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THE SIXGUNS OF COWBOY ACTION SHOOTING JOHN TAFFIN The first cartridge firing big bore sixgun arrived on the scene in 1869 as the .44 caliber Smith & Wesson Single Action American Model #3. With Rollin White's patent for bored through cylinders, Smith & Wesson had an exclusive until 1872 when Colt brought forth their Open Top which was in turn quickly succeeded in 1873 by the now legendary Peacemaker, the Colt Single Action Army. During this time frame Remington also turned to cartridge firing sixguns with their Model 1875 single action revolver. By the late 1870's the first double action cartridge guns appeared. They were not the first double actions by any means as trigger cocking sixguns were available in cap-n-ball form during the Civil War. As the twentieth century dawned, the double action had been perfected by both Colt and Smith & Wesson and the new self-loading or self-cocking or semi-automatic pistols had begun to appear. This modern design was perfected by Colt with the 1911. The Single Action was dead! Smith & Wesson dropped their line in 1912, Remington never saw the turn of the century and Colt held on until 1941 when War-time production shut down Single Action Army production permanently. Or so they thought. I believe in miracles. If you don't I use as one of my arguments for these supernatural happenings the single action sixgun. By all logic, at least to many shooters, it should have disappeared and stayed buried eons ago. But several miracles have brought it back. First there was Bill Ruger and his .22 Single-Six in 1953. Ruger modernized the old action with coil springs and brought forth a gun that all could afford to both purchase and shoot. Then Fast Draw appeared on the scene along with a vast array of Westerns on the relatively new medium of television and the stage was set for the return of the Single Action. First came Great Western in 1954 followed by the Ruger .357 Blackhawk in 1955 and the return of the Colt Single Action to production in 1956. The Single Action was back! As always seems to happen, the pendulum swung back the other way and the Great Western disappeared, Colt dropped production once again, while the Ruger stayed strong as the Blackhawk is a great outdoorsman's sixgun. Then came miracle number three. Cowboy Action Shooting. Western Action Shooting. Cowboy Shooting. Call it what you will, it has been a major force in bringing back the single action sixgun to the spotlight and we now have more different models of single actions available then at any time in history. I just love it when right wins out! Cowboy Action Shooting came out of southern California with the Wild Bunch, a group of single action shooters who got together for informal competition. It has now spread to the entire country and beyond with the Wild Bunch forming SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) as the main governing body for this great sport. Simply put Cowboy Action Shooting attempts to capture the Spirit of the Old West by having shooters dressing in frontier period clothes using frontier period single action sixguns, leverguns, and double barreled shotguns in a fast paced competition. It has proven to not only be great fun but also a major force in attracting new shooters. To compete, a Cowboy Shooter needs two single action sixguns, a levergun, and a period double barrel or pump shotgun. By period we mean prior to 1899 with the use of original guns of the time or replicas thereof. For this piece we are covering the sixguns of Cowboy Action Shooting with three major classifications, the Originals such as the Colt Single Action Army, the thoroughly modern coil spring operated Ruger Single Actions, and the Replicas, both cartridge firing and cap-n-ball versions. We will also look at several offerings that do not fit in any of the above three major categories. Most Cowboy Shooting clubs offer two main classes of competition, Traditional and Modern. These are based on the use of fixed-sighted sixguns for the former and adjustable sighted versions for the latter. In addition, the Traditional class is separated into both the use of smokeless and black powder loads. A typical club such as our local group, the Oregon Trail Rough Riders, appropriately named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, allows for three classes, Modern, Traditional, and Black Powder. I normally compete in both Traditional and Black Powder using the same sixguns with both smokeless and black powder loads. In addition to competing with black powder cartridge loads, a shooter can also choose to use cap-n-ball sixguns for this most interesting and authentic classification. With that in mind we look at the grand sixguns that are available to the Cowboy Shooter. COWBOY ACTION SHOOTING SIXGUNS FOR THE TRADITIONAL SHOOTER THE ORIGINAL SIXGUNS: It is still possible to find single actions from the frontier