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Lady Gunfighters


Painted Filly

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For you lady gunfighters out there...What do you shoot? 38, 32? Birdshead? bisleys? I am thinking about trying gunfighter and would like to know what you all like and also what you don't like.

 

Thanks!

 

Painted Filly

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I use the cimarron lightning birdshead 38s. I have very small hands and they are the only gun I've found that I can use effectively as a gunfighter. Even the small frame rugers don't work well in my hands. The birdshead grip allows me to trap the lip in the webbing between my thumb and first finger. When I cock the gun the thumb side of my hand comes off the grip. The lip in the webbing of my hand keeps the gun in place.

 

Note that the lightnings are almost unusable out of the box. You will have to get them worked on.

 

 

If you have problems with heavy long guns take a look at the 92 rifles (mine is a Brazilian made Rossi sold as a Puma). They can't be short stroked like the 73's but they do slick up really nice. The carbine version still has a very good balance after shortening the stock and won't drag your arms down or make you so tired you can't keep the rifle on target.

 

La Gata Loca

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My wife shoots LGF, started with .45's and a full load but had to switch to .38's because of a wrist problem. She shoots the new smaller Rugers now, 4-3/4" bbl, a 20" '73 with a short stroke, the best rifle we have in our safe, and she also shoots a Baikal hammerless double with light handloaded shells. You have to find and use the guns that fit you, working with something that isn't quite right is a huge waste of time and effort, no matter what anyone else suggests.

 

I can't over stress leather, being able to consistently find the holsters fast and dependably is perhaps more important with GF than other categories.

 

FWIW, most would call my wife petite and I have adjusted the stocks, springs etc. accordingly.

 

We need more LGF's, so welcome to the fun!

 

Doc Nelson

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Most of the ladies I'v helped shooting LGF wind up with either Cimarron Thunderers in .38 or Cimarron Lightings in .38. Both guns have "Thunderer" type grip frames. They are not "Birdshead." A Birdshead grip frame doesn't have the little hump to locate the hand.

The Lightning is available in .41, .38, & 32-20/32 H&R. The Lightning frame is a little light for .41 and the .38 can be loaded down to very low levels for someone with sensitive hands. I haven't seen a 32 yet but those could be just the ticket.

Gunfighter is FUN!!!!

 

Coffinmaker

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I tried a number of different pistols. You just have to try them to see what is most comfortable in your hand. There's no substitute for that!

 

Get ready for a whole lot of fun!!

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I admire anyone whose hand eye coordination is such that they can shoot gunfighter. I can't trust my left hand to do anything I tell it to.

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Shoot some times with some LGFers.

 

Buffy Lo Gal, I know shoots .38s out of her Ruger Bisleys.

Another shoots Birdheads and I think they are .32s.

Know of another that shoots .45s

So kind of all over the place.

Will have to try some to see what each person might like

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Filly - just get out there and do it and see what you like!

 

I'm sure the ladies will chime in, I just had to say something as an excuse to say HOWDY!

 

Grizz

 

 

Shave first??? :FlagAm:

 

 

:blink:

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For you lady gunfighters out there...What do you shoot? 38, 32? Birdshead? bisleys? I am thinking about trying gunfighter and would like to know what you all like and also what you don't like.

 

Thanks!

 

Painted Filly

 

Well, I ain't a LGF, but I know one of the best in the World. Half-a-Hand Henri shots a pair of Ruger 32s with standard grips - and she does it in bare feet! :FlagAm:

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Well, I ain't a LGF, but I know one of the best in the World. Half-a-Hand Henri shots a pair of Ruger 32s with standard grips - and she does it in bare feet! :FlagAm:

and with a trremendous amount of class!

 

Got to shoot at CAC with Iron Maiden. Duelist, not gunfighter, but so quick and so smooth. Impressive.

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Thank you for the replies. I have a pair of NMV but to do gunfighter they are too big for my hand. I am leaning towards the lightnings.

 

Painted Filly

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But the lady at the millinery said the corset wouldn't look right unless I shaved my chest! :FlagAm:

 

Weather is looking decent for tomorrows match at pawnee station, are you and KK gonna make the drive?

