Roger Rapid

CC ... All the more reason to have the OAL of the cartridges to be the same, or close to the same as the length of the lifter. A lot of effort is saved if the lifter doesn't have to push cartridges back into the magazine... RR PS: And, care must be taken to not make the spring so light that it can't push a row of 9 or 10 rounds into the lifter as fast as the action can be cycled, or gamers and/or poor feeding will occur (this is more prominent on 180g-200g bullets in .45LC, but too light a spring on a .38 or .357 can still be a problem).

LEP... Nice article in the '08 Cowboy Chronicle (that was a period of really nice monthly hard-copy publications!). Nicely explains what happens with the interaction of the lifter and various cartridge lengths! Thx. See ya in August! RR

Uberti's 73s stamped ".357" are intended for .357 cartridges with an OAL of 1.60˝. Even though you can chamber a .38Spec in a .357, getting the OAL close to the designed OAL of 1.60˝ will result in improved feeding. At 1.60˝ OAL the cartridge is virtually the same length as the elevator and doesn't have to push the next cartridge up the return ramp and into the magazine. If you use .38S shells, you may end up not being able to crimp in the cannalure - so be sure to get a good crimp against the bullet. RR

Our "Who's Coming" list (as of 5/9) is now posted. Go to: www.chorrovalleyregulators.com or CLICK HERE. Gonna be a super match - hope you will join the Who's Coming list!!! RR

The best thing I've found is a product called Strato-Sheen from Rio Grande jewelry - www.riogrande.com. I used 2oz of Strato-Sheen to a gallon of water in my Frankford Tumbler, for 90 minutes. The result is some super bright and clean shells. I used to use the stainless pins but found that I get as good a cleaning without them, and I don't have the hassle off separating the pins from the shells. Without the pins I get a very good cleaning inside and outside. About every five or six months - and when I'm in the mood - I'll de-prime first and then use the stainless pins; it gives me a better cleaning of primer pockets (but I'm, very irregular about doing this). Here, in California, I can put a few trays of cleaned shells in the sun for an hour or so and they are dry - and the sun is hot enough that any moisture in the primer pockets - under the primers - is dried out. I also have one of the Frankford air driers which works very well. Wear nitrile gloves if you're using the Strat-Sheen. RR

Howdy cowpokes… We have some new happenings at the 2022 SASS Western Regional / 27th Annual Chorro Valley Shoot-Out, Aug 10-14, 2022 to heighten your experience with us: • In the past, we’ve shot six stages a day, two waves of shooters, on two days. This year, to help keep you sharp and improve your opportunity for the gold, we will be shooting four stages a day, two waves of shooters, over three days. • For those of you who would like to diversify your entertainment in evenings (and by popular request), we’ve added a family-friendly Bingo night to our events. • Several years ago, we had a very fun jam going around our campfire, and we'd like to bring it back. We know there are a bunch of acoustic musicians among you, so bring your guitars, banjos, mandolins, etc., and come pick and sing with us. And when you’re ready for sticky fingers, S’mores will be provided. —> Watch the Schedule of Events on our home page - www.chorrovalleyregulators.com - for updates on when these and other events will be taking place. —> You didn’t register or reserve a campsite yet? We've got an easy fix for you - just CLICK HERE to easily register on-line and reserve your campsite. —> To enjoy a four minute video about the SASS Western Regional / Chorro Valley Shoot-Out CLICK HERE. Come shoot with us! We look forward to seeing you in August… Roger Rapid

MDJ… We will be working on preparation of the range and campground right up to the Sunday before the match. We usually do a final mow of the campground early in the week before the match to be sure the grass is low-cut for camping. Then we stripe the camp sites. So, we can’t have campers arrive before Sunday afternoon, Aug 7th, and no earlier than 12:00pm. If you are coming in early (or staying later) you can stay at nearby Morro Bay State Park (about 15 minutes northwest of our range), or El Chorro Regional Park Campground (about 10 minutes south of our range), or even Hearst San Simeon State Park (about 30 minutes north of our range). And there’s a bunch of private campgrounds - some inland and some on the ocean - just Google “campgrounds near Morro Bay.” And, if you are coming from out of the area andf have some extra time before or after the match, there is a ton to see and do on California’s Central Coast. Hearst Castle is 40 minutes north of our range and it well worth taking the time to do a tour (call ahead for tour reservations - 805-444-4445). Just south of Hearst Castle, on Hwy 1 (PCH - Pacific Coast Highway) you will find 500-700 sea lions sunning themselves on the beach - a sight worth seeing. Cambria (about 30 minutes north of our range) is a super town to visit and walk through as is Morro Bay (a fishing village with very interesting views and shops - just 15 minutes from our range). And San Luis Obispo (15 minutes south of our range) is a great town to walk through where you can also visit the historic mission. Come shoot with us! Roger Rapid

