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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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On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 1:37 PM, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

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.

I'm still looking for the "holy crap!" button!

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Deuce Stevens is the First Guy who ever told me about Cowboy Action Shooting and or SASS .

He was working at a Retail gun store that I was buying a Winchester 9422 from .

As I was at the check out counter talking with him .

He asked me if I ever heard of Cowboy action shooting ?

 

Of course I never had .

He showed me a Video on the Computer and said they was shooting this weekend at a local club .

Steve invited me out to check it out .

I went ad watched it on Saturday and By Sunday I made a gun Cart .

I had owned Every Thing I Needed to play the game already Except the gun cart .

 

By the next Saturday I was at the shoot with Guns cart and gear to play with . 

I have acquired a few more sets of different Cowboy guns after that and it has been 11 years now .  

 

Best shooting sport I have ever been involved with .

Rooster 

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On 2/4/2019 at 1:12 PM, G W Wade said:

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

My reply is so similar, I felt the need to quote.

 

I already owned a SxS, but for my first match I used a 30" 1897 that my cousin gave me. It was getting pretty worn, wouldn't always fire, but it got me started. SxS shotguns seem a bit awkward to me, so I stayed with the 97's. I now have 2 decent shooters, a "D" and a chinese copy.

 

I already owned several Cowboy style hipguns, and at first used a 2nd Gen Colt New Frontier and a Ruger Blackhawk both in 357. I've stayed with 357, usually shoot Blackhawks.

 

I had to borrow a Cowboy rifle, a Commemorative Winchester '94 in 44-40. I now shoot a '66 Yellow Boy in 38 Spl. I've had several backups, Marlin '94, Rossi '92 (several) and if a nice '73 comes my way, it will be my shooter.

 

As with any hobby, the probability of using your original setup for the long haul is not the norm. How many golfers are still using the clubs they started with? 

 

There is an old racers adage for equipment: "You need a pair and a spare" or as GW so aptly put it, "backups for the backups".

 

Cowboy shooting puts a strain on equipment, at our shoots seeing a gun fail/jam/quit is not that unusual, had a few myself. The first one will rattle you, take deep breaths and move on.

 

Big Boston 

 

 

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My current cowboy guns. I have a super blackhawk 44 mag as well and I will shoot my first match this Saturday. :D

20190205_140151.jpg

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Between all three of us we had a Ruger SS 22/22 mag.

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I got into CAS because of the guns for sure. I've always liked Westerns and tuned guns, so it stood to reason I'd like the guns that are required for cowboy action, I just never really intended to shoot it for years. Bought an EMF Alchimista II back in 2013 because I liked the feature set - actually bought it used off sassnet here haha 

 

Then just late last year I picked up an Uberti 1873 as my first lever gun and then a friend offered me a great deal on his Evil Roy 4 3/4th in SAA. The fact that they all happened to be in .45LC sort of cemented the fact that I needed to go ahead and get into cowboy action haha - so here I am! Still short 1 shotgun though. Been deal hunting a tuned SKB since I reaaaaly want a SxS to compliment the other shotguns in my collection. 

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  • 2 months later...

I had what some folks call "quiet a few" guns but the only cowboy types I had were a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag, a Baikal shotgun and 6 or 8 Winchester 94s.  I had never owned a single action pistol.

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Guest Texas jack Black SASS#9362

 I have been collecting Colts and Winchesters for over 30 years so I have a few. I started out using a pair of 2nd gen 45 cal. Colts along with a 3rd model 73 in 32/20 and a first yr. model 97 in 12 Ga.

Retired them after using the first 20 yrs in SASS .

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I was really into Old West history- so I started searching for a Colt SAA. I couldn't afford the real thing- but I did find online that a gunshop not too far away had an EMF Great Western II for a decent price. It was case-hardened, .45 and 5 1/2" barrel- exactly what I wanted.

 

While doing all of that searching I came across SASS. Eventually I went to a gun show and there was a booth for CAS there and I was hooked.

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I already had a Vaquero and  Black Hawk,  3 Marlin 1884’s, and a 1897 Win. Never intended to get involved with CAS, just liked western firearms as much as modern firearms.  So I guess I had What I needed to start 10 years before I did. What I didn’t have was CAS leather, boots, or a hat.

