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Old June 21, 2000, 02:47 PM   #1
riddleofsteel
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howdy;
i am thinking of getting into SASS matches. i have some questions. first the only gun i have at the current time suitable is a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. do many people shoot in the modern class?
second, i have to but a lever action carbine in a pistol caliber right? i have been considering buying a stainless Ruger Vaqcaro and a stainless Navy Arms carbine in .357/.38. would the smaller caliber be an advantage or a disadvantage in these matches?
i was thinking the .38 Special ammo would be cheaper than .45 Colt and it would have less recoil and still meet minimum velocity requirements.
third, if i go the cheapest route and buy a lever action in .45 colt to match the Blackhawk, is the modern lever type Winchester with the crossbolt type safety legal.
finally, do anyone know of a source of reproduction lever action or pre 1900 exposed hammer pump shotguns. if so do you think they would be worth the cost over a more traditional side by side?
thanks guys and gals

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Old June 21, 2000, 03:38 PM   #2
Gunslinger
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Welcome to CAS, Riddle. There are others here that are more knowledgeable about it than I am but I'll take a crack at some of your questions.
The Blackhawk will be fine. There are many shooters that shoot in the traditional class. Another thing that is very common in CAS is for new (CAS) shooters to begin with less than the basics until they can get all their guns and gear together.
Ulitmately you would idealy like to end up shooting a pair of revolvers and a lever action sharing a common caliber. The .357/.38 will do very well. However you may wish to consider looking for another Blackhawk in .45 and a matching lever gun to save a little expense.
The lever guns with the cross bolt safety are legal for CAS.

I'd recommend going and trying a match or two to see what you think. CAS shooters have a great tradition of allowing new members to sue their guns to get their "feet wet". If you do that bring factory loaded ammo in the common calibers and give it a try.

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Old June 21, 2000, 05:53 PM   #3
riddleofsteel
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so do i need two revolvers?

is the Blackhawk not in the modern class?

do many people shoot modern class?

thanks

[This message has been edited by riddleofsteel (edited June 21, 2000).]
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Old June 21, 2000, 09:17 PM   #4
Jeff, CA
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I second Gunslinger's advice to hang out at a couple of shoots. Introduce yourself to the chapter president or rangemaster (the "Mayor" or the "Sheriff"). They'll make an announcement to the group, and there will be someone there who will be glad to share a gun or two with you at the next shoot. If you don't know who/where they are, call SASS and they will give you a phone number.

I have yet to get a straight answer from SASS regarding the issue of one revolver or two. Last time I looked, the only reference in the rule book to reloading on the clock was in regard to black powder guns, and all it said is, you may switch cylinders. To be frank, I've never seen anybody use just one revolver, but I don't think anybody would have a problem with it; you'd just burn a lot of time reloading on the clock.

Do Blackhawks have adjustable sights? If so, they are in the modern class. The Vaquero, with its notch sights, is in the traditional class. In my local group, more people shoot traditional than modern, but modern shooters aren't rare by any means, and everybody shoots the same courses. I believe you have to shoot modern if you have one of each.

A couple of years ago, an importer called Tri-Star announced that their manufacturer in Turkey was going to build a replica of the Arnold Schwarzenegger, T2-style lever action shotgun, with Winchester's blueprints and blessing, but it seems to have fizzled. I've shot with 3 chapters, and at least half the people in each had the exposed-hammer Winchester pump (1897?). I'm sure someone in your group can help you get a line on one. I don't know how much they might cost - I have a cheap "Brand X" side-by-side.

About the ammo - the bullets have to be all lead. No copper jackets, no gas checks, no copper plating. There are also limits on the muzzle velocity. Many of the big ammo manufacturers now load "cowboy" ammo ($$$), but any light load, like a .38 Special lead round nose, will work just fine. For the shotgun, any of the upland game, or dove & quail loads, are the ones to use.

Most important of all - Have fun!
 
Old June 21, 2000, 09:18 PM   #5
Angel Diamond
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Most clubs do shoot stages that require 2 revolvers.
It is easier if both pistols and rifle are the same caliber. You only have to have one type of ammo that way and you don't have to worry about loading the wrong ones.
Shooting the Blackhawk does put you in the Modern class. There is a higher percentage of shooters in the traditional class. The number of Modern shooters varies from club to club. To give you some idea, the last match I shot had 76 shooters. 35 shot in the traditional class and 7 in the modern class.

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Old June 22, 2000, 07:55 AM   #6
fal308
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Where are you located? If you're near someone here I'm sure you'd be welcome. If you're anywhere near the St. Louis MO area you'd be welcome to watch and/or shoot at our CAS match. It's the third Sunday of every month.
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Old June 23, 2000, 05:23 AM   #7
Ned Roundtree
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True, most folks shoot Traditional Class. But Modern Class is the second largest class at our club. Hotly contested class filled with a lot of ex-IPSC shooters. I don't know, just sorta seems like that when you go down the roster. But before you go spending money. You need to settle down on what caliber your going. Hate for you to have to buy the guns twice. Really does help to have two pistols and one lever action rifle in same caliber. 45LC or 38 SP, really a personal choice.

[This message has been edited by Ned Roundtree (edited June 23, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Ned Roundtree (edited June 23, 2000).]
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Old June 25, 2000, 01:45 PM   #8
Dingo
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I use a pair of 45 Blackhawks. Had one before the cowboy bug bit so just went and got another one. Also aquired a 45 Winchester 94.
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