Taylor's & Company Short Stroke Smoke Wagon

Taylor's & Company

Taylor's & Company is dedicated to producing historically accurate replicas of firearms designed between the mid nineteenth century through the beginning of the twentieth century. As an importer, quality control is taken very seriously and every firearm is inspected before it leaves the facility. I am a huge fan of these single action revolver and Taylor's was kind enough to send a Short Stroke Smoke Wagon out for testing & evaluation. The model requested for review (Item Number 556202) features a five and a half inch (5.5") barrel and is chambered in .45 Long Colt. 
 

Smoke Wagon

The Smoke Wagon line of revolvers is likely named after a line in the film Tombstone (1993). During an argument, Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russel) challenges Johnny Taylor (Billy Bob Thorton) to draw his revolver referring to it as a smoke wagon. These models have a deep blued finish with a case-hardened frame. This firearm also comes with a short stroke action and a low profile hammer spur for faster manipulation. Rather than selecting traditional smooth side stock, the Smoke Wagon's stocks feature deep checkering that provides a bit more control and comfort during use. The rear sight notch has been widened to allows for a better sight picture. While none of these updates are period correct, they improve the handling of a classic design. 

What is a "Short Stroke" action?

For those unfamiliar with the single action design, the Smoke Wagon's hammer must be cocked by the shooter for each shot. In many revolvers with this type of action, the throw of the hammer is relatively long. While a normal hammer can be cocked quickly, anytime saved in the shooting process is beneficial whether on the range or in a showdown at high noon (even if this sort of thing never happened in the Old West). This is the reason that Taylor's selected this enhanced action. As a bonus, shooters with larger hands who suffer from hammer bite will enjoy this improved design.

  

Short stroke versus full stroke

The photo above is a comparison between the standard length action and a short stroke action. There is a clear difference between the two action types. With a little tinkering, gunsmiths shortened the hammer's length of travel while maintaining reliable ignition. Short stroking actions has become popular in cowboy action shooting to shave time off the clock. Milliseconds matter. I plan to shoot a few cowboy action matches in the next year or two and I see the appeal of the short stroke hammer. I'm glad Taylor's chose to include this type of action on the Smoke Wagon.

Stocks

Impressive checkering!

   

Most revolvers manufactured in the single action army pattern are equipped with smooth wooden stocks. I've found that the smooth stocks are a bit too slick when shooting heavier recoiling ammunition. I recently discovered that replacing stocks on the single action frame is a labor of love and often requires refinishing the frame. The Smoke Wagon ships with checkered wooden stocks, which provides more traction during recoil. This upgrade makes this revolver just a bit better than some of the Taylor's other offerings. There is just enough texture to maintain a good grip without being uncomfortable.

Sight Picture

The original single action army was designed with a very utilitarian sighting system. This is basically a tall front blade and a thin rear notch at the back of a trench milled into the top strap. For someone spoiled with fiber optic front sights, or red dot optics for that matter, shooting with these rudimentary sights is challenging. As my readers know, I am one of these shooters who has had access to these modern sighting systems. Red dot sights ride on many of my revolvers and almost all my handguns have fiber optics front sights installed. 

Taylor's & Company manufactures the majority of their replicas to the original specifications. Despite the temptation to make changes to the design, the company focuses on historical accuracy. The decision to widen the rear sight notch slightly on this improved model should appeal to both competitive shooters and fans of the single action design. This is a clever upgrade that further enhances the shooting experience.

Ammunition

Aguila (left), Buffalo (center), and Hornady (right)

For testing purposes, I purchased three different brands of ammunition to run through the Smoke Wagon. The first round was manufactured by Aguila Ammo (Item Number 1E454319). This is a 200 grain lead round nose flat point bullet going about 600 feet per second. The second round was made by The Buffalo Cartridge Company (SKU: BCC00017). While it is also 200 grain lead round nose flat point bullet, the velocity is a bit faster at 685 feet per second. The final round selected was Hornady Cowboy (Item Number 9115) and propels a 255 grain lead round nose flat point bullet 725 feet per second. I wanted to shoot a decent variety factory ammunition through the Smoke Wagon to test for reliability as well as shooting experience.

Shooting Impressions

Five rounds of each on a cowboy silhouette.

 

I really enjoyed shooting this replica of a historical firearm!  While I do have a bit of experience with single action guns like the Ruger Bisley and my single action army, the majority of my revolver shooting experience is with modern Smith & Wesson wheel guns in double action. The grip frame design is a bit short, but still comfortable even if my pinky finger hangs off the bottom. Due to the shape, the Smoke Wagon rolls in your hand during recoil.  This is different than what I'm used to, but Colt was on the right track when this frame shape was designed. Here are some of the targets showing the results of my ammunition testing!

