Greetings from Minnesota

[willf]

Hello to all. Just picked up a "new" used Circuit Judge last week to join my beloved Poly Public Defender in utilizing the .45 colt and .410 shot shell platforms. I wanted to double the pleasure of the hopefully ever-growing stockpile of .45/.410 ammo I'm already exploring with the hand-cannon. I've loved the .45 colt round ever since 1955 when Santa brought me the real tanned top-grain cowhide-holstered Mattel Colt .45 six-gun that came with "real" full-sized plastic cartridges that you could attach special cap-gun stick-on caps to and then actually load into the revolver's cylinder... Those toy bullets were BIG and seemed quite satisfactory for whatever would need shooting.

Anyhoo... haven't gotten to shoot the dang thing yet due to time and the sad state of the local range scene in the Twin Cities metro area. Soon though. As opposed to the PD, I'm trying to shoot the CJ at an outdoor range with longer distances, so choices are few and far in between, with limited schedules and access, hence the slow progress so far. I'll update when it happens...

Apropos of my Minnesota-reality-filtered learning curve re realizing my pre-purchase CJ dreams, two local traps ranges have informed me that the Rossi is too short-barreled at 18.5 inches to shoot at their faciilities... (oops, almost said a bad word!)

If I get a frequent schedule going, seems like home reloading would be a fun possibility; I've never tried it, but now that social security and easy street is approaching I'm expecting to have more time than money...

Whatevs! It's all good. These guns are so purty, I even enjoy them as fine art, like shootable sculpture!

Glad I found this gathering of the Rossi tribe, thanks RR for all the great info, opinions both ways on most subjects, and sundry other inspiring convo. Cheers for the 2nd Amendment and innovative companies like Taurus and Rossi!!

~ Willf

[Ranch Dog]

Apropos of my Minnesota-reality-filtered learning curve re realizing my pre-purchase CJ dreams, two local traps ranges have informed me that the Rossi is too short-barreled at 18.5 inches to shoot at their faciilities... (oops, almost said a bad word!)

That's crazy, weird how some groups of gun owners end up being anti-gun! Someone is always willing to throw another "under the bus" to protect their special interest group. The last gun club I belonged to was full of snobs. Their attitudes discourage all and run many off.

Anyway, welcome to the forum. Interesting to see another getting ready to join the ranks of the retired!

[rman]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you find a good place to shoot the Judge. My gun club suffers from "holier than thou" administrators, but the rank and file are generally great folks. Our outdoor range offers trap, skeet, small and big bore position shooting, cowboy action shooting, cowboy lever action silhouette, classic military rifle matches, high power, IDPA, and bullesye shooting. Wish you lived a little closer.

[akuser47]

Welcome

[akuser47]

I thought it crazy you mentioned the toy .45 colt look what I found working in my step dad's shop today cleaning up. Stallion 45 mark I I.
Has full lead cores in the dummy rounds the cap is in the brass jacket. It still has 6 in the chamber.

[rman]

That brings back some memories! Those were the Cadillac of cap pistols.

[willf]

Thanks for your kind replies guys, and the cap-gun pix are schweet. My mattel had white pearl handles, I think my parents yard-saled it while I wasn't looking, back around Woodstock...

I finally shot the CJ yesterday at a short indoor range and the little wheel-gun seems very promising for fun -- and other stuff. The range officer looked at the paper after five shots of Federal 3"/5 pellet 000 buck at 10 yards and said "well that works!"

Shooting thru the shot (anti-rifling) choke (I forgot to change chokes as I had intended) with .45 LC rounds produced 2" groups with several touching in each group. Only 30', but encouraging consistency to explore at longer ranges whenever... Nice to know the shot choke doesn't seem to hurt the .45 LC accuracy at living-room distances.

For me the carbine points very well, maybe the best of anything I've ever shot. I shoulder, plant my cheek on the monte carlo stock, and voila, perfect sights. Yeah! I like!

Cheers til next.

[rman]

Thanks for the report. Glad you finally got to shoot it and it sounds like it's going to be a fun gun.