H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

I loathe Two Factor ID for many reasons. Please don't do it! Minimal password format is okay, but TFID, please, no....

For what it is worth, after two weeks, I have not heard anything from the e-mails I sent to the Springfield Research Service or the FOIA inquiry references above. It seems the both of those options are defunct. I guess this more or less concludes this thread, unless anyone else has anything to add?

Yeah, I can see how that would complicate things.... Thanks, Larsen

That was either a REALLY good deal on your part, or a huge blunder. If you meant $20 Gold piece figuratively, and you sold it for twenty bucks, you swindled yourself. If you literally meant an actual vintage $20 coin made of gold, I think you got far more than what the rifle is worth!

To anyone out there with a Marlin 27 in .32-20. As you know, the short magazine tube will only hold 7 rounds. Has anyone tried to see if a tube from one of Marlin's lever guns, or even a Winchester or Colt .32-20 mag tube can be fitted to increase the capacity to 10 rounds? I don't have a Marlin 27 myself, but it was something that just occurred to me while reading another thread that I didn't want to take so far off topic. I guess the main questions are would it fit, does the end that goes into the action need to be modified, and, perhaps, would some kind of mounting fixture need to be added to the gun. I assume a longer spring would be needed.

One other thing... .32-20 itself is a great caliber. Normally, I am a .45 Colt shooter, but there is something about the .32-20 that just brings a smile to me when I decide to break out the guns chambered for it. I can't say what it is, but it just has an undefinable "fun factor" for me. And here's something bizarre about it. It's a very LOUD caliber. It makes a bigger BANG than anything else. I don't know why. What is really interesting is that the exact same load when fired out of my 7.5" Colt is noticeably louder than it is from shorter barreled revolvers. I can't explain it, but it is fun. And another thing is that vintage .32-20's for some reason tend to cost less money than the exact same guns in other calibers, so it's a very easy one to get addicted too. To whit.... Winchester 73. My first gun in the caliber. 1st Gen Colt. Letters as a .44-40. Antique. Fun to shoot 3rd Gen Colt Winchester 92 Colt Lightning. 1st Gen Bisley 1st Gen Bisley. Both of the Bisley's date to 190something. Both were obtained for about $1200 at a time when comparable 1st Gen generic SAAs were all but impossible to find for less than $2000. At the time, Bisley's seemed to be going for less than an SAA, but a Bisley .32-20 was a LOT less expensive than a comparable SAA. Marlin 1888. Yes, the TOP eject Marlin. So, what else? I side eject Marlin? A Marlin 27 pump? I don't know. Time will tell. As far as I know, only Colt made revolvers in the caliber, and I don't know if any of the reproduction makers have chambered other pistols for it. (I'd love a S&W Top Break or a Remington 58 Conversion) Other rifles? Again, I just don't know. At least not ones that would be SASS legal. I'm pretty sure Remington made their early hammerless pump from the early 1900's in the caliber, but that's not for us. It is fun to wonder about though.

The Browning 53 is a copy of the Winchester 53, which is just a Winchester 92 with a pistol grip stock and a half magazine. Might be easier to get a 92 in .32-20, as no mods needed. That said, the Browning Winchester copies, especially the ones with no safety, were great guns. And a 92 (or 53) of any stripe in .32-20 is a great gun.

Only 5?!? Good grief... That makes them rarer than a real Winchester. I guess I won't be picking up on of these anytime soon.... Does the Winchester bayonet fit on the Uberti?

Once I was at a Wild Bunch match, and I shot the whole thing with a 97 Trench gun with a fixed bayonet. People kidded me about it all day. On the last stage, there was a paper target. The TO dared me to stab it after taking my last shot. So, BANG! YAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! as I ran to the target and ran it through and slashed the blade down to slice it in half. Everyone laughed. Next time I shot WB about a year later, I was gonna shoot it with my Mark VI Webley revolver, this was before the SASS Rules for WB were created, with it's bayonet affixed. But, at the safety meeting, the Fellow running the shoot said, "No bayonets!" I was bummed.

I was pondering last night the Winchester 73 "Muskets" that Winchester made back in day. They were an otherwise normal model 73, just with a 30 inch barrel. I have also seen pics of Model 66's, 92's and even 94's in this configuration. They all seemed to use a twisting socket type bayonet, which seem to be very hard to find if you happen to have one of the rifles. They look rather cool, I'd assume they have a rather large magazine capacity. (Couple that with the bayonet and thy are probably "assault weapons" in Massachusetts, but let that go.) Anyway, I'd like to ask a couple of questions. Now, obviously the 94 Muskets are useless to us, outside of perhaps side matches, but the ones in pistol caliber look like they could be a lot of fun to use at a match. After all, I like 30" barrels on my shotguns, so why not on my rifle? So, does anyone out there have one of these "muskets?" Do you have the bayonet? Have you ever used one at a match? Are they "muzzle heavy" thanks to the longer barrel? What is the magazine capacity? As I was pondering these rifles, I did some quick searches, and wow, people who have them are asking for a lot of money for them. Did Uberti ever market a replica in this configuration? Finally, as I wondered about all of this, I found myself thinking, if only Colt had made the Lightning in this configuration. Then I remembered that they did. Then I remembered that I own one! It's being given a go over by Lassiter, and I hope to have it back soon. But, alas, I don't have the bayonet. Anyone know of a custom knife maker that could create a replica for me?

