H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

Surprised to see the F-4

I will admit that I once shot a match at a place in Pennsylvania that allowed for stoking on every stage. I really enjoyed it. The most fun I had was on one specific stage where the instructions were to successfully hit any 6 of the 8 shotgun targets. in any order. Target 1 was a knockdown. Target 2 was a clay that was thrown upwards by 1 falling. Targets 3 and 4 were identical to 1 and 2. 5 thru 8 were clay targets that were set on a stand. So, I loaded up my 97 with 6 rounds and shot 8, 7, 6, 5, 3,1 ignoring the fliers. I was one of the last shooters on that stage, and nobody else had tried it that way. Comments ranged from "Why didn't I think of that?" to "Is that legal?" The decision was that I followed the stage instructions as written. It was a hoot.

Yes, you can. There is no good reason why you can't do it. "This is the sort of nonsense up with I shall not put." But seriously, there are many ways to end a sentence with a preposition and still be perfectly understandable and natural sounding. Doing otherwise makes your speech sound pretentious and stilted. What am I referring to? Insisting that the above should be... To what am I referring? You can also split infinitives. Just because you can't do those two things in Latin does not mean you can't do them in English. And you can start a sentence with the word this one started with. You can also start one with but and because and be perfectly understood. Irregardless of what some may say, I started this sentence with a real word. If we take the arguments of the grammar police seriously, then we would all know the correct way to use thee and thou, the "est" verb ending, and speak in perfect King James English. Which by the way, includes split infinitives, sentence ending prepositions and other "broken" rules of English grammar throughout. To say nothing of its at best British, and at time obsolete spelling. The English language is a living breathing changing over time one. To say otherwise is to watch it stagnate. In other words, I don't like overly pedantic grammarians. LOL

I use 3.7 grains of Win231 behind a .355" 125 grain Lead Round Nose bullet. Works well in my Luger, Browning Hi Power, Beretta 92FS. Don't know if that's a good shotgun powder though.

Only semi-serious here, but I will admit that there are a handful of terms that I see here on the Wire from time to time that cause me to roll my eyes every time I see them. They are not offensive or hurtful or something that angers me or anything like that. I just wish I didn't see them so often. Terms like... .45 Long Colt Spelling Cavalry "Calvary." Period Correct (I'll admit that I didn't find this one so bad at first, until someone I respect greatly said why he loathes it, and he had a good point.) The War of Northern Aggression. 4th Generation Colt So what are some of the other terms that while in an of themselves are probably really quite innocent, just drive you bonkers when you see them?

Never mind

I usually don't use a belt for my shotshells. I put them loose in a big pouch with a flap closure that I leave open.

PaleWolf has given the answer, stoking on the clock is allowed, if the stage instructions are written to say it's okay. But, at least in my experience, very few clubs actually write their stages that way. It's allowed for, but not done very often. As to why you don't preload your shotgun like a rifle, well, that does make sense to me. Allowing 87 and 97 shooters to do that would truly give them an unfair advantage over folks using a SxS. I would say on the clock stoking should be always allowed. I would oppose the idea of pre-loading your shotguns like a rifle. At the moment, the rules say load no more than 2, so that's how I do it. This is one of a very small handful of rules that I think could be changed without harming the game. But, a game MUST have rules, and they should not be lightly changed, and certainly not ignored outside of some sort of "specialty" match where people know going in how it is an unusual event.

Curious. Neither of my pistols has this feature. Nor does my brother's for that matter. In fact, I have never even SEEN this feature before. I guess they must all be older models.

One time, after I had already blown the clean match, I said I was gonna do it, just give me the P. I was told don't, it would be a SOG penalty. So I didn't. Personally, I think stoking on the clock should always be allowed all the time. But it's not.

Other than the sights, they are no different from contemporary .22's made by Colt in a more standard configuration. I've got 2, and find them to be excellent pistols. As to price, well, I've seen the cost of Peacemaker and New Frontier .22's all over the map, but that looks to be an about average price that I see for them. As far as a "cross bolt safety" goes, are you referring to how the firing pin is mounted in the frame instead of on the hammer? That's not really a safety, just a modification of how the .22s work. Which is fine.

