the crimp petals.
But, if you can't stand a suggestion that I KNOW works, pass it by without using it. No need to reply. good luck, GJ
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22 hours ago, Whip Assalot said:
I stayed with them because I heard they were too notch.
"Top notch" I suppose.
For Win AA hulls - That was the story 25 years ago. Now, after a major redesign to a cheaper inserted-base-wad, they are poorly designed and made.
Whereas Remington hulls are the exact same design as they have been for 50 years. STS and Nitro 27 have brass base covers. Gun Clubs and American Clay and Field have steel with a cadmium or brass plating. If you have a double barrel, you will want the real brass head covers.
"Needing" to add a bean to a shotshell indicates you either have the wrong wad or wrong machine settings. Don't slow down your reloading, make the adjustment that is called for. Lower the cam crimp die on a MEC until you can close up the center hole!
good luck, GJ
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Run your checks after the shells are loaded. The ones that pass, are your match ammo. The ones that don't - are your practice rounds.
Lots of top competitors keep a checker die on their cart and final check right before going to the loading table! Some of the dies will "iron out" last minute bulges and oval-ness in the plastic of the hull, by twisting the shell in the die.
good luck, GJ
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They actually use a soft steel (certainly not heat-treated tool steel) in those screws that stretches as their impact screw guns assemble our Cowboy guns. That stretch is a work-around to put enough torque on the screws to keep the factory from having to use loctite or similar compounds. But it almost locks most of the screws into the guns.
A hand-driven impact driver is almost a must for taking out the factory installed Uberti screws. The common version of this takes 1/4" drive sockets, or an adapter to accept the hex-drive screwdriver tips.
Get the hardened Uberti replacement screw kits from VTI (and some other parts suppliers) and save yourself future grief!
And get great thin-blade screwdriver bits. The Brownell magnatip sets are made from much better steel and have true hollow-ground shapes, and lifetime guarantees.
In case you have not been instructed yet, almost all of the reproduction Cowboy type guns are "parts kits adjusted only by the factory so that parts fit together" instead of being finely tuned for competition. That work is left for the owner or his gunsmith, to avoid the price tag being ANOTHER $1000 higher.
good luck,GJ
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I'm glad that NOE is back making molds again, and that Tom at Accurate has held a steady course these last few years. But if you need molds, now's a great time to support what producers are still in business! good luck, GJ
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IMR 4198 works fine with powder in any position, especially at the ranges you probably will shoot from a tree stand.
The ELEVATION angle you shoot down at a target does make a shot hit a little higher than what you would think for the "slant distance" you are looking at the target, but again, with your short distances, the bullet might hit 1/2 inch high. You will probably never see any difference in the field.
good luck, GJ
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Used to be (circa 2000) that most 1911s were broken in with 500 rounds of factory level loads fired.
With most 1911s offered today, that number can be lower, commonly cited as not more than 250 rounds. Because of better tolerances held with CNC equipment at the maker. That's what I used about 5 years ago with a Colt 1911 Series 70 Government model built about 1998, and I only had one or two factory rounds fail to chamber during break-in. Has run flawlessly since.
Be sure you know the difference between TIGHT and HEAVILY SPRUNG. To really test for just TIGHT, take out the recoil spring and see if there is drag felt as you release the slide release and push the slide forward (with hammer cocked). Drag there is TIGHTNESS between slide and frame, mostly. But if you feel no drag with the recoil spring out, but a lot of resistance to pulling the slide back and cocking hammer, that is a strong main spring (which is compressed by cocking the hammer). And a strong mainspring is often factory installed with a strong recoil spring - so I like to use lighter springs for Wild Bunch competition. If you only are buying a "defense" gun and will use factory level loads or higher, than those strong springs would be appropriate.
I use Battle Born synthetic gun grease for all my semi-auto firearms. Had excellent luck with Mobil-1 wheel bearing grease, but did not care for the red color that stained clothes. I don't use oils except for where the firearm's design will hold the oil in the gun - like a drop on the disconnector tip in the upper frame.
good luck, GJ
Here's a link to one place carrying that grease:
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Brownell's has a "dingle-ball" barrel honing tool for 12 gauge barrels. A "cheaper" new factory barrel set is probably not well honed! Get the roughness off the barrel bore and forcing cone (especially) and it cleans up real quick with Carb Cleaner and a tornado brush. Don't get that on the oiled wood stock sections - it pulls the finish quickly!
If you don't want to spend $60 or so for the ball hone, then take a 12 gauge brass brush on couple sections of cleaning rod, wrap the brush with a layer of FINE steel wool, and add a little automotive polishing compound worked into the steel wool. Using a cordless drill, run that through the forcing cone and barrel until it shines. Clean out with any good solvent. good luck, GJ
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Loading smokeless or real powder? Makes quite a bit of difference in the 44-40. good luck, GJ
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31 minutes ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:
HMMMM…………..Thoughts?
That could be a cause. GJ
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On lever rifles, often the proof test code (date) is under the forearm stamped on the barrel. good luck, GJ
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Color of the anvil and compound can be changed by factory - just add dye. Win could have decided to use a different "color code" for the LP primers.
My currently used lot was bought 9 years ago and have aged to a medium brown over time. Were shiny brass anvils and dark tan compound when new. Still ignite every time for me. good luck, GJ
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7/8 ounce of shot making less than 1000 FPS is a GREAT recoil reducer. And no additional expense or alteration to the gun.
Dead Mule mercury containers make a sawed-off-barrel shotgun REALLY butt heavy and clumsy.
good luck, GJ
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On 9/10/2026 at 9:50 PM, Bullett Sass 19707 said:
update, I tried again and shot one revolver with remington ammo and one with cci plated.
Nothing new there. The low end Rem and Winchester and Federal 22 ammo has been horrible quality for 30 years now.
I now use either target quality Federal, or plated CCI (love mini-mags for high power needs). Miss the old Federal Hi Power ammo - accurate and clean, but gone for too long. good luck, GJ
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Never have I seen vibratory cleaning for 15 minutes to remove bullet lube cause any higher recoil or velocity in my cartridges. Think about it - if strong vibrations caused powder to disintegrate or remove deterrent, then ammo carried in trucks for hundreds of miles on rough roads would be dangerous to the user. I've seen videos of factories vibratory cleaning finished rounds. And seen the minor impact marks on lead bullets in factory loads.
Besides, pressure deterrent is usually mixed right into the powder, not applied as a surface coating. The only surface coating used today, AFAIK, is graphite, used to make powder flow better in measures. good luck, GJ
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Tig welder could tack the bushings from the back side. Would take a delicate touch. Bet Boggus Deal could handle it. good luck, GJ
Break in of Cimarron 1911 A1
in SASS Wire
Posted
For Wild Bunch, yep.
For some uses - offensive, defensive and +P loads, and with none-slicked up competition guns, you may need those heavy springs, like JMB designed.
Test your gun for how well it is sprung with your loads. Cases should land in a group about 5 to 8 feet away. TOO heavy on the springs means gun can barely kick the empties out. good luck, GJ