.45 SAA I think I want one?

SlickTrick

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Ok, I know nothing about it, can someone point me to some reliable information on a .45 single action army?

What should I expect to pay for one that is ready to shoot? Black powder or smokeless?

Sadly, I don't know enough to ask the right questions, or what questions I even should be asking. I watch a lot of western movies, and I kind of like the hardware they use, and who knows, I might decide to get into coyboy action shooting.

Can someone point me in the right direction so I can educate myself?

Thanks..
 
Do you want the look of a single-action .45, or an authentic Colt? The Colts are expensive. I am guessing around 1,600 bucks or more? They are still being made in .357 mag and .45 LC. They are the original designs with the 4-click hammers that can be only safely loaded with 5. Companies like Uberti make replicas at a fraction of the cost but apparently are not as high quality. Plus, they don't have the horse on the side, which I personally like. :p
Modern Colts will handle standard pressure .45 smokeless, but some antiques will only do blackpowder or more downloaded cartridges.

Companies like Ruger make similar-looking guns that are functionally different in many ways. Those guns have transfer bars and can safely load six. They're a lot more robust, a lot less expensive but do not have the same authenticity to them.
 
I got a uberti El patron, it has a tuned up trigger job and it's sweet. Cost me about an extra $150. I got a nice holster and cartridge bet for $170 from cabelas. It does have a safety in place but I'm not sure how reliable it is. I usually take 3 handguns to the range but always save the .45LC for last.
 
Do you want the look of a single-action .45, or an authentic Colt?

I really love the look of the gun. Not sure I really want to spend $1600 on one, so I would be open to a replica. Is black powder better than smokeless? I would assume that black powder is harder to clean? I did not know you could get it in .357; is that better for 'plinking' or should I stick with the long colt? Does the cowboy action sport allow .357?

I will do some reading on the Uberti, it sounds like that might be the direction I should be looking.
 
Uberti if you want a classic look and function, Ruger BH if you want versatility.

I just picked up a Ruger Blackhawk convertible in 45LC with a extra 45ACP cylinder. So I can shoot ether cartridge aswell as 45LC+p ruger only loads :D
 
If you want to shoot black powder I suggest 44-40. Thinner brass that seals better. Less blowback into the action.

45 colt is great, but the brass is heavy and doesn't seal the chambers very well.

If you want .357 I suggest a Blackhawk, for the adjustable sight.

For the classics I like Uberti, then Pietta.
 
Fun pistols to shoot...couldn't fault my pietta .44mag...great cold blueing, brass trigger guard and shot really quite well..
 
Personally i'd buy an Uberti and not look back. You can buy two and a case of ammo for the price of a colt, and they shoot very well. Other then the pony on the side, they are for all intents and purposes identical and well made pistols.
 
I bought an Uberti SAA in 45 Colt and some reloading equipment to feed it, 45 Colt factory ammo is/was about a dollar a round or about twice the cost of 45ACP.
If you want to shoot black powder cartridges you will have to load them yourself, I have heard of factory loads of BP in the States but never seen any in Canada.
I just picked up a Pietta in 44-40, it doesn't like my reloads but is a well made gun and with some work on the reloads I am sure it will work just fine.
 
I picked up a SAA 1873 Pietta in 357 mag/.38 SPl
With the 7.5" barrel and transfer bar safety for 6 rounds in no safety problem.
It's an amazing revolver for the low low price.
Heavy, well made, solid steel every single part. They're deadly accurate
Amazing quality firearm, very well made and machined. Highly recomend them!
 
You don't have to shoot black powder from them. Marstar lists a few Pietta models that are labeled as having a "black powder frame". But all that means is that the base pin that the cylinder spins on is retained by a set screw instead of a sprung button. It actually makes for a slightly cleaner looking gun that simply needs a screw driver to be carried to allow for removal of the cylinder.

It sure doesn't sound like you've got the commitment towards this to justify a real Colt as a real Colt price. But the good news is that Ruger, Uberti and Pietta all make fine guns.

I wanted the authentic Colt action so I was looking for Pietta or Uberti. Along came a used Pietta for a great price so I figured WTH. Turned out it was such a nicely done gun both inside and out that I bought the matching new one from Marstar to use for my cartridge guns in cowboy action. I'm into my 6th year of shooting with these both for matches and fun and the guns have needed nothing other than cleaning and ammo. And the triggers from use have become very nicely smoothed in without any need for slicking up.

If you're just after a casual shooting SAA clone a Pietta will easily serve you well.

Some say that Uberti is a little nicer a finish. And in minor ways they are a little more crisp. But Pietta still is a darn nice piece for the money.

The Ruger New Vaqueros are great guns too. There's good reasons why they are so popular in cowboy shooting. But they are SAA guns in looks only with modern insides. In my case I wanted the traditional Colt 4 clicks and needing half #### to load vs the Ruger manual of arms. So for me Ruger wasn't an option.

