Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

Rust - I use Kroil and bronze wool. Won't take bluing off, but the Kroil loosens the rust about as quick as anything. Midway and Brownells carry Kroil. Has been used for years for just that purpose. Hardware stores carry bronze wool. It is softer than steel and won't take off bluing unless you scrub for a long time. Yes, very common. Every new gun with a mag tube has strong possibility that the factory did not clean/neutralize the caustic oxide bluing salts sufficiently. Good luck, GJ

Several ways for you to avoid or get reimbursed the upkeep on targets. Sell targets to the club. All maintenance becomes their concern. Might bankrupt club. Rent targets to the club. Rental fee should include expected level of maintenance costs, and could be adjusted annually. Donate targets to the club. All maintenance becomes their concern. Might hurt your wallet and feelings. Bill club for direct maintenance costs incurred (perhaps most difficult to determine cleanly if you do the maintenance). Puts club "over the barrel" on when is a bill coming, and how much will it be, making things hard to plan for on the club's match fees. I'd think you have to "eat" the costs incurred so far, and the easiest/cleanest path forward is to establish an annual rental fee. Realize this may turn political or personal very quickly if not handled "equitably." You have established a precedent of giving them use of targets, and that may be hard to change. Good luck, GJ

Good deal, glad your gun is running now. Many many cowboy guns are just a parts kit waiting to be fitted. Brazilian, Chinese, Italian, Turkish, even sometimes a Japanese or American piece. Not an unusual story with a Stoeger made in the last 10 years. One of several reasons you never see me recommend a Stoeger. STS often shuck a little better than the current Win AAs. That is also normal with the lack of QC on part of Winchester today. And, yes, I shoot only STS/Nitros, too. Good luck, GJ

I find it depends on three factors. Those that favor casting your own are: You have enough time to scrounge low cost lead or a good supplier who doesn't mark it way up (ahem, RM) You need or want special designs (perhaps because you know your long range rifles shoot a particular design better, for example)(or your lever rifle needs a real long nosed bullet to feed well) You enjoy heavy, hot, tedious, repetitive, dirty work JUST saving money is not all that good a reason. Wow, looking back over those comments, I ALMOST wonder why I cast all my own slugs. But I sleep easy at night not worrying about where my next 10K of bullets will come from, or if the PO will drop the case in the sorting room or off the tailgate of the truck. Good luck, GJ

Stick a punch in next one and see if the OP gets the drift!

RR - you NAILED it!

Time to do a chamber cast and look for out of round, bulges, scratches, ringed, oversize chamber. Good luck, GJ

It'll drive out either way. You will find a "slave pin" will be REAL handy when you try to put it back together!! http://marauder.homestead.com/files/Model97dis.html Step 10 mentions using a nail. The shaft of a q-tip also works in a pinch. Pin has to be short enough to clear the receiver as you slide the trigger guard back in, then the real pin drives in through receiver walls and replaces the slave. Good luck, GJ

I have good luck with Kirkpatrick butt covers. Insert a 1/2" piece of dense foam if you need more protection. Good luck, GJ

Sure, it's their stage while they are shooting. Good luck, GJ

Yes, that would be acceptable under the rules. It was found long ago that it doesn't provide any speed up for most shooters, and usually slows folks down unless you have real vision problems. The thing that speeds up lots of shooters is to flatten the factory rear sight "semi-buckhorn ears" so it's flat except for the V of the sight. As mentioned above, you hardly need a rear sight at all with our current target distances. Good luck, GJ

There's A grade star JW, and B movie JW. I'd bet that some of the B movie John Wayne characters would fit the category just fine. Just don't tell the JUDGES that you are dressed as a JW character. Might have to go more fancy than almost all of JW's shirts, though. Good luck, GJ

I've already proved to you there are molds made and at least one bullet supplier carries that bullet in their catalog. Go back and read closely. There is NO MAGIC BULLET for any given cast bullet rifle type. Until you try several loads with a given bullet in YOUR rifle, you will not know if that bullet satisfies you. And you now should know that you can make your own if you can't find a supplier who already makes a particular design. You haven't even told us what rifle type you are shooting, and why you feel let down about the first bullet you tried. Using a lever gun or a single shot? A single shot has a LOT more possible bullet choices that feed well. Instead, you are going on some other shooter's recommendation of "Use a Postell design" because that's what works in their gun. The usual REASON WHY bullet makers don't make any one particular bullet is that there is not enough demand from their existing customer base to cast that slug. They can not make every possible design of slug. They make a few that are widely used, and may be willing to add another to their production if a customer or a hundred ask them to. If you really want a light Postell, call your existing supplier and ask if they would consider making one. If that doesn't work, call a few more. If that doesn't work, cast your own. Otherwise, a RNFP 405 is what many shooters find works real well in THEIR .45-70s.

Examples of 405 grain or lighter RN bullets suitable for 45-70 (but not necessarily in a magazine rifle) 393 gr https://noebulletmolds.com/site/product-category/458-460/460-393-rn-ae4 405 gr https://www.buffaloarms.com/458-405-grain-rn-hollow-base-quality-hand-cast-lead-bullets-20-1-spg-lube-box-of-50-458405hb 385 gr https://www.lymanproducts.com/reloading/bullet-casting/bullet-moulds/rifle-bullet-moulds and a 405 gr rounded spire point from Saeco (look in lower right corner of page) https://www.redding-reloading.com/online-catalog/87-saeco-precision-bullet-moulds, Good luck, GJ

Sage Outfitters (SageBrush) has this warning posted on their main bullet casting page: So that supplier is out of the game right now. Sadly, GJ And Magnus lists only one 405 grain bullet, and it's a round nose flat point. Although the .45-70 usually shoots a RNFP as well as a RN, the OP seems dead set on having a round nose bullet.

