Ruger NMV Short Stroking

[Tall John]

I have two NMV .357 vaqueros with Montado hammers and Barleycorn installled Wolfe springs but they are otherwise unmolested.  
 

I’m wrapping up my second season and currently shoot two handed but am ambidextrous and want to learn how to shoot gunfighter or double duelist.  

 

I’d also like to have them slicked up a bit.  I’ve handled and REALLY like some Jimmy Spurs Nmvs but not sure he is taking new customers.
 

 I also see that Shotgun Boogie has a Short stroke kit that reduces the hammer stroke to about 1” and has a good rep for slicking up NMV’s and charges accordingly.

 

I’m curious to hear from those that have had theirs short stroked to determine if it’s really worth the big bucks to Slick & short stroke vs just have them slicked up especially given the fact that I have XL sized hands.

 

Ive thought about doing this work in two steps but the shipping & Handling costs for the round trip is significant as well.

 

thoughts?

 

 

 

[Leroy Luck]

I shoot “double” duelist with short stroked vaqueros. I acquired them second hand, but I believe they were Shotgun Boogie parts/kits that were fitted by another smith; either way they are smooth and a delight to run. 
 

I have watched several duelists and gunfighters that are extremely good with normal stroke pistols. I do believe it is all in what you practice with. Personally I could never go back to a set of non short stroked revolvers. 
 

I highly recommend shooting borrowed guns done by different smiths to get a feel for what you desire. The two that I have used personally were done by Boomstick Jay (lots of people use him for short stroke work) and the pair of mine that are Boogie. There are others, but I have no experience with them. 

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

I have a relatively large hand and currently shoot Bisleys short-stroked by Shotgun Boogie. They are great for old arthritic hands, I shoot double duelist and would not be able to shoot nearly as fast or comfortably as I do without the short strokes. If you make it to the Tennessee State Match next year I can let you shoot them as well as Bisleys short-stroked by 3-Cut and Boomstick Jay and Vaqueros done by Joe Perkins.

 

 I’m certainly not the fastest duelist around but this video shows that they work pretty well.

 

 

Randy

[KingSnake]

I swear by Shotgun Boogie short strokes. I have six NMV’s with his SS kits installed. Johnny Meadows installed the first set and I did the others myself. 
Top quality parts with NO welding involved. 

[Shepherd Book]

I love my Jimmie Spurs' NMV's.   Slick and faster than I will ever be!   SB

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Unless you shoot constantly in the top 10% of your category, save your $$$$.

Shotgun Boogie is outstanding in quality and service. 

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

47 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Unless you shoot constantly in the top 10% of your category, save your $$$$.

I disagree depending on your situation and shooting style. My Shotgun Boogie pistols are much more comfortable to shoot with my old arthritic hands shooting Duelist or Gunfighter. If I was shooting two-handed slicked up full stroke pistols would be fine I think.

 

Randy

[Badlands Bob #61228]

Short stroking your Rugers would be far down the list of improvements (expenditures) in my book.  If you already have a short stroked tuned 73 rifle, slicked up SKB SxS shotgun, good leather gear and a progressive reloading press AND you still have money left over AND you are shooting 25 second or less stages Duelist or Gunfighter, then the short stroke pistols might be worth looking at.  Cowboy Action Shooting is a giant bottomless money pit.  Some improvements are better than others.

 

If you've got medical issues with your hands, short stroked pistols can make it less painful to shoot so ignore all the above advise.

 

P.S.  Lassiter did my short stroked New Vaqueros and I love them.  

[Phantom, SASS #54973]

1 hour ago, Shepherd Book said:

I love my Jimmie Spurs' NMV's.   Slick and faster than I will ever be!   SB

How's his Short Stroke?

 

Phantom

[Hawkeye Kid]

I have a pair each of Spurs, Boogie and Boomstick short strokes. Slow dry firing very hard to tell difference between the Boogie and Spur guns. The Boomstick guns have a little heavier trigger, cocking is about the same. At the range under match conditions, you can’t tell the difference.  I agree with Randy, for a two handed shooter, a short stroke revolver is not worth the additional cost. 
 

last I heard, Jimmy Spurs wasn’t doing short strokes, would need to validate directly with Jimmy.

[paradiddle]

I'm brand new to this game, but I got my Ruger's short stroked by Boogie.  I had the money budgeted, and wanted my gear done "all at once".  They shoot wonderfully and are smooth and fast.

