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Grey Nomad (what we call retirees travelling around the country in caravans)

First Day!! I hardly shot at all. Rifle malfunction and lots of movement, so I just ran the unloading table and stayed off the foot! Posse Ten is a riot and everyone is working and smiling and the Darksiders are smokin’ up the place! Imis and Lucky LeRoy are shooting Black Powder Josey Wales and tearing it up! Most of the posse is shooting clean and smokey!! Imis says tell everybody high!! GREAT MATCH!! Fast stages and no P traps!!

And to think I worried about going bald!

just spit-balling: some gunk had a chance to dry on the moving parts and slow things down. we tell our members (I'm newsletter editor) in cold weather to clean firearms and use graphite or sewing machine oil which is very thin. "Normal" (whatever that means) lube will thicken and slow things down. so will the sewing machine oil but it's already as thin as water so not as much a problem

Mainsprings, especially lightened ones, will get tired and fail after lots of use. Only getting a year of service out of a new spring is pretty bad. Did the mainspring have a maker's name associated with it? Cold weather is known to slow down gun actions especially if lubed with an oil or grease that greatly slows down the hammer strike. Cold weather more commonly affects how powder burns more than how reliably a primer fires when struck. With only a month to go, look for every opportunity to fire that rifle with the same kind of ammo you intend to run the match on. About all you can do at this point. Besides also shooting the backup some too. good luck, GJ

About a year and half ago I picked up a used 1866 rifle in 45 Colt that had been blessed by a known gunsmith. Price was very reasonable. Used it for the entire 2023 SASS season without any problems. BUT the first match of the 2024 season… About the fourth shot into the match hammer fell but primer didn’t detonate. A rare high primer got passed my reload inspection I thought as I thumbed the hammer back and pulled the trigger, primer went off this time. Yep high primer I thought…until the ninth round failed to fire too but fired on the second attempt. For the next four stages I had two or three rounds (each stage) that wouldn’t fire on the first attempt but did on the second. Same reloads in the pistols fired on first hammer hit. Rules out ammo I’m a thinking. I didn’t change nothing on the rifle between seasons, not a thing! A few on my posse thought it might be the cold weather because two other cowpokes on the other posse experienced the same problem but not to the degree I had. I don’t thing it was the weather. A few days after the match I pulled the side plates, links, lever and etc and gave everything a good overdue cleaning. Pulled the stock off to access the main spring. Soon after I had purchase the rifle (before the 2023 SASS season) I had replaced the gunsmith hour glass mainspring with a manufactured (Brownell’s or MidwayUSA?) main spring. I put the original gunsmith main spring back in and headed to the range. Out of thirty-five rounds I tested, all thirty-five primers detonated on the first attempt. I’ve registered for the Wisconsin State match June 1st and don’t want to use a rifle that hasn’t been “battle” tested. I have one local match Wolff’s Rowdy Rangers before Wisconsin. Much to my wife’s displeasure (Shooting on a Sunday) I’ll shoot this Sunday I’ll mosey on down to Deer Creek and see how the rifle cooperates. Yes, yes yes, I have a battle worn, tired, twenty plus year old ‘66 I could take as a backup…

Makes GREY!!

Request DENIED!!

As we announced on March 19th, Illowa Irregulars are incorporating a long-range option into our May 2024 Cowboy match. Our regular cowboy shooters will shoot a traditional 6-stage match at our standard target distance of about 12’ to 15’ for pistols and 30’ for rifles. However, we’ve added a third set of targets set to about 60’ to 70’ for those wanting an extra challenge of shooting a longer-range match. Shooters choosing the long-range option at the May match will shoot the same 6 stages but will shoot their pistols at the 30’ targets and their rifles at the 60’+ targets. Some of the 60’+ targets are likely to be just a bit smaller as well. We’ve even created a new category for Cowboys/Cowgirls accepting the challenge – we’ve name it “Open Range.” We tested the setup and am sharing it with you here. The test consisted of a 3-target pistol/rifle stage at our normal distance, along with a third set of targets set at 70’. We shot the stage once at our standard target distances (15’/30’) and then again at the long range (Open Range category) distance (30’/70’). We even downsized the distant targets. Five people participated in the test. We recorded each shooter’s attempt at the normal and long-distance stage. The video below shows what happened. Take a look and see how each fared. Suffice it to say, the May match should be very interesting.

Heck, I was coming home, to Canada and was almost subjected to a strip search by my own Canadian Borders Services(?) because I was wearing a firearm related ball cap!! They emptied all my luggage and really went over the lining. Meanwhile, huge shipping containers, originating in the PR of China, where ammunition, clones of ARs, SIG, Walther, Browning, etc. are made by NORINCO they don't have enough staff to search more than 1/4 of 1% of the containers entering our country. (Nothing to see here, Move along)

Climate change! ≈=============== I saw the news about this on FB yesterday. I remember fishing from that pier back in the '60s.

I personally like Ruger Bisleys because I have fairly large hands. I have a pair of Pietta El Malo’s that are the smoothest I’ve ever seen right out of the box. If you can come down to Wartrace on May 30th for the side match day of the Tennessee State Championship you can see a lot of guns and most folks, like Lucky Lead Pepper said, will be happy to let you try some out. If you come by the Dance Hall you can try out the Cut the Rope target.. Randy This is a Ruger Vaquero with a 125gr. .38 special

Seems they went beyond that. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/01/04/2021-28398/secure-gun-storage-and-definition-of-antique-firearm From another article: "The definition of an “antique firearm” had the wording for rifles changed from “the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge” to “an explosive.” Likewise, the language for a shotgun was changed from “the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell” to just “an explosive.” This change, although seemly minor, would move muzzle loading devices and flintlock pistols made before 1898 to the “antique firearms” category."

FEELings

I suspect that these folks are engaged in CYA since they have seen .50-70 ammunition for sale. But it ain't like you can walk into Bass Pro Shop and pick up a brick of .50-70 ammo. It is kind of a boutique offering.

Not sure what the extra handles and stuff is for with that kit. Try this one.

Told y'all. NIAA (No Intelligence At All).

Just finished shopping at and tried a key vs a quarter and it worked!

That’s Amore How to Make Dean Martin's Favorite Pasta Fagioli Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans 6 cups water Salt and pepper, to taste ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup tubetti or ditalini pasta Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, to taste Instructions: Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add beans, water, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, and adding water if it gets too dry. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente, or until the pasta is tender. Remove from heat and serve topped with cheese. This recipe was adapted from "Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter’s Eyes".

Me and Skeeterbite had a blast last year. Hope to make it again this year.