period, the Colt Single Action Army, the Smith & Wesson Russian, Schofield, and New Model #3, the Remington Single Action Model 1875, even the Merwin-Hulbert Single Action. However, they are usually quite expensive and all designed for use ONLY with black powder loads in their original form. The Colt Single Action Army is the easiest to come by in shooting shape and older models can be fitted with smokeless powder barrels and cylinders allowing them to be used with smokeless loads in the Cowboy Shooting category which is normally with muzzle velocities in the 750 to 900 feet per second range. If one of any of the above mentioned makes is in good shooting shape and offered at reasonable price do not pass it up as one can load black powder ammunition specifically tailored for these old sixguns. Factory black powder loads are also coming forth with outfits such as Cor-Bon already offering .45 Colt, .38 Special, and .44-40 loaded with Clean Shot powder which is a black powder substitute. I recently purchased an old Colt Single Action sight unseen as it was offered as a sixgun I could re-build. When I got it I immediately pulled the cylinder and looked at the interior of 7 1/2" barrel. This sixgun, made in 1885 is definitely for black powder only and I was surprised to find the barrel, although not perfect, was in good shooting shape, and gave good accuracy with black powder loads. It does need a little action work and eventually I will restore it completely replacing its old re-blue with the original 1885-style finish. For now it works just fine for black powder competition. The 7 1/2" Colt Single Action Army mentioned above was known as the Cavalry Model. It was soon joined by the Artillery Model with a 5 1/2" barrel, and then it was simple natural step to shorten the barrel even with the ejector rod housing, and the 4 3/4" version became known as the Civilian Model. Of the three standard barrel lengths, my personal favorite is the 7 1/2" as it balances so well for off-hand shooting, plus the sights are farther apart and thus easier for my eyes to see. Production of the Colt Single Action Army ceased in 1941 with the start of World War Two with no plans to resume production. The machinery, some of it dating back to those first Peacemakers in 1873, was moved out of the plant to make room for new machinery for war time production. T.V. had arrived throughout most of the country by the beginning of the 1950's and with it a whole new generation discovered the 'B' Western and the Single Action Army. In 1954 a new company in California had started producing their version of the Colt Single Action Army. In their first ads in 1954, Great Western actually used pictures of old Colt Single Actions. On the next re-run of Gunsmoke watch very carefully when James Arness as Matt Dillon cocks his Colt and you will see by the distinctive hammer profile that his Colt is actually a Great Western. Great Westerns were offered in the standard Centerfire calibers of .45 Colt, .44 Special, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and in all the standard Colt barrel lengths of 4 3/4", 5 1/2", and 7 1/2" size as well as a 12 1/2" Buntline Special Model. Standard guns were deluxe blue and sold for $91.50 in the 1950's. For $5 extra one could have a case hardened frame while the 4 3/4" and 7 1/2" barrel lengths respectively were an extra $2.50 and $5. Standard grips were the plastic imitation stag that is found on many Colt Single Actions used in Western movies in the 1930's and 1940's. Great Western had arrived but shooters wanted authentic Colt Single Action Armies. Colt saw the demand and beginning with serial number 0001SA, the first of the Second Generation Single Actions in .45 Colt and .38 Special with 5 1/2" and 7 1/2" barrels arrived. The SA part of the serial number distinguished the new Colts from the pre-War or First Generation Single Actions that ended with serial number 357859. The 4 3/4" barrel length was added and the .44 Special, very rare in pre-War Colts, became a standard catalog item although in 5 1/2" and 7 1/2" lengths only. The .357 Magnum was added in 1960. By the 1970's the Second Generation machinery was worn out and the Colt Single Action was removed from production again ending with serial number 73319SA in 1974. However in 1976 the Third Generation of Colt Single Action Army production began at serial number 80,000SA. Changes were made to lower manufacturing costs. The ratchet on the back of the cylinder and the hand were changed, the full length cylinder pin bushing was dropped in favor of a collar in the front of the cylinder only, and for some unknown reason, the threads were changed on the Third Generation barrels. There has always been a demand for replacement barrels and cylinders for old Colt Model P's so the latter makes no sense whatsoever. Third Generation Colt Single Action Armies have been offered in .45 Colt, .44 Special, .44-40, and .357 