  

The first rounds loaded into the cylinder were the Aguila Ammo "Cowboy Action Load." Full disclosure, this is actually the round I keep on hand for use in my single action army manufactured by another Italian firm. The lead bullet is loaded into Starline brass, but I don't recognize the primer.  

My previous experience with this ammunition lead me to believe it would be the lightest recoiling round of the bunch. This ammo is something that you can shoot all day through the Smoke Wagon and I ended up shooting two boxes during the testing process.

The Buffalo Cartridge Company produces a product line designed for cowboy action shooting called "Outlaw." Buffalo is affiliated with the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) as of 2017, so I figured what better round to test in a revolver ideal for cowboy action shooting!

Buffalo claims to use only "high grade components" and I believe it. Presentation matters as much as performance to some shooters and this ammunition receives top marks in both categories. These rounds look very pretty out of the box. While recoil is slightly higher than the Aguila Ammo, this ammo loaded lightly enough that you should be able to shoot an entire match without issue. I'll be picking up a case when I need to restock!

   

The Hornady round tested was also marketed as a lighter cowboy load. Compared to the other two rounds, this recoiled the hardest of the three. It actually surprised me after firing two very mild offerings back to back. All that being said, Hornady Cowboy was still very was manageable. The higher velocity bullet resulted in the projectile striking slightly higher on the target. I didn't save any of the targets I shot at the 25 yard mark, but the bullets were impacting closer to the center at that range. 

Conclusions

All told, I fired 190 rounds through this wheel gun and enjoyed every minute! My parent's generation grew up watching westerns. I didn't. Instead, one of my first encounters with the single action army revolver was in the video game franchise Metal Gear Solid on the Sony PlayStation. A key character named Revolver Ocelot wields a pair of single actions, often spinning them in dramatic fashion, in several of the games. Ever since this gaming experience I've wanted to own a similar model.

There is another variation of the Short Stroke Smoke Wagon, known as the Short Stroke Gunfighter, that features an extended grip frame and similarly checkered wooden stocks.  I hope to test this model and it's unique grip in the future as well. Special thanks to Ashley of Taylor's & Co. and Steve of Evatt Marketing Group for making this review a reality. Please visit the Taylor's & Company website to view all of their product offerings. I hope to review a more models from Taylor's large catalog of firearms soon! 

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!

ICORE Southern Regional Revolver Championship 2018

Per the International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts (ICORE) website, the organization "serves the international community to promote action shooting competition with revolvers." As a wheel gun enthusiast, ICORE seems like the perfect league for me to see how I stack up against other revolvers shooters. There are several divisions allowing all configuration of wheel guns of to compete on a level playing field. Unfortunately there are no clubs in my immediate area, with the closest being about three and a half hours away. By shear happenstance, I stumbled upon a match less than two hours away. 
 

Neat!

The Southern Regional Revolver Championship was scheduled for June 23rd, 2018 in Princeton, Louisiana on Shootout Lane. For those unfamiliar, that is home base for Jerry Miculek who is arguably the best revolver shooter on the planet. I decided to register in Open Division because of my fondness for red dot sights on revolvers. I even have family in the area that I don't get to visit very often, so I didn't have to worry about a hotel. (Thanks Phillip!) I was excited to finally shoot an ICORE match!

My Revolver

The revolver I chose to compete with at the match is a Smith & Wesson 929. This is an eight shot 9mm revolver with a six  inch barrel and removable compensator. This revolver was built to Jerry's specifications and the revolver sports his name on the side plate. My fiancé presented me with this awesome engagement present and I took it to the range in the factory configuration to break it in. After a lot of research, I purchased several parts to make this gun race ready and built a rig that would work in both USPSA and ICORE matches. My last post went into detail about the revolver rigs I encountered at the match, but here is a brief rundown my gear (with links):

Smith & Wesson 929

C-More RTS2
Allchin Mount
Apex Tactical Evolution Hammer and Extended Firing Pin 

TK Custom Moon Clips

Hogue Extended Cylinder Release (Short)

Hogue Big Butt Grips (no finger grooves) 

Speed Beez USPSA Legal Speed Rig 

Speed Beez Moon Clip Belt Rack 8 Post 

Tuff Surefit Competition Belt

I was placed in Squad C with nine other shooters, several  were also running S&W 929s in the Open Division. I am often shooting by myself at local matches as there are very few revolvers shooters, so shooting against other wheel gunners is a nice change. This squad was full of seasoned shooters who were happy to discuss similar participation issues, gear choices, and stage strategy. Here are my videos of the eight stages at the 2018 Southern Regional Revolver Championship!

