Editorial - July/Aug 2005 issue

EDITORIAL by Chucky (Editor-in-chief)
When considering the Western-action shooting sports and how we as individuals will participate in them, there are a number of areas that each of us think about and emphasize to one degree or another. Two of them, fun and cost, are very inter-related. The third, authenticity, is one that not only more and more people consider important, but is also directly related to fun and cost.

Having fun with these sports is probably the most important aspect; we wouldn’t participate in them if they weren’t fun. I have had many people say they always have fun whenever they are out shooting. The friendships built at events in addition to dressing up in Old West clothing and playing cowboy, add to the ambiance, character, and feeling that the Old West is still alive. Each of us receives a different amount of pleasure from the various Western-action shooting sports. Where cowboy action shooting may be the cat’s meow to one person, another may enjoy it but really have fun when partaking in cowboy fast draw, black powder cartridge silhouette, cowboy lever-action silhouette, or cowboy mounted shooting.

Many of us starting out, or even after years of shooting in a variety of these sports, are still cost constrained. Purchasing two single-action sixguns, a double gun rig, a lever-action rifle, and a period correct shotgun, makes cowboy action shooting pretty expensive. Not to mention having action jobs performed on all of the firearms. Acquiring a single-action in .45 Colt with a belt and single holster for fast draw may be much more palatable to the pocket book, while deciding to go into black powder cartridge silhouette is every bit as expensive as cowboy action shooting, and then some.

Now, let’s consider the matter of authenticity. Though I feel that authenticity is important, there are some times when I feel it is overly emphasized. Yes, I do agree that baseball caps and tennis shoes should not be worn by shooters at big annual events, nor during regular monthly matches if it can be helped. However, I do believe that anyone showing up at a monthly match (for his or her first few times) should be allowed to shoot regardless of the clothes they are wearing. We are out there to have fun and encourage others to come out and enjoy our sport as well. When possible, we should all try to make our attire correspond to the period of time of the sport we are participating in and that of the character we may be portraying. The cost for a person just starting out can be significant, so being able to wear jeans, a straw cowboy hat, and a run down pair of modern cowboy boots can make a big difference.

What about caliber? In cowboy fast draw it is real clear, a stock single-action in .45 Colt is required. Cowboy action shooting has a far more diversified range, anywhere from .32 to .45 caliber. The .45 Colt may be the more glamorous of calibers, but the .32-20 was the third most popular Colt single-action cartridge sold during the late 1800s. The .32 caliber cartridge of various dimensions was probably the most popular cartridge there was due to numerous pocket revolvers and belly guns, especially Smith & Wesson’s. It is a hoot to feel the kick of a big .45 Colt loaded fully with black powder cartridges, but it is also nice and light on the wallet if one decides to shoot a .38 Special which is not an authentic cartridge, but is certainly more powerful than the .32 S&W or .32-20. This is especially true if a person is practicing regularly each week, for .38 Specials are the most plentiful and the cheapest centerfire pistol cartridge as well as being one of the easiest to reload.

Original antique firearms are hard to come by, plus they can be very expensive. Using a first generation Colt sixgun for cowboy action shooting can be cost prohibitive and you certainly risk the possibility of damaging the gun. Don’t even consider it for cowboy fast draw! Second and third generation Colts are certainly much more viable but are much more expensive than the vast majority of the replica sixguns. Thus replica Colts and Rugers are certainly the sixguns of choice with an occasional S&W replica or second generation Colt thrown in now and again. You can even get a brand new Replica Arms sixgun for $299.00 (available through Navy Arms.) There are many people who use original rifles for black powder cartridge silhouette; this is primarily due to the fact that a decent replica costs almost as much as an original. The vast number of lever-action rifles used are replicas as they are much cheaper especially if you go with the standard model 1892. However, I have found that you can still get original Marlin 1889s and shooter quality 1873s for not much more than you would pay for a brand new replica. Shotguns are another matter, double barrels are easy to come by and there are still plenty of Winchester 1897s around, although they have certainly gone up in price over the last few years.

So, folks, let’s be as authentic as we can as individuals but not at the expense of enjoying our shooting fun or discouraging others to join us.

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