Griff

I also don't recall their name, but they bought the rightsto distribute the brass from Adirondak Jack, but as I recall, only sold loaded ammo. Which probably doomed them, as nearly all its users were reloaders. And I seem to think it was more like 10-12 years ago. When they failed, Miss Cubby bought the rights to sell brass, then when she sold out of her stock, Starline decided to go public and make it available to all us fans.

Kershaw 1660ST. Buck 110 w/ Goodyear laser engraved on the scales.. Blackjack #7 w/stag handle. The Kershaw because I carry it every day... The Buck because it was a gift from someone who got me a ride on the Goodyear Blimp... The pilot let my son sit in the co-pilot's seat, but more importantly, gave my son one of their ball caps. The Blackjack because it's so similar to what I was trained with. And looks cool on the gunbelt.

I use one for all my decapping needs, prior to the wet tumbler. After having to settle for 7th instead of better in a 10 way tie for 3rd @ Nationals for BPCRS when my shot count went over the guesstimate, I bring it, appropriate dies and extra supplies for BPCRS or other single shot events. I've loaded by cowboy ammo whether BP or smokeless on a 550 since 1987 w/o incident. I suspect there's more to any story about an accident than just a progressive press and BP. I loaded my BP shotshells on a MEC 600 Jr until I got a Hornady 336. Nor to I use a dipper to measure powder, run it thru the measure on the press.

And to add: Boyd Davis, then owner of EMF was one of the founding members of SASS #2, and a huge supporter of many of the early shoots around the country. In the years preceding SASS, him, along with Judge Roy Bean, Hipshot, R.J. Poteet and a couple of others were known as the "Wild Bunch", Hosts for the "End of Trail" matches held at Coto De Caza in Southern California. After organizing into SASS, they continued to host EOT thru 2019. And until his passing, Gen'l Grant was a large part of that. Prayers up for Jim.

You might try asking VTI... Pedersoli Universal Cartridge Sight Insert Card.

Could it be that the good folks at Colt kept those "rejects" close to home for easy repair, while shipping the good'uns off to the frontier... places like Ohio? {Smart-azzed answer mode off}. Seriously... I've heard it hypothesized that Colt, (similar to Winchester & their "Commemoratives"), didn't think about QC as they believed most purchasers were "collectors" and not "shooters".

At least spell my name right. It's "Griff", that's with 2 Fs. And I don't have to combine my experience with anyone's to have 40 years of watchin' folks fuss and fiddle with their '97s. When I first heard that particular piece of advice... some 40+ years ago, it was said with a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek, (kinda hard to convey with the written word). But... also a smattering of truth. Which I took at face value, as he claimed to own several. I don't know if you just got lucky with your '97s, or others seem to be unlucky... but my own experience is that they're temperamental beasts. I have one that is a former cowboy shooter's gun... I got it to shoot Wild Bunch... my only problem with it, is that it doesn't work as it's designed to do. Will not feed ammo from the magazine. Been to several different 'smiths and each proclaim it good. Yet, it remains VERY ammo eccentric. To me... that's not a good shotgun. I watched one 'smith buff on it a little, proceeded to load six in the magazine and rack them thru the action. Off I went to a WB side match, and the 1st round wouldn't feed thru the action... six misses. I don't need my equipment to help me into last place. On the other hand, I have a IAC Chinester Riot Gun that has been absolutely flawless in function for over 15 years in Wild Bunch... But that doesn't stop me taking along a backup... I don't doubt that a LOT of folks run their '97s without problem... but, I suspect a LOT MORE have a backup or two, just in case.

That it will work is NOT the point. Permanently altering your brass is one thing. But, when that brass may end up in the hands of others, who are ignorant of the changes you made, it will likely cause problems down the road. No hand-wringing or lip quivering, just plain fact. Many a .44-40 has been shot thru a 45 Colt with nary a consequence except a fat, non bottle-neck case. In fact, a number of 45 Colt BP shooters use .44-40 brass in order to have better sealing rifle chambers due the thinner case mouths. But, you'll find that works better with the more open bolt & chamber design of the toggle link rifles. Frankly, the bolt will not likely be a problem. My Ubertis, both '73s & Henry all accept .44-40 ammo in the chamber. However, the Marlin has a "hood" over the rim area of the receiver that aligns the case with the chamber. Again, an area that a good machinist should be able to relieve to allow the .44-40 rim to seat properly aligned with the bore. To the OP, I have an older Marlin, originally a 44 Magnum that I converted to use C45S in, I just tried a .44-40 case in it. It will close and eject the round, but... closing the bolt fully takes more effort than it does with a properly sized rim. It wouldn't take much to alter the 45 Colt bolt to accept .44-40 cases with ease. In measuring my .44-40 Starline case rims I find they run between .520" down to .518". That falls in the SAAMI spec. of .525"-.010". My Starline C45S & 45 Colt case rims run between .509"-.507"... again, with the SAAMI spec of .510"-.010".