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When I was nine I had a 1876 lever action Dasiy BB rifle.  Does that count?   I wasn't allowed to watch westerns because they were too violent (black & white with no special effects).  Once in while Roy Rodgers was allowed.

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I had a Ruger vaquero in 45 colt, an 1851 navy 36 and a Ruger blackhawk 3 screw flattop in 357. Just before my first shoot I got a 45 thunderer. At my first shoot one of the shooters decided not to shoot and loanedme her rifle and shotgun. After the shoot I went to the local gunstore and got a rifle  and shotgun for myself.

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I don't currently shoot CAS but the guns are leading me to it. I've been shooting my whole life and had never owned anything remotely close to a cowboy gun. Then about 6 months ago I came across a Heritage Rough Rider in 22lr/22mag for $90 and thought 'eh it's so cheap I might as well try it'.

 

Had so much fun with it I bought a Henry .22lr lever gun to go with it. Then came the new vaquero in .357/.38, then came the Winchester 73 in .357/.38 to go with the vaquero. Now I'm looking at coach guns.

 

As I'm typing this I'm realizing the rough rider was a gateway gun...

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Guns?  Do you guys own guns??  *gasp*  I'm shocked I tell you... just shocked!  What kind of place have I stumbled into??  :o 

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I started late last year with a Ruger blackhawk flattop in .45 colt and a Uberti cattleman birdshead in .357. I bought a hat for my first match, had boots and a make shift leather rig.

Another new shooter at my first match let me share his Uberti 1873 in .45 colt and his stoeger double. I brought plenty of .38 and .45 ammo. I was ahead of him in the shooting order and he had never even fired his new stoeger sxs! I felt bad for breaking it in first, but he said go ahead. It was also my first time firing a sxs shotgun. I had only fired a pump or single shot. I had owned/was familiar with lever action rifles and SAAs.

I had wanted to try CAS for 20 years and after finally shooting a match, I was immediately hooked. I now have 2 sets of main match pistols in .357, a Uberti 1873 short rifle in .357, a stoeger double trigger coach gun. I'm pretty set up now, minus a gun cart and a quality, built-for-CAS leather rig.

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I had an old SxS, a Rossi Puma and an OMV. Figured I only needed one more pistol, so this sport shouldn't be too expensive to try.  Yep.  Just one more gun. That's all I needed.

Now I need a couple more safes.

 

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Howdy HK

 

I first heard about CAS from a friend at work back about the year 2000. I had an old 16 gauge Stevens Model 311 that I had bought about 1970 or so, and my friend told me that would be a legal shotgun.

 

I had a 44-40 antique Marlin Model 1894 that had left the factory in 1895. I had probably bought it around 1975.

 

marlin%201894%2004_zpsoi5pxndt.jpg

 

 

 

 

I had my old Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt/ 45ACP convertible that I had also bought in 1975.

 

turnlineBlackhawkSNmodified_zpse91b1bf1.

 

 

 

 

 But I think by that time I had bought an 'original model' Vaquero chambered for 45 Colt.

 

Vaquero.jpg

 

 

 

 

In those days, the club I went to only used one pistol, so I think I showed up the first day with the Vaquero, the old Marlin and the old Stevens. Wouldn't you know it but the first time I levered the old Marlin I had a mechanical failure. So I shot the match with a borrowed modern Marlin.

 

Yes, I got the old Marlin fixed soon after, and that first Cowboy match started my long descent into collecting all sorts of firearms.

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I had a Rossi Puma in .44 and a Great Western/Uberti "Remington C&B in .44 before I discovered CAS and SASS.

That's when the real fun began!!

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Dad bought me a Single Six when I was born.....started shooting it at 4 or 5.   First rifle was a octagon barrel Winchester pump in 22.  I still have the two.  First shotgun was stolen a 1897 pump 12 ga.  I remember hunting for pop bottles on my way home from school and trading them in at the corner store for a yellow box of 22 shorts.  Great memories, thanks Dad......

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Dad bought me a Single Six when I was born.....started shooting it at 4 or 5.   First rifle was a octagon barrel Winchester pump in 22.  I still have the two.  First shotgun was stolen a 1897 pump 12 ga.  I remember hunting for pop bottles on my way home from school and trading them in at the corner store for a yellow box of 22 shorts.  Great memories, thanks Dad......

