I have been thinking of picking up a SAA and the three I have been thinking about are the Beretta Stampede (looking hard at the Deluxe), the Ruger new model Vaquero, or the Pietta Peacemaker. This will be a range gun; I do not see any CAS in the future, but you never know. I know that they run the gambit for price ($475 to $800); if you have tried any of these what are your experiences and is it worth spending a pile, or am I better off going cheap?
Pietta Peacemaker, Ruger Vaquero, or Beretta Stampede
- Thread starter COREY
- Start date
I have a new vaquero and love it. I will be ordering a twin as soon as I can afford it. I tried the stampede in the store but in the end I liked the feel of the Ruger more. I am probably biased though as I have owned many Ruers in the past and always been impressed with the quality and durability.
Buffalo Creek Law Dog
Regular
I have three Piettas and two Ruger new Vaqueros for CAS. The Rugers are built like a tank however the Piettas are my first line guns with the Rugers as back-up. The Pietta has a firing pin giving it the old west look. The Ruger has a transfer bar without a exposed firing pin as do the Stampedes.
The Pietta Great Western ll is a fine looking six shooter at an excellent price.
Remember.....Cowboy Action Shooting is the most fun you can have with your clothes on or, as SASS says, the closest to the old west you can get without a time machine.
The Pietta Great Western ll is a fine looking six shooter at an excellent price.
Remember.....Cowboy Action Shooting is the most fun you can have with your clothes on or, as SASS says, the closest to the old west you can get without a time machine.
So Buffalo Creek Law Dog, you have both Rugers and Piettas, but use the cheaper guns of the two types. Is there any particular reason?
I have had Ruger handguns before, but keep selling them to buy others (CZ and Smiths); all my hunting rifles are Rugers though (17hmr, 22lr, and 375 H&H ). If the cheaper gun is a better gun, I am happy to take a deal when I find one. I love the looks of the Beretta Stampede Deluxe, but after holstering and unholstering for a bit it probably will not look that great for the extra money.
I have had Ruger handguns before, but keep selling them to buy others (CZ and Smiths); all my hunting rifles are Rugers though (17hmr, 22lr, and 375 H&H ). If the cheaper gun is a better gun, I am happy to take a deal when I find one. I love the looks of the Beretta Stampede Deluxe, but after holstering and unholstering for a bit it probably will not look that great for the extra money.
A +1 for Pietta as a nice gun for the money. I got a used one off the EE recently. The fit and finish of all external and internals is very nice. And something I like is that it's a faithful replica so you get the "4 clicks" of the hammer just like the old original Colt. I like that nod to history more than the loading gate cylinder lock disengage feature of the Ruger. It means I need to make sure I take the extra step of going to the half #### position before loading or risk a rub line on the cylinder but it's something you get used to real quickly.
I've seen lots of the Ruger Vagueros and they are also a nicely finished gun. But for casual plinking you can't beat the Pietta.
One issue with mine was that the front sight was FAR too tall for any load. I've since filed it down to bring it into tune with the ammo I use the most for my .38 shooting.
Based on what I found I'm going to be looking for another Pietta as a CAS companion to the one I have already.
I've seen lots of the Ruger Vagueros and they are also a nicely finished gun. But for casual plinking you can't beat the Pietta.
One issue with mine was that the front sight was FAR too tall for any load. I've since filed it down to bring it into tune with the ammo I use the most for my .38 shooting.
Based on what I found I'm going to be looking for another Pietta as a CAS companion to the one I have already.
Buffalo Creek Law Dog
Regular
Nothing wrong with the Rugers, they are built like a tank and will last forever and I wouldn't ever sell them but, there is something about the Pietta that I like....the 4 clicks when cocking, brown wooden grips, exposed firing pin when cocking, feels nice in the hand. Go the the SASS web site and type in Pietta, you will find that they are highly rated by cowboy shootists. The price is good for a gun that is not crap. A friend of mine bought pair of the Stampedes for CAS last year as that was all he could get at the time. He has since bought a Pietta and uses it as one of his primary guns and will be buying another Pietta and use the Stampedes as his back-up guns.
