Rifle Observations

[Howdy Doody]

Pards,

I was just thinking. Dangerous I know. I started shooting with Marlin 1894s. I did the spring conversion and put on a lever wrap, along came the one piece firing pin and I had to do that to it too. There was full buckhorn sights and large front sight available so I installed them. Everytime I would field strip it, I would do a little polishing on this part or that, then there was the carrier mod and the thing shot really well.

Then I got a great deal on a 73 Uberti. It already had the generation one short stroke and it was in 44-40 a rifle caliber that I always thought sounded great on black powder, Then of course I had to do most everything there was to do to it and since I had a small fortune in it, I continued to shoot it as much as I shot, which has not been all that much for the past few years.

The Marlin, there is two alike, since you have to have back ups of course, they sat in the safe resting and collecting dust. Well, I decided I had a bunch of 38 spl. ammo I should shoot off, so I pulled a Marlin out along with a pair of Ruger .357s and went to a match. I had swung the rifle up a few times at home to be sure I was able to sight in alright, since I was used to the 73 and now felt confident. Boom, right off the bat I found that I am not anywhere as good as my rifle. What is up with that? It shot flawlessly, but I didn't. I saw fingers up when I finished the stage. That got me to thinking, I am not shooting as fast as my rifle is set up to shoot. Does that make sense? When you have a slick shooting rifle and you know it will shoot fast you try to keep up and I am just too old and can't. That left me shooting before I had a bead on the targets. The last two stages I decided to just stop after each shot and breathe. That might be the trick because I cleaned the last two and felt better about the whole thing.

You realize this is tongue in cheek and all I am really saying is, I can't shoot fast or accurately, it really doesn't have anything to do with my rifles. However, as those that have shot with me know, I care more about just getting out there with all the great pards I meet and have met, and it is more about the people than it is about the shooting. BT Blade summed that up some years ago and damned if he didn't hit the nail on the head. So, I will still shoot the same and with the same irons and still absolutely love being dressed in cowboy duds and being with the greatest folks on earth, cowboy action shooters.

I can quit thinking now. We are all safe.

[Krazy Kajun]

A little thinking is a dangerous thing....a whole lot of thinking just makes my head hurt.

 

Shoot what you like as fast as you like and have fun. Anything else above that is lagniappe.

 

Kajun

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Always goo to hear from you, Howdy!

[Irish Pat]

I shot Slick McClade's Marlin at a match last year. It took me three times as long to clean the stages with the same rifle he uses. I suppose my being an over weight, senior citizen, cancer survivor, with a heart stint, wearing bi-focals..could slow me down. Irish Pat, sass 19486, but I have more fun just being at the match

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795]

I can relate, Howdy.At the moment, my vision has stopped me from shooting until I get it corrected. Even then, I'll never be a speed demon. Just enjoy shooting the things and comaradery.....Buck

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Don't feel bad Howdy, I think I have THE BEST rifle in all of SASSDOM and still can't shoot it as fast as its capable of shooting.

 

But isn't that true of our pistols and SG's also?

 

I believe our firearms are faster than what we can get out of them.

 

Just my .02

 

Good to see you on the Wire, Howdy!

 

p.s. - Slick has been timed running his Widdermatic Marlin in sub 2 seconds for 10 shots. Not too shabby for a Louisiana boy.

 

 

..........Widder

[Barkeep Casey]

To paraphrase Brother King paraphrasing Badlands Bud, Your hands were moving faster than your eyes. Keep shooting at that speed and your eyes will catch up and you will be a much faster and more accurate at speed shooter!

[Howdy Doody]

Glad you got what I was sayin' pards. It is basically I love my friends. The shootin' is the game we play to be all together and have some great times.

 

As far as rifles go, well mine are as good as I will get them. Widder helped me with the last mods I did and I can't say enough about how much difference that made. In the hands of the right person the rifle would be fantastic. Same with the 73 really. Even my C&B pistols work great. So, I painted myself into a corner. The guns run flawless and quick, that leaves them out of the equasion and that leaves just me. If I cared I would probably dryfire or Heaven forbid, practice.

 

In it for the people and the fun and no matter what, you never see me frown. I also hope to get to shooting more this year and right after this upcoming Nascar race, I will do just that.

 

Irish Pat, you are missed around these parts pard. Just the other day Foothills Drifter was lamenting about how he wished the old posse 7 was still in full force. Even the last time I saw Modern Day Cowboy, he only came out to say hi and didn't shoot.

[Mad Dog Jack, SASS #77862]

Howdy! Good to hear from you!

I like the limiting factor to be me (and it is)and not my equipment. I too started with a Marlin and got a 73. I did not do much on the Marlin other than polish up parts and lighten springs some. Jim Bowie did some work on the 73. I shoot the 73 better than the 94 and both are capable of more than I can get out of them.

I think we both have fun when we shoot, and while I don't LIKE getting slower, heck I'm already slowern molasses on a cold morning anyway. I too like getting out and about and making smoke with amigos, new and old.

Take care and have fun!