Revolver barrel lengths:

The most popular barrel length is probably 4-3/4". It's quick handling makes up for the short sight radius, and we're not shooting at long distances anyway.

The SASS Wire is always full of people asking which barrel length they should get and which caliber. The answer to the barrel length is get whatever you want. I've shot with more than one World Champion. One shot long barreled Blackhawks. The two others shot 4-5/8" Ruger Vaqueros. Barrel length doesn't matter if you're comfortable with it. Your persona could be a factor. If your alias is a fictional character with a funny sounding name ("Wild Mill Hickenlooper" for example), you can use anything. If you're playing a 1875 Army officer, your gun should be a gun used by an 1875 Army officer, a 7-1/2" barreled Colt, Vaquero, or Clone or a 7" barreled Smith and Wesson Schofield (or clone). You get the picture. (But no one cares. Lefty Longridge, traditional class World Champion 2000, dresses as an Army sergeant but shoots 4-3/4" Stainless Steel Vaqueros. They didn't take his world championship away from him. John Wayne used Colts (and clones, Great Westerns) in movies set as early as 1840, and one of SASS's rules is: The Duke Can Do No Wrong. Don't let your "persona" overwhelm you. Shoot what you want.

Expect to have your gun tuned by a gunsmith unless you buy a Ruger. Even a clone with a seemingly smooth, light action might need mods to keep it from eating its innards due to out-of-spec tolerances. Most Rugers just need a spring kit to be good for thousands of rounds. But I wouldn't consider using a clone or a Colt SAA without having a good specialist gunsmith work it over. If you're REALLY into this sport you'll shoot more rounds in a year than, say, an active Texas Ranger would shoot in a lifetime. A Colt SAA or clone without perfectly adjusted parts will destroy itself in short order. Every serious competitor I know using either a Colt SAA or a clone has had a gunsmith at least look at it. I could be wrong, of course, and obviously exceptions do occur.

Sundown Jones demonstrates the ridiculous end of barrel length, firing 18" barreled Buntline Specials in Frontier Cartridge (Black Powder Cartridge). His buscadero holsters are strapped to his ankles. He won Cartridge Black Powder at the Tin Star CAS Open 2001 and finished in the top ten.

I've concentrated on Colt 1873 replicas and look alikes. You don't have to shoot those. You can shoot any nineteenth century single action revolver or replica or look alike. There are Smith and Wesson clones, including one now by Smith and Wesson of the 1875 Schofield. I have seen several of the clones at matches. They are very complex firearms and generally have more problems than Colt clones. Many gunsmiths can't disassemble and reassemble them. Their quick-reloading advantage won't be used very often, certainly not at major matches, where reloading stages take too much time.

I've also seen a number of cartridge conversions, generally of 1851 Navies. The now out-of-production Armi San Marco built Cimarrons seem to be good for 2,500 rounds between trips to the gunsmith. For me, in the summer, that would mean less than a month. The new Uberti-built Cimarron conversions seem better, but don't expect Ruger-like longevity.

Cap and ball pistols are also used. They have a category, Frontiersman, at major matches. At smaller matches they will shoot against black powder cartridge pistols. Aficionados who want to use them will do so without any advice for me. They do require a lot of time reloading them. They appear at first glance to be the most inexpensive way to go. But black powder and substitutes are more expensive than smokeless, so expenses will catch up. As they have the basic Colt action, the C & B Colt clones should be gone over by a good Colt-clone gunsmith.

Bottom Dealin' Mike's son Rob demonstrates why you can't shoot "Gunfighter" style in Frontiersman. On the left is a Colt 3rd Model Dragoon, and on the right is a Colt Walker. Both have dropped their loading levers and hopelessly locked up the weapons unless you (a) tap the levers up on the opposite wrist, no doubt scaring the heck out of all assembled with 170° violations in mind, or (b) lay one down, fix the other. Lay it down. Fix the first. Not good. This is also an example of why these 4 lb. + guns aren't used that much in Frontiersman. But they look good. (Photo stolen from Bottom Dealin' Mike.)

If you're an IPSC master class shooter coming to CAS for competition, you'll probably get Ruger .357s and shoot light .38 loads. (This isn't a bad place for a duffer to start, either). If you're in this for the history, the fantasy, and the relaxation, get what you want. I will make 2 recommendations: As soon as possible, get 2 guns of the same caliber. We've found .44-40 cases which had obviously been loaded in a .45 Colt at the range. Not good. Also make both guns shoot to point of aim. Having one shoot high left and the other low right will guarantee misses when you forget. Ideally both guns should be the same model. Every time I see one particular competitor with a Colt clone and a Remington 1875 clone I know that competitor will miss with one gun and shoot well with the other.

T.X. Cleanshot shoots his Navy Arms Schofield replica in a cloud of black powder smoke. He has no problems with the Schofield using Clean Shot, but if you use real black powder, be aware that some gunsmithing will be required. Navy Arms and Smith and Wesson do not put in a grease groove which was on the base pin of the originals, and the base pin will bind, sometimes after as few as 3 or 4 rounds. The Navy Arms replica fits .45 Colt cartridges, but T.X. Cleanshot uses Schofield rounds, which are shorter and thus fit. The Smith and Wesson requires Schofield rounds.

Women and men with small hands have been buying the Cimarron Lightning, left, bottom, like hotcakes. Shown compared to the full-sized Cimarron Thunderer, a Model P with birdshead grip frame á la the original double action Colt Thunderer, the Lightning is markedly smaller. The availability of this gun has made the difference for some women, enabling them to shoot in this sport. It comes in .38 Special only (which means .38 Long Colt rounds will function, an advantage for Black Powder shooters). (Photo courtesy of Cimarron Firearms.)

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