Garrison Joe

One reason a lot of shooters settle in on Winchester Super Target (WST) powder is it's temperature insensitivity. In fact, it is slightly slower in hot temperatures. So, a load worked up in the summer will almost always maintain the same or higher power factor in cold temps. Clay Dot is another powder that is very consistent over a range of normal temperatures. Good luck, GJ

To get back to original question, Win 231 will work fine in .45 auto and with a 230 grain slug. I've loaded that to about 165 PF (years ago) and it's a nice, reliable load. Try about 4.5 grains, and chrono in YOUR pistol because velocities in 1911's vary quite a bit gun to gun. Good luck, GJ

Here's the last of my thread entries about Cutts Compensators on the SASS wire. The member writing on the SASS Wire got correct information as soon as it was clarified here, he made the correct choice for WB by removing the Cutts Compensators off of a gun or three of his that he might use in WB. I edit posts to correct a mistake or misunderstanding or where there is a simpler way to get something done than originally posted. If you are concerned about the historical content of posts, I can line through parts of posts where I correct a post. Or I can offer to make another separate entry on a thread, and copy and correct into a really long post. I run across a question about a Cutts Compensator about once every 10 years. Sorry I didn't reread the rules closely enough to find the compensating ports not allowed, and translate that into also banning Cutts. I was going on the long-standing basic philosophy that any configuration the factory made a gun in back in the period, was acceptable to use in the WB and Cowboy games. I now see this is sometimes supported in the rules, and sometimes disallowed. I'll quit using that "historical factory configuration" as a decision criteria. Good luck, GJ

The piece I edited was to simplify the way to get a 1911 open and ready to move to another position while recovering from cocking at wrong shooting position. Didn't change anything you had concerns with. if I remember right. Good luck, GJ

Sure - it's in item 3 on page 24 of SHB :) Good luck, GJ

Nope, I didn't write anything about the overloading of a long gun. As long as extra rounds are removed from the gun before discarding it, overloading does not create a penalty situation. But the new rules, as Jorge pointed out, have what I believe is new wording about "only can load at loading table for the initial sequence" in which the gun is used. Which as far as I can tell, means the initial shooting string that a gun could be used in, where the same gun will be used again after another type of gun is used. That is the point that I believe Jorge is concerned about. Good luck, GJ Correction: OK, did some digging into the older rules sets. The wording that Jorge was calling out about "loading rounds only for the initial sequence" has been in the handbook since about 2013. Between SHB versions I have from 2012 and a later one from 2013, the words "rounds required for the initial target sequence" were put in to replace "rounds required by the stage". So, the rules haven't changed recently. What I explained earlier - that loading for the shooting string you will (first) do with each of the long guns - is still a good explanation of what the rules mean. Correct me if I'm wrong. So the example of a stage where rifle is shot 5 rounds at position 1, then 5 more at Position 2, then shotgun at position 3, then 2 rifle (reloads) at position 4 - would allow loading 10 rounds at the Loading table, not 12, and not limiting it to just the 5 rounds used at Position 1. Good luck, GJ

Look for a model called "Government" or Mil-Spec among the 1911s you are checking out. Commonly used lower-priced Traditional guns include: A Colt Series 80 Government model ought to work, but it looks like it is not on CA list. :-[ Remington R1 (apparently not on CA list) Armscorp government models, including the several importers who all relabel Armscor guns (like Rock Island Armory). Look for "California Compliant Pistol Available (model 51421-CA)" Yep, AutoOrdnance has a few models Yep, Springfield Armory Mil-Spec (has a CA compliant version) --- would be my choice! Good luck, GJ