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Hello the fire,

 

My wife, Emma Goodcook, shoots gunfighter and when in Ladies B-Western also. She has very small hands and has settled on the .32 H & R Magnum Ruger which is the single six size grip. I also shoot gunfighter but I can't make up my mind, sometimes .45's sometimes .38's and sometimes .32's but with the larger Vaquero grip. She loves it and has many admirers who wish they could sort out using both hands.

 

Chelsea

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I am not a Lady Gunfighter but will tell you what I have learned concerning pistols for one handed shooting in the last year. My quest began with two premises that were supposedly common wisdom but turned out to be flawed. Birdshead grips are better for people with small hands shooting Duelist/Gunfighter is wrong, it is an absolute and indisputable fact that this grip shape actually rolls the thumbs resting position away from the hammer, thus requiring a longer thumb reach or an unnaturally high grip . Another falsehood, lowered hammers work better for the shooter with short hands shooting Duelist/Gunfighter. In general the lower hammer spur can require the thumb to need to rotate to far back for comfort and/or dependability. They really crowd the web on cocking.

 

Be smarter than I and save yourself a lot of money. Try as many revolver and grip styles as possible before making your decision. I am firmly convinced that the standard grips are the best choice for most shooters and when you factor in the smaller than standard grip frames offered by the Model P-Jrs and the Single Six revolvers you can find something to brag about. Once again, try try try before you buy and I am sure you will settle on a small frame revolver with a plow handle grip frame.

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I have an old pair of 3 screw single sixes (they started life as .22's) that were customized by Happy Trails to shoot .38 LC and run all day trouble free with Black Powder.

 

What I looked for was a gun that I could keep a 3-fingered "death grip" (both trigger fingers and thumbs have other jobs when shooting GF) and reach the hammer with ease. I don't like the grips sliding around when I'm shooting GF. I have the checkered grips, smooth ones are not for me. I tried the Model P Jr's and they fit my hands fine, sucked with BP and the grips were too slick. I could have gotten better grips but they still wouldn't run with BP more than 2 stages without fussing with them. They were fine with smokeless powder, but that's not for me!

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Howdy Painted Filly, my gal Hot Lead Heather uses 5 1/2'' Cimarron Lightings when shooting GF or Duelist. We tried everything else, even 1851 Navys, the Lightings were the only ones to fit her small hands. Good Luck

Cimarron Lightings

 

Jefro :rolleyes: Realx-Enjoy

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Lou,

 

Thank you for the reply... I shoot black and so hearing that the Model P jr's are not good with black will help me alot. So I will take them off the list.

 

Filly

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Jefro,

 

Yes the lightnings or the thuderers are the way that I am leaning right now. I shoot with someone that uses the thunderers and hoping I can put a few down range in them tomorrow. I am trying to see if someone I know has some bisleys and single sixes too.

 

Filly

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Slowhand,

 

Thanks for the adivse. I will try as many as I can. This is not something I have to decide right now. So plenty of time.

 

Filly

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Lou,

 

Thank you for the reply... I shoot black and so hearing that the Model P jr's are not good with black will help me alot. So I will take them off the list.

 

Filly

 

Then the lightnings may not be the thing for you either. They suffer from the same tiny gap between cylinder and the back frame. Even a just barely high primer tends to tie mine up.

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La Gata,

 

Can't the gap be opened? I will look into that.

 

Thanks alot I do not want to make the wrong decision. I currently shoot NMV but shoot 2 handed.

 

Filly

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If you open the gap it will move the primer further from the firing pin. You will need to ask a good gunsmith if it is possible to put in a longer firing pin and if that would leave it prone to the pin breaking. I have shot black powder through my .45 thunderers but they have a much larger gap. I've never tried black powder in the lightnings because I assumed the resulting grit would fill the gap. Perhaps if you sprayed the gap with ballistol after each stage? That might keep it clear enough to get through a match. The little bit of extra smoke from the ballistol burning wouldn't make a difference since your shooting black powder anyway :rolleyes: Might get a bit messy on the hands though.

