Why do you shoot the pistols that you do?

[Bushwack Bill]

OK, lets start this off.  Why did you choose the pistols that you shoot in CAS.  Money?  Reputation?  Looks?

For me it was simple.  While watching an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger", Chuck Norris's had been talking about his ancestor back in the old west, that characker was using a 5.5 inch Remington 1875.  It looked so cool that I got one in 5.5 inch and one in 7.5 inch and had extra cylinders made so I could shoot .44 Colt or .44 Russian in them.  Best of all they shoot well and I get style points as I seem to be the only pard in my area shooting them.  At least I've never seen anyone else with the .44 Remingtons at the local shoots.

[Wrangler Rich]

When I got interested in CAS, Lefty Longridge had just won EOT, and he used 4 5/8" Stainless Vaqueros in 357, and I thought if they were good enough for the "World Champ", they were good enough for me.  Since then, I've added a set of  5 1/2" Stainless Vaqueros in 45, and set of S&W Schofields.  Now it's just a matter of what jumps out of the safe on any given day.

[Calamity Jane]

Me first CAS pistols waz a pair of Uberti Cattlemans, 44-40 5.5" barrels. They took a fair amount of work to get 'em to the point where they'd go 6 stages with BP without problems, but the never did group well and waz never "tight and smooth"

Replaced 'em last fall with a pair of USFA Premium SAAs, 7.5" barrel, 44-40. The new gunz is tight and smooth out of the box, never once complained about shootin Blackpowder, and shoot within 1" of point of aim.

I took a chance on USFAs based on online feedback. The USFAs seemed to give me the best chance of gettin a good set of shootin irons straight out of the box.

Won't give up me USFAs now, not 'til somebody pries 'em outta me cold ded hands!

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[Nimble Fingers]

I have 4 I am currently shooting, my first is a Colt NF in .44 spcl, that started out with a 5.5, but was moved up to a 12" nickeled SSA Colt barrel.  The second is a Ruger in .44 with a 4+5/8 and plain ivory(fake) grips.  My personna and costume is the Duke and that one was my right hand gun.  Then I got a Colt-Winchester Comm in .44-40, switched out both the barrell (from 7.5 to 4.75) and the cylinder to .44 spcl and that has become my main gun.  About 3 months ago picked up another Colt NF in .44 spcl with a 7.5 for $640 and that is usually my second gun, unless I feel Wyatt Earp and take my buntline. 
Now my son has two Nebraska Commeratives in .22 and a Colt NF set up just like my Buntline with a Wyat Earp buntline barrell.  We have a lot of fun!!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I bought my first pair of match pistols after picking one up in the local gunshop. They were 5 1/2" AWA's. Although there are some with action jobs that are better, they are still the smoothest stock pistols I've seen right out of the box. I've picked up several pairs of pistols since, but they just didn't have the same shootability so I'm still using the original pair. Other pistols will come or go, but those will stay with me until they're no longer usable. I have a pair of HA 1875's but they don't feel like my AWA's. I just got a pair of Evil Roy Cimarrons that are mighty close. For smoothness out of the box, the ER's are the best I've seen lately. I am in the process of working on getting set up with a good pair of Uberti Remington conversions to see how they are on the firning line. After some action work, of course.

[Old Top]

Well as usual I got into this exactly backwards, I bought a Winchester 44-40 back in high school, spent one day trying to get ammo for it an found exactly 1/2  box, so I put it up in the gun cabinet and it stayed there for about 40 years.  When my friend Curly decided to get into cowboy shooting I said that I would join him, then I tried pistols for quite a while untill I got a set of Remingtons 7 1/2 in 44-40, no trouble getting ammo now, they just fit my hand better then the Colts or Rugers and are more accurate then I am.  Got a chance to pick up a Schofield Clone, in 44-40, and that one is a joy to shoot also.  Have seen a lot of people shooting Schofields but have not seen any Remingtons yet.

Old Top

[Mustang Gregg]

'Cause I started out wit' Ruger RST's & Blackhawks.  It was a natural thang to stay wit' the Ruger Eagle.  Ain't broke one bad yet.  They jus' keep on shootin'.
Now our whole gang is into Ruger Vaq's & BV's.
I still usually shoot my tagged deer wit' a OLD Super Blackhawk, too.

MG

[Danny Bear Claw]

I mostly shoot my 4 Vaqueros.  They are pictured in the "Rats Pics" thread.  They are all 45 caliber.  I bought Rugers when I joined SASS because they are bigger and stronger than everything else out there.  I shoot big bores because I'd rather go BOOM than pop.  I also have a pair of Remingtons in caliber 45 Colt.  One is a 7.5 inch barreled "Outlaw" model, (1875), and the other is a R&D cartridge converted model 1858... also 45 caliber, of course.  I also own and occasionally shoot a NA Schofield with 7 inch barrel in caliber 45 Colt.   When I shoot Colts or Colt clones they are caliber 44-40.  I am currently putting together a brace of six-shooters in caliber 38-40.  I have one 5.5 incher and looking for a mate with the same barrel length.

