I'm not sure where you're talking about then, because the place I'm thinking of usually has the sentry aiming towards the spawn and/or straight stairs.

The sentry you usually see aimed at the straight stairs is almost invariably incorrectly positioned. It should be placed slightly further back (So that it can shoot at people coming up from the grate) and should be positioned at an angle so that it looks at the battlements entrance as well as the grate/spiral doorways.

Thus, it would need to turn around to shoot at long stairwell. (Which is never a problem since even a scout can't get up there fast enough)

So am I the only one that thinks the Gunslinger is useless? No combination of any 2 mini-sentries on any map has ever been effective for me in my limited experience.

Gunslinger provides new and exciting bedroom sensation.

I use a mini on turbine. It works great there if you know how to use it. Most players will attack the mini before they attack you, which gives you plenty of time to blast them before they finish it off, and even if they do, you can usually wipe them out with crits/pistol/wrench.

Where? I like putting one behind each shipping crate, but it always seems like demos know where those are and can blow them up waay too easily. Woah, I just realized I haven't tried using them since I got the Wrangler. I assume it shoots them both?

Both? What are you talking about? You can only place one sentry at a time.

I must've been on a modded server the one time I tried the gunslinger, then. I could also just be confused. Wow, I could've swore you could place two minis. I just read the TF2 wiki on it and the strategies it describes are completely foreign to me and I can't wait to try it again.

Yeah, on stock you most definitely can only place 1 at a time. The wrangler makes it more useful, since it keeps the thing alive a lot longer and more damage.

I put it under the battlements. Drop a dispenser in a corner, and a TP in opposite corner. Then grab metal as needed. Typically, even if they kill my sentry, I can drop another and kill the enemy before they can get me, regardless of what it is (heavy included). Of course any coordinated team can wipe me out with an uber, but we all know how many 'run and gun' solo players there are in the servers these days.