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Cimarron 1878 - what I got (myself) for Christmas


Warden Callaway

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I don't do unboxing videos but I thought under the circumstances,  I'd do one this time.  I had traded into this 1878 over a year ago mainly because of the exceptionally nice wood, easy of opening and light hammer springs.  It was Christmas morning and Sawmill Mary and I had our family get-together on Saturday and her side last evening.   The weather cooperated with light overcast skies and no wind.  So I decided to get it out and make some noise.

 

It's heavier than my CZ-USA Hammer Coach Gun but looks to shoot where I point it and every hull fell out. I was shooting factory Gun Club.    I'll have to cut its spurs before I use it in a match.  I'm thinking of doing a makeover to make it look nicer. 

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I also got a 

20 minutes ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Saw one a few weeks ago that had CCH and reblued, plus checkered wrist.  It made me drool. :)

 

I got a map gas torch recently and I'm going to practice up on flame method of color case.   If I get some good results,  I'll work the Cimarron over - maybe at least the hammers, lock plates, butt plate and trigger guard.  I'd like to reshape the stock to more closely resemble the original Colt 1878. 

 

511054961_1878ColtandCimarronAug2018.jpg.39cd68f1a9e878bb10517c4b2dd883f6.jpg

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14 hours ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

Saw one a few weeks ago that had CCH and reblued, plus checkered wrist.  It made me drool. :)

 

719507275_Cimarron1878colorcaseDec2018.jpg.55acad93d4948a0f88bbed2b3a77616d.jpg

 

In my research to find out what original Colt 1878s looked like,  I ran across this Cimarron 1878 on Armslist ad.  They credited Nate Kiowa Jones with the custom work. 

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59 minutes ago, Will Kane said:

Nice video, Warden.

Did you do anything to lighten the hammer springs?

 

Nope,  was like that when I got it and one of the reasons I took it trade (new from local gunshop). That and the nice wood and it opened and closed easily.  The screws are even timed!  It was if someone who knew how to assemble guns had put it together.   You seen the very first shots in the video. 

 

I showed this gun to a number of shooting buddies that have TTNs and they all agreed it was far and away a better gun than what there's were out of the box.  All of there's required a "working over".  Then again, there's were likely early TTNs and not one from Cimarron. 

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Thanks for the reply, Warden. I shoot a TTN I recently acquired used, and that was represented as a backup owned by a well known champion Classic Cowboy. It has a nice fit and finish and shucks the hulls just like yours. I cock the hammers the same way you do in the video. While I can do so without difficulty, it seems like I have to exert more force than you do in the video. I really love my TTN, though. It fits me a lot better than the Baikal Bounty Hunter II I've been shooting for several years and its extra weight results in almost zero felt recoil. I don't even have a recoil pad on it.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.

 

P.S. I'm a long-time lurker and occasional poster on the Wire. I always enjoy your posts, most of which have been very instructive.

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I can tell the Cimarron 1878 is much heavier than my CZ-USA Hammer Coach gun and all is out front. I weighed them this morning to see just how much.

 

439322043_Cimarron1878weightDec2018.jpg.e0c7b49f34ac7e808e37ae2ea2b8bc71.jpg

 

598843930_CZ-USAweightDec2018.jpg.05a01cf05e765d5b96550f10eabdf2b5.jpg

 

The Cimarron is over 8.5 lbs and the CZ-USA just almost 7.2 lbls with a leather butt wrap. And the balance point is much further back on the CZ-USA - note I had to set it so the hammers were on the scales. 

 

The CZ-USA falls open with a little jar when it hits full open but the Cimarron really falls with a thud.  I'm kind of concerned with the shock to the buttstock wrist area and hinge area of the action. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice afternoon for January.   I had time to take something out and shoot it.  So I strapped on my leather and grabbed the Cimarron 1878. I gathered up some odds and ends shot shells - AA Featherlites,  Remington Gun Club 1oz,  and a few Federal low recoil - all factory loads.  I sware,  the Cimarron, even through it's got over a pound weight advantage over the CZ-USA, it kicks harder. 

 

The AAs and Remington Gun Club fell/shucked perfectly - like in the video.  All the Federal hung and had to be pulled out - but they were not stuck hard but they were not going to fall out or shucked. 

 

I found the extra weight made it difficult to handle with just my strong hand.  I tended to bring it down and tuck it under my arm while reloading with my left. I don't have a butt wrap.  That may help if I could keep the butt against my shoulder.   But the steel buttplate slips. 

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On 12/26/2018 at 6:44 AM, Warden Callaway said:

 

719507275_Cimarron1878colorcaseDec2018.jpg.55acad93d4948a0f88bbed2b3a77616d.jpg

 

In my research to find out what original Colt 1878s looked like,  I ran across this Cimarron 1878 on Armslist ad.  They credited Nate Kiowa Jones with the custom work. 

Yep, that's where I got mine... 

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