This June The Shootists will be celebrating 40 Years!

[JimT]

Hard to believe but this will be our 40th Anniversary! The Good Lord willing I will be there. There are only 4 of the Original Founding Members who were at the first one left. Myself, Bud McDonald, Brian Pearce and Bob Baker. Paco is a Founding Member but he was not at the first Holiday. It was due to Paco's help that we were introduced to Wayne and Bob Baker at Freedom Arms. I was hoping that he would be able to make this coming Holiday but he told me he is just not up to the trip. Which I understand.

The Shootists are having a special 40th Anniversary gun built and I just received photos of it today.

Left Beauty.jpg

Right Beauty.jpg

Shootist Left.jpg

Marlin .45 Colt Trapper
16” non threaded barrel
8 Round full magazine tube
Straight grip walnut stock
Standard loop
Rifle style forend cap (not a barrel band)
Special checkering pattern
Skinner Sights
Sling swivel studs
Recoil Pad
Shootists 40th Anniversary 1985 – 2025 engraved on the left side of the receiver

This is the first 45 Colt the new Ruger owned Marlin has ever produced!

I hope to have my hands on one by the Shootists Holiday in June.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m sure looking forward to the Holiday this year Jim.

I understand that they will start shipping our rifles in April.

[348win]

Very cool!

[JimT]

I’m sure looking forward to the Holiday this year Jim.

I understand that they will start shipping our rifles in April.

Thanks Scott.
I am looking forward to it also!

[Jared]

I am looking forward to getting mine. Coincidentally I loaded about 1500 rounds of 45 colt this winter.

[Grizz]

congrats Jim and all you shootists. It's a remarkable achievement.

[JimT]

congrats Jim and all you shootists. It's a remarkable achievement.

John Taffin gets the credit.
It began with his idea.
He pulled it together.
He got us all to work together.
He set the "tone" and the "direction"

We've had lots of remarkable people involved and still do, but John was the one who started it all.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Amen!

John planted the seed and nurtured it. Many of us have been blessed by this idea that took root.

[Bill in Oregon]

That's a doozy of a choice for a commemorative rifle, fellas. I might be wrong, but my guess is that a glass or two will be lifted in John Taffin's honor come June.

[JimT]

That's a doozy of a choice for a commemorative rifle, fellas. I might be wrong, but my guess is that a glass or two will be lifted in John Taffin's honor come June.

We have a Memorial Service for all Shootists who have passed. We share about them, who they were, what their lives stood for etc. And a sixgun salute is fired for each one. The seven empties are collected and mounted on a plaque with their information and also says, "THEY WERE ONE OF US." The plaque is given to the family. I have 3 of them that will go to my kids along with mine one of these days.

[Ysabel Kid]

Sounds like a wonderful get together and fitting tribute to Shootists who have gone home.

I know a non-threaded barrel is traditional for a levergun, but considering the advancements in suppression technology, and the fact that half of us are going deaf in part due to decades of shooting, was a threaded option considered? Just curious. Threading a barrel seems like one of the few "modernized" updates that really isn't obnoxious to the aesthetics of the rifle.

[JimT]

I wasn't part of deciding what gun to build so I don't know what all was discussed. Most of us would rather go "old school" and I am sure that figured into it somehow. All the guns we have had built have been either single action sixguns or leverguns other than the 30th Anniversary gun which was a 1911 ... retaining the "old school" philosophy.

[Grizz]

Hard to believe but this will be our 40th Anniversary! The Good Lord willing I will be there. There are only 4 of the Original Founding Members who were at the first one left. Myself, Bud McDonald, Brian Pearce and Bob Baker. Paco is a Founding Member but he was not at the first Holiday. It was due to Paco's help that we were introduced to Wayne and Bob Baker at Freedom Arms. I was hoping that he would be able to make this coming Holiday but he told me he is just not up to the trip. Which I understand.

The Shootists are having a special 40th Anniversary gun built and I just received photos of it today.

Left Beauty.jpg

Right Beauty.jpg

Shootist Left.jpg

Marlin .45 Colt Trapper
16” non threaded barrel
8 Round full magazine tube
Straight grip walnut stock
Standard loop
Rifle style forend cap (not a barrel band)
Special checkering pattern
Skinner Sights
Sling swivel studs
Recoil Pad
Shootists 40th Anniversary 1985 – 2025 engraved on the left side of the receiver

This is the first 45 Colt the new Ruger owned Marlin has ever produced!

I hope to have my hands on one by the Shootists Holiday in June.

It's the epitome of what lever-gun says to me. What a great companion gun. It's a "let's go hunting" type, eh?

[JimT]

I like it. It fits my ideas of an easy-handling gun ... made of steel and wood ...

[LeverGunner]

Nice looking PPR.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I like it. It fits my ideas of an easy-handling gun ... made of steel and wood ...

That’s what I think. Something I can slip into a saddle scabbard and go do about anything I need to within reasonable distances.

[Grizz]

PLUS, a 255 HC going around 1030 will penetrate 64 inches of ballistic gelatin, or so i've read. Which seems like a super load to me.