Magnum. Arriving at serial number 99,999SA, the SA was then placed in front of the number. By 1981, the Colt Single Action was gone. But the great old sixgun came back to life albeit as an expensive Custom Shop offering as it remains today and only in .45 Colt and .44-40 chamberings with a very few having been offered in .38-40. For the dyed in the wool traditionalist, the true connoisseur of Cowboy Shooting, those of us stuck in the nineteenth century, the Colt Single Action remains the epitome of sixgun development. Thankfully there are other options. RUGER'S VAQUERO: In Westernese it may be "Cowboy", but the Spanish term for the same legendary creature is "Vaquero". So it is quite appropriate that Ruger's traditionally styled single action that is being manufactured in the Southwest has been dubbed the Vaquero. The Vaquero, complete with Ruger's virtually unbreakable coil spring lockwork and transfer bar safety is available in standard Single Action barrel lengths of 4 5/8", 5 1/2", and 7 1/2" in both blue and stainless, and in calibers .45 Colt, .44-40, .44 Magnum, and .357 Magnum. Sights are fixed for use in the Traditional Class whether using smokeless or black powder loads. I particularly like the use of a pair of 7 1/2" stainless steel .45 Vaqueros for use with black powder. They not only shoot very well but also are quite easy to clean. Basically the Vaquero is simply the Ruger Blackhawk with traditional sights with a hog wallow style rear sight mated up with a front sight that is profiled like a traditional Colt Single Action front sight shaped to provide a flat black sight picture. The grip frame is all Blackhawk and all steel on both the stainless steel models and blued versions. The blued Vaquero features a case colored frame with colors that are not as bright as those found on most Colt Single Actions and replicas. It seems to be the most popular sixgun for the sport at any matches I have attended. A second Vaquero is now offered to Cowboy Shooters with the addition of the Bisley grip frame, hammer, and trigger to produce the Bisley Vaquero. The Bisley is available in both blued and stainless models with barrel lengths of 4 5/8" and 5 1/2" and in calibers .45 Colt, .44-40, .44 Magnum, and .357 Magnum. Ruger recaptures the Spirit of the old Colt Bisley for Cowboy Shooters and also provides a most comfortable shooting grip with the Bisley Vaquero. Two other transfer bar equipped single actions suitable for Cowboy Shooting competition are now being offered. From EAA and the Weihrauch factory in Germany comes the Bounty Hunter, a traditionally styled single action sixgun with traditional sights that is safe to carry with six shots as an agreement with Ruger allows the use of a transfer bar. Even with the transfer bar the Bounty Hunter maintains the typical Colt Single Action style half-cock loading/unloading notch. Current Bounty Hunters are chambered in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt, with barrel lengths of either 4 3/4" or 7 1/2", and in nickel or blue finish with a case colored frame. One piece walnut stocks are standard with ivory polymer available as an option. The Bounty Hunter gives a lot more in value than its modest price tag suggests. The Colt Single Action Army remains basically unchanged since its introduction in 1873 and through the First, Second, and Third Generation as well as the Custom Shop offerings. However a new Colt has arrived. A genuine Colt, complete with a modern transfer bar safety, is the Colt Cowboy. The Cowboy sells for much less than one-half of the price of a new Colt Single Action but about 25% more than the Ruger Vaquero. Unlike the Vaquero, opening the loading gate on the Colt Cowboy does not free the cylinder. The hammer must still be placed on the half cock notch to be able to rotate the cylinder just as it has always been in all Colt cap-n-ball and cartridge firing Colt sixguns since 1836. Presently the Colt Cowboy is available only as a 5 1/2" barreled, blue and case colored .45 Colt. The trigger rides much further forward in the trigger guard than on the standard Colt Single Action, however, the Cowboy feels much like a real Colt Single Action Army as the grip frame shape is identical and the hammer sets in the right place and at the right angle. The Colt Cowboy is slightly bigger than the Colt Single Action with the cylinder diameter being 1.677" compared to the Single Action Army size of 1.654". Lengthwise both cylinders are the same size at 1.610". For size comparisons, the Ruger Vaquero goes 1.737" and 1.703" respectively. The 5 1/2" Cowboy will fit most holsters made for the Single Action Army and all holsters made for the Ruger Vaquero. REPLICA SIXGUNS: Thanks to such firms as Cimarron, EMF, Navy Arms, Uberti USA, and USFA (United States Firearms Mfg. Co.), we have a whole range of replica single action sixguns to pick from for Cowboy Shooting. We have yet to see a Merwin-Hulbert recreation