Now to the powder needs. If you have an SAA revolver you NEED to try some black powder rounds at some point. And that should be easy since if you buy a gun in either .45Colt or .44-40 you WILL be getting into reloading. The cost of factory ammo for either is horrendous. Even a modest single stage setup for reloading of these rounds is just way too obvious as far as the wallet goes. So loading up a few with black powder or Pyrodex P and shooting them now and then is great fun. And a great way to experience the exact same thing that folks had 140 years ago with the THUMP! instead of a BANG! and all the smoke that went with it.

Cleaning an SAA after shooting black or Pyrodex is easy. An ice cream or similar bucket that you can dunk the barrel into with the action sticking out of the water and a nylon bristle bore brush. A dash of soap in the hot water cuts through the goop really well. It's "dunk, brush, dunk, brush, dunk dry patch, oil patch, dry patch and done. Then the same for the cylinder.

In prep for shooting black powder rounds solvent clean the regular gun oil away and replace it with Ballistol or oil the gun with Canola oil. Yep, the stuff for cooking. These two and a few others are compatible with the black powder fouling where regular petroleum gun oils will result in a tar like build up when the oil mixes with the fouling. In particular the base pin and cylinder need this different oil before shooting with black powder or the substitutes.

Don't worry about the food aspect. The Canola oil is actually a really good rust preventative and not bad as a lubricant. The ONLY downside in fact is that it cures to a varnish like film after a few months. So it's no good for longer term storage.

But that's for later. For now you can shoot with smokeless just fine in either frame style. No worries there. But do budget for at least a modest reloading setup early on unless you're already set up for reloading.
 
Yeah, a genuine Colt is a bit out of the budget at the moment, so I will be looking at a less expensive alternative. So far, the Peitta/Uberti sound like the likely candidates. From what you are explaining on the BP loads, it sounds like what I might want to get into. I have had the pleasure of cleaning a muzzle loader in the past ~20 years ago, as I recall, it was not terrible if you looked after it right away. Leaving it over night as I recall was not a great idea.

It would appear that I should get a press and dies first, and then get the gun once I fill up the gun buying coffee can with money again. :p

Is there a preference to brand with a press and dies? Since I am getting it, I will also need dies for 3030, 303, and 250-3000. The only ones I know are Lee, and RCBS, and of those 2, I know one is supposedly superior? Are dies one size fits all presses? Or do you have to get specific ones for each brand of press?


Sorry for newbing out here, but I figure I am going to get the right answers here.

Appreciate the information and help so far.
 
I have a RCBS single stage press , which is fine for rifle and .45Lc rnds. I usually make a 100 or so 45LC a wk,and a few hundred .223. But I've since got a 9 mm and a 357 mag ,so it's starting to get a little time consuming loading all this on a single stage. If your only going to load a few dozen rifle rnds and a 100 or so 45lc then single stage is fine. I got a rock chucker supreme kit. You'll also need dies,shell holders for whatever caliber your loading. Also you may need a vibratory cleaner, Calipers , and a trimmer. I find brownells a good place to get dies and shell holders.
 
Ok, I know nothing about it, can someone point me to some reliable information on a .45 single action army?

What should I expect to pay for one that is ready to shoot? Black powder or smokeless?

Sadly, I don't know enough to ask the right questions, or what questions I even should be asking. I watch a lot of western movies, and I kind of like the hardware they use, and who knows, I might decide to get into coyboy action shooting.

Can someone point me in the right direction so I can educate myself? Thanks..

Buy the best you can afford. . . Purchase a good original 1st or 2nd generation Colt and you be able to enjoy it and be pleased on how it'll appreciate if well cared for. .

If you want to shoot the hell out of one and not worry over a high price investment, a Pietta or Uberti will work real good for you and you'd most likely get your money back if you needed to sell out. .

A few years back I bellied up and bought a very nice early 1st generation smokeless Colt SAA in 45 Colt. . It was in real nice condition and paid accordingly and as such have shot it with the utmost care. . I love shooting that gun, it points so easy and makes me look good on target. . They're such a natural shooting revolver, point and shoot. . Then I took a chance and bought a slightly used Pietta . . same caliber, same balance, firing pin on the hammer and no transfer bar. . An excellent copy, I was impressed right off. . In the holster it goes, I can twirl it, shoot it and just enjoy reloading for it and not have to worry if I accidently drop it or do something that'll ruin the value. . yes it's not a Colt, but a damn close second for a fraction of the price. . Still have my Colt and it's only going up in value, but the Pietta is one user friendly gun.

My 1908 1st generation Colt, 45 caliber

 
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Slicktrick, I've got mostly Lee dies and they work fine. But the other brands are a step up in terms of accuracy. And in some cases you get spring loaded decapping pins which work well for handgun ammo in progressive presses. But that's for later. In the meantime you can load all the calibers you mentioned on a single stage setup just fine.

The dies are standard for most of the common sizes with a 7/8-14 thread on the outside. Bigger cartridges use the next size up standard which is 1 1/4 inch thread. But you won't need that unless you get into Sniders or .50BMG or others like that which won't fit into a 7/8 die body without turning the threads into a Slinky.... :D

For your needs I'd say that a single stage will do nicely. Even with the .45Colt loading with a nicely set up single stage with the right support equipment you can load around 150 to 180 rounds an hour once you're off to the races.

