Pump Rifles for SASS

[Yankee Will]

Can anyone tell me how popular pump rifles are in SASS type shoots?  I am leaning toward the Taurus Thunderbolt in .45 Colt.
Any info would be appreciated.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy,

The T-Bolt is a pretty good buy IF IT WORKS.  I tried two for the CC article and both were flawless.  Lately I seem to hear that 4 out of 5 are OK, but occassional bad ones pop up.. Bring action proving dummies and cycle them through ANY of the pumps first: T-Bolt, Uberti, Pedersolli, etc.

I am evaluating the Pedersolli Lightning imported by EMF for an article in Cowboy Chronicle.  It cost a bunch, but it is absolutely beautiful (probably $1600 retail).  I have tried various ways to make it jamb, but it refuses.  It keeps going.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

They're the most fun to shoot. If given my choice of a rifle to simply own and shoot, the Lightning is the one. If you want to be competitive, though, a model '73 is more suitable. For CAS, I can shoot a Model 73 much faster.

[Gold Canyon Kid]

Run don't walk away from that idea.  The Taurus has been a particular troublesome gun to make work.  There are tons of stories by shooters about sending their rifles back to Taurus and not getting them back for months and then they still did not work.

[Yankee Will]

At the 2004 annual NRA meeting in Pittsburgh I looked at a bunch of lever actions, and Henry's seemed the smoothest and quietest.
It didn't sound like a BB in a tin can when ya gave it a shake.  I may have to take another look at them before I decide what rifle I want.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

The Henry id a great gun.. That is what I use about half the time.  The other half I use a Taylor's 56-50 Spencer!  I got my Military Model Henry in 44-40 from Taylors.

Check out the 1860 Henry forum in this list.

[buck]

  Umm can't you just get both a pump rifle and the lever action?    I like to give all rifle actions an equal opportunity 

[Dalton Masterson]

I agree with TL. My wife bought me a Pedersoli last August when they were scarce yet. I shot it that sun for a 6 stage, used APP. Wiped it down and took it to the State shoot Labor day. Used it as my main match gun at State with no probs, ran some Trail Boss in it at State. It functioned fine with Schofields, or 45 Colts. I then took it to a annual shoot at the end of the month and ran it the whole time there using APP again. No lick of trouble, except for 2 times I short stroked it. I finally took it home and did the first takedown. Not a lot of blowback, but lots of caked on APP in the barrel.
The only downfall to it is the lack of slamfire ability. I tried to modify it, then took it to my smith who tried. No chance without major surgery. I hope there comes a "fix" somehow.
I havent used my 73 since last summer, and it is a shortstroked, slicked up powdermonkey. DM

[Fox Creek Kid]

Moderator, shouldn't this post be in another forum? 

[Dalton Masterson]

Kinda wondered why it was here too, but a question needs answerin. DM

[Chuck Would]

I'd say it depends........

Is this your 1st and only CAS rifle or are you adding to the heard to make it more fun to shoot something different?

If this will be your only main match rifle, I'd say no. Depending on caliber and depending on the manufacturer, any one of the brands can give you fits.  IIRC, some are are real touchy with straight wall pistol calibers.  And, again IIRC, the .45 was more touchy than the .38 due to bullet weight  The bottle neck calibers tend to run better and not jam as much.

And remember you get what you pay for and some of the companies have been making them longer than others.

AWA International was 1st.  Had big trouble with them at 1st. but that seems to be behind them now that the company changed hands and is AWA USA.  Call and talk to Russell - owner and head smith there.

USFA was next and went through the same learning curves as AWA.

Taurus and the rest all came late to the party with a "me too" pump.

Hope that helps,

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

A few years ago, when the first replica pump rifles appeared on the market, there was a great wail that went up predicting they would change the sport forever, and that anybody who wanted to compete would have to buy one. That never happened. They're fairly rare in these parts. Maybe 5% of shooters use one, if that.