YES, as I referenced before, the Buffalo Arms on-line store has 405 grain round nose .458 cast lead bullets in the catalog, but they are out of stock right now! Might call them and find out when they expect them back in stock. Good luck, GJ

If you want commercially cast slugs, I'd recommend Norm Purcella of Quality Cast Bullets in Roswell, NM. He makes a lot of cast RIFLE bullets for SASS and Wild Bunch shooters!! https://quality-cast.com/ Web site lists phone contact number as 575-703-0391 Almost certainly Buffalo Arms large inventory would have something similar to what you want https://www.buffaloarms.com/reloading-supplies-accessories/jacketed-lead-copper-coated-bullets?p=15 They show the 535 grain (Lyman mold) Postell bullet right in stock. If you are serious about long range and BP bullets, you might want to be casting your own. Check Accurate Molds http://www.accuratemolds.com and Night Owl Enterprise http://noebulletmoulds.com/ Two of the best mold makers currently!! Accurate will make any design that you can draw or show a picture of, as well, at standard mold price!! As long as the design has a minimal meplat (flat nose), since they cut mold cavities directly in a CNC lathe. Good luck, GJ

OK, that's just a minor bevel on the bolt face to make sure the swing gate works smoothly when bolt comes forward. It's not anything I would worry about having butchered a bolt so it would be dangerous with full SAAMI spec .45 Colt. But, I'm just a 'tired engineer and a shooter. Good luck, GJ

If your Marlin is like a couple of others I have seen and done chamber casts on, the chamber is humongous. About 0.483" Could you afford to have the barrel pulled, chamber sleeved, and a new chamber cut at about 0.475" diameter? Probably will shoot more accurately as well as cutting blowback a lot. Possibly $300. Maybe. Otherwise, use .44-40 brass blown out to fit the big chamber. That is one of the fastest and most effective solutions..... should seal even with a 160 grain slug. And no gun work required. Good luck, GJ

Are we shooting Glocks now or what?? Strikers??!!? I suppose that OP is talking about a Firing Pin Extension, and in a toggle link lever rifle???..... My oh my. GJ

So, where IS the spot to file, and how much to file? There are functional areas on a 73 bolt, and non-functional areas. If it thins the bolt a tad, I would not worry. My experience is the bolt is strong as built, it's the toggle links that are the weak link in that action (from seeing damaged ones). I have never seen an installed Smith Shop carrier. If it costs a new bolt to go back, that would not be any more cost than putting the modified carrier in, I would guess. There are several suppliers of 73 bolt. Like I have said before, I have not changed my rifles over to C45 Spl. I like having a rifle that can hit like a full power factory .45 Colt cartridge can, especially for 100 yard shots for pistol caliber rifle competitions. My main match rifle is regularly called upon to shoot 165 power factor loads for WB matches. And the recoil of a cowboy load .45 Colt in an 8 pound rifle is nothing that bothers me. The action won't run any faster when feeding the Special than the Colt cartridge. Sight recovery time might be slightly slower for .45 Colt heavy loads. I guess - MEH is my answer. Good luck, GJ

If you put a C45 Spl carrier in it, it will. This carrier (like the Smith Shop makes) has a swing gate that stops the short cartridge before a second cartridge gets out on the carrier to cause a jam. But, once you put this in, then the gun only shoots C45 Spl. Me? I just load C45 Spl for revolvers and standard .45 Colt loads for the rifle, since I never even notice the recoil of a .45 Colt 150 PF load in my 73s. Good luck, GJ

You can't beat the Laws of Physics no matter how hard you try. Recoil comes almost 100% from the weight and muzzle velocity of the bullet. There is no such thing as a powder that reduces recoil. Some powders make it easy to load light loads. Neither of these you called out are the answer for a light load. (Hint, try Clays - that is what a ton of cowboys shoot. Or Red Dot) If you want less recoil, you have to run a light bullet, a slow velocity, or both. With Cowboy 45 Special cases and lighter loads and bullet, a .45 revolver will shoot well at 100 power factor or less. THEN you will get what you seek. Good luck, GJ

Yes, has been my experience as well. Knowledgeable and speedy! Good luck, GJ

Cimarron (an Uberti importer) publishes what specifications they believe Uberti barrels are built at. https://www.cimarron-firearms.com/bore-groove-twist They put a 38-55 barrel at 0.379" groove diameter, so I would be tempted to try a 0.380" soft (perhaps 1:40 or 1:30 alloy) bullet. For example bullet selection, Missouri Bullets has a 38-55 Ballard style bullet cast in 18 Brinell hardness (harder than I would like, but you may enjoy it). #1 Ballard .379 Diameter 245 Grain RNFP Brinell 18 Folks who get serious about cast bullet rifle shooting often start casting their own bullets. That way, they get exactly the diameter and alloy (hardness) that their gun performs well with. Not too hard to get started, if you have the room for equipment and a safe place to cast. Good luck, GJ