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Regardless of how well tuned your 1911 is or how well you reload your ammo, knowing how to safely and quickly clear a jam is not something to be overlooked. Things happen and I've seen far too many newer shooters struggle with what to do when it happens. Going to slide lock, manually pulling mag from the mag well, clearing a FTF safely and indetifying what can't quickly be fixed should be learned/practiced. When things decide to go wrong, it can really eat up time fixing it. Totes

Get Bogus Deals firing pin. It doesn’t use the retractor.

Got the email this morning that CMP is taking orders for the last expected batch of surplus 1911s.

Either belt. As long as they conform to SASS WB Rules.

ok I too am new to this part of the game, as far as the extra mags being carried are they on a shotgun belt or down low with the gun belt?

There is NO standard course of fire for Bolt Action Military matches (BAMM). The match director, if they are being shooter-friendly, should publish the course of fire that they have decided to use with any match invitation. That way, the shooter can come with proper ammo and any other equipment that may be allowed. Shooting a few BAMM matches is the best way to find out how to put on one. Not everyone has that much ability to travel to the bigger Wild Bunch matches where BAM matches are held (like EOT or Land Run, for example). Yes, I have set up up at EOT as a BAM match director. So - I'll describe the general approach I've seen at four different venues, and used for EOT. BAMM is usually considered to be a "combat-shooting" match, using, of course, WW II or earlier military rifle designs. Because many ranges have no more than about 100 or 200 yard bay lengths, the setting of targets out to those distances is common. Shorter than 60 yards or so, usually is not considered much of a challenge other than just working the action and reloading. Use of fairly strong targets and stands is needed, as a military rifle of those times can throw a cast bullet of 150 grains or so at up to 2000 FPS. Jacketed bullets usually are not allowed due to damage to all but heavy armor steel plates, and the facts that folks love to hear the targets ring and don't like tramping down 150 yards to patch paper targets, or reset heavy knockdown targets. Since some of the "poster boy" rifles for BAMM are Mauser 98s and Springfield 1903 designs, and they have 5 round built-in magazines, usually the match consists of shooting 10 or 15 rounds in sets of 5 shots, which will take about 40 to 60 seconds, usually with the reloads "on the clock". If possible, target distance is varied to encourage understanding use of sights and hold-offs. Sometimes using shooting sticks or benches is allowed, but some of the more fun matches either shoot all rounds off-hand unsupported, or use a variety of standard military shooting positions, like kneeling, sitting and off-hand. Prone, not so much if you will require shooters to get into position and recover after shooting, all while on the clock (consider your shooters' physical capabilities). Scoring is USUALLY like most long-range rifle matches - number of hits during the run, with ties decided by lowest time to get those hits. I've shot in one BAMM that scored it like a main-match stage (lowest time after adding in penalty times for misses), but then the match rewards speed over accuracy (which was not the design purpose of bolt action rifles - to "Project Power At Distance"). So, because of a variety of potential course layout, number of rounds fired, target distance, shooting positions and even the scoring method, now you may understand why you want to publish the course of fire to be used AHEAD OF THE TIME THAT FOLKS TRAVEL TO THE MATCH. However, I've not seen one yet which accomplished that. So plan ahead. I usually take at least 50 rounds of ammo loaded to 1800 FPS to a BAMM, a rifle that I have sighting dope for 50 to 200 yards (even 300), several stripper clips, shooting sticks, a mat, and a spotting scope. One of the biggest deterrents to getting good attendance at BAM matches is the need for shooters to reload fairly accurate, rifle caliber, moderate power cast bullet loads - not something many folks know how to do. And commercial ammo loaded like that is real hard to find. Even if the venue has a suitable bay or rifle range and strong steel to shoot BAMM on. good luck, GJ

One of the positives of this forum and the cowboy forum being different is here you can send pics in the private messages. You can’t do that on the cowboy wire.

I second Two Dot, also the tip of the his firing pin is more robust and should not break

Your tube is your friend.

Good news is always welcome!

In 2025, El Posse Grande will be hosting, not only the PA State Cowboy Action Shooting Championship, but the Wild Bunch Action Shooting Championship as well. The WB match will be a 6 stage match on Friday, May 23 and the cowboy match will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Cholula Mike will be our WBAS Match Director, and I will continue to be the CAS Match Director along with Happy Valley Harlot. Our committee will be working hard to make both of these matches a success. I do hope that you will continue to support El Posse Grande as we take on this new endeavor. Lots more information will be forthcoming. Please be patient as we draw up the forms and get the info posted to our website. elpossegrande.com

Great idea to put the WB and CAS state match together in the same weekend! Sent my app in today. Looking forward to my first Pennsylvania shoot. See ya there! MK

Sent my application in!

The Circle K Regulators are happy to announce that 12th Annual NYS Wild Bunch Championship will be held on June 14-15, 2025 in Ballston Spa NY 2025 Muster Application.pdf

Yes, I know that alias! I am related to Col. Cornelius Gilliam. He is my 4th Great Uncle. I researched my family tree and became interested in the Col. He had very a colorful/interesting life. I've been using this alias since about 1996. He died in Oregon Territory in 1848 while serving as the highest ranking officer in the Territory commanding the militia during the Cayuse Indian war.

Best advice I was given is to have mags that work every time without fail. Second was to use a loaded round gage and check every round you will use in a match. Any round that doesn't drop fully into the gage goes into the practice bin. Also check that the primers are fully seated.

You’ve got some good advice here and some poor advice. I’m going to against the grain with a couple things, though. You’ll hear people say “front sight”! Forget it! Your mind should know now how to line up the sights on target. MUCH more important is proper trigger manipulation. You can spend all day lining up the sights perfectly but when you jerk the trigger all that is moot. Dry fire practice and slow fire target practice will help. But everyone flinches to some degree at some point. Controlling it is the key. That’s the only place dummy rounds are handy loaded in the mag. It will show you your flinch. Also, forget “muscle memory”. It’s a fallacy. Your brain tells every muscle what to do, when to do it and how much to do it. Don’t pay attention to where the empty mag falls. Too many people waste too much time making sure they land on the table or carpet. All you want is it out of the gun. As for malfunctions, properly tuned guns with quality ammo and proper mags mitigate malfunctions to practically nil. Also, no need to go to the line with a “Barney” mag. That will be the mag you grab when you need a full mag.

Get WST powder. Cleaner than Titegroup. 200 grain slugs making about 160 PF will probably need 4.6 grains of WST, but I find each 1911 gives slightly different velocities. Find a buddy with a chronograph and test your loads. good luck, GJ