The Surprise Iver Johnson Cattleman
Posted: 02 Sep 2020 20:42
A few weeks ago, I ordered what was advertised as an “Uberti 45 Colt”. Photos indicated it was a clean, large frame single action revolver of the mid-1970s, with an 1860 grip frame and 7 ½ inch barrel.
When I got it in my hands, it was a 44 Magnum. I nearly sent it back on general principles, but I’m glad I didn’t. It’s an Iver Johnson Cattleman 44 Mag, circa 1975.
I found some ammo locally, PMC 180 JHP and WInchester 240 JSP. Both are full Magnum loads and you can tell when that 240 goes off. This sixgun weighs less than a 4 5/8" Ruger Vaquero. Good news is that it works great, windage is perfect and elevation will be fine with 180 grain loads. I herded 5 of the hot 240 grain Winchesters into 3" at 25 yards, shooting offhand. Trigger is 3# and crisp.
My only complaint with the Cattleman was that it shot about 20” high at 50 yards with full snort 240 grain 44 Magnum loads. You all know I can’t abide a gun that don’t shoot to the sights, so I hit a sight correction calculator to see how much I needed to add to the front sight. Then I sawed and filed a brass extension and sweat soldered it into place. I used an ancient Bernzomatic, which I’d opened the air feed on a bit, to work with MAPP gas. Both parts were fluxed, tinned and filed lightly so the parts mated and extension would stay put under its own weight. The solder flowed well and the joint was rock solid.
Rough shaped, the sight resembles a can opener. But you do get a nice gold bar that’s easy to see against fur at the last shooting light.
Shooting standing unsupported at 50 yards and holding well up into a 7” picnic bowl, the new sight printed right along the bottom edge of it. Ammo was Winchester’s 240 grain JSP at a shade over 1400 fps.
I worked the front sight down a few thousandths at a time, until I got perfect 50 yard regulation with 240 grain magnums. My vision and hold seemed good, so I decided to make a concerted effort at my 100 yard plate. I used Winchester 240 grain soft point and started holding on the top third of the plate. I could tell I was hitting but couldn't call the hits from that distance. I thought I was hitting high, so I held a little lower and dropped the shot right above the revolver in the photo. That one to the right, I just tossed.
For an old 44 with oddball 0.434” throats, it shoots pretty good. The sight mod made it easy to hit with and an icicle-crisp trigger that settled in at 2 ¾ pounds don’t hurt. This is seriously my favorite single action revolver in the last 30 years.
When I got it in my hands, it was a 44 Magnum. I nearly sent it back on general principles, but I’m glad I didn’t. It’s an Iver Johnson Cattleman 44 Mag, circa 1975.
I found some ammo locally, PMC 180 JHP and WInchester 240 JSP. Both are full Magnum loads and you can tell when that 240 goes off. This sixgun weighs less than a 4 5/8" Ruger Vaquero. Good news is that it works great, windage is perfect and elevation will be fine with 180 grain loads. I herded 5 of the hot 240 grain Winchesters into 3" at 25 yards, shooting offhand. Trigger is 3# and crisp.
My only complaint with the Cattleman was that it shot about 20” high at 50 yards with full snort 240 grain 44 Magnum loads. You all know I can’t abide a gun that don’t shoot to the sights, so I hit a sight correction calculator to see how much I needed to add to the front sight. Then I sawed and filed a brass extension and sweat soldered it into place. I used an ancient Bernzomatic, which I’d opened the air feed on a bit, to work with MAPP gas. Both parts were fluxed, tinned and filed lightly so the parts mated and extension would stay put under its own weight. The solder flowed well and the joint was rock solid.
Rough shaped, the sight resembles a can opener. But you do get a nice gold bar that’s easy to see against fur at the last shooting light.
Shooting standing unsupported at 50 yards and holding well up into a 7” picnic bowl, the new sight printed right along the bottom edge of it. Ammo was Winchester’s 240 grain JSP at a shade over 1400 fps.
I worked the front sight down a few thousandths at a time, until I got perfect 50 yard regulation with 240 grain magnums. My vision and hold seemed good, so I decided to make a concerted effort at my 100 yard plate. I used Winchester 240 grain soft point and started holding on the top third of the plate. I could tell I was hitting but couldn't call the hits from that distance. I thought I was hitting high, so I held a little lower and dropped the shot right above the revolver in the photo. That one to the right, I just tossed.
For an old 44 with oddball 0.434” throats, it shoots pretty good. The sight mod made it easy to hit with and an icicle-crisp trigger that settled in at 2 ¾ pounds don’t hurt. This is seriously my favorite single action revolver in the last 30 years.