The firearms are a big part of Cowboy Action Shooting’s Old West appeal. Choosing equipment also means paying attention to the rules for your category, the match, and the host club.
Start with the current SASS handbooks, and contact the Illowa Irregulars if you have questions about a particular firearm or setup before buying or bringing it to a match.
EDITORIAL—CONFIRM: The specifications below preserve the substantive details in the original club text. They have not been checked against current SASS rules and must receive a qualified rules review before publication as an equipment guide. Confirm category-specific exceptions and permitted modifications throughout.
The basic setup
A typical main-match setup includes:
- Two eligible single-action revolvers.
- An eligible pistol-caliber rifle.
- An eligible shotgun.
- Suitable holsters and a shotshell carrier.
- Approved ammunition for the category and match.
- Eye and hearing protection.
- Clothing that meets the applicable costume requirements.
The source generally describes firearms of pre-1900 design or manufacture and permits modern replicas. It gives the Ruger Vaquero and Uberti 1866/1873 as examples. Eligibility depends on the actual firearm and applicable rules, not just its appearance or model family.
The original also explains that SASS regulates firearms and modifications to maintain the character of the sport. Check the rules before making changes to a firearm.
Rifles
The source lists the following rifle characteristics and examples:
- Lever or pump action, with an exposed hammer, tubular magazine, and open or iron sights.
- Pistol caliber, .25 caliber or larger.
- Henry and Winchester-pattern 1860, 1866 (“Yellow Boy”), 1873, and 1892 rifles or replicas; Marlin 1894 rifles; and Colt Lightning rifles or replicas.
- A standard-velocity .22 rimfire exception for the Buckaroo category.
EDITORIAL—CONFIRM: Verify action types, caliber limits, sight and magazine requirements, eligible models, and all youth-category exceptions. The introductory source paragraph mentions only lever-action rifles, while its detailed section also includes pump-action rifles. This draft preserves both by using “eligible pistol-caliber rifle” in the basic checklist. Confirm the historical model naming in the examples.
Revolvers
The source lists:
- Single-action operation.
- Two revolvers for competition.
- .32 caliber or larger.
- Cap-and-ball revolvers in the Frontiersman category.
- An optional standard-velocity .22 rimfire exception for the Buckaroo category.
Shotguns
The source identifies these types and restrictions:
- Winchester 1897 pump-action shotguns or replicas, in 12 or 16 gauge.
- Side-by-side and single-barrel shotguns, with or without external hammers, in 10, 12, 16, or 20 gauge.
- Winchester 1887 lever-action shotguns or replicas, in 10 or 12 gauge.
- A .410 exception for the Buckaroo category.
- No automatic ejectors, except on single-barrel shotguns.
Ammunition
The original guide specifies lead bullets and lead shot. It excludes copper-jacketed bullets, copper-washed bullets, and gas checks. It also describes main-match ammunition as centerfire, while separately listing .22 rimfire exceptions for the Buckaroo category.
For shotgun ammunition, the source specifies No. 7½ shot or smaller. It recommends round-nose flat-point (RNFP) bullets for tubular-magazine rifles and notes that some categories use black powder or black-powder substitutes.
Holsters, shotshell carriers, and clothing
You will need suitable holsters for your revolvers and a way to carry shotshells. Have your equipment checked for the category you plan to shoot. If you use a gun cart, follow the required storage and handling procedures described at the match.
For clothing and aliases, see Getting Started. For transport, loading, unloading, and range commands, see Safety.
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