Mr. Walters-
When a firearm is considered for production approval in the N-SSA, the Small Arms Committee along with the manufacturer work with and present to the board of directors' of the Association the specifications of the firearm in question and why it should be approved.
In this instance, the Taylor Spencer Model 1865 was approved, not because of inside connections as you most blatantly stated, but even though no Model 1865s were commonly issued, with the Lane extractor being an internal modification from most Civil War issued models, the exterior of the firearm was the same. The N-SSA Board of Directors voted to approve based on this.
Mr. Romano, as you have so well written, can ruffle a few feathers when he puts his mind to it. Please bear in mind, you are in Arizona, the N-SSA is based in Virginia. Knowing that you have never attended a skirmish, you are hardly in a position to make judgments on the inner workings of the Small Arms Committee, Board of Directors, and the Inspector General's office. You were once banned from the N-SSA bulletin board for a time for making these very same inflammatory remarks.
As in all situations, there are three sides to the story: One side, the other side, and the truth lying between the two. If you wish to have anything clarified, please feel free to contact me off board or post here and I'll be happy to answer publicly.
I wait for your response.
Respectfully,
Sharon Myers
Commander, Allegheny Region, N-SSA
Inspector, Small Arms Committee, N-SSA
sharon.a.myers@comcast.net