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Dad bought me a Single Six when I was born.....started shooting it at 4 or 5.   First rifle was a octagon barrel Winchester pump in 22.  I still have the two.  First shotgun was stolen a 1897 pump 12 ga.  I remember hunting for pop bottles on my way home from school and trading them in at the corner store for a yellow box of 22 shorts.  Great memories, thanks Dad......

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2 hours ago, Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 said:

Howdy HK

 

I first heard about CAS from a friend at work back about the year 2000. I had an old 16 gauge Stevens Model 311 that I had bought about 1970 or so, and my friend told me that would be a legal shotgun.

 

I had a 44-40 antique Marlin Model 1894 that had left the factory in 1895. I had probably bought it around 1975.

 

marlin%201894%2004_zpsoi5pxndt.jpg

 

 

 

 

I had my old Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt/ 45ACP convertible that I had also bought in 1975.

 

turnlineBlackhawkSNmodified_zpse91b1bf1.

 

 

 

 

 But I think by that time I had bought an 'original model' Vaquero chambered for 45 Colt.

 

Vaquero.jpg

 

 

 

 

In those days, the club I went to only used one pistol, so I think I showed up the first day with the Vaquero, the old Marlin and the old Stevens. Wouldn't you know it but the first time I levered the old Marlin I had a mechanical failure. So I shot the match with a borrowed modern Marlin.

 

Yes, I got the old Marlin fixed soon after, and that first Cowboy match started my long descent into collecting all sorts of firearms.

 

 

I am right there with ya driftwood.
My Marlin 1889 Button Mag 44 WCF made in 1891. My dad purchased it before I was born. I put the tang sight on myself, screws holes were already there. The sling is made from new leather, old one rotted, but using original parts.

 

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57291109_1156319787881936_6221011144706883584_n.jpg

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I wore out six cap-n-ball pistolas and hunted with a Marlin 1894 in .357 in the 80s and 90s.  Did not hear of cas until I saw people dressed funny walking around our IPSC matches around 2002.

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In terms of cowboy guns, I had a few Vaqueros and Blackhawks (didn’t know you could use Blackhawks), a Marlin 1894 which I subsequently modified for CAS.  I did buy a Stoeger SXS though, since I  didn’t have one I’d trust not to blow apart. Needed a shotshell slide and bought a great one from Mernickle. 

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Well lets see ,,, I had a Marlin 336 in 30-30, a 39A in .22. Winchesters ; '73 in 32-20, '92 in 38-40, '94 in 30-30 and a '97 in 12ga. Rugers,; Blackhawk 4 3/4" in .357, and a Single-six. All bought between '68 and mid-70's. The most expensive was the Blackhawk at about $85.00 with a box of ammo thrown in. Rossi Coachgun, hammered, 12ga, I hunted with it for about 10-12 yrs. before SASS. I bought my first SASS gun before my first match in '96. A  Vaquero in 44-40, a Rossi 65 in 44-40. It was a one gun affair then. I sure am glad they came out with the Vaquero, I was all set to mill and machine my Blackhawk to look like a SSA. Rugers were cheaper.  I've been on a downhill slide ever since. Please help me. :o All my shooters are in original calibers 32-20, 38-40 and 44-40, Colts and Rugers. I've got one Colt Colt .45,, only because the price was right. And I've still got them all.

Needing help,

Isom 

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Blackhawks and Vaquero.

When the CAS bug bit me, I picked up a new pair of SASS Vaqueros and an 1894CB in 357.
In retrospect these will disqualify me from Classic Cowboy, but so would a Stoeger Coach gun.

I got the 44-mag Jones out of my system by renting a Super Redhawk and running a box through it.
No fun for me.  None.

I never owned a lever gun, but do like the 1894CB a lot.
I inherited a P.O.S. Remington 740 that I will never have any interest in shooting at all.

My neighbor just stopped by to show off his brand new S&W 460... very pretty, but I won't be owning one of them, either.

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Not me...I did not own a lever action five years ago...First saw a 45-70 at Range War...have a few of each now...

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Had several guns,no Cowboy stuff.Went to aWild Bunch match and was hooked.Sold lots of "black guns" and tactical stuff to fund my new addiction.Got to shoot two matches before work interfered, and didn't  get to shoot again for four years.Finally got to go back for my next match and the local club had discontinued WB in favor of two CAS matches per month.Looked like even more fun so I bought even more guns and gear.

Haven't looked back,and have more fun now than ever.

Choctaw Jack 

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