Jorge - you wrote Can you cite the page number you think you found words like that? I don't see it in Shooter's Handbook. Thanks, GJ OK, now I see what you are referring to. Under rifle and shotgun range operations, SHB says Usually the term "sequence" is the same as "shooting string" in Wild Bunch. Shooting String is defined (last couple of pages of the handbook) as: Let's say, rifle was going to be fired as first gun, but from two positions, 5 rounds from each. Then shotgun, then rifle again for 2 more loaded-from-person rounds. Your "initial sequence" would be the first 10 rounds all from rifle. You would be penalized if you loaded 12 rounds, both for not following loading table procedures (can only load for the initial sequence), and for restaging the rifle with 2 rounds in magazine while you fired shotgun. IMHO. Unfortunately, the term "initial sequence" is not defined. If the Rules Committee provides us a DIFFERENT definition now than what Shooting String is, all bets are off. Good luck, GJ

The main use of "decocking" would be to correct having worked the action and loaded a round when you are in the wrong position. On most of our long guns, it's not easy (certainly not fast) to keep a round in the mag tube from getting onto your carrier when you eject a round as you mentioned wanting to do. You'll get the round in chamber out, but you will still have round on carrier (unless you dump it out of gun, too). And rounds in mag tube. And action open. The gun cannot be laid down in that condition. You CAN move to another position, though. So I'll try to cover all the ways you can recover from having jacked a round into the chamber at the wrong position or even into the wrong gun. Problem: Cocked correct gun, but in wrong position Short answer, yes, you could do your recovery technique as you describe (eject the round in chamber, leave action open for long guns, or eject round, manually lock slide back for 1911) if you immediately move to another position, carrying the gun with muzzle down range. You could then reload one round for the round you "jacked out". That would give you no penalty, and all your original number of shots to hit targets with. Alternatively, you can fire one round at correct target, or into the back berm if you can't fire at the correct target. You will get a P for firing from wrong position. With action closed on fired round or open with round on carrier, move to correct position. Fire rounds from correct position. If you obviously "dumped" a round into berm at first position, you can load one round "extra" to have enough to engage all targets. Problem: Cocked wrong gun The hard part is if you loaded the chamber on a long gun and instead need to shoot some other gun first. You can only restage a gun having rounds in the magazine, if it's chamber is empty or has a fired round it it, and you leave the action CLOSED. Doing anything else with rounds in mag tube would be a Minor Safety for allowing a loaded long gun out of your hands in improper condition. So, two ways to fix this. The cleanest way (not necessarily always the lowest time way, though) to fix this is jack out all the rounds without firing any of them, lay the gun down with action open. You may need to pick up all those dropped jacked out rounds for reloading later! Or, you can fire a round from the incorrectly cocked gun, either into berm or at first correct target. Giving you a P for incorrect gun order used. Leave action closed on the fired round. This is "restaging gun for further use" in the rules) Then you can pick up correct gun, fire it, then make safe. Then, you can pick up the incorrectly-cocked long gun that you staged, move if needed, load the gun with however many rounds that you still need to fire, and fire it. Here's the conditions for safely laying down a long gun: It gets complicated. Generally, folks avoid making this error like the plague! It comes with practice, lots of practice, and being sure of each shooting position and the gun order before you begin the stage. Good luck, GJ

I'd take the measure off and clean real well all the internal surfaces of hopper, slide cavity, and the expander/powder drop tube! Anything powder might stick to. Clean with isopropyl alcohol and let dry. Then run a fresh dryer sheet on all those areas to add a little extra anti-static layer to the contact parts. TrailBoss is a low density large flake powder. It is known for not metering real consistently and dropping freely. (PS - that right there is one strong reason (of three) that I load WST powder for everything WB. But yes, you have to have confidence that you are putting a charge in every case. I get that confidence by having a RCBS powder lock-out die in the 550 tool head, meaning I use a combined seat-crimp die at last station. I don't have the diligence to look down in every case when I load over 4000 rounds a month. But those lock-out dies sure do!) Good luck, GJ

I'd run the Model 12 in several matches to get used to it, then check how it runs at speed when the adrenaline is coursing. I have 2 12's and still find I shoot my 97s faster and with fewer hickups. 12's take a bit of smoothness in operation that seems more than I can call up on demand. There will be markets for 97s for quite a while yet. Good luck, GJ