Stage One

Summer Run was the highest round count of the match with 34 scored rounds. As the video show, I shot T1 - T6 very slowly. I notice I drop my revolver between each position, while other shooters kept their guns up and in their line of sight. I need to work on doing the same. The reloads between each position were fine, but I can definitely use a lot more practice here as well. Run and gun stages are fun, but I'm glad there were only two high round count stages. I finished 6th in my division in 23rd place overall!

Stage Two

In Your Face was a classifier stage and I believe most of the squad had shot it before. I decided to shoot the middle array on the move, and while it felt a lot faster in my head it may have been better to just stop in the middle section. Shooters had the option of moving from Box A to Box B (left to right) or from Box B to Box A (right to left). To my knowledge I was the only one who moved right to left in my squad, because I'm a lefty, but I could be wrong. I finished 5th in my division in 25th place overall!

Stage Three

Summer Steel was an all steel plate stage. Although there are almost double the amount of plates, it is still similar to something you might find in Steel Challenge. The stage  required three strings of fire. The sum of the three strings was your total time. Again, shooters had the option of moving from Box A to Box B (left to right) or from Box B to Box A (right to left). This stage was really fun and I didn't need too many make up shots. I guess attending a handful of steel matches has payed off. I finished 5th in my division in 24th place overall!

Stage Four

Summer Swinging was my second best finish! Everyone discovered there was a spot a few steps from the start position where both steel poppers could be hit and activate the swingers. The swingers had me worried until I reached the ports. By the time I engaged them, both were moving slowly enough that tracking the dot on paper wasn't too difficult. I finished 4th in my division in 22nd place overall!

Stage Five

Summer Ports was the final stage of the day for Squad C. Each port framed a pair of paper targets with a plate rack centered on the range. Shooters were to engage both paper targets and one steel plate through each port. I felt this was my best stage of the day except for the bobble on the fourth port. I put the dot on the paper, then to the corresponding plate, and then quickly back to the paper. I guess I couldn't decide what to shoot first. I felt like I would earn a penalty for engaging out of order which is why I went back to the paper. Despite this hiccup, I finished 5th in my division in 18th  place overall!

Stage Six

Summer Clash was the first stage my squad shot. My first stage is usually pretty abysmal, but I had a solid make up on the third array with decent reloads. It was also in the shade with a breeze. It may have only been eight in the morning when we were shooting this stage, but it was already humid. I finished 7th in my division in 25th place overall!

Stage Seven

Summer Reach was a limited stage with a mandatory reload after the sixth shot before the final six rounds could be fired. This was also an X count stage with each X hit removing one second from the raw time. My last shot was the only C zone hit, which was a bit of a bummer. Upon further inspection, seven (7) of the twelve (12) shots were in the X rings. This really helped shave down my time. I finished 6th in my division in 22nd place overall!

Stage Eight

Summer Fire turned out to be my best stage of the match. I find this a little funny because I was dreading the weak hand portion! Joe also gave me a bit of advice to start at the far array and work inward, rather than starting close and working out. I'm glad I listened because it stopped me from my planned draw and transitioning the revolver to my support hand. I finished 4th in my division and 16th place overall!

Conclusions

This was my first sanctioned match and it was a great experience. Annette Aysen and her team put together a challenging combination of stages. I ended up shooting about fairly accurately with 7 Xs, 139 As, 5 Bs, and 1 C scored. The time management really impressed me as our squad shot eight stages in about five hours. Many of the local matches I attend are five to seven stages and often take about this many hours. I hope this match becomes an annual event that I can attend!

I don't think my first match could have been better. Everyone was just happy to be there and helped me with all of my questions. Although my experience is limited to one match, ICORE appears to be is a fantastic sport. If you are a fan of revolvers, you owe it to yourself to shoot a match. Over the past couple of months, I've been trying to drum up enough interest in my neck of the woods to start a club. After chatting with some of the fellow shooters, I have thought of a few ideas to encourage participation at my home range. Hopefully there will be more revolvers shooters to compete with soon!

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!

