Cowboy Action Pistol Shooting: Secrets of Fast and Accurate Gunplay [Paperback]

Charles Stephens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

The fast-growing sport of cowboy action shooting is enjoyed in hundreds of clubs across America and around the world. These Old West aficionados - members of organizations such as the Single Action Shooting Society - compete with replicas of the single-action revolvers used by the men who tamed the American frontier. This book will not only prepare the novice interested in taking up this sport, but provide valuable insight and expert advice to the intermediate and advanced shooter. Author Charles Stephens (How to Become a Master Handgunner), himself the descendant of Old West gunfighter Wood Hite, shares wisdom gleaned from 40 years of competitive pistol shooting to give cowboy action shooters the winning edge - from selecting the right pistols and gear to mastering the single-action revolver. You'll also hear true stories of the Old West, from why Jesse James was really murdered to the story behind one of the deadliest gunfights of the American West - the Tuttle dance hall massacre in Newton, Kansas. If you've ever longed to step back in time and relive the excitement of our Western heritage, this is the perfect guidebook.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles (Charlie) Stephens' shooting career has spanned 40 years. He has competed in IPSC, NRA Action Pistol, Handgun Metallic Silhouette, Western and Cowboy Action Shooting, and International Single-Shot Scheutzenfest Pistol, winning hundreds of matches at the local, state and regional level of competition, while placing in the top five in several international and world-class events.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581601328
• ISBN-13: 978-1581601329
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,885,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Cowboy Action Pistol Shooting, June 22, 2004

By 

Daniel S. Thole (Wilkes-Barre, Pa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cowboy Action Pistol Shooting: Secrets of Fast and Accurate Gunplay (Paperback)

This book is in reality a thin paperback, only 68 pages. The first half of the book is stories about gunfights in the late 1800s. The author finally gets to Cowboy action in the second half but poorly covers the subject. No recommendation on the caliber to use, not even a comparision. As far as the type of pistol to buy he makes no commitment. He claims they are all good. I found the pamphlet to be of little use and poorly thought out.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not enough meat, December 4, 2004

By 

Merrill G. Clark - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cowboy Action Pistol Shooting: Secrets of Fast and Accurate Gunplay (Paperback)

I ordered this book thinking that it might shed a great deal of light on the techniques used in Cowboy Action Shooting, as the main title suggests. What I got was 71 pages of disappointment. The author has about five salient points to make regarding the "secrets of fast and accurate gunplay" (the sub-title of the book). This thin and expensive publication could have been replace by a three page paper in which the author could adequately cover those few points on fast and accurate gunplay. I don't recommend this book at all. Explanations of "Slip hammering" were cloudy and the author doesn't immediately explain what this is, until a paragraph of two into the dissertation following the heading. There were more than 20 photos, which comprise about 20% of the book. Frankly, this book was, for me, a waste of money.

1.0 out of 5 stars ...., May 21, 2003

By 

Michael Morgan (Grand Prairie, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cowboy Action Pistol Shooting: Secrets of Fast and Accurate Gunplay (Paperback)

.... If you want to learn about the care, feeding, and manipulation of the single action revolver, buy Sixguns by Elmer Keith. If you want to learn about the handguns and holsters used in Cowboy Action Shooting Mr. Stephens provides a brief list of manufacturers, but nothing in the way of details or descriptions about their products. If you already know how to shoot any type of handgun, you already know more than you could possibly learn from this book. If you don't know anything about handling firearms, then this book is not the place to start. The book includes very rudimentary descriptions of shooting stances, but nothing specifically related or unique about Cowboy Shooting. You can learn more about the proper way to handle a revolver by watching John Wayne in The Shootist than you will learn from this book. If you are interested in Cowboy Shooting or revolvers in general, read Elmer Keith's book Sixguns, and then request the rule book from the Single Action Shooting Society. I wish I had.