I'd agree you have non-factory Cutts compensators, since you found factory choke marks on all three barrels. They really have no value to most folks - in fact a negative value. Hope you have enough barrel length to be able to chop off the comps, because of the rule pointed out above by the principals in the rules committee, they would be illegal barrel compensation ports. Make sure the folks you are going to gift the guns to really want a short-barrel with no choke. It would be too late if they decided they wanted to take one duck or turkey hunting, after you had their gift shortened. :'( That short stock on the '57 would be a great youth shotgun for the sport. (Make sure the transfer is to the parent, not a child under 18.) Good luck, GJ

Remember that the professional loading data you find for .45 Colt is chronographed from pistols. Rifle usually adds another 150-200 FPS to the muzzle velocity. But the number Kid Rich gave you is about what I found to be a good load when I tried 700-X. Gave an accurate load for me. It was considerably dirtier than WST, so that is what I have shot for a 200 grain rifle load for 8 years now. Good luck, GJ

Several shooters have fixed a feed problem in their long chamber guns, where the nose of the 2 3/4" shell falls off to the right of the chamber as the carrier rises, by putting the 2 3/4" carrier having shell stop blocks on it's top edge into their 3" chambered gun. Prevents 3" shells from feeding, I would imagine. Good luck, GJ

Factory vent ribs are allowed. As I mentioned in Cowboy forum, no, I believe you don't have to remove a factory installed Cutts compensators/chokes, because factory configurations of many guns (such as the model 97 shotgun, or any of our rifles) are allowed. 3" chambered Model 12 guns can be used, they are legal. Don't use 3" ammo, unneeded, slows you down, may compromise your ability to load 6 in mag tube, and may easily be "high velocity shells" (which are not allowed). You MUST get in the habit of every time you go to the loading table, to close the action and PULL THE TRIGGER before loading the magazine. If you have not done this, when you attempt to rack the gun (with mag loaded, empty chamber, and internal hammer cocked), you will find you cannot get action slide to move, and the TO will call a Stage DQ for coming to the line with the hammer cocked. Good luck, GJ

Goatneck - Can you please see the next modifications to the WB rules call this out explicitly? I've asked for this before, and folks didn't seem to think it was important to improve the definition of a BAM rifle. Since then, we've had multiple questions on this forum, and several have asked at matches, about the Model 48 and unnecessary fur has flown because of it. Good luck, GJ

Think you will need to discuss the rule with WB rules committee, not me. Not all rules always make sense from every shooter's point of view. But we've been doing real well with the rules we've had. There's a ton of variant-gun rules that could have been written, but they saw the wisdom of trying to keep the rule set simple and the gun selection process pretty simple, and the "race mods" to a minimum. Thus my guess is they took the same approach on external mods that the Cowboy rules have, even for mods that don't make much competitive difference. I've seen the rules committee always open to a constructive discussion, though. Try it and see, if you think it's important. Get out and get active shooting. I'm pretty sure suggestions carry more weight if you have been shooting actively, widely and recently. Good luck, GJ

Baltimore - Believe you read the answers incorrectly. A military-issued Model 12 is fine, and it may have the heat shield and bayonet lug. You just can't hang a bayonet on it during the match. A civilian M12 is not to be externally modified, except where a modification is called out in the rules as allowed. Like any other firearm we use in Wild Bunch (or Cowboy shooting). Adding a heat shield or bayonet lug is included in the many modifications that are not allowed. Why are you wound up about this? Good luck, GJ