Revolver Rigs of the ICORE Southern Regional Revolver Championship 2018

Wheel guns, wheel guns, everywhere

This past weekend I attended my first ICORE (International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts) match in Princeton, Louisiana. The Southern Regional Revolver Championship was held on Shootout Lane and attracted thirty-three (33) shooters from across the nation. I was placed in Squad Three with nine other shooters. During the course of the match, I asked each shooter for permission to photograph their revolvers and rigs. Everyone was happy to oblige and shared details about their equipment. Here are some of the set ups I encountered!

My Revolver

 

I figured it would be good to start this post with a run down of my revolver and gear. I am shooting a Smith & Wesson 929 in the Open Division. This division permits pretty much any modification to your revolver. The S&W 929 comes with a removable compensator to assist in recoil reduction by redirecting gases upward which keeps the muzzle flatter. Red dot sights are also permitted in Open and I selected my faithful C-More RTS2 on an Allchin mount. I swapped the factory hammer and firing pin for Apex Tactical parts. The Evolution IV hammer does not have a hammer spur to get in the way and the extended firing pin helps with reliable ignition. 

For moon clips, I selected the same brand that comes with the 929 from Smith & Wesson made by TK Custom. As a lefty, the Hogue extended cylinder release really helps me open the cylinder quickly. This is the "short" lever and I plan to acquire a "long" release soon. I also went with Hogue big butt grips with no finger grooves, because the groves never fit my hand. The USPSA Legal Speed Rig and Moon Clip Belt Rack 8 Post are both made by Speed Beez. Last but not least, the belt is a Tuff Surefit Competition Belt. I am happy to report that the revolver and gear worked well at the match. That's enough about my gear, let's look at everyone else's rigs!

Mike's Revolver

  

Mike was Squad Three's main Range Officer and the Rules Director for the match. Mike is running a Smith & Wesson 327 TRR8 in Open Division. The TRR8 is a revolver that I have been eyeing for quite a while. This is a Scandium frame revolver with ports at the muzzle to reduce recoil and a JPoint optic. I believe the stocks are custom from Hogue to fit his hand. The TRR8 is riding in a Double Alpha Race Master holster and DA Premium Belt. I'm not sure what brand moon clip holders he uses, but the rounds on his belt are .38 ICORE hand loads. I haven't gotten into reloading yet, but he explained these load and unload much faster than .38 Special. If I pick up an eight shot Smith & Wesson in .357 Magnum, it might just be a TRR8. 

Bob's Revolver

 

Bob works with Revolver Supply. Bob selected the Smith & Wesson 929 and the included compensator for Open Division as well. Bob prefers a C-More Slide Ride on a BMT Equipped KickStand with a left side overhang. This moves the dot closer to the barrel for less mechanical offset. I think his holster is a CR Speed WSM II, but it was heavily modified. Bob added delrin layers for his support and bolted magnets to the moon clip carriers to ensure the round only come off when he pull them off. His moon clip holder modifications probably cost him a few dollars and work as well as my expensive rig. Bob is a smart man! I should be more like Bob.

Bob's Revolver

 

This is another Bob from Squad Three. Bob also runs the S&W 929 with the compensator attached. As for optics, he also selected the C-More Slide Ride on a BMT Equipped KickStand but with a right side overhang. Interesting how the Bob's picked similar gear. I'd guess the grip is a custom piece from Hogue. The revolver is riding in a Safariland holster but I'm not sure about the belt. I believe the moon clip carrier is a Speed-E-Rack, but I could be wrong. It looks like it has nine posts and Bob has a single post behind his holster. I doubt he'll ever run out of ammo on a stage!

Joe's Revolver 

Joe is also running a S&W 929 in Open Division. Unlike the rest of use 929 Open shooters, Joe decided the compensator isn't worth it with 9mm ammo. Like Bob of Revolver Supply, Joe uses a C-More Slide Ride on a BMT Equipped KickStand with a left side overhang. I forgot to ask him how he got those slick custom Hogue stocks because I really like those! His holster is a Double Alpha Race Master holster. Joe is also running what seems to be a seven post Speed-E-Rack for his moon clips. Last but not least, you can see a dump pouch for spent moon clips. His is even ICORE branded.

Peggy's Revolver 

Peggy is married to Joe and they compete together across the country. She was the only female shooter in Squad Three, but I saw a number of lady shooters participating at the match. At many of the local matches there are rarely more than two competing. Peggy is running a Smith & Wesson 627 Performance Center revolver in the Limited Division. The front sight is an SDM fiber optic, which is the same sight I use on my 686-1 and 66-6. Peggy also selected Hogue big butt stocks and an extended cylinder release. The revolver is riding in a Double Alpha Race Master and a seven post Speed-E-Rack for her moon clips. She also has a single moon clip carrier for her first load. I guess I need one so I don't just throw my first moon clip in my pocket.