I have a 75 Remington, and 4 or 5 converted 58's. The Remington is 7.5" .45 Colt. I think it's a nifty gun and enjoy shooting it from time to time. Doesn't fit my hand as well as a Colt, but I have found that while shooting, that doesn't bother me all that much. Below is my factory conversed 58. Same grips, or very nearly the same feel, as the 75.

To me, it looks like a cross between a Marlin and a Henry Big Boy. I am surprised they don't offer a version with "conventional" sights.

That's rather brilliant. Can't use them for on the clock reloads, but as a conveyance to the Loading Table that makes a huge amount of sense

Most of my guns are stock, or close too it. Usually, the only time I have work done to guns is if they break. Occasionally, I've had some action work done to correct timing issues on a revolver, smooth up an action on an Armi San Marco 92, an action job on a 2nd Gen Colt that had a sandpaper action that I had done at the factory (surprisingly inexpensive) and another job on a Rossi 92 to lighten it up a little after realizing it needed it after I got the ASM back, and that's about it. Now, as far as Schofields, go, I have two. An Uberti and a 3rd Model S&W. Both of these are unmodified and work well. In fact, I have several Model 3 S&Ws, real and reproduction, and find them to be very well made guns... To whit... 2 Uberti Americans, one in 45 Colt and one in .44 Special 2 Schofields, the aforementioned Uberti and Modern made S&W 2 S&W New Model 3's. One in .38/44 and one in .44-40. 1 S&W Model 3 DA in .44-40. Obviously, I need a Russian. Anyway, the newly made ones all seem just fine to me right out of the box. The S&W's all well over 127 years old, are still tight as a drum and function flawlessly. Not had to have any work done to any of them. They seem to be a very robust design that is well engineered by those who make them. They are not as "fast" as a Colt, but they are a lot of fun to shoot. I think you will enjoy them. And unless you feel there is something wrong with them, I'd say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," applies.

I have found that the bigger safes are too hard to get into the house and move them around, and too heavy to get up and down the stairs. I won't get anything bigger than an average sized refridgerator. Probably a little smaller. Each one holds about 20-24 long guns. I have 8...

Only 2?

Nice looking guns. There is something enjoyable out mismatched pistols. But both of those can be converted to .45 Colt so you can run the same as in your rifle. You don't have to go the ACP route, unless you want to, of course. I have heard it's possible modify the 73 for use with the ACP round though, if you are so inclined. I love a long barreled shotgun. Don't like those weird old variable chokes, I don't like the look. But personally, I'd not cut it off. It may not be original, but it's an old timey mod, gives your gun some character. If anyone give you grief about it, which I doubt will happen unless you are at a state or above level match, I seem remember that they can be screwed off and still fired without causing damage due to it's lack. But don't quote me on that assumption. In any case, happy shooting! Oh, I almost forgot... I too have a sabre like you mentioned. I wore it to one match and took it off after the first stage. IT was getting in the way!

Some 1909's were indeed converted to .45 ACP early on in WWI before the 1917's were available. I don't know how many, or by whom. I have read at least one article about it, but can't remember where. Wiki is no help in this matter. The story of how I found my 1909 is rather amusing. I found a Civilian New Service Revolver at a gun shop in Indiana. I was all set to buy it, but the guy wouldn't sell it to me on my C&R and ship to my home state. So, I walked out. By coincidence, about a week later, I found this GI 1909, I don't remember where, for less than the New Service I passed on and snatched it up. Fortune was on my side.

As far as I know, the only way to get a 73 Mare's Leg is to make your own. And it can be done without running afoul of NFA '34... I call it a Mare's Leg Buntline. 16.5" barrel, and I made sure the OAL was well over the minimum. Not at all practical, but "legally" it's just a rifle with a really short stock. But fun as all get out to shoot! (And I do have an unmodified stock for it if I want to use it as rifle.) Holster was custom made for me by the makers of the holsters for my other, more conventional, 92 based Mare's Leg. (Not SASS Legal of course, but still fun!)

Fourty inches?!? I like long barrels. My go to shotguns are all 28 to 30 inchers. (I have short barreled ones, but I prefer longer) I like the look and feel of a 24 in barrel on my rifles, but at least half of my main match ones are 20" carbines. (One is even a little shorter at 17-1/2) I think some of those "musket" 73 and 66's are really nifty. But... 40 inches? Good grief! Does it have a full length magazine? If so ho wany rounds does it hold? Would it be considered "High Capacity?"

I did not know that. I did a quick check of Numrich, the do have some Blackhawk barrels listed for New Blackhawk, Super New Blackhawk, Old Blackhawk and Old Super Blackhawk. Maybe one of those would do?

That's why it's not legal. It is my understanding that it had something to do with Marlin declaring the Model 98 family unsafe to shoot. So, they came up with this rule, which took the Burgess, Spencer and Winchester 93 with it. It also prevented the Norinco 93/97, a modern replica of the 97 made to resemble a 93 from being approved for our game, because it's "not a 97." Others who have been here longer than I will be able to clarify any inaccuracies in my understanding.

Pic please! So, I guess not. I had not also considered "Frankenguns" but why not? I am often seen with a Big Iron on my hip.

The Colt New Service was twice adopted as a sidearm by the Army. This is an M1909 in .45 Colt It's hard to see, but the lanyard ring is there. Other than markings, this gun is identical to the Colt New Service . This is a Colt M1917 in .45 ACP Other than caliber and the grips, the 1909 and the 1917 are identical. Both are Genuine GI.

Wouldn't it be easier to get a new barrel from Ruger the length you want and just swap it?