One of today's most popular shooting sports is Cowboy Action shooting. The sport originated in California in the 1980s and attracted people who had an interest in action pistol sports such as IPSC/USPSA but wanted to compete with Western-style firearms.

The primary governing body for the sport, the Single Action Shooting Society, requires that all competitors' firearms--either original or reproduction--be of a type that were in use before 1898, and as far as handguns go, only single-action revolvers are allowed. Shooters must also choose an alias and persona that reflects a character from the early West and dress in appropriate attire.

While Cowboy Action is perhaps best known for the often gaudy Western clothing and shooters' nicknames, it has led to a lot of attention to improving the firearms used by the competitors. That's a very good thing, and there is a big difference between replica firearms built today and those of even just 20 years ago.

STI Texican
Type:	single action revolver
Caliber:	.45 Colt
Capacity:	6
Barrel length:	5.75 in.
Overall length:	11 in.
Weight:	36 oz.
Sights:	fixed
Finish:	blued barrel; color case hardened frame, gate, hammer
Grips:	polymer
Price:	$1,260
Manufacturer:	STI International

Today there are also a number of custom gunsmiths who focus on single-action revolvers. One of the newest companies to enter this highly competitive market is STI International of Georgetown, Texas.

STI builds some of the finest 1911 pistols in the world. I have used a number of the company's pistols over the years for competition and have nothing but praise for them.

Just as STI has improved the 1911 pistol, when the company decided to build a single-action revolver I would have wagered hard money that it was not going to be just another single-action revolver.

It was given the name of "Texican"--a term applied before 1836 to citizens of non-Mexican ancestry living in Texas, which was then a part of Mexico.

Unlike some single-action revolvers on the market today, the Texican contains no cast parts. All parts are either ultra high-speed machined or electron-discharge machined from 4150 chrome-moly steel forgings or bar stock (no castings), to dimensions measured in .0001 inch, then precisely installed, achieving an exactness of fit and smoothness of function not found even in custom revolvers.

The Texican is the first firearm of any type made using ultra high-speed machining. Unlike conventional CNC machining, the surfaces of the finished parts are perfectly smooth and straight. They do not require grinding or polishing, so there are no rounded edges, no distorted screw holes, and their surfaces are flat , not wavy.

The Texican is 100 percent U.S. made at STI's facility in Connecticut, where it manufactures every single component except the springs; the frame, loading gate and hammer are color case hardened by Turnbull Restorations--a company renown for its superb quality in case-hardening.

The 53⁄4-inch Green Mountain barrel has a 1:16 twist, air gauged to a .0002-inch tolerance.

While some of the traditionalists out there might look askance upon the use of ABS polymer for the grips, the "no crack" panels will stand up to very hard use and will not fall prey to solvents, oils or about anything else.

Internally, the Texican features a pawl that rides on a fixed pivot, and a spring that STI claims will last three to four times longer than those in most single-action revolvers.