Dave's Revolver

Much like Peggy, Dave was running a Smith & Wesson 627 Performance Center with an extended cylinder release in a Double Alpha Race Holster. His Hogue stocks were all business. He added material on the right side of the grip to create a palm swell and then wrapped it in tape. I asked him what caliber he was shooting and he said .38 Short Colt. I've heard that this is a popular round because the cases are shorter than .38 Special and extract easier. He also used a double stack moon clip carrier rather than single posts. I'm not sure what brand. It was also far to his left side rather than directly in front of him. Dave and I chatted all day about strategy and how to recruit more revolver shooters. His idea to hook new shooters is simple; beat them in a shoot off so they want to learn how to run a revolver. I'll be working on that at my club!

Brandon's Revolver 

Brandon and I were in the same boat, as this was our first ICORE match. He expressed the same feeling about his local matches having almost no revolver participation. Like me, he was just happy to get to shoot his revolver with other wheel gun enthusiasts. He was running a S&W 929 in Limited Division. The front sight is a Dawson fiber optic (I need one of these when I go back to USPSA Revolver). He picked smooth Hogue Big Butt stock and a TK Custom extended cylinder release. It is riding in a CR Speed WSM II hoslter and I  believe his moon clip carrier is a North Mountain Moon Clip Holder. It was nice to chat with Brandon and hear that I'm not the only one shooting wheel guns by myself at matches. Now to recruit more people!

Ted's Revolver

Ted is running a Smith & Wesson 686 in the Classic Division. Rather than Hogue stocks, he likes rubber Packmayr grips. He did still have an extended cylinder release, but I'm not sure it was a Hogue. His revolver was riding in a CR Speed WSM II. This is the first revolver in this post that has been fed with speed loader rather than moon clips! Ted uses Safariland Comp III speed loaders and a North Moutain ICORE Retro Speed Loader Holder. He runs normal .38 Special loads. Ted and I also chatted a bit about stage plans, but I had to remember his cylinder held six rounds while mine holds eight. 

Scott's Revolver 

The other Classic Division shooter in Squad Three was Scott. He was also running a Smith & Wesson 686, but I'm not sure what type holster he was using. He also wrapped his JM stocks in tape for a bit more grip. Like Ted, Scott uses Safariland Comp III speed loaders and a North Moutain ICORE Retro Speed Loader Holder. Scott's speed loaders were highly modified to ensure they loaded quickly. I also learned that the first six round of each stage was .38 Short Colts while the rest of his speed loaders were full of .38 Special. Ted explained that this ensured positive extraction on the first reload. Clever idea Scott!

Lefty's Revolver 

As a lefty, I don't expect to run into too many other left handed shooters. This is even more evident when it comes to left handed revolver shooters. I was told there were three lefties at the match including myself. Unfortunately, I didn't get this gentleman's name, but he was proud to explain that this was a limited edition Smith & Wesson 627 with a 6.5" barrel with an extended cylinder release from Hogue as well. I really like those custom big butt stocks. I'm not familiar with the brand of holster, but it appears he is running a Speed-E-Rack for his moon clips of .38 Short Colt. Glad to see another lefty out there!

Ruger's Revolver

If you haven't noticed, there is a very distinct pattern here; every other wheel gun on this list has been a Smith & Wesson. This gentleman wasn't shooting in my squad, but I bumped into him at the chronograph station. Lo and behold, there was a six inch Ruger GP100 riding in his holster. Speaking of the holster, it appears to be an Amadini holster on a CR Speed belt. I don't recall what speed loader pouches were on the belt. Glad to see another brand represented at the match!

Conclusions

Five of the ten shooters in my squad were competing with Smith & Wesson 929s. I guess it is a popular choice for ICORE. I was surprised to only see the one Ruger, but maybe it was just this match that was mostly Smith & Wesson. As a fan of the Chiappa Rhino, I was really hoping to see one of the models on the range, but no such luck. Maybe at the next match!

I hope everyone enjoyed this look at some of the revolvers at this ICORE match. I love looking at cool revolver and what gear other shooters are running. I may be switching to a "long" cylinder release after talking with everyone about their gear. It might make reloads a bit easier. The next post on Revolvers Only will be the match review featuring videos and stage breakdowns. I have some good footage of each stage and I'm working on the videos over the next week. Please come back for the match review! 

As always, if you have any suggestions for future posts or would like to share your experience on the current topic please post below!