El Sobrante Kid

Is it truly a 26" bbl? If so, I believe that would make it a special order gun.

Also interested in whether or not you will have parts for the Norinco 87's. Can you post the reply in this thread?

What is the weight of the rifle? Thx.

Have you checked GunBroker? I'm pretty sure I've seen some Vaqueros in 44-40, recently. Not sure of the price tag.

Well, not really. I'm sure you meant to account for gravity, but forgot. Since the case will sit in the bottom of the chamber (due to gravity), you will have a gap that is equal to approximately 3-4 sheets of paper, between the top of the case and the top of the chamber wall.

Howdy Matthew Duncan, your post reminds me of a story that an old cowboy told me, a long time ago. He said that he used to pull the ammunition out of his rifle every darned morning, and throw the rounds into the breakfast skillet on the fire, with the bacon. He said that the bacon fat slicked up the rounds "somethin' fierce", as he put it, and he never had a problem with his rifle jamming. I think he was just shooting his mouth off.

If you can't find a mechanical solution, go with Castalia's suggestion, Rubber bands were first patented in the mid-1800's, and are period correct. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_band

It depends on what "game' you are playing. Do you shoot for fun, and don't care about your time?. Or do you shoot for the fastest time, and have fun that way? If the former, plenty of stock shotguns are game ready. If the latter, then as you say, not too many are game ready. The Kid

Howdy to the Fire, It's been a while since I've been around. Now retired, moved out of CA (no jokes please), and settled in to a new home, with a range nearby, and a nice CAS group, I'm looking forward to getting back to doing some shooting. I still have all my gear, except for my trusty SxS. I'd like to find and use an older original with internal hammers and double triggers. Looking at current prices, I have seen Fox Sterlingworths, Ithaca Flues, Husqvarna's, and LC Smiths. All of them have been cut down to barrel lengths of 24" to 28", negating any collector value, and making them "reasonably" affordable for CAS. BUT... I do know that not all SxS's are created equal, LOL. Some open farther, have better safety's, better triggers, etc. So here I am, looking to the Fire to share their experiences, comments, suggestions, and advice. Which of the old originals are good to go, and which are best to stay away from? Feel free to mention manufacturers and models that I did not. Please note that I will never be fast, so competitive speed is not a requirement. I just want to shoot an older SxS when I can, and enjoy the hell out of it. Appreciate your help, The Kid