My experience with an early one with a Rock Island Armory mark was that it was barely usable due to poor machining. I believe they have fixed most of the errors they made in early production, but that is not from personal experience, as I will not ever have another to put through a serious test. They certainly use a lot of MIM parts (MIM is metal injection molding). This results in sintered parts with noticeable seams from the molds (unless they are carefully removed). But even close attention to removing mold marks does not make a MIM part equal to a machined-from-bar-stock part. I consider the use of MIM parts on fire control parts a major error for any firearm used for serious purposes. Armscor still makes most of their sears, disconnectors, thumb safeties, magazine releases and several other parts with MIM technology. The examples I have seen and discussed with other owners have needed a major action job before they were fit for serious match shooting. Here's a video of a knowledgeable shooter testing and tweaking an Armscor 1911 in .45 auto. The Springfield, Remington and Ruger 1911s are not much more money, and are considerably better in their machining and metal selection. IMHO. As you can tell, it all depends upon how good you expect your pistol to be. I expect a level of smoothness, crispness and reliability that requires me to do a lot of action work on even my Colt models. Good luck, GJ

It's always wise to return to the rulebook instead of interpreting rules to be something other than written. A bent bolt handle would sure seem like an external modification from the design that the Czech's (and adopted by Yugoslavia) prepared in 1924, which was a straight bolt handle action. The 48 uses an intermediate-length action, not the full length of a German 98. So, receiver, bolt and other parts are different. The 48 dropped the magazine cutoff also. Looking up the date of end of WW II (VJ Day), that was Sept 2, 1945. Considerably before 1948. If the rules really ARE supposed to allow the use of the Yugo 48, then let's get them changed so they CLEARLY allow this particular design of the Yugo Mauser. We've talked around this particular situation several times before and the rules have always stood as written originally at the end of those discussions, with the emphasis given to "enforce the rules as written." We do not do our potential BAMM shooters any favors by making it impossible for them to read the rules and obtain a clear answer in all situations. Good luck, GJ

Da nada. Or are we saying "no problemo" any more? Mas o menos. Check your ejection and fired brass - should be no damage to the mouths. Should be good feed, easy racking, reliable. If not, find the problem and stomp it out. No shock buff - no mooning. Good luck, GJ

The Yugoslavian 24/47 was an arsenal rebuild on the original Model 24 design. Has been judged legal every time I've shot it. The Model 48 was "designed after WW II" and is judged not legal for BAMM at major matches that follow rules. Although it's very similar, it's a different design. Biggest modification - bent bolt handle. Be aware both of those have a shorter action than the normal Mauser. This means there is a shorter OAL on the loaded cartridges and a different stock if you ever restock it. Good luck, GJ

This isn't just the standard flat mainspring housing. This one is angled to have more metal at the bottom than the top, so the housing makes for a larger grip at the bottom than at the top (ALA a hog leg revolver grip frame). If you look at the ad for this in the Brownell's site, it explicitly says it forces the shooter's hand upward into the grip safety. Directly quoting the web page: Good luck, GJ

I'd bet that V-Grip housing will make a non-beavertail safety gun (Traditional) try to bite the web of the hand even worse than normal. Since it forces the hand up into the grip safety area. But with a beavertail, no problem. Good luck, GJ

Three possible suspects could be grabbing the slide/barrel at halfway-forward on the closing cycle of the slide. Barrel bushing grabbing the barrel Disconnector not sliding down to allow bottom of slide to pass by Ejector pivoting enough to grab the narrow slot in bottom of slide that the ejector slides within Sudden bushing tightness isn't something likely to "just pop up". Unless you see the inside of bushing galled or the outside of barrel scarred, and bushing is not super tight on barrel when you disassemble the gun, probably not there. Disconnector needs a drop of oil on it's tip every time you clean gun. That disconnector is not driven upward by much of a spring (one leaf of the three-legged leaf "sear" spring). It could have it's channel in the slide filled with gunk and be not wanting to be pushed down by slide. Ejector pivoting would be my guess from what little you have to work on. If the ejector is moveable by hand, you need to re-pin it and make it solid. It could pivot up and down, or rotate some sideways (especially if one of the two legs on the extractor has sheared off). If ejector has been damaged (peened), it could be dragging in it's raceway. That, though, would seem to be a regular drag on the slide, not a one-every-200 rounds problem. Then again, it's probably something else..... ??? Fourth possibility - probably very rare.....Did the slide release wedge itself in the disassembly notch of the slide somehow? Good luck, GJ