but Colt, Remington, and Smith & Wesson are well represented. All replicas of the Colt Single Action come from two Italian manufacturers, Armi San Marco or Uberti. The basic Colt copy is offered in 4 3/4", 5 1/2", and 7 1/2" lengths with either the Old Model or "Black Powder" frame with the cylinder pin held in by a screw that enters at the front of the frame, or as the Pre-War version with the traditional spring loaded cylinder catch. The black powder frame is perfectly safe to use with smokeless loads, it simply looks like an old black powder sixgun. Current Colt Single Action replicas are offered in the standard Frontier chamberings of .32-20, .38-40, .44-40, and .45 Colt as well as .44 Special and .357 Magnum. Colt-style hard rubber grips of either one or two piece style are available for these replicas to make them look even more like the real thing. Cimarron offers the "gun Sam Colt should have made". The New Thunderer is made by changing the backstrap of a standard Colt to duplicate the style seen on the early Colt Double Actions, the .38 Lightning and the .41 Thunderer. The trigger guard remains the same. The Thunderer is offered in 3 1/2" or 4 3/4" barrel lengths in .45 Colt, .44-40, .44 Special, and .357 Magnum. Shooters have discovered that the Thunderer grip works quite well on longer barrels so Cimarron has added the 5 1/2" and 7 1/2" lengths to this line. The New Thunderer has been so well received that it has now been down-sized to the smaller Lightning Model, the same basic gun about three-quarter size in .38 Special. It should be immensely popular with ladies and younger shooters as well as those of us who would like to have a second gun be of the smaller hide-out variety. While Cimarron's basic Single Action Army is the Model P, EMF calls their sixgun single action clone the Hartford Model. EMF's answer to Cimarron's New Thunderer is the Pinkerton Detective, a Bird's Head gripped, or round-butted 4" sixgun in .45 Colt. Both companies also offer a Sheriff's Model with a 3" barrel and no ejector rod housing in .45 Colt, .44-40, and .357 Magnum. Navy Arms Colt-style Single Action is the Model 1873 in the three standard barrel lengths and in .45 Colt, .44-40, and .357 Magnum. USFA, or United States Firearms Mfg. Co., imports parts only and completes the sixguns not only in this country but actually under the dome of the original Hartford Colt factory. They have now gone one step further and are using U.S. manufactured barrels and cylinders. USFA's Model 1873 is offered in the standard barrel lengths of 4 3/4", 5 1/2", 7 1/2" and in .45 Colt, .44-40, .38-40, .32-20, .38 Special, .45 ACP, and .44 Special. The latter is barrel marked RUSSIAN AND S&W SPECIAL 44 exactly as on the original Colt Single Action Army in this chambering. The Bisley Model, Colt's attempt at a single action target revolver was dropped by Colt in 1912. However it is now back as a replica in barrel lengths of 4 3/4", 5 1/2", and 7 1/2" and in .45 Colt, .44-40, .45 Schofield and .357 Magnum. All four companies mentioned do not offer each option but in total one can find any of the above from one of them. Bisleys make authentic and practical sixguns for Cowboy Shooting with their large target style grip. Original Remington Single Actions are quite valuable. However both the 7 1/2" 1875 and 5 1/2" 1890 Remingtons are readily available for today's Cowboy Shooter in either .45 Colt or .44-40, and occasionally in .357 Magnum. For my hands and use the Remington is not quite up to the Colt Single Action as far as 'feel' or balance is concerned. The hammer is also harder for me to reach quickly and the space behind the trigger guard is also slightly smaller and crowds my fingers. The 1890 Remington differs from the 1875 as it has better sights that are much easier to see with a Colt Single Action Army style square notch rear mated with a blade front rather than the shallow 'V' rear and pinched blade of the 1875 replicas. The 1890 also does not have the distinctive under barrel web of the Model 1875. In 1994, Navy Arms introduced the first replica single action Smith & Wesson, the Schofield Model chambered, not for the .45 Smith & Wesson or .45 Schofield of the original but rather the two most popular Cowboy Shooting chamberings, .45 Colt and .44-40. The Cavalry Model has a 7" barrel while the Wells Fargo's barrel length is 5" as on those original sixguns that were cut down in length and sold to the famous express company. Cimarron also now offers a Schofield Model. The operation of the Schofield is unlike any other single action. The hammer is placed on half-cock, the thumb pushes on the barrel catch, the barrel is swung open and down with the off-hand, which causes the automatic ejector to eject all cases, and then return to battery. To reload, the new cartridges are placed in the cylinder and the barrel is moved up and latched tightly. If one desires to remove less than a whole cylinder