Welcome!

Chuck's Cowboy Shooting Blog is a simple little place where I log my activities in the world of Cowboy Action Shooting. I am new to this hobby, so I hope to grow in experience and wish to share any knowledge that I come across. This blog will also be used to share some of the rich history of the Old West that I come across. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Uberti 1875 Remington Revolver


The 1875 Remington is a very distinctive pistol, but not very common. In fact, before I bought this pistol, I knew nothing about them. This echoes the pistol’s record in real life; it was vastly overshadowed by the 1873 Colt “Peacemaker.” But, as in my case, those that owned them loved them. Frank James, Jesse’s brother, swore by them, if the opinion of an outlaw holds any weight.
This replica is made by the Italian firm of Uberti, long known for their Old West replicas, and is marketed under the name 1875 “Outlaw.” I bought this pistol used, but whoever had owned it before had obviously not shot it much. This was good for me, since I got a pistol in good shape for considerably less than the going price of this model new.
 The review:
Specifications
  • Name: 1875 Remington “Outlaw”
  • Manufacturer: Uberti
  • Type: Single-action revolver
  • Caliber: .45 Long Colt
  • Barrel Length: 7.5 inches
  • Capacity: 6
  • Stock: Walnut
  • Finish:  
    • Frame: Case hardened
    • Barrel: Blued
    • Trigger Guard/Grip Assembly: Brass

Quality of Materials
Very good quality. The metal is good, even though I bought the pistol used, with no holster wear or any noticeable wear on the bore from excessive firing. The wood used for the grip is beautifully varnished, and feels good in the hand. The barrel is robust, and supported by the 1875’s distinctive “web” or “sail” that extends from the base of the frame to near the muzzle.
Performance

Here I am shooting it last summer in the backyard of my Old Kentucky Home. I love living in the country where you can shoot from your own back porch.
This pistol performs well, and is very accurate for a fixed sight replica. I can hit standard size targets (around 12” x 12”) with decent groups (~5”) at 30 yards or so with it, and it shoots even better groups at closer ranges. It does, however, hit about four inches high and to the left of point of aim; this is easily fixed by using the compensating technique named for my beloved home state. Probably not recommended by serious CAS shooters, but it’ll have to do for me for now. I’ve shot two type of .45 Colt ammo through it, and it performs about the same with both (my most recent box were Winchesters, but I don’t recall who made my earlier box). Be warned though: she kicks! The recoil takes a little while to get used to, but once you are it isn’t that bad; compared to a .357 Magnum, it’s not bad at all.
Overall Impression
A very good pistol. High quality materials and workmanship have produced a reliable and accurate revolver. I will say that the rear sight is small, and can be difficult to get on target quickly, but this doesn’t bother me too much. I plan on getting a matching gun new to be this one’s partner. Overall impression: an excellent revolver.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

New Duds on the Way...

So, today I ordered some clothes for my costume. Yay! Hopefully they'll get to me quickly, and I'll be sure to post about it when they do.

The costuming part really appeals to a guy like me. I've always enjoyed "dressing for the part," and combining this with a competitive shooting sport just makes things better. I still have a long way to go until I get a useable costume together (let alone with all of my gun leather and the extras that I want), but a little here and a little there and I'll have it all in no time. That and with Christmas right around the corner...

Coming soon... Probably a review on my revolver, I just have to find time to write it around doing my schoolwork.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Polytech Winchester 1897 Shotgun

Shown here with my 1875 Remington replica.

This is the gun that started it all, and how I got it is a bit of a story. I had been looking for a reliable 12 gauge shotgun suited for home defense. The rest of my family and I had arrived at a reunion several hours away from our home an hour early, so we started driving around town to pass the time. We came across a gun store, a big one, quite by accident, and of course we went in. They didn’t have the shotgun I had been looking to buy (an Ithaca 37) but they did have a selection of Winchester 97 replicas.
Being a gun nut, I had long known about the Winchester 97, its history, variants, and even that it was legal for use in Cowboy Action Shooting, but had never seen one in a store, let alone one that was on sale. I immediately forgot about the Ithaca. Needless to say, when we finally arrived to the reunion, the trunk of the car was one shotgun heavier than it had been an hour previously. With it was borne the possibility and practicability to start Cowboy Action Shooting.
Enough chatter. The review:
Specifications
  • Name: Winchester 1897
  • Manufacturer: Polytech, imported by Cimarron Firearms
  • Type: Slide-action shotgun
  • Caliber: 12 gauge
  • Barrel Length: 20 inches
  • Capacity: 6+1
  • Stock: Walnut
  • Finish: Blued
Quality of Materials
For a Chinese made gun, I was pleasantly surprised how good the metal on this shotgun was (as opposed to another one of the 97s they had in the store, a Norinco, which was awful). Very hard, and the action was quite stiff at first. A couple of boxes of shells run through it loosened the action up nicely. The walnut stock is of decently quality, pretty good for what I paid. All in all excellent quality for a Chinese made gun. I’m sure this is in part due to the high standards its importer, Cimarron Firearms, imparts on its guns.
Performance
Like I said, early on the action was tight, but I’m not complaining: it should be tight brand new. This shotgun feeds very well now, and will accept most any 12 gauge shells I feed it. It works just as smoothly with cheap game loads as it does AA trap loads. One nice feature of this shotgun is it comes complete with a choke tube, and a very tight one, too. I’ve busted clays at similar ranges to the longer barreled field gun I use for shooting trap, and this shotgun only has a 20 inch barrel! Granted, I’ve only had this gun around six months, and thanks to the fact that I live halfway across the country from where I am currently enrolled in college I’ve only shot a couple of boxes worth of shells through it in the time I’ve had it. But, so far and knock on wood, I haven’t had any hiccups.
Overall Impression
I love this shotgun, what can I say. It hasn’t given me trouble yet, it’s of good quality, and I got it on sale! What more could you ask a gun? Time will tell (I hear 97s in general are notorious for breaking), but I think that with care this gun will last a good long while. Overall impression: a good gun for a good price.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Things to come...

For the time being, I really don't have that much to talk about (hopefully this will change soon!), so I will start to do some reviews of the guns that I have. I currently have two of the four required firearms for Cowboy Action Shooting: a replica 1875 Remington revolver made by Uberti, and a replica 1897 Winchester slide-action shotgun made by Polytech and imported by Cimmaron Firearms. Watch this space...

Hello!

Hello, and welcome to Chuck's Cowboy Shooting Blog. This is just a simple little place for me to share my experiences in the World of Cowboy Action Shooting, a hobby that I am just now starting in. I hope that it will be a fun experience, and I hope I don't embarass myself in the eyes of the veteran shooters out there that may come across this humble site. Anyways, I hope to post relatively frequently, and who knows? Maybe someone besides myself will read this.