The skills required for a pump rifle are slightly different than the skills required for a levergun. For most shooters, with a lever gun, the hand holding the front of the rifle stays steady on the gun, providing a more stable platform for keeping on target after working the action. A pump requires that hand to be moving, the steady hand is the one on the trigger. So a pump may tend to bounce around more in some shooters hands. Both should be tried before spending any money.

When you say 'Henry' there are two completely separate rifles out there with that name. There are the Italian made replicas of the 1860 Henry. These are very accurate replicas of the original Henry design, although they are only available in cartridges like 44-40 and 45 Colt. Not the original 44 Henry Rimfire cartridge, a fairly low powered round. These rifles are terrific for style points, but they are very heavy and tend not to be used by the fastest competitors. Then there are also some rifles made by a company in Brooklyn which appropriated the Henry name. These do not much resemble the historical rifle they chose as their namesake.

I bought a Henry late last year. The Italian made one. It is very heavy, but it is something else. I hope to be shooting it a lot this year, although I will never be in the winner's circle.

[E.R.Beaumont]

Howdy Pards and Pardettes.

Yankee Pard, I have a Taurus, and it is a yj prefix.  It has worked fine for me forever, hovever I don't shoot much more than one match a month.  I haven't shot a match since November so it may have turned insideout, but I don't think so.  The secret is bullet shape and overall length.  I am sending a check to Ultonia today for a Beretta Gold Rush short rifle in .38/.357, cause it comes in .38, most do not. I will be shooting a pair of Laramies in .38 this next Summer when I am a Senior cause the sights are not a problem in Senior Duleist.  So being a 3/4 Beretta Brand cowboy makes sense.  I shoot a Cap Special '87.

If you are going to campaign a pump rifle, it would prpbably be best if you used a pump shotgun.  The pumps have the potential to be faster than the leaver guns, however I think the folks who will prove it will be folks that have never shot a leaver gun.  Of course I will talk out the other side of my mouth and say that an '87 can be just as fast or faster than a '97. 

Speed comes from eliminateing wasted motion and smoothness.  Both of which come from proper practice, that much practice ought to smooth up your action, and your technique.  Remember that those Pards with the blinding speed of their '73s at one time did not know which end of the cartridge went into the magazine first.

I shoot odd pistols, (Schofields, Russians, Laramies) cause I want to. Am I competitive, well no but that is cause I don't practice.  That much practice becomes work and I am retired.  It is nice to be a winner, and most winners are nice people.  I think that it is more fun to be a character, to get laughs, and to laugh at yourself.  To me Laughing is more important than Winning.

If you want to be a champion shoot tricked out Rugers, a slicked up '73, and a Chinchester pump worked over by someone who knows what they are doing.  You will also have to shoot 500 or more rounds a week, and spend at least 30 to 40 minutes a day dry fireing.  You will also have to be in athlete type good shape, so you better start the diet and exercise programs now.  Oh and you are going to have to read some books.  I recomend Brian Enos and Michael Plaxco to begin with, then go through their bibleographies and read them too.

So if you look closely it is a lot less work to be a character, and maybe just as rewarding.  There seems to be a war between the Athletes and the Characters, but that is not so.  The war is between the Athletes, and the guys that want to win without doing what it takes to be a champion.  Most of the Athletes don't get into the war cause they are too busy training to pay much attention.  If you buy the best equipment that you can afford, and practice with it you will get good with it.

That is all I think I know, (and maybe more than you wanted to hear).
Regards, Beaumont

[Yankee Will]

"Then there are also some rifles made by a company in Brooklyn which appropriated the Henry name. These do not much resemble the historical rifle they chose as their namesake."

That is the Henry I was talking about.  Probably a "Golden Boy" or whatever they are calling the one in .45 Colt.

Thanks for the info, boys. 

This would be my first Cowboy rifle.  I am just starting to collect the shooters for the sport.  Started with an 1875 Remington revolver in .45 Colt.  Hope to get another one soon.