Tom Bullweed

Belczek, welcome to the forum. Get to some matches! The CAS crowd will likely let you handle their wares. Best advice to a newcomer: do not spend $$ with knowing what will fit your hands, your category and your goals in CAS. Soot loads in original .38-40 and .44-40 will keep guns cleaner than straight wall cases like .38s, .357s and .45 Colt. Do you want to shoot the same cartridge in your lever gun? Classic cowboy category has min caliber requirements? Some clubs like a lot of knockdowns where heavier bullets (larger calibers) usually perform better.

Back to the original question... My observation is that 3-5% of regular CAS shooters use real Colts. Some of those shoot other guns but have original SAAs that they bring for a 'fun' match. Some of those are B-Western adherents that will only shoot what Roy, Lash and Gene used. My guess is based only what I have seen while shooting only in and around NC.

Third gun is the DA revolver, second row, second gun below the Lightning. Base on the size of the grip hardware and the fact that many manufacturers in South America copied Colt and S&W designs.

Ruger New Model in .38/.357 tuned by Jimmy Spurs Uberti 1873 in .357 tuned by Longhunter or Cody Conhager Browning BSS or SKB 12 gage SxS You still gave to buy at least two sets of clothes, leather and reloading equipment and supplies. You can build or buy a guncart.

This cannot go wrong. It seems to be so clear so far. I would applaud a cowboy willing to entertain other shooters and enjoy himself by shooting a brace of LeMats. It is a real piece of history and one of the 19th century weap8ns of mass destruction. How about a Josey Wales category: four Lemats , each loaded with five .44s and the shotgun?!?

Pat Riot, another two thoughts.... Loading the .45 Colt to hot-level may not be as a great idea. The case has a very small lip, and high pressures will likely swell the brass in the chamber to excessive stickiness. I could imagine that the extractor will get quite a workout. Thought #2 goes to your original post. The .45 Colt, with standard loads, in any levergun should be good out to 100 yards. That is twice the long distance of most buckshot, handgun and archery shots on game. The round can be loaded to higher pressure to get another 50 yrds or so of effective range, but limiting the gun to practical use seems the logical answer. A bolt gun in a common gamestopper or a .45-70 in any long would be more useful at the longer range. Trying to control heavy loads in a close encounter that requires multiple shots would be problematic

I have two original 1892s and had a Rossi. All were good guns that could be taken to the stand or the stage. I also have a Marlin 1894 .44 Mag jm-marked. I consider it a better field gun since it is predrilled and tapped for optics and has a side eject. Even if the Marlin shot groups a couple inches larger than the 3.5" @ 100 yards that I have encountered, it would still be my first choice over the 92 design.

The 6.5x55 is a great round. The small ring Mausers will not safely handle the same pressure loads that a Ruger 77 or new CZ will. Medium loads in medium burnrate powders will likely be best and give very good accuracy in the Mausers. Go to the Handloader magazine website and buy the latest publication on the Swede round. The article may not cover every factor, but they tend to be a very good start.

If SASS is to survive more than a few generations, it needs to look at other organized shooting sports for both positive and negative aspects. Many shooting sports are tied to and partially funded through the NRA. Other large shooting sports are organized under USPSA and NSSF. Both of these last two are main portions of the gun clubs that we frequent, especially the shotgun sports. What SASS is doing is good, but these other sports have seen growth and reduction and growth again, especially the shotgun sports. Regularly printed publications, an intention entry lane for new shooters and divisions suited to shooters who do not want to play the equipment race are critical to these sports. Cowboy action has some challenges: a second generation of leadership, a large back door as many shooters age out of the sport with fewer new shooters, a very high start-up investment, and limited control of how individual clubs provide monthly shoots. I see some problems that a smart group of dedicated cowboys need to address. Our game is too fun and the people are too nice to not get this right.