Good times at the Nebrasa State Championships!

[Dalton Masterson]

I was entered in Frontiersman, as well as 1 other, Quick Fire Hombre.
Muddy mess, lotsa rain the night before the main match. Water splashing everytime a target was hit looked very cool.
I used my 51, and my 60 the first 3 stages. Realized my 60 was kaput after stage 3, and the 51 died stage 6.

The hammer wasnt going all the way forward on the 60, and no caps in the way. Grrr. Need a rebuild.
The 51 is due for a new hammer, as the face is cratered badly, possibly by the hardened steel firing pins of my conversion cylinder.

Bad time to find this stuff out, as they were both working fine the last 3 matches. Oh well, go to the backup guns.
Used my Walker in place of the 60 for the next 3 stages, and was clean for day 1, but a little slow due to the repeated issues of the 60.

Decided to use my Starrs on day 2, because they have never failed me.
First stage saturday, boom boom boom click boowoooooom. Had a chainfire with the previous click. No more percieved recoil, no damage, CAP Still in Place on passed cyllinder. Had to pry it off at the unload table. There is miss #1.
Chainfire didnt faze me too much, ran to the scattergun, and theres a wasp sitting on the grip. Hmmm. Waved him away, and boomboom, no problem with shotgun. Pull second Starr, click. Try again, boom. Kinda flustered by now, I shoot out of order and get a Procedural. Dangnabbit. Oh well, had a lot going against me on that stage. Will make it up on others, as these Starrs are failsafe.
At the unloadingtable, noticed the guns were very dry, and realized I failed to lube the cylinders in my haste to get ready in the morning.
Went to reload the Starrs, LUBED them, and then realized that the one that did not chainfire, also did not turn the cylinder on its own. What the @$%. Flustered, I go to the car and retrieve the Walker, and a "unreliable" old Remmy I have had for years and didnt shoot much. Parked the Starrs in the car.
Loaded the 3rd set of pistols, and had a nice rest of the match with no problems, other than an unruly shotgun knockdown on our last stage. I loaded my vest pockets and slide with shells, as others were having trouble with it, and I gave it a good 12 or 13 rounds of punishment. Still didnt knock it down. Oh well. Took a -3 on that one.

BUT, you ask why I wrote this play by play? Its because that it was one of the funnest times I have had with my percussion guns, mainly due to the fact that both of us were on the same posse. It is very nice being able to compete head to head with another guy shooting the same guns as you, and having the same issues.
It also showed some of the heathen smokeless guys how much fun cap and ball is, cuz I had a smile on the whole time! Now I just gotta go thrash my parts box and fix some guns for next weekend!
DM
PS, btw, Quick Fire Hombre took first place, and I came in a close second. He deserved it tho, the last 2 matches he had the percussion befuddlment too.

[Quick Fire]

Dalton, it was pure pleasure being on the same Posse as you and Miz Freeda. You all ran a mighty fine Posse and I hope to be able to join you again in the near future for another shoot. BTW for all of you Nebraska shooters that missed this shoot, you missed a damn fine one. The Platte Valley Gunslingers did a heck of a job, and they can stand proud.

[Dalton Masterson]

Heres a pic of Quick Fire makin smoke!

[Dalton Masterson]

And me making Walker smoke. Was a nice whoomp under that canopy. Using 48 gr. 2F and round ball.

[hellgate]

Dalton,
I've had similar matches. Now, I never take less than two spares even to a monthly shoot and at an annual I'll generally take 3 or 4. Fortunately it has been years since I've had to swap out more than one gun.My spares have all been debugged and are match worthy if called upon. I feel great pride when I have no misfires in a two day match. Keep tweeking the guns and load methodically. I am very anal at a match. Nuthin worse than dry balling. [sounds like a venereal disease].

[Dalton Masterson]

Yes, it does sound like an awful disease!

Yep I am glad I had the others with me. Its just amazing to me that they all chose this weekend to do what they did. Grrrr. Oh well. They are alive in their own right. DM