Speaking of the different frame sizes of the Lighting rifle, I have to say that while I often come across the small frame .22's, I do not often see the large frame variant. Of course, all the reproductions are medium frame pistol calibers, so we are talking original Colts here. According to Wikipedia, a little of 6000 were made, so I guess that counts towards their scarcity. The relative handful that I have seen at gunshows are also quite expensive, so I don't know if I'll ever own one. Still the thought of using all three sizes for main and side matches is attractive. Wiki however does not indicate what all the calibers the large frame was offered in. Anybody know? Based on how it one of the few listed is .38-56, not .38-55 suggests to me that they may have been chambered for cartridges that are now more obscure that contemporary Winchester and Marling big bore guns. Which may make reloading and shooting the more problematic if getting brass is exceptionally difficult. I have a feeling that it'll be, oh look, an affordable one, I'll get to get it without regard to caliber. Anyone have any answers?

We need to have a specialty shoot. Minimum requirements is that everyone must use a Lighting for their Main Match rifle. Extra credit is awarded if you use the Lightning Bolt from AWA, sort of a Lightning version of the Mares Leg, as one of your pistols, and since extra long range targets will be added, more extra credit for using a large frame Lightning for them, and of course in keeping with the theme, everyone must use a 97 with the magazine stoked at the loading table.

When I was in the market to get a Lightning, I was able to compare the Taurus to the Beretta to the AWA. The Taurus had an action that felt like pulling two pieces of sandpaper against each other. The Beretta, made by Uberti, was smoother, but had a clunky action in my opinion. The AWA had an action that was smooth and felt "right" to me somehow. I bought the AWA, .45 Colt, and it soon became my favorite Main Match rifle. I found that I could shoot faster with it than any lever gun, not that I am all that fast to begin with, but still. I also shot my first ever clean match with it, at End of the Trail no less. It has never given me any problems, with one minor exception. One time I had a few failures to fire. Took the gun home and flushed out the firing pin with gun scrubber. Cleaned out a lotta gunk, and since then the problem has never reoccurred. Bottom like, they must be kept clean. Especially a .45 that gives a lot of blowback into the action. I like the gun so much that I decided if I ever found another AWA in .44-40 I would buy it. Soon after making that decision, I found one, so I bought it. The chamber was a bit tight, to the point where ammo would not chamber. Had a gunsmith polish it, and the problem has gone away and it now works just as well as the .45. And, since there is no blowback with the .44-40 the action stays much cleaner. Then, not too long after that, I found a genuine Colt in .32-20 that had been "expertly restored" and given a good action job. It is now very pretty, works flawlessly, and since it's collector value has been "ruined" I could actually afford to purchase it. I am quite happy with its performance. So, in my experience, AWAs and Colts are good choices. Tauruses are be avoided at all costs, and the Uberti/Beretta leaves much to be desired. The other brands out there I have no first hand experience with. And for what it's worth, both the Colt and AWA will slam fire, if that is something that appeals to you.

Now I have to laugh. Those are my pistols! Since it's cropped, here's the full pic... Believer it or not, I have never shot the 2 Sheriff's at the same time. but I do occasionally pair the 2 nickel guns for contrast.

4.3 Grains of Trailboss. .430" 200 Grain RNFP bullet. Been using this load for years. Works well in a 3" Sheriff's Model, a 12" Buntline Special, and everything in between. .44 Special is a fun caliber to shoot. Too bad there are not more guns out there chambered for it.

Ah... But can you get it loaded in black powder, which would be what this gun requires? Not worth the risk to make such an argument...

As for whom the gun is marketed, I stand by my assertion that it is for cowboy shooters. Very careful wording there. Not CAS shooters or SASS shooters. This is a gun that would be of interest to people who like old timey revolvers. Would it be good to use in our game? Would hope so, but not everyone who is a single action aficionado is a CAS shooter. Yes, there is overlap, but the people who like old style guns includes all of us, but the CAS shooter does not necessarily include all those who like old style guns. With that being said, if people who like these old guns actually own and shoot them, then they are more than likely handloaders. Many of the guns that appeal to this crowd are in hard to find and/or expensive calibers. Plus, there is also the fact that factory ammo may be more powerful than shooters wish to put in these guns, especially if they are old physically, and not just old designs. Therefore, that makes the choice of .380 vs .38 Short Colt vs. 38 S&W a moot one. However, something was just mentioned that had not occurred to me. The rims on the Colt and S&W round may take up too much space to fit in the cylinder. In that case, this would explain why the .380 was chosen, and it actually makes sense. Which also may give credence to the idea that it's intended for CAS shooters, and not the "larger" community of single action lovers. For CAS, it needs to be at least a 5 shot. If it was just for general enthusiasts, a 4 shot cylinder would be okay. But by making it a 5 cylinder gun, that suggests to me they are thinking of the CAS crowd. That would, to me, suggest that there will be some sort of a safety notch. Without it, they will have missed a major boat for the intended audience. Just my thinking. But yeah, making it in .32 S&W or .32 S&W Long would have allowed it to be a six cylinder revolver...