 

I shoot gunfighter.

[Hoss]

FWIW I shoot 2 handed, have Jimmy Spurs Bisley Vaqueros. When I ordered them he said he could short stroke them if I wanted, but he really saw no need. The pistols are a joy to shoot, zero issues with them. I’d recommend JS without reservations.  That being said, there are many good smiths out there. Some more famous than others. But you won’t be sorry going with Spurs. And, he works fast. I got my pistols in a week. (Several years ago). A Pard just sent some to him, got them back in about a week as well. 
 

while you can’t “buy” a championship, champions have  equipment that works smoothly & correctly. And having too-notch equipment adds to the pleasure. I see shooters fighting their gear nearly every match. That just looks like not as much fun to me! 
 

I shoot:

Jimmy Spurs vaqueros

Shotgun Boogie SKB

Brushy Creek Bill Uberti-Win 73. 

All are better than I am!

Edited November 22, 2024 by Hoss

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

1 minute ago, Hoss said:

I see shooters fighting their gear nearly every match. That just looks like not as much fun to me! 

+1.  The purpose of gun tuning is not to make YOU faster.  It is to make the gun smoother, more reliable and a joy to use.  That, practice and talent will make YOU faster.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

3 hours ago, Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 said:

I disagree depending on your situation and shooting style. My Shotgun Boogie pistols are much more comfortable to shoot with my old arthritic hands shooting Duelist or Gunfighter. If I was shooting two-handed slicked up full stroke pistols would be fine I think.

 

Randy

Ol-Arthur does make a big difference in our shooting. 

 

[paradiddle]

44 minutes ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

+1.  The purpose of gun tuning is not to make YOU faster.  It is to make the gun smoother, more reliable and a joy to use.  That, practice and talent will make YOU faster.

 I could not agree more.  When I was shooting IPSC I had done the right work to my pistol - trigger, ejection port, smoothness, etc.

It made shooting competitively so much more fun, because I knew the gun was reliable and wouldn't be an issue.  Takes that worry right away. 

 

I've watch a lot of cowboy shooting, and there are MORE than several that show people fussing with their gear.  I'm worried enough about shooting the stage correctly, I don't want to worry about my guns also.

Jeff

[Shepherd Book]

10 hours ago, Phantom, SASS #54973 said:

How's his Short Stroke?

 

Phantom

I am too new to CAS (3 years) to have much to go by, so all I can tell you is that I love the action work!  Wish I could tell you more.   SB

[Sarival Slim]

Shotgun Boogie…buy once, cry once…get your guns better than you may ever need…then work on you (the shooter). Not one racer ever said…” I need less horsepower”…

[Texas Jack Black]

 Practice transitions save your money.

[Sixgun Seamus]

On 11/22/2024 at 9:37 AM, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

Cowboy Action Shooting is a giant bottomless money pit.  

 

 

Yeah, so what's  your point.

 

FWIW - Both sets of our match and one set of backups are all Boomstick Jay. Love them.

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

4 hours ago, Texas Jack Black said:

 Practice transitions save your money.

I agree that starting out you can save more time with transitions than anything you can do and all it cost is your time to practice. Properly tuned and short-stroked guns are much more pleasurable to shoot (especially if you're old and arthritic). In my opinion anyone interested in taking their guns to the next level should shoot as many guns as they can done by the best Cowboy Gunsmiths and then decide if and who they want to spend their money with.

 

Randy

 

PS I have stock guns I can shoot but it is much more fun and comfortable  to shoot my slicked up and short-stroked match guns!!

[Texas Jack Black]

6 hours ago, Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 said:

I agree that starting out you can save more time with transitions than anything you can do and all it cost is your time to practice. Properly tuned and short-stroked guns are much more pleasurable to shoot (especially if you're old and arthritic). In my opinion anyone interested in taking their guns to the next level should shoot as many guns as they can done by the best Cowboy Gunsmiths and then decide if and who they want to spend their money with.

 

Randy

 

PS I have stock guns I can shoot but it is much more fun and comfortable  to shoot my slicked up and short-stroked match guns!!

   I see your  point.

Best Wishes and stay safe

[Black Bart Sr]

Where is a good place to get 45 LC Schofields slick up?

I have several sets to get done.