Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

Wood is so much cheaper than PVC. I make stands with a 2x4 base, uprights of furring strips, and target support boards cut from old thin plywood. Last for at least 5 years and very light weight (except for base). The uprights will take a few hits without being destroyed, too. Goodluck, GJ

When I buy a gun, I don't want to be lucky. I want to be sure that it works right for most folks. And that I can get parts. Now, the (single stack) Paras being close clones of most 1911s - parts would not worry me. Guns that are not close to 100% reliable are even less interesting to me than guns that are not accurate. Good luck, GJ

Since Para has been bought up by Remington in 2012, and there were lots of reports of some problems with reliability (feeding especially) with their Para built single-stacks like this WB model, and not knowing exactly what extra nice parts might be on the WB version, I would be reluctant to buy one over about $450 or so. If you want a reliable gun then the Remington's own R11, Springfield Mil Spec or Range Officer, Ruger and government type Colts are twice the gun from what I would expect an older Para would be. Just my opinion without having hands on experience. Good luck, GJ PS - it sounds like Remington is being pretty successful RECENTLY in taking over the Para manufacturing and making it an integral part of their operation, and improving the quality of build, so that new Para-Remington guns would be much more attractive than the ones built 5-8 years ago.

Revolvers - Rowdy Yates - have the Manhattan Conversion done to virtually eliminate detached cap jams. He will also make it very reliable. Sure, you could convert rifle to .44-40 easily. Same length as .45 Colt, same rim diameter. Track of the Wolf has some .44-40 rifle barrel liners at reasonable prices. Just have to drill, install liner and recut chamber and recesses. Are you wanting to shoot Black Powder? If so, .44-40 would be a MUCH better choice than .44 Colt, or .45 Colt for that matter. Good luck, GJ

Changing the forum's use of fonts would be a forum setting that a moderator might be willing to look for and adjust. Then again, they might not want to spend the time or take the risk of messing the forums up. Changing fonts in your own posts is up to you - you surely can do that. Changing fonts in other pard's posts is not in your powers as a forum user. Most folks when they have problems with their browser showing text so it is readable, punch up the "magnification" of the browser - that would be control + to bump up one step and control - to drop a step on most browsers. Some browsers let you set the minimum size of fonts displayed, and even what font is used if the web site does not explicitly ask for a particular font to be used. Exploring the advanced settings available in your browser might yield good results. Good luck, GJ

Long reach back to just show that my needs and your needs may be at variance. When I was in my first 5 years of shooting SASS, I used dry fire a lot to speed up my load and shuck. Now that I have that timing built in, I practice more with transitions and accuracy at speed. Dry fire doesn't show me the accuracy part. So, I now mostly live fire shotgun. Good luck, GJ

Yep++ Don't need to fire rounds to get in good SG practice. Lots of pards know how to make up dummy shells for shotgun. If you are using a 97, you probably want light weight dummies (no shot) - this saves the extractors/ejector from the extra work of kicking out heavy rounds. If using SxS, then usually heavy weight dummies are better to practice with. Good luck, GJ

AND: Given the couple of large bays that host 4 stages shooting simultaneously, picking brass would also be impossible due to having to declare a "cold line" periodically to shag the posse's brass - and even more delay if each shooter was to get their own brass back. Don't worry. More new brass is available now than over the last five years, thanks to Starline expanding production. Good luck, GJ

Black Diamond models were a "high end" variation from the factory. But the "valuation add" for that model goes down fast as the gun is used. And your pictures show tons of wear. That is not a collectors gun at this point in its life (unless there is a "story" to the gun that makes it historically interesting), so value it just as a shooter, based upon it's condition and reliability. Like a well used commemorative or engraved gun, there is no added value for the fancy added features. Depends upon condition of the gun, especially the internals. And the serial number range. A good gun smith (knowledgeable about 97s) is the only way to really know. Just looking at the lettering on the slide arm, it could even be a 1900 era gun. Good luck, GJ

45 degree angle is plenty. Shotgun loads will leave you with a disappointingly small lead recovery, as a much larger fraction of the lead turns into lead dust. You might even be able to use a water pan, much easier to get the lead out of water than sawdust, but then, the sawdust you can leave in the lead as you melt it and it just helps flux the melt. Pick your target for setting in front of your recovery plate carefully. If you shoot standard knockdowns with their vertical target, even a small knockdown will intercept 80% of the shotgun pattern at cowboy distances and vaporize that part of the shot string. If you use frangible targets (clay birds) then you have the fragments to sift out or to "live with" the smoke they create and extra dross produced upon smelting the lead down to make ingots. I've seen lots of clay target ranges recover shot that was fired over their range, most of it not badly deformed. But never heard of anyone intentionally trying to "trap" lead shot at the target. Possibly because of the difficulties mentioned above. Good luck, GJ

Then it sounds like the Match Director and other match officials made a good call, that there were a healthy number of contestants allowed to shoot in that peer group with like minded and capability shooters, and that if awards went 3 deep for the category, most pards probably thought they were "recognized" properly. Which, after all, is one of the core ways to "keep the customers happy." Good luck, GJ