Ya should know that you'll actually need 3 of 'em, right? The one's she's using in today's match... a backup to use in tomorrow's match when the 1st one breaks... and a 3rd one at the gunsmith's getting fixed.

A pair of Colt 1851s, (as designed, not sissified, suppository conversions... even if they are 2nd Gens), a 1860 rifle (being modified to carbine form now) and a Blackjack #7, (for those of us that are wont to bring a knife to a gunfight)!

While most of the answers above are either in part, or in full, correct (s far as they go)... the fact remains, that your question, Answers itself. 39 & ¾ years ago I bought an IGA Stoeger Coachgun. (I stupidly fought with a Riverside Arms double, {think Stevens 311}, for a few months, before accepting the conventional wisdom that format wasn't well suited to cowboy action shooting). The advice I was given on slickin' the Stoeger up was to buy an automotive brake cylinder hone, chuck it up in a hand drill, and with honing oil, remove as much of the machining marks from both chambers as possible. It will look pretty dern smooth... but it ain't. Then with an new mop, wrap on a layer or two of cleaning patches and using my favorite metal polishing compound, make each chamber mirror bright. Then remove the extractors and remove any burrs from the edges where the extractor comes in contact with the chamber, or shell. Polish all surfaces of the extractor. What you want are slightly rounded or beveled edges, not severely, just enough to remove the burr that makes it a sharp corner. Reassemble and practice firing, utilizing a quick jerk backward, sudden stop, and grabbing two new shells and reloading... Do it in sets of reloading 2, 4, 6 & 8. Do that 10 or 15 thousand times a year, & your sticky hulls will go away. When I do my part... (which ain't easy, since I quit practicing about 25 years ago, sinful activity that it is)... that cheap, poorly built, junk ol' Stoeger still shucks empties like it has ejectors. But, it only sees 3 types of ammo, Winchester AA LNLR, my BP reloads in once fired Winchester LNLR hulls, or my smokeless reloads in Peters' "Blue Magic" hulls. (The shotshell hull that all others only WISH they could be).

If you're not getting enough of a "challenge" at your club, I would challenge you to shoot your 24" square targets to impact inside a 3" area in the corner, hit those "Harper" cowboy targets in the hat brim, or the feet, hit the chickens in the head. You'll be able to see just how well your shooting "improves", as there'll be very few lead smears in those areas! It'll be like shooting at freshly painted targets! Or like I have to with the 77 grain round balls from C&B 1851s, hit the plate rack KDs in the top ¼ and feel the satisfaction of watching them slowly topple over! As I'm constantly reminded, the challenge ain't in hitting the targets, it's hitting them in a third or a fourth of the time it takes me! Frankly, smaller, farther targets don't hurt the shooter that practices, works to hone their skills, pays close attention to stage instructions, keeps themself fit, up-to-date on the rules and nuances of the game... it's everyone else. Frustrate them, and very soon, you're playing cowboy by yourself. Very hard to run a match when only 2 or 3 show up! Unless you're the shooter everyone you shoot with, wishes they could beat, complaining that targets are too big & close just smacks of sour grapes. Sure an old school stage every once in a great while can be fun, But small & far is only one aspect of an old school stage.

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I've got a later 2nd Gen SAA and 5 3rd Gens spread over about 15 years of their production. The earliest ones have been shot enough to require rebuilding a few years back.... (Like 15 or so). They've all operated as designed right out of the box... but, all have been tuned for better performance than I can attain.

I've had all my Colts modified to a Ruger plunger and coil spring for the hand. remove the Colt flat spring from the hand and polish, a proper sized hole just above the left backstrap screw (looking at the back of the gun) for the plunger & spring. Kiss broken hand springs goodbye! Here's what you'll have as done on my 2nd Gen 1851. here it is in place on a 3rd Gen Colt SAA. This SAA had the modification done 36 years ago, no broken hand spring since. The 1st 1851 was done in 1987, again, never broke a hand spring in it.