New Cowboy Action Shooting Guns & Gear For 2015

A good starter outfit for folks new to Cowboy Action Shooting is the Rio Grande rig from El Paso Saddlery. This is a no-frills, 2.75-inch-wide Texas cartridge belt with 24 loops in .44/.45 or .357/.38 and a wide skirt, single-loop, Mexican-style holster in the popular SA sixgun barrel lengths. The rig has a tan oil finish, burnished to a soft luster with white wax cotton thread lock-stitching. For a few dollars more you can get a second holster with a cross-draw option. For more information, visit http://www.epsaddlery.com or call 915-544-2233.

Enhance the appearance of any of your six-shooters with custom grips from Hogue. The company offers a line of grips for traditional single-action revolvers that include Colt and Ruger products, including the Bisley model. Two-piece grip panels are available in Micarta, Pearlized and Ivory polymer. The Ivory-like grips also can be had with laser-cut “schrimsaw” in several designs, including a full-color American flag and Western designs like a boot or steer’s head. Each grip panel is hand finished to a brilliant shine, with no spray-on finishes that will peel or crack. Each grip is made to the exacting fit Hogue is famous for. For more information, visit http://www.hogueinc.com or call 805-239-1440.

After an absence of several years, Interstate Arms Corporation (IAC) is planning a late spring reintroduction of its replica Model 1897 pump-action shotgun. Like the original Winchester riot gun it will have a short 20-inch barrel and is just the ticket for Cowboy Action Shooting; especially the “Wild Bunch” side matches that require the use of a Model 97 shotgun. Features include a pistol grip buttstock, an exposed hammer, a ribbed forend and a brass bead front sight. This 12 gauge chambers 2¾-inch shells. For more information, visit http://www.interstatearms.com or call 800-243-3006.

Iver Johnson is planning to introduce a little pistol that would be familiar to any Mississippi riverboat gambler. It resembles the Sharps four-barrel derringer and will be chambered for the .22 LR cartridge. A compact vest pocket pistol, it will initially be offered in stainless steel with synthetic wood grips. The gun’s rotation firing pin changes position each time the hammer is cocked for four individual shots. Pressing the barrel release below the receiver allows the barrels to move forward to extract empty cartridge cases. For more information, visit http://www.iverjohnsonarms.com or call 321-636-3377.

Not every Cowboy Action shooter is prepared or interested in cartridge reloading, so for those who would rather use factory ammunition, one choice would be Magtech. This outfit offers specially boxed ammunition for cartridges like .45 Colt, and you can get other cartridges that are difficult to find in odd calibers for older original handguns. Pocket pistol side matches are resplendent with hinged-frame revolvers in .32 S&W, .32 Long and .38 S&W, and Magtech lists them all on its website. Plus there’s perennial favorites like .38 Special, .357 Mag, .44-40 and .44 Special, to name a few. For more information, visit http://www.magtechammunition.com; 763-235-4000.

A good rifle was important in the Old West, and Marlin Firearms is offering a reliable and accurate saddle companion. Marlin has brought out its Model 1895 Cowboy chambered for the .45-70 cartridge in a short-rifle version with a 18½-inch barrel and a six-round capacity. Previously it was offered only with a 26-inch barrel, so this new length will make it handier in close quarters. It has a deep blue finish, a Mar-Shield-finished walnut stock, a squared lever and a with hammer-block safety. For more information, visit http://www.marlinfirearms.com or call 800-544-8892.

Looking much like a standard Single Action Army revolver with a 4.75-inch, blued barrel, a color-casehardened frame and one-piece walnut grips, The Drifter from Taylor’s & Company reveals on closer examination an octagonal barrel and a front sight mounted in a dovetail cut that will allow it to be drifted to the right or left for windage adjustments. The front sight seen in the photo won’t be the same sight used on the production model, and a target model with adjustable rear sight is being planned. For more information, visit http://www.taylorsfirearms.com or call 540-722-2017.

Tippmann Armory is now making a reproduction of the Rolling Block in .357 and .44 Mag. It has a blued finish on the barrel and action, with a walnut buttstock and forend. Standard is a full buckhorn adjustable rear sight and a blade front sight mounted in a dovetail. The trigger is set at the factory for a 4-pound pull weight. It’s a well-built and rugged rifle that will appeal to fans of the Old West and should prove fun to shoot as well. For more information, visit http://www.tippmannarmory.com or call 800-671-1498.

This polished blue Frontier Series single action has laser-etched engraving offset in a pewter hue in a classic 19th century pattern. The white PVC grips feature a scrimshaw “Liberty” eagle holding a shield emblem, which are of one-piece construction. It takes the powerful .45 Colt cartridge, so it looks good and speaks with authority. For more information, visit http://www.traditionsfirearms.com or call 860-388-4656.