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The Thunders are full size just like the Model Ps, no problem shooting BP through them as they have a cylinder bushing. The Lightings or Model P Jrs are 3/4 size much like the single six, no cylinder bushing and no way to shoot real BP. However Heather did use hers in the NC State BP match last year with Pyodex, they ran fine, much as I hate subs that worked, just had to give them a squirt every few stages. 777 would not work at all. While they are tight you should not have problems with primers correctly set, the gap could be opened slightly if needed, we did send them to Cody for a little action work. Good Luck

 

Jefro :rolleyes:

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Philly

 

Katelyn Rose shoots gunfighter, and pretty well I might add. She uses Ruger single six in .32. In helping her at various shoots I had the opportunity to handle her guns. I shoot Ruger New Vaqueros with Montado hammers. The feel of the guns was very similar with the reach for the hammers being almost the same. You might want to try some Ruger NMV with Montado or SBH hammers before investing in a new set. If shooting black powder as a regular diet in the rugers, you may need to have the cylinder gap opened up a little.

 

Good luck with gunfighter. It is really fun to watch someone who has taken the time to become smooooth.

 

McKenzie

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Howdy!

I haven't shot lady gunfighter in a few years, but when I did, I used full size old model Ruger Vaqueros with 4 5/8 inch barrels in 38-40.

I have fairly long and strong fingers/hands and the old model grips work well for me. The heft and caliber of the pistol was a nice compromise; not as heavy as the 38/357, but enough to keep down recoil rise, and the caliber was less recoil generating than my 44-40s and 45 colts.

 

The big thing you need to do is increase your hand strength and dexterity. These things increase your gun options tremendously, and make you a safer, more confident shooter at the line. I see too many women searching for tiny little guns with tiny little calibers because the real problem is they don't have any finger/hand/forearm strength.

(Face it, all these revolvers were probably designed with men (who have more muscle/strength) in mind.) Get some free weights and start lifting them. I also found practicing cocking (and even spinning) an EMPTY pistol helped make my hands a bit stronger and more coordinated. Good Luck in your endeavor!

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There seems to be some misinformation on this thread about the Single-Six grip frame dimensions. The Single-Six grip frame is the same dimension as the Blackhawk and original Vaquero. The .32 caliber fixed sight models had two grip frames with one being about 1/4" shorter than the other but they are identical except for the slight difference in length.

 

Having said that, the Single-Six cylinder frame is smaller dimensioned than the Blackhawk and Vaquero and it is easier to reach the hammer on the .32's. The best lady gunfighter around here, Clementine Valentine, uses the .32 caliber Single-Six with gunfighter grips (highly recommended), I don't know whether her revolvers have the shorter grip frames.

 

I'm a man but I have small hands and when I shoot gunfighter I use the .32 Rugers with gunfighter grips as well. My revolvers have the shorter grip frames but I don't think that dimension makes a difference in function-I think the shorter grip frame does look better since the whole revolver is scaled down in size.

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There seems to be some misinformation on this thread about the Single-Six grip frame dimensions. The Single-Six grip frame is the same dimension as the Blackhawk and original Vaquero. The .32 caliber fixed sight models had two grip frames with one being about 1/4" shorter than the other but they are identical except for the slight difference in length.

 

Having said that, the Single-Six cylinder frame is smaller dimensioned than the Blackhawk and Vaquero and it is easier to reach the hammer on the .32's. The best lady gunfighter around here, Clementine Valentine, uses the .32 caliber Single-Six with gunfighter grips (highly recommended), I don't know whether her revolvers have the shorter grip frames.

 

I'm a man but I have small hands and when I shoot gunfighter I use the .32 Rugers with gunfighter grips as well. My revolvers have the shorter grip frames but I don't think that dimension makes a difference in function-I think the shorter grip frame does look better since the whole revolver is scaled down in size.

 

 

BD: my experience and limited knowledge is the same as yours about the single-six grip frames.

 

When Ruger came out with the .32 Magnum on their Single-Six frame, they produced them with 2 different grip shapes. One was the Birdhead. The other was the 'shortened' plow handled grip frame which is 1/4 inch shorter in length AND Ruger referred to it as the 'Vaquerito' or something like that.

 

Painted Filly: if you can find some of those 'Vaquerito's with those shortened plowhandled grips, it would be worth your time and effort to check them out before you make your decision.

 

Although a man, I also have small hands and I have the Vaquerito size grips on two sets of my main match pistols. One set is on my .38/.357 and the other set has been put on my .45 Vaq.

I really like the feel of them but YMMV. I also have Eagle GFer checkered grips which are a big improvement over the factory grips.

Wish you could handle them before you buy anything.

 

Wish you the best in this endeavour and in becoming a GF.

 

..........Widder

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