All I'll say about it being in .380 is why the heck didn't they make it in .38 Short Colt or .38 S&W? The intended market is clearly Cowboy shooters, and we pretty much all reload.

Like Driftwood, I use a .428" bullet for .44-40. (It is worth noting that for this game, you have to use lead bullets.) I've never checked to see what the actual bore diameter is on any of my guns, but I have a feeling that their is probably some variation. 1st Gen Colt (Antique) Colt 1878 (Antique) S&W New Model 3 (Antique) S&W Model 3 DA (Antique) Merwin & Hulbert (Antique) 3rd Gen Colt Uberti Clone Colt Sheriff's model with dual .44 Special/.44-40 cylinders (x2) Colt 3rd Gen Buntine. .44 Special, recently acquired a .44-40 cylinder Uberti Henry Uberti '66 AWA Lightning. Other that the antiques getting black powder only, I run the same load and bullet in all of these guns. I know the Sheriff's and the Buntline have .429" bores since they were made for .44 Special. Accuracy, even from the snub nosed Sheriff's, is fine with the .428" bullet. (.44 Special get's a .430) I remain convinced that fretting over what the actual bore size is in your .44-40 guns and then going and using different bullets for the different guns is not necessary. Besides, even if the bore is "oversized" the chamber might be too tight for the bigger bullets anyway, rendering it all a moot point. I've never really checked to see how hard or soft the lead is in my bullets. I just buy what I can find for a 200 grain Round Nose Flat Point of .428" caliber. The box always says "Hard cast." whatever that means, but I assume they are not really soft pure lead. Take it with a grain of salt.

I just read that the last of the Doolittle Raiders has passed away. And so this band of brave men has passed into History. Let us never forget who they were or what those 60 seconds over Tokyo meant for America.

Based on my own experience, I can tell you that my 2 AWAs run great. So does my Colt. Real Colts are usually prohibitively expensive, but mine was "restored" which made it very pretty, and ruined it's "collector" value to the point where I can afford it. I have handled a Taurus, and thought the action was like scraping 2 sheets of sandpaper together. Others here will tell you that they are very useful tomato stakes. I've never actually fired one, but that is the general consensus. I handled a Beretta once. Found it clunky. The prevailing opinion is that the Pedersoli is excellent. The USFA's which are as rare as hens teeth, also have a good rep here on the Wire.

Warning! The Lightning is a very addictive and super fun gun to shoot. There are several remakes out there, and opinions vary on them from being tomato stakes to excellent rifles, depending on who made it. I myself have three of them. Two AWA reproductions, one in .45 Colt and another in .44-40. I also have a real Colt in .32-20. Now, I love lever guns. Have since I was a kid. I've got a 73, 4 '92's a '66 and a Henry and a Spencer. I've also got a 2 94's a '95 and an '86. All guns I wanted since I was a wee little lad. And yet, somehow, the Lighting has become my favorite gun for SASS. I even shot EoT clean with the .45 3 years ago. So, beware of the Lightning bug. Once it bites you, you are hooked forever.

I load Trailboss for just about everything, including .44-40. I just like it. I do not find it to be a "clean burning" powder, but I also find that it cleans up pretty easily when you are done shooting. I have also found that it does not cause my guns to bind up or slow down or malfunction if I do a lot of shooting with no cleaning. With one minor exception that I suspect is more a function of the gun in question than the powder used. One time, when I was shooting my Colt Lightning clone in .45 Colt, I had a handful of failures to fire. Took the gun home and flushed out the firing pin channel with gun scrubber, and the problem went away and has never reoccurred. As I mentioned, this particular gun was in .45 Colt, which tends to have a lot of blowback that .44-40 does not. Also, Lightnings in general have a reputation for needing to be kept clean. But for the typical revolvers and lever guns used in our game, especially in .44-40, even with Trailboss finding a "clean" load is not something you need to worry about. Heck I use Trailboss for .45 ACP in my 1911's and Tommy guns with no problem.

Named after a cartoon character that was created to be my avatar in a couple of online animation forums I frequented back when I first came online in the mid 90's Said character: And that's all I'll say, for now. Maybe someday more details will be forthcoming. Actually, I will say that the Uriah part was indirectly named after Uriah the Hittite, but it's far to complicated to explain how.