Only if a match director decides to award Silver Senior Duelist. And that is usually driven from several shooters requesting such a category. And it has to be balanced against the match funds and everyone's time it takes to make the extra awards for a match. SSD is not an official category that must be awarded. Your concern sounds like it should be forwarded to the Match Director of the appropriate event..... Remember, though, the game is bigger than it was in the 1990s, with more shooters and more events. To have expected the game to have stayed "just as it was invented" is off the mark. Good luck, GJ

For those who might be still looking for Clays powder, Recob's has a big shipment they are selling at their last-year price. I've got no connection to this, just saw the sale offer from them, which in itself is slightly unusual. http://www.recobstargetshop.com/index.htm Good luck, GJ

At turn of the century (2000), there were standard and ladies categories for: Modern - (adjustable revolver sights) Traditional - (fixed sights) Duelist Buckaroo Junior Frontier Cartridge Mod and Traditional and some of the age modifications (Senior being most common) The finer age splits (Buckaroo, Young Gun, Wrangler, 49er, Silver Senior, Elder Statesman, Cattle Baron), Classic Cowboy (about 2004) and B Western (about 2006) came later. As I recall.... And, with your SASS number in the 29K range, I'd have thought you had been around since mid 1990s. Good luck, GJ

Never, and I don't use a wet tumbler because, among many other reasons, I often load right after cleaning. Good luck, GJ

Yeah, although the discussion points are close to the same, I assumed the OP was talking revolvers.....

Here's what a serrated front sight looks like in particular. OK, after learning several thousand things about Google Photos , I came up with this link for my serrated stainless Vaquero front sights: https://goo.gl/photos/KdFJe644PMrqtz4cA I did that file work in just a few minutes with, I believe, a 40 LPI checkering file from Brownells. About 3 or 4 years ago. Good luck, GJ

As to the short stroke they install - they don't "kit" it - they designed their own action parts so they can provide parts "forever." Would not be wise for them to select a kit and try to "boogie on down the road" for the next 50 years when the vendor has been retired or out of business for the last 40 years..... Good luck, GJ

Here's what a serrated front sight looks like in general. http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/sights/front-sights/1911-front-sight-prod8842.aspx Good luck, GJ

You want a great side match gun - BOND! You want a great concealed carry pocket piece? Smith Detective Special. No derringer fits the bill. Good luck, GJ

The announcement I read said Stanley would assume and continue to honor all the Craftsman warranties on US made tools. Even Sears "adjusted" the quality on the Craftsman products over the years - no reason to think Stanley won't also..... Most hand tools are not getting to be "better quality" than they were in the 1950s and 60s. BTW - "Craftsman" was a brand name that was applied to many different companies tools that were branded for Sears to sell as Craftsman. Just like the Ted Williams line of sporting goods, long guns and fishing tackle were. There is no "Craftsman" company. Good luck, GJ

I run a 30 lines per inch "checkering" file over the back side of my front sights to serrate them. Then, if they still are not showing up, black sharpie. With the fine serrations (30 per inch or so), that surface holds color real well. Good luck, GJ

Make sure you have a couple of your RO's familiar with the safety, manual of arms, malfunction clearing and lots of the specifics of shooting a 1911. Don't reholster the 1911 after it has been shot. Gun with slide locked back won't fit well in the holster. Provide a staging table to put the open and empty 1911 down on the table, muzzle still down range. Then clear the 1911 on the line using the 1911 clearing techniques of: * Show gun empty and magazine out * Drop slide with muzzle down range * Drop hammer by a trigger pull * Re-holster This style of mixed shooting has been done for years. Some clubs enjoy it. Lots of clubs have one or more Cowboy shooters who may have severe problems allowing this to be done in the match that they are shooting in. Keep your ears open as you start doing this. Be responsive to what the shooters are willing or unwilling to support. This is an old idea which has largely fallen out of favor at this time. Almost all the clubs that have done this (combined Cowboy and simplified Wild Bunch) have found they might attract another 5% of shooters who don't want to shoot cowboy guns. But it's real hard to keep them coming back very long when there are more modern and tactically challenging sports like 3 Gun around the corner. Consider also what you will let them use for their shotgun. Going to let them stoke their 97 with the number of rounds needed for shotgun targets? Going to allow Win Model 12 shotguns, and do you know how to check the Model 12 for hammer down on empty chamber? Most of us would instead encourage you to have full-rule-set Wild Bunch matches! Allow smaller caliber rifles if you want. But get folks shooting under the full rule set. It's lots more fun, and then becomes something more than just Cowboy Shooting with a 1911. You will have a better chance of getting "repeat customers" when the matches are all Wild Bunch shooters, instead of a couple of 1911 shooters coming out to the range with 20 Cowboys. Good luck, GJ

Very special polymer tips that are "major league" cushions instead of "firing pin substitutes." Yep. The invention and testing of those sure do not justify using regular pointy bullet tips (lead or other metal) in lever guns. Good luck, GJ