A Little History About Bad Dean

I have always been a cowboy at heart even when I was knee high. The Christmas 1958 I recieved from Santa a set of New Mattel Fanner Fiftys with a buscedero rig. The following year I got the Mattel Winchester lever action rifle that loaded the springloaded bullets that used the greenie stickem caps. Boy was I in Heaven, there was not a day I did not strap on those guns ready to shoot bad guys. (Even use to outdraw Matt Dillon).

I first got involved in Cowboy Action and SASS in June 1998. My good friend and neighbor Taquila Tab went to a match in Springfield, IL. in May of 1998 and shot with the Long Nine Club. He returned home very excited and came over to my house and said that I would have to go with him to the next monthly shoot. When the 4th Sunday in June came around we packed up and went to the shoot. I did not have any guns yet so I bought the amo needed and borrowed Tab's Guns and leather. Needless to say that was all it took and I was hooked. It took me a couple of months to get all the guns I needed, but until I did there were always cowboys that brought extra guns and would let you use them.

I started out with a pair of old model 5 1/2" 38/357 Ruger Vaquero's, 38/357 Navy Arms 1892 carbine, and a 12 gauge Stoger Coach Gun. I shot them for about a year and a half until a friend of mine needed some cash and offered to sell me his 7 1/2" Ruger Vaquero in 44 spec/44 mag. I then ended up buying another 5 1/2" Vaquero in the same caliber along with a Marlin 1894 CB in 44 spec/44 mag. I used these and really liked them, for some reason I seemed to be more accurate with the larger caliber. After about another year the wife asked me what size Ruger I liked the best, but all I could tell her was I liked both of them. Well to my surprise she purchased one of each for my anniversary so I would have matched sets. All the .44's get used and every once in a while I bring out the .38's.

The last two years I have shot black powder cartridge and have had a blast with all the smoke and the noise. I decided to give the black power a break and go back to smokeless this year but we will see how long that last beause the black powder is sure a lot of fun.

About Bad Dean