Grips For Handguns

[Dusty44]

I have been looking for a set of wood grips for my Ruger New Vaquero with very little success.  A Google Search only found offerings that were too pricey :o for my blood.  Today I called Brownell's on the phone.  I never manage to do well with most on-line catalogues and Brownell's is no exception.  Brownell's referred me to Eagle Grips,  EagleGrips.com,  and it took about 3 seconds to find a set of grips I liked.  A quick phone call,  and the grips are on the way.  I had a tight budget limit in mind and spent much more ??? than that but way below the prices of the custom offerings I have seen elsewhere. Next is to see if the new 'Gunfighter' grips really do work better than the factory grips?

[Dusty44]

I think it took about 3 weeks for the Eagle Grips wood grips to arrive.  Rosewood,  very pretty,  checkering very sharp and clean. 

My only complaint is one all of you will understand.  The wood grips are so nice I want to try a set of the buffalo horn grips in the same design.  That of course will require another New Vaquero.  I am thinking maybe a 6 inch (or whatever that length is:  the medium length that Ruger offers) in 45 LC and load Black Powder (substitutes) to keep the SAA and Buffalo Horn grips in context. 

Real Black Powder is too hard to come by in Texas.  Zoning ordinances limit possession to 2 pounds almost everywhere and retail sales locations are very few and far between,  at least here in North Texas.  I use my existing supply with extreme care.  Mostly I feel forced to use the BP as primer for the Hawkens,  load tubes with 5 grains in the marked end of the tube and the rest of the charge using whatever sub on top.  That works.  Not using the BP primer results in innumerable misfires.  Having the powder charges carefully pre-measured is nice also at the range.  Ignition is not a problem of course in the in-line rifle;  not a problem using BP subs in the revolver cartridges (44 RM,  357 Mag) over magnum primers.  The 45 LC bullets will also have to be specialized for use with BP lubes,  and more-- -  -   

AHhhh.  .  .  .    Whenever budget permits!

[308reloaded]

do you shoot cowboy actionshoots?

[Dusty44]

I do not do any competitive shooting.  I have a bad knee and cannot move quickly or get into a lot of positions for shooting.  I just stand (pistol) or curl up on the bench (rifle) and enjoy trying to coax the bullets to all go through one hole in the target.  Cowboy Action has influenced recent gun purchases.

I did load some BP-sub ammo for my 44RM and loved all the smoke.  Something right out of the movies!  Then I read an article on-line about shooting BP loads from pistols that essentially matched the ones from the old West:  caliber and barrel length,  powder charges and bullets matched to loadings measured from dissassembly of original cartridges from the late 1800's.  The article compared results of current offerings with antique loading equivalents for BP and similar bullet weights for newer cartridges when shooting into a target made of a box with 1" wood boards spaced 1" apart.  Calibers were 36-38 and 44-45  including 38 Special,  357 mag,  45 ACP,  45 LC,  44 RM.  In each case the BP rounds (1870's bullet designs) matched and usually slightly exceeded modern cartridges in terms of penetration into or damage to the last board as well as total number of boards penetrated.  All I remember is a loading for the SAA in 45 caliber that lodged in the 12th board.  The equivalent (bullet weight and manufacturer's listed MV) smokeless powder load left a dent in the 12th board.

All that got me back to Black Powder again.  I have found trying to shoot front-stuffer rifles on a range operated for benefit of cartridge rifles to be an exercise in frustration.  By the time the rifle is loaded all the other shooters are ready to go downrange to check targets.  After the first shot,  it is one shot per hour or less because of the conflict in the needs of serving the BP rifle  v.s. the time required for cartridge rifles and range-safe time.  Even at one shot per hour,  often I was 'just' loaded and ready to shoot when the range safety officer was tapping me impatiently on the shoulder to clear the bench.  There is only one way to unload a front-stuffer and I was always rushed.

Decades ago I had a private shooting range in a big gully on a friend's farm.  Shooting BP did my technique a lot of good.  A lot of practice,  a lot of experimenting (every shot is a handload!!),  but time changes many things?  Now I shoot mostly cartridge guns,  and maybe now more of them in Black Powder?  After watching "True Grit 2" I am thinking about a reproduction Sharps Rifle?