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One of the stages I hosed the action down with WD40, problem remained. And I just realized cold is dependent on what y’all are accustomed to. Match was mid to high forties with a brisk wind and overcast skies.

I can relate.

I used to. When I shot 50 BMG benchrest. But I sold my gun, press, dies etc. when I has the stroke. Too much gun for a pretty messed up guy.

I couldn’t guarantee the new spring was new. Pulled it out of my spare parts bag. I have a tendency to save used/replaced parts for “just in case”. No maker’s name on it. Picture might help Identify the manufacturer.

PM me how you did it. I've tried and tried and can't make them work. Please??

For our Pards Down Under. One of the least dangerous species they have. Still dangerous, but a little less so.

Just got an email. I wondered when I saw it was titled WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH YOU Then I opened it.

For sale?

Having to open the split ring, to remove the key, before you could do this, seems like a pain in the butt.

Skint (broke, no money)

nice looking scattergun I find reloading is as much fun as shooting wait till you start to roll crimp--that's a blast (pun intended)

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…