The Wewoka Bill Cowboy .45 Special carrier for toggle links has arrived.

[Adirondack Jack]

I've been getting calls and emails almost daily about a carrier for toggle links to feed the Cowboy .45 Special.

Well, I have on my desk the first production carrier.  It's real, it's here, and it's a beauty.

Wewoka Bill is a pard down in Texas I have never laid eyes on.  He asked me several months ago if anybody had a carrier for toggle links for the C 45 S.  I told him not that I was aware of, but I was thinkin' about trying to make it happen.  One smith I approached had said "It will never happen".

About two weeks later, Wewoka Bill emails again, sending several pics of his one-off carrier mod for his '60 Henry.  it worked great and he was happy.  So I says "Gee, ya wanna go in on some sort of partnership to get these made?"

He said he just did it for fun, and asked only that the mod be called "The Wewoka Bill" mod.

At his suggestion I approached Bill English (Happy Trails) of The Smith Shop in RI, and forwarded WB's gift.

Hap has perfected the carrier, and made two versions.  One is for the '60 Henry, the other for the '66/73s.  Delays with a machining subcontractor have led Hap to make the initial production run himself, modifying .45 colt carriers.  At some point we still expect to have "scratch-built" carriers made, but folks have been callin' for em, so Hap has gotten on the stick and made a batch.

I'm honored to be a part of this development, even though it is NOT at all my baby.  I just provided the "problem" as the toggle links would not feed the Cowboy .45 Special.  WB and Hap made this happen.


pictured are rounds with the EPP UG 150 and original J-P 200 bullets.  Anything from a 150 to 250 will feed with this carrier.



This development, along with the Marlin conversions done by Spur, make the C 45 S work in rifles for most shooters.

WELL DONE!

[Pettifogger]

Like everything Hap does the carrier looks great.  Looks like you will have to remember to get some kind of push rod so you can push the round past the stop.  Won't need a stick with the Henry since they load from the front.  Carrier looks a lot like the one in an original 73 in .22.  Great work.

[Adirondack Jack]

Yep, Hap's instructions mention ya need a pusher for the last round.  He suggests either a 20th century pencil eraser or a period correct deer antler tine.  I suppose a deer antler tine would look Ok in the cartridge belt too

The quality of his stuff is great.  I didn't know Hap before this project.  Wewoka Bill had some '60 henry work done by Hap, and recommended him.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho AJ,

You had to know this was commin'. . .  But, do you know of a rifle salesman that sells a new gun with your carrier installed.  I'm thinkn' ol Steve Young might take this project under his wing as an option to some of the guns he sells. . .

Dang, I hate it when my mind runs on like that.

DD-DLoS

[Adirondack Jack]

Howdy DD,

I suspect if a pard was to ask ole Steve fer such an  iron, Steve would order up a carrier from Hap and mebbe some whisper springs while he was at it (Hap makes them too) and in two shakes ya'd have a slick as a whistle rifle all ready for the Cowboy .45 Special.

(You ain't makin' a nickel this way, buyin' new rifles   )

<<Jack>>

[Dick Dastardly]

Guns is better'n nickels.  Guns is inflation proof. . .

DD-DLoS

[J.J. Ferrett]

With all thats happened over the last 18 months, if ya have an old Winnie or two, they aint just inflation proof, they are now serious cash in the bank!!!

And... fantastic work on the carrier! Where there is a need... there is a pard who steps forward and provides the answer (or three in this case). Major kudos to you, Wewoka Bill (why did I wanna type Willy Wonka) and Hap for makin this all happen!!

[Adirondack Jack]

With a certain trepidation I also should mention that if OAL is kept fairly short, that same Wewoka Bill carrier would also work in .44 special rifles to get them to shoot .44 Russian.  Note I did NOT say .44-40, as the bottleneck is an entirely different profile than .44 Russian.