full of cartridges, the barrel is opened just enough to start the ejector upward and the desired cases can be removed. The spent cartridges can be replaced and then the action closed with the unfired cartridges still safely in place. Navy Arms has now followed up their introduction of the Schofield with the Russian Model #3 in .44 Russian chambering. A most welcome addition to Cowboy Shooting. CAP-N-BALL SIXGUNS: Replicas of the cap-n-ball sixguns of the early frontier period are available from Cimarron, EMF, Navy Arms, Colt Black Powder Arms, and United States Firearms Manufacturing Co. These sixguns are well made, well finished, and more than accurate enough for Cowboy Shooting. Most examples do shoot high and would serve better if the front sights were taller. The first successful cap-n-ball sixgun the Paterson of 1836 is a five-shot affair and very clumsy for Cowboy Shooting endeavors. The Colt Walker which arrived in 1847 is a brute of sixgun at four and one-half pounds and will work for Cowboy Shooting. Its one major drawback is a weak spring attachment for the loading lever and it often unlatches and falls down upon firing. The Colt Walker was followed in rapid succession by the First, Second, and Third Model Dragoons of 1848 to 1851. All are slightly lighter at four pounds which makes them much easier to handle than the Walker, but is about at the limit for both a holster pistol and a one-handed sixgun. The Third Model Dragoon shoots exceptionally well staying under two inches with velocities at 950 to 990 fps. Both the Walker and the various Dragoons could be used for fast work from a holster, witness the movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales" (Eastwood at his best!), but it was the advent of the 1851 Navy .36 that made real speed from leather possible. With its relatively lightweight and seven and one-half inch octagon barreled, the 1851 ushered in the age of the gunfighter. Mild recoil coupled with good accuracy makes for a great black powder sixgun for Cowboy Action Shooting. In 1860, Colt mated the .44 caliber of the Dragoon with the sleekness of the 1851 Navy and the result was the 1860 Army, the most popular sixgun of the Civil War period and beyond. Even with full house .44 loads, the 1860 is an easy handling sixgun for black powder Cowboy Shooting. Colt made one more major improvement in the cap-n-ball sixgun prior to the advent of the Peacemaker. The 1861 Navy combines the streamlined appearance of the 1860 Army with the portability and caliber of the 1851 Navy. With the wonderful balance of the 1851 Model, the 1861 was an important step in the progress towards the Colt Single Action Army. The Remington percussion revolver of the frontier period, available both as an 8" barreled .44 Army and a 6 1/2" barreled .36, has a solid, one-piece frame and a barrel that is permanently screwed into the frame while the Colt sixguns are all open-topped with removable barrels that are held in place by two small pins at the bottom of the front of the frame and a wedge pin that enters the barrel assembly from the side. The Remington also has better sights being much like a Colt Single Action Army in this department with a rear sight that is a hog wallow through the top of the frame mated up with an easy to see front sight. Remingtons are perfectly suited for Cowboy Shooting as they are easy to handle and recoil is very mild with both the .44 and .36 caliber sixguns. One more cap-n-ball sixgun deserves mention and that is the thoroughly modern Ruger Old Army. First introduced with adjustable sights, the Old Army is now offered in both blue and stainless versions with fixed sights for Cowboy Shooting. It does not get any better than this when it comes to cap-n-ball sixguns! The lockwork is virtually indestructible and the loading lever is positively locked into place and will not drop down upon firing as so often happens in Colt replicas. The loading lever, rammer, and cylinder base pin are an interrelated assembly that can be removed from the sixgun with the simple turn of a screw in the front of the frame. THE CARTRIDGE CONVERSIONS: Between the short time of the advent of the 1869 Smith & Wesson .44 and the Colt Single Action Army of 1873, both Colt and Remington cap-n-ball sixguns were converted to cartridge firing revolvers. Even with the advent of the Colt, Remington, and various Smith & Wesson single actions, many sixgunners opted to go the less expensive route of converting their tried and true cap-n-ball sixguns to cartridge guns. Today Cowboy Shooters can choose from both 1851 Navy and 1860 Army Cartridge Conversions in .38 Special or .44 Colt chamberings. Both are authentically styled sixguns for Cowboy Shooting chores. Between the cap-n-ball sixguns, the cartridge conversions, and the Colt Single Action Army, we find sandwiched a most interesting transitional sixgun. This was the 1872 Open Top. Colt's first Centerfire big bore sixgun was not the Single Action Army but the cap-n-ball styled Open Top of one year earlier. The Open Top as its name suggests had a frame that was much like the cap-n-ball Colts, that is no top strap. The Army wanted something stronger and the result was the Single Action Army. The Open Top is now offered to Cowboy Shooters in replica form in chamberings of .38 Special, .44 Special, and .45 Schofield. COWBOY ACTION SHOOTING SIXGUNS FOR THE MODERN CLASS SHOOTER THE COLT NEW FRONTIER: In 1961, Colt flat-topped the frame of the Single Action Army, added an adjustable rear sight mated with a ramp style front sight and we had the New Frontier version. Beginning with serial number 3000NF the Colt New Frontier was introduced in .