For the press I'd suggest something other than Lee. They work but I find that the levers on the others don't seem to need as much force. And that does count later on. And because a single stage means lots of die changes to avoid constantly setting them each time you put one in I'm a fan of the Hornady Lock N' Load press that uses bayonet bushings that you buy in bulk and install on each of the dies you own. In bulk the bushings are about $5 each.

For cleaning I had a tumbler and tried it out. I found it was messy and didn't clean at all well on the inside of the brass. Based on writeups on the web I went for an ultrasonic cleaner. It worked marvelously and the brass comes out super clean inside and out for the bigger sizes and mostly clean inside on things like .38Spl and 9mm. Since then stainless pin media and tumbling has become popular but I still find that the US cleaner works more than well enough for my needs and I don't need to worry about rinsing out the pin media.

Beyond that I'd suggest a good reloading manual and looking on You Tube for "beginner reloading". There's oodles of good videos showing all manner of presses. They all discuss the various items you will need and how they are used.

And in fact I'd search for videos of the presses you are considering buying when you get to that point. Watch all the details of setup and use to see which seems simpler and easier to use to you. If it seems simpler and has good features that are obvious then it'll be a press you'll like.

The one thing you will want is a good sturdy bench or desk. Wobbly tables or flexible top surfaces and reloading presses do not make for a good combination.

A modest setup does not need to take up any more room than a desktop computer. And with a bit of thought the whole setup can fit into a single medium size storage tote when not in use.

Likely you won't save money. Most folks find that it just lets them shoot more for the same cost. But that's a good thing too.
 
Rod, that is a thing of absolute beauty! I like simple, and reliable.

BCRider, thank you, I have heard about the lock and load press before. It looks like Cabela's might have a decent price on it too. I will check it out when I go to our local grand opening on May 28. I have a friend with a cleaner, so I can save for the short term on that.

I have a pretty sturdy desk that I believe will do the job nicely, but being able to take it down and put it away would be a huge bonus. I can get away with a lot, but my desk is in the living room, so I do have to keep the missus happy. Good thing for me, she likes to shoot, so buying all of this stuff bit by bit will be allowed. :p


Now.. off to the Youtubez for beginner reloading vids. Thanks
 
Would you get away with a couple of holes to allow a sub plate on the press itself to be bolted in place? If so that's a great way to go. Make the hole spacing in the desk something consistent and mount the press and any other tooling you need to use on sub plates that bolt to the desk. For example two holes 8 inches apart and 5 or 6 inches back from the edge would do nicely for a 3/4 inch plywood plate for the press. Another such plate could hold a bench vise and a third, fourth etc could hold anything the two of you could possibly require.

It does sort of turn the desk into a work bench but if that's OK at least it can be done neatly with only two holes. And with a little forethought a couple of counter such screws could serve as hole plugs so it doesn't look shabby. Or you could just use the two holes to hold pens when not being used by the press.... :D

If it's a carpet on the floor either vacuum FREQUENTLY or set up a vinyl pad to catch any spilled powder. In use there's always a few flakes that get away from you. And more than one carpet has turned into a pretty spectacular fireworks when it caught fire for whatever reason.
 
Would you get away with a couple of holes to allow a sub plate on the press itself to be bolted in place? If so that's a great way to go. Make the hole spacing in the desk something consistent and mount the press and any other tooling you need to use on sub plates that bolt to the desk. For example two holes 8 inches apart and 5 or 6 inches back from the edge would do nicely for a 3/4 inch plywood plate for the press. Another such plate could hold a bench vise and a third, fourth etc could hold anything the two of you could possibly require.

It does sort of turn the desk into a work bench but if that's OK at least it can be done neatly with only two holes. And with a little forethought a couple of counter such screws could serve as hole plugs so it doesn't look shabby. Or you could just use the two holes to hold pens when not being used by the press.... :D

If it's a carpet on the floor either vacuum FREQUENTLY or set up a vinyl pad to catch any spilled powder. In use there's always a few flakes that get away from you. And more than one carpet has turned into a pretty spectacular fireworks when it caught fire for whatever reason.

Ha! I am good for the desk, it is a proper wooden desk that I bought at the local re-store. I could drill holes in it if I wanted, or do what I need to do. The floor is click flooring, and capturing spilled powder is something I have not given a lot of thought to. I am not sure if it would be a problem on this floor because it is swept daily, and mopped weekly.

At my place of employment we are pretty tinfoil hat on static electricity, so we wear grounding straps, is that over the top when working with BP?
 
I just recently got a Pietta and I love it! And yes reloading is the only way to go with .45 Colt. I would not have considered getting one if I had to buy commercial ammo.

I'm still waiting on my dies and I'll be doing fine with my single stage press. So shop around, watch videos and ask any question you have in the reloading section where our old timers will gladly help you.
 
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