Adirondack Jack ..Make`in History

[sundance44`s]

Got my Nov. Cowboy Chronicle in the mail today   ..pony express ya know , there about in the middle in full color is a story about AJ`s new Cowboy 45 specials ...Yelled at the misses ..look here honey i know this pard ...he`s make`n History ....Nice goin AJ Cheers !
Dick Dastardly ..your there too ..with El Paso Pete`s bullets ..Cheers !

[Adirondack Jack]

Thanks fer the flowers, Sundance

Got my CC today as well, and the timing was very fitting, as I had just returned from the range, after testing the official EPP/UG 45-150 BIG LUBE bullets I cast with the brand new mold I got the other day.

I tested em with heathen smokeless and 777 FFG, and the first trial recipies showed lots of promise.  The Spur Short Stroke Marlin absolutely loved em, shooting into one hole offhand at 15 yards and clocking a very consistent velocity with 777.  They fed slicker than frog snot on awet glass door knob too.  In the pistolas they were quite good, but I think a little bit of recipe tuning will make em better yet (gotta start somewhere, and I see room to tune the load to perfection).  All in all a good range session, running loads roughly equivalent to factory Cowboy .38 specials.  Then I get home to find the CC in the box.  Made fer a good day.

  I owe a huge debt of gratitude to DD, EPP and Spur.  Their work has made this a much more complete package.  When the drop in carrier for toggle links is complete, we're really gonna have some folks thinkin'

The numbers and such for the loads are posted on the website (click the link on the banner)

[sundance44`s]

AD got a question fer ya .. I too shoot a Marlin 1894 cowboy ... will I be able to buy whats needed to make her feed the 45 specials and install my self ? If so let us know where to buy the things needed .
This no more fillers in the long cases is sure gonna speed up the loading process . I`ll have my cereal with some milk instead off wasteing it in the long cases .
Ya really have something there AD .. i can see this catchin on really quick .I know i`m not the only pard that don`t like beating my guns will the full loads ...The wife shoots so much better with around 20 grs of black . And we both like big holes in the target papper ..easy fer old eyes to see.

[Adirondack Jack]

For the Marlins, there is no "drop in" conversion kit available.

Marlins, as you know, are finicky with timing, enough so that even factory carriers sometimes won't play without a tune-up.  Honest injun, while ya CAN have a smith add a cartridge stop to yer gun's carrier, I'd strongly urge ya to save yer pennies and contact Spur at spur45@macomb.com  I've got Spur Short Stroked, Cowboy .45 Special conversions #1 and #2 right here, and there are a bunch more waiting in line to get theirs done.

One feller who already uses Cowboy .45 Specials in his pistols, shooting 18 grains of HB and a 200 or thereabouts,  shoots a 66 for his main match rifle, but has a Marlin backup gun.  I handed him #2 to eyeball.  He shouldered it, cycled it a few times, and spent the rest of the weekend trying to buy it from me.

Yes it's an expense, but I figure it this way, it's cheaper than a short stroked  '73 border rifle and will run head to head with one (4 5/8 inch lever stroke and like oiled glass).  Besides, I can tear down and clean TWO marlins faster than you can ONE '73.

DD's EPP/UG 45-150 bullet feeds slicker than frog snot in my "bp designated" marlin, and with a 13.5 to 15 gr (weight) load of 777 is a LOT cheaper to feed than LONG Colts.  Kinda neat having the sights not move and seeing the holes appear in the paper when practicing. 

[sundance44`s]

Good to know ...But even if i decide to keep feeding the Marlin the long cases ..it wouldn`t be hard to tell the cases apart at a glance ..so really not a problem there eaither .

[Adirondack Jack]

Nope, not a problem there.  I'm just lazy at loading, and like the idea of not having to keep two stocks up. (Always seem to have not enough of one type otherwise).  I also like the idea of a lot less powder, and figured I could capitalize on that over the long haul  if both rifle and pistols were set up that way.  What I never anticipated is how much fun the short stroked marlin is.  It's a whole different animal than the long stroke.

In the end, either way works.