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How many of us actually had Cowboy guns before we got into CAS?


H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

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A common "wisdom" that I see offered here for newcomers, which I agree has much merit, is words to the effect of, "Don't buy any guns until you've tried some things.   Someone will be glad to loan you things to see if they work for you at a local match."   I do not wish to dispute this in any way.

 

But, it has got me wondering, how many of us actually had suitable firearms before we got into this game?   Addendum to that question would be what did you actually have?    I am just curious.   Is having Cowboy type guns really that rare?

 

I'll start things off by telling you what I had.

 

Main Match revolver       1 Colt .3rd Gen .45 4-3/4" bbl.

Main Match Rifles            1 Rossi 92, .44 Magnum.  20" Round bbl.

                                              1 Winchester 73  .32-20  24" Octagon bbl.

Main Match Shotguns    1  Winchester 97, 12 gauge, 20" bbl.

                                              1  Parker SxS, 12 gauge, 18" bbl.

                                              1 Fox Sterlingworth, 12 gauge, 32" bbl.

Long Range Rifles           1 Pre-83 Winchester 94, .30-30 20" bbl

                                              1 Pre-64 Winchester 94, .32 Winchester Special

Derringer                           1 FIE clone of the Remington.  .38 Special

Pocket Pistols                   1 Merwin & Hulber spur trigger .38 S&W

                                              1 Iver Johnson w/Target grips  .38 S&W

 

Well, that's what I had.  It was enough to get started.  Since then I've acquired a lot more of course.   These were things that I simply happened to have had.   Some of which I had obtained on my own, some of them I inherited from my father.   The 73 was the last thing I bought before I got into the game, and started soon after that.    The 92 and the 97 were obtained years before I got into the sport, but even then I knew I wanted to give it a try "someday."

 

 

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I had a few Ruger Super Blackhawks and Blackhawks. Neighbor gave me an old Savage Fox 311 with a broken buttstock. Shot a borrowed rifle thanks to another shooter.   Come a long way.  Have backups for the backups   GW

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My first centerfire handgun was a Old Model Ruger .45 Colt Blackhawk, bought for me by my momma when I was 18. Long before I got into CAS, I owned a Colt New Frontier .44 Special, a Marlin 1894 .32-20, a W. Richards 12 gauge with hammers, a NM Ruger .45 Colt Blackhawk, etc.

 

Need I go on? :)

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I had an original 1873 Winchester 44WCF and 1 uberti (navy arms) pistol 44WCF that I bought to go with the rifle I inherited from an uncle. Then I heard about this "Cowboy Action Shooting" thing... needless to say they were not up to competition standards, neither has ever been shot in a match..

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Only lever gun - Win model 88 in 308

Revolvers - S&W 686, 657, 629 and a Taurus 22

Pump SG - Browning BPS, no sxs or lever

That has all changed of course !!!

Regards

Gateway Kid

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I almost did.  I wanted a cowboy pistol and while researching which to get, one noted it was "great for Cowboy Action Shooting".  Hmm...  what's that I thought.   Googled it, checked out my local clubs, tried some things and went from one pistol to everything I needed (after following the go try things advice). 

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It took me a while after I was interested to actually start in CAS. After reading Cowboy Chronicles left in the office break room. I first acquired my Marlin 1894 45 Cowboy Comp., then two different gripped Ruger BlackHawks and lastly my Stoeger supreme coachgun. A few lyears later after building my house I built my cart and then joined SASS. That spring I started CAS in April. I've since replaced the BlackHawks with Vaqureos. Wish I started back when I first learned about SASS, but didn't want to over burden Mr. Plastic at the time!

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I had nothing.  Nor liquid cash to buy cowboy guns.  I sold off other toys and was outfitted in a couple of months.

 

If you get bit by the bug, you find a way.

 

If you don't often you make excuses why you can't.....it costs too much....the costuming is silly...or whatever.

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I had quite a few "SASS-legal" firearms when I was coerced into shooting my first match.

At the time, I was debating which shooting-related activity to focus on (Buckskinning, CW/IW/SpanAm reenacting, or CAS.

Kept running into a SASS member at gun shows (local club had a "recruiting table" set up)...and he knew I had the guns with which to play.

Ran into him one day at a LGS and he told me about an upcoming monthly match (only two SASS-affiliates in OR back then) and told him I would check it out.

 

I brought out a 7.5" Arminius .44mag (only one revolver was required), a Winchester 94AE Trapper in .44mag, and a Lucio-Loyola 20ga SxS (my dove & quail shotgun).

...all since replaced for competition use since then.

 

 

 

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I had an 1897 16 gauge shotgun and an old SxS in 16 gauge they’ve both been used in matches but not anymore.

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18 minutes ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

I brought out a 7.5" Arminius .44mag

 

I'd never heard of that one, so I looked it up.  Found some pics.   Very nice looking revolver.   I have an Uberti in .44 Magnum, and to be honest, it looks "odd" somehow.  The way they made it beefier than a standard SAA type pistol makes it look noticeably different.   But this...  Based on the pics does not seem all that visually different from a standard Colt or clone.   Since you actually own one PaleWolf, how do they compare visually?

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I had just started watching Rifleman for the umpteenth time and bought a Henry .22 large loop. Not SASS legal for me but when I found out about SASS it only took one trip to a match and I was hooked.