I guess I'd have to answer this question by saying "anything that Snakebite writes!" He's been writing the stages for Fort Miller (Clovis, CA - we just shot it this weekend) for eons. Snakebite continues to come up with super-fun and pretty challenging scenarios like this one pictured here: Shooter starts with shotgun in hand and shoots as many rounds as needed to open holes in butcher paper to be able to see the three vertical targets behind the paper. Then, with nine rounds in the rifle, shooter triple taps the three targets through the holes in butcher paper - or though the butcher paper, and then moves left to pistol to shoot three pistol targets through a window with a moving barrier (DON'T shoot the barrier!), and then moves right, retrieves shotgun and moves to shotgun position for two poppers. Much better to shoot holes vertically (since the targets are vertical) then it is to blast horizontal holes in the paper (like this shooter did). [I shot three vertical holes along left edge of paper and I'm pleased to brag that I shot this one clean and pretty quick.] Last year Snakebite had us shooting through hanging laundry! If you want fun scenarios, come to Fort Miller next year!!!! RR

Yul Lose. SUPER! And we're very much looking forward to having you (and all your beautiful gun carts) with us!!!! RR

Hi cowpokes... Please take four minutes and watch this video about the 2022 SASS Western Regional / 27th Annual Chorro Valley Shoot-Out August 10-14, 2022 – a not-to-miss cowboy action experience at CVR's range in San Luis Obispo, CA. And, if you hang in there for another four minutes you can enjoy some of the behind-the-scenes goodies. Enjoy, (and then come shoot with us!) RR PS: In case the registration info got past you too fast, you can register for both the match and for camping on-line at: www.chorrovalleyregulators.com.

Thanks for the post, Snakebite. Yes a real loss... sad... may he rest in peace.... RR

We don't know exactly what the "feeding problem" is. If it is a problem feeding into the lifter - as opposed to feeding into the chamber - then the bullet profile is not the problem. Cheyenne said it wasn't feeding rounds when then action was cycled, so it is more probably a cartridge stop lever problem. RR

Cheyene Ranger... Have your friend PM me or email me at roger(at)siminoff.net. Maybe I can talk him through it, or at the very least determine what's wrong. RR

Cowpokes, gamblers, drovers, horse thieves, and outlaws.... We're galloping down the trail to the 2022 SASS Western Regional / 27th Annual Chorro Valley Shoot-Out, August 10-14, in San Luis Obispo, California. I wanted to give you a heads-up on camping so you can make early plans (especially if you want to rent a trailer for the match, or make camping arrangements away from the range). TRAILER CAMPING: We have 170+ RV sites at our range. The campground is a level, mowed field and it is dry camping. Water is available for you to fill up as you enter the range (when you enter, ask the gate attendant about getting to the water fill location). Our RV/tenting area is immediately adjacent to our main tent, which is immediately adjacent to our range. Sites are beginning to fill up so we recommend that you go to our web site and process your match registration and your camping reservation now - and you can do both of them on-line. Using our on-line registration system you can see available campsites by going to our home page – www.chorrovalleyregulators.com – and clicking on the RV Map link in the black header bar at the very top of the page. In addition to seeing available sites (GREEN), if you hover your cursor over a RED (reserved) campspace you can see who is registered in that spot! Then you can go back to our home page, and click on the BLUE BAR for processing your on-line match registration and your camping reservations. TENT CAMPING: We have a dedicated tent camping area, and we can provide electricity for medical needs only (CPAP, etc., and it’s a good idea to bring a long extension or two). We’re eight miles from the Pacific Ocean so evening temperatures in August are about 55° to 60° and tent camping is comfortable. There is no charge for tent camping but you still need to register tor tent camping, which you can do when processing your on-line registration. TRAILER RENTAL: If you don’t own a trailer but would like to stay on site, we’ve made arrangements with Get Away RV Rentals to deliver a trailer to your reserved site in our campground. However, you still need to register in our on-line system to reserve an RV site so your rental trailer has a place to be delivered. Here is the contact info to make your trailer rental: Call or email Alisa • Get Away RV Rentals • www.getawayrvrentals.net • 805.801.3968 MOTELS and places to stay: And, of course, there are tons of motels in the coastal village of Morro Bay (7 miles north), the city of San Luis Obispo (8 miles south), and in Atascadero (23 miles east). (Atascadero is typically a bit less expensive than Morro Bay or San Luis Obispo, and there are two ways to get from Atascadero to the range depending on where you are staying in Atascadero. About a 25-30 minute drive.) CAMPING WAY FROM THE RANGE: If you are trailering with a toad and want to stay away from the range, there are several wonderful campgrounds nearby including Morro Bay State Park (12 miles) and San Simeon State Park (30 miles). And, there are several others. If you are thinking of finding a spot at any of the local campgrounds I'd urge you to make your reservations NOW. QUESTIONS?: If you have any questions about camping at our range, our have questions about the best place to stay, don’t hesitate to PM me, or call me at 8058018750. See you in August! Roger Rapid

Yup, you can, and it's not very difficult. Ideal to clamp bottom portion of hammer in vise to absorb some heat. The hammer on the right was easily bent and re-shaped with Oxy/acetylene torch. And, of course, I did hammers on both pistols. RR PS: And, of course, I removed firing pins before applying heat.