Finally took my sidewinder to the range

[Kentucky Kevin]

I pray that they NEVER start building in a die by date, and pray that I'll never have to buy any more ammo

[TwoGunJayne]

HTW: "Die by date," we're not in "Logan's Run," yet. I'm talking about the filthy censored book, not the movie. You only get lessened velocity and greater FTF depending on storage. Bad news: I did a shooting test once with ancient .45 acp WW2 wartime ammo. We got single digit rounds to fire out of a box of 50.

BW: You simply MUST change out that carry ammo sometimes. With an inline magazine, corrosion in the primer pocket indicates possible instability. You could have a chain fire in that lever action tube mag. All of the moldy old tube mag ammo I've ever fired was a single round at a time because the worst that it can do is its maximum effect. The least that it can do is a squib round stuck in the barrel that blows everything to bits on the next real round fired.

IKO: Wildcat is fine unless it was stored wet. It works, provided you can hit with it

.54K: I'd plink it, chrono it, and see if it is ok. It might still be!

[.54Cal_Kidd]

Interestingly enough, I'm still finishing off a brick of green box Remington that's older than the Wildcat!
I think I had one FTF out of more than 100.

[bigwheel]

Thanks for the report on the Remington ammo. Makes me feel a little better about my antique Wildcats now.

[dbgUSMC]

Just an update on this if anyone was interested to know. It has been about a month now and I emailed NAA to see what going on with my pistol. They told me that they might just have to get me another sidewinder. The technician said he tried several different cylinders and all of them were doing the same thing. So he thinks it's just that pistol, but he was going to keep trying since he just received some new cylinders and cranes in the shop. I was hoping they could fix the one I sent in because I already have an awesome Absaroka kid holster with my serial number on it. They told me they would try to have it back to me my early next week.

[bigwheel]

Sad news but bet they get you fixed up quick and right. Not sure they have it incorporated into the serial number as with VIN numbers on cars..but smart folks can decipher it and if say it was made on Mon or Friday do not buy it. They all hungover on Mon and they raring to go hurt themselves yet again on Friday.  If they ate something that made them feel that bad they wouldnt eat it again huh? Now I know the nice Mormons only drink buttermilk and Pepsi..so hopefully that aint it..lol.

[Dinadan]

dbgUSMC - sorry to see that you may have to get a Sidewinder with a serial number that does not match your Absaroka kid holster. I guess that means that the crane slot is cut just a bit too deep. There is very little tolerance allowed for the cylinder to overlap the recoil shield and the cartridge rims to clear the recoil shield. Seems like a tiny application of some kind of steel epoxy in the slot followed by a bit of sanding might be a workable home remedy - but you should not have to do that to a new gun!

[dbgUSMC]

Well after a month I finally got my sidewinder back. I have a conversion cylinder for it and also bought a holster grip or some wobbly floppers for it. They ended up sending me the pistol with the same serial number I sent to them. However they did not fix the problem and the cylinder still goes back past the blast shield. It doesn't seem to do it with the LR cylinder though which is weird. Oh well guess it's not that big of a deal. It's definitely something I can live with.

Here are some pictures of it with the new attachments.

[TwoGunJayne]

or some wobbly floppers for it

[dbgUSMC]

Haha I had to throw that in there! 

[Dinadan]

dbgUSMC - at least you have it back!! With the mag cylinder you can do like I do and hold the cylinder while you press the empties out. Now - good luck finding some ammo!

[bigwheel]

Mighty nice ensemble Sir! I will have to vote with the other smart folks about the bird in hand beating the two in the bush stuff. I would just use what works and keep nagging. They might send you some free stuff. Happens to me all the time. Even us old codgers know out of a gun without a barrel their aint a dimes worth of difference twixt the two rounds. You want more flash and bang go with the mag. Same lesson they learned all over again trying to make .357 snubbies. The physics dont work. A .357 mag derringer? lol. I have not seen a .22 mag shell in 40 years. Not sure how a person could live without em huh? lol.