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, and .45 Colt. The New Frontier carried a deep blue finish on its barrel, cylinder, and grip frame, Colt's now long gone Royal Blue finish, and a beautifully colored case hardened main frame. To me this is the best looking Single Action Army sixgun of all times. The last of the Second Generation New Frontiers was in the 72XXNF serial number range, which gives us a total of slightly over 4,000 New Frontiers from 1961 to 1974. In 1978, The New Frontier went back into production with the Third Generation Colt Single Action Army. Serial Numbers began at 01001NF, using five digits instead of four. In the last, and according to Colt, final run of New Frontiers, calibers were .45 Colt, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, and .44-40. Colt New Frontiers are now gone from production forever. However they are readily available at gun shows with lower price tags than standard Colt Single Action offerings. They are excellent choices for Cowboy Shooting in the Modern Class with the look, feel, and balance of the Colt Single Action Army and the added advantage of adjustable sights. THE RUGER BLACKHAWK: Ruger's New Model Blackhawk is available in both blued and stainless steel versions for the Modern Class Cowboy Action Shooter in chamberings of .45 Colt, .44 Magnum, and .357 Magnum. With transfer bar safety and easy to see and adjust sights these are probably the best choice for the beginning shooter. I have equipped my wife with a pair of stainless steel .357 Blackhawks with 4 5/8" barrels as the best possible combination for her use in Cowboy Shooting. Ruger's Bisley grip frame, hammer, and trigger were fitted to the Super Blackhawk in 1986. For the Modern Class Cowboy Shooter the Bisley Model is now available in the 7 1/2" barrel length only and in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and the Cowboy Shooters favorite .45 Colt. It can also be found on the used market, though rarely, in .41 Magnum. The Bisley grip frame is the best I have found for handling recoil making it a good choice for the Cowboy Shooter. THE FREEDOM ARMS MODEL 97: Freedom Arms, maker of the finest single actions ever produced with their full-sized, five-shot Model '83 in such chamberings as .454 Casull and .44 Magnum, is now building a true six-shooter, a six-shot single action specifically geared towards Cowboy Shooting. The Model 1997 chambered in .357 Magnum is slightly smaller than a Colt Single Action Army. Freedom covers both the Traditional and Modern Classes with two versions of the Model '97, one with fixed sights and the other with adjustable sights, as well as a choice of 5 1/2" or 7 1/2" barrel lengths. A Special ordered barrel length is produced even with the ejector rod housing at a length of 4 1/4". The .357 Magnum Model 1997 is supplied with a most comfortable grip frame reminiscent of the old Colt Bisley grip and can be ordered with an extra cylinder in .38 Special. It is a fact of modern life that just about any sixgun purchased for Cowboy Shooting will benefit greatly from an action and trigger job. Three men that I recommend for this have all worked on several of my single action sixguns. Eddie Janis of Peacemaker Specialists works only on Colt Single Actions offering everything from trigger jobs to complete re-builds and re-finishing to match the original. He also maintains a large inventory of Single Action Army parts for each of the three generations. Bob Munden of Munden Enterprises is well known to shooters for his shooting expertise regularly highlighted on American Shooter. Munden offers superb action work on every make and model. Tom Sargis, of Bozeman Trail Arms Manufacturing, can handle both Colt Single Actions and the replicas thereof, with smooth action jobs and custom one-piece grips as well. Whatever the choice of sixgun or sixguns, Cowboy Shooting provides a great way to enjoy the old style sixguns, meet with like minded individuals, and simply have some great shooting fun. If you haven't yet made the plunge, give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed. ... Courtesy of GUNS/AMERICAN HANDGUNNER
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