[litl rooster]

Always heard my pa talking about the Colt, and always wanted one, but the Scott in ne come out when I seen the price So then I kept watching "Cowboys" this past winter, and seen and ad for a company about 30 minutes from here. They sold the Uberti's and Piette(SP?) clone's but they are not open when working people are off from work and, don't answer emails....That said,..... I will find someone else, then I looked at Cimmarons on line, and liked them and was looking at Vaquero's on line. Heard alot of good things on both. I found a local shop with a .45 Vaquero with 3 5/8 barrel and bought it. You won't do any fancy spinning with it, but out of the box it's a keeper. The 2nd one I found used at another gunshop while I was going to Gander Mtn to buy one. This one is used in SS and a birdshead 3 5/8" barrel on it also. Same deal no slickin' and if I take my time hit where I aim it.  I think I will start looking for a pair of S&W schofield/clones? for my next round. Being a working cowboy I have to do a little at a time, and do alot of clickin' the mouse. Like Clamity Jane, ya want my Vaquero's ya may get them, when the smoke from the last shell clears.

[US Scout]

I'm pretty much the same as RCJ.  I have a greater fascination with the early post-war period (1866-74) than the last quarter of the 19th century, so percussion and conversions are the name of the game, along with the Henry, Improved Henry, and Spencher.  I like a hammered shotgun for the same reason.  My favorite pistol is a converted New Model Army Remington (1858/1863) to .44 Colt.  I have other conversions, but this is my favorite.

On the other hand, I still have the pair of 1875 Remingtons I started CAS with, along with an 1873 Winchester (all repros of course) that I still shoot as the mood strikes. 

[Major Matt Lewis]

So, I started shooting CAS with a Blued Vaquero and a stainless one.  I sold the blued one and picked up a stainless to match.  I also picked up some Beretta Stampedes.  That I later sold and a pair of Colt 3rd Gens and a pair of Navy Conversions.  I have a pair of Hartford Armory 1875 Remmies on order because of their reported quality and reliablity.  I shoot duelist so I mainly shoot the Navy Conversions until the Remmies come in.....

[Frank Dalton]

I shoot a pair of Beretta Stampedes in 44-40 with 5-1/2" bbls. These are the low end blued versions and they shoot really well. I shoot Ammo Direct BP substitute rounds. I chose 44-40 because it was the first round that the 1873 winchester came in.

I also have a USFA rodeo in 45 with 4-3/4" bbl. I have had no problems with any of them, but have to say I like the rodeo better as far as overall "feel" goes.

[Tommy tornado]

I love the time period from the Mexican War to just after the Civil War.  So with that in mind I love shooting Cap and Ball pistols.  Lately I have really been taking a liking to Colts.  Therefore I shoot 2 Walkers, a 2nd Model Dragoon, 2 1851 Navies, and an 1860 army.  I had a couple of Remmingtons with R&D conversions but decided that the colts felt better, and the 1860 Army is a sexy design.  For a rifle I have a Henry or an 1866 Winchester Musket in .45 LC.  Eventually, I want to purchase a rabbit ear shotgun but for now it is a hammerless stroger or an 1887 Winchester.

[Grapeshot]

Since I portray an Artillery officer of the Army of the United States, I try to use what an Army officer would have used back then.  For a Pre-Civil War impression I'll use a pair of 1st Model Dragoons, Civil War era a pair of Colt 1860 Armies.  For that period inbetween 1866 -1873 a brace of 1860 RM Conversions.  After that, for the Indian War period to include the Spanish-American War The 1873 SAA and the S&W Schofield in .45 Caliber.

[Irish Red O'Toole]

I shot with borrowed guns the first time I shot a match and got a chance to see many different sets of pistols.  I decided to get a pair of Stainless Steel 5½" Vaqueros in .45 Colt.  Still use those same guns three years later.  I have a pair of .45 Colt 4 5/8" Blackhawks and a pair of 7½" Remington 1875s also in .45 Colt, but i usually favor the Vaqueros.  They just take a licking and keep on ticking.

[Whiptail Moses]

Got my trusty remington nma back in '72 off of a posse leader out in cook county..  He was tailing me and a couple of other fellows after we broke out of the joliet hoosegow and we backtracked and  turned the tables on em by an old farmhouse. 
Got a cartridge cylinder made for her in ellesworth around '74 or so.
Hasn't failed me yet, and when it does i won't be alive to care...  so no real inclination to switch to something new.

 

[tarheel mac]

Never really considered anything but a .45 except possibly the .44-40...and I like the 4 and 3/4 bbls..(no real reason there...I just think they look better... )  I got a pair of EMFs because a) the price was right, b ) they were available, and c) though I had heard bad things about EMFs, I hod one 20 years ago or so and loved, so got them, and I'm right happy with them overall...