I had nothing and it took a year to get it all.

 

Now I have 5 sets of pistols.

Two rifles.

4 shotguns.

 

:lol:

 

Waimea

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Over the  years I had owned many cowboy guns, though 1886's and Sharps weren't exactly what I needed.  Several double barrel 12 ga's and many a single action had passed through my hands.  At the time i found CAS I had gotten rid of most of the cowboy style guns.  Now I don't need to sell guns to acquire other guns so I have a pretty eclectic selection, but my cowboy guns aren't going anywhere.

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13 minutes ago, Waimea said:

I had just started watching Rifleman for the umpteenth time and bought a Henry .22 large loop. Not SASS legal for me but when I found out about SASS it only took one trip to a match and I was hooked.

I had nothing and it took a year to get it all.

 

Now I have 5 sets of pistols.

Two rifles.

4 shotguns.

 

:lol:

 

Waimea

You need more rifles :P

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Like many who have already responded to this post (Yul Lose, Waimea, etc.) I had ...

               679846427_OldTimerwithemptypockets.JPG.ceb3336b5868be737ff9404456e8a507.JPG  ... SASS legal.

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Just now, Waimea said:

 

I am kinda light in that area.

Got anything for sale?

 

:P:lol:

 

I've got a rusty old Uberti 1873 (44-40) with a poorly cut down barrel and mag tube and no stock, but that's about all for now. 

 

I'm kind of running slim in the rifle area myself; saving up for a Winchester(Miroku) 73' 44-40.

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48 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

 

I'd never heard of that one, so I looked it up.  Found some pics.   Very nice looking revolver.   I have an Uberti in .44 Magnum, and to be honest, it looks "odd" somehow.  The way they made it beefier than a standard SAA type pistol makes it look noticeably different.   But this...  Based on the pics does not seem all that visually different from a standard Colt or clone.   Since you actually own one PaleWolf, how do they compare visually?

 

When I get back from MedTransport duty. I'll take some side-by-side photos and post them here.

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My first gun was a .22 lever action, and my second was a .22 single action Colt Frontier Scout. I still have both of them. :)

 

When I started CAS 20 years ago, I used a blue 4 5/8" .45  Blackhawk, a stainless 4 5/8" .45 Blackhawk, and a 12g Rossi hammer coach gun, but I didn't have a suitable rifle, so I trotted myself into town, and bought a 24" stainless Rossi 1892 .45 Colt. I still have the shotgun, but the other three have been sold or traded off.

 

Today -

30 main match rifles

32 main match shotguns

76 main match revolvers

 

I only want one more... really! A Lipsey's limited edition stainless 4 5/8" .44 spl Vaquero.

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I was shooting Cap N Ball revolvers and Colt 45 SAAs back in the 1960s. When SASS came along I didn't need to buy any guns at all. 

Snakebite

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I had none. I was contemplating buying a Walker replica when I came across Guns of the Old West mag which led me to SASS and then to the local club sponsoring SASS shoots. I quickly realized I needed some more guns. ;)

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40 minutes ago, Zach Taylor,SASS#14359 said:

I had the guns when I started, back when a Colt SA cost under $100 and Navy Arms sold their 73 for $350,  I inherited a double so all I needed was boots. My friends get ticked off when I tell them this.

 

I get the same reaction when I tell folks about my $75 Ithaca 1911-A1 that I used to use for Wild Bunch. 

 

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Guest Texas jack Black SASS#9362

I collect old Colts and Winchesters I started out using my old 32/20 rabbit gun and my Colt 2nd gen 45 Black bear gun.

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I had some guns, but not all. 

 

1.  First gen 45 colt made in 1878 - researching this gun led me to SASS

2.  Ruger 3 screw blackhawk in 44 mag - I never actually used this one, but it was SASS legal

3.  Stoeger hammered double that I'd had under my bed for years. 

 

I had a mod 94 winchester, but I found out that wasn't legal.  Before I shot a match I bought a ruger OMV in 45 colt, and borrowed someone's marlin.  For the second match I had borrowed my bother in law's 94 trapper in 357.  One of the guys who reloaded supplied me with ammo for that one for a couple of matches until I bought a mod 92 off of someone on the wire.  He loaded them just right where I could get 10 in the magazine and they would feed right.  I still have a bag of the ammo sitting on my shelf. 

 

I did not use the first gen colt for very long.  Maybe 2 matches before I bought an uberti cattleman. 

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I had a 1st Generation Colt's SAA .45 and another 2nd Gen., plus a Winchester '73 in .44-40 before I started CAS.  The '73 had an oversized bore that gave 2 ft groups at 10 yds or sos!  :o  I also had a Ruger Flattop Blackhawk in .44 Mangle-em.  When I got into CAS, I bought a Navy Arms M1860 Henry in .44-40.  After I got a .45 round stuck in the Henry, I found some Ruger OM Vaqueros in .44-40.  For a shotgun, I acquired a sxs hammer double.

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I was able to assemble a set of guns out of the safe.  Colt SAA 45 Colt. Uberti Cattleman 45 Colt. Marlin 1894 25-20 and a Stevens 5100 12 gauge.  Didn't have proper leather.  Used two Tom Threepersons strong side holsters on a regular wide belt - one used as crossdraw.  

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