By Tank Hoover

For the past three or four years when the cicadas start sounding their mating call and the goldenrod blooms, I know it’s time to start making arrangements to go visit my good sixgunning buddy and hide-stretcher extraordinaire, Doc Barranti. It will be a mini-shootin’ holiday of sorts, where we try to out-do each other, seeing who has broken-out the most unique guns formerly lurking in the backs of our safes. If we’re extra-lucky, there might be a recent acquisition of some antique shooter just dying for a chance to be revived and brought back to life.

I shake things up with some Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur handload on the heavy end and maybe some silent flea flicker loads on the light end. “Classic” loads make Elmer and Skeeter smile down from the heavens, as Doc and I shoot something familiar and well versed.

I spend weeks casting, loading, cogitating, scheming and preparing for a way to experience the most bang for the buck during our quick rendezvous. Variety is the spice of life and Doc and I like to mix it up with a motley crew of classics, clowns and commanding shooters! Years past have seen us toting pre-war Colts and S&Ws, along with some of the newer big boomers and generally cool Rugers. Rifles have been covered by a .30-40 Krag, an ‘03 Springfield, a Shiloh Sharps #3 .45-70 and Marlin lever guns aplenty — both modern and vintage — in various calibers. Of course AR’s, AK’s and FN’s have reared their ugly heads a time or two; or maybe a time or three — or five or ten? When two diabolical minds get together, there’s no telling what will appear.

Lineup of some of the guns for the shoot-fest.

This Year …

During the four-hour trip across the PA Turnpike I bring a brace of Marlin lever guns, along with a few other stragglers of interest. My tried and true Marlin guide gun, in the original buffalo slayer .45-70, and a rare .375 Winchester got the nod. The Guide gun is loaded with the Lyman 462640, a 560-grain cast bunker-buster bullet stuffed over a hefty dose of IMR 3031 for a teeth rattling, filling-loosening load spinning the heavy 8″ steel swinger like a chimpanzee on a high bar. The .375 Winchester was loaded with cast 270-grain FNGC slugs from an RCBS mold, all loaded over a healthy dose of AA1680 propeling these rockets to 2,300 fps. A mighty fine load, I might add, in such a sleek and sexy carbine.

My sporterized Springfield ’03, loaded with RCBS 180-grain FNGC slugs over 24 grains of 2400 are a pleasure and honor to shoot. Lastly, my Ruger Scout rifle loaded with Lyman 311440, a 150-grain, blunt, gas-checked, flying fist of a bullet propelled by 20 grains of 2400 is mighty fun — and cheap to shoot — easing down-range right at 2,000 fps.

I think Doc outdoes me in the classy category when he breaks out his 3.5″ S&W model 27-2 with stag stocks. If that isn’t enough to stimulate my salivary glands, he unleashes a vintage Colt Officers Model, with a rare 7.5″ barrel in .38 special — from 1914, the dirty dog! Doc wasn’t fighting fair, but I sure as hell was enjoying the beating he was giving me. My 7.5″ .44 Special Colt New Frontier and Ruger Bisley with 5.5″ barrel in the same caliber just fall short of Doc’s guns. An S&W model 617 and Ruger Bisley .357 round out my armament for the day.

Doc’s model 27-2. He was cheatin’ when he brought this one out!

Then Doc does it! He pulls out the hidden ace up his sleeve and starts dropping shells into his S&W Model 25 in .45 Colt given to him from Bart Skelton! The gun is wearing walnut stocks by Deacon Deason and has more figure than a 1950’s Playboy Bunny. Doc just don’t fight fair, but it sure is fun shooting my handloads through that gun.

Doc’s son Ethan usually accompanies us on our primer-ignited hail and thunderstorm of burnt powder and hot lead. When Doc and I have our fill, Ethan steps up to clean up any leftover ammo to empty out the boxes for me, so they can be reloaded again. Nothing worse then waiting for a few stragglers hanging on, tying up the works, so they can be reloaded.

As always, it was a great visit and shoot, along with some great food! Pittsburgh has the best pizza, hoagies — and of course gun leather — in the country. I always make sure to indulge in all the above. Those Italians are masters, no matter what they ply!

The next morning, after coffee, I hit the road, while reminiscing about the visit, the food, the guns, the loads and the camaraderie only gun guys can appreciate. Yeah, I’m feeling pretty good right now as I haul my dirty, but happy guns back to their home for a good cleaning, fuss-over and rub down with a well used, oily shop rag. Yep, another successful dirty gun run across the pike. Happiness is spent primers, burnt powder and dirty guns. Having someone to share in all the filth just makes it all the more special. I’m already planning for next year. Just might have to break out my 4″ pre-29 .44 mag with Herrett exhibition grade walnut Roper stocks and work up from there. You listening Doc? I’m tossin’ the gauntlet down.

Make a call, grab some guns, foul them up and have your own dirty gun run with a good buddy. Life’s too short for clean safe queens and excuses for why you can’t do it.

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