Pietta/Vaquero ?

Chuck:

We have two "big" shoots each year (i.e. two-day ones) - always on the Victoria Day and Thanksgiving Long Weekends (i.e. May and October) plus Sunday afternoon monthly shoots in April, June, July, August and September.

With my age and poor eyesight, I'm definitely not a speed demon ... or even a "gamer" ... either! Often as not, my over-all score is below that of many of the Lady and Junior shooters! :rolleyes:

I shoot "Duelist" - i.e. 'old-fashioned, one-handed' style - and that's my main excuse ... lame though it may be ........ ;)

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I like the looks of the longer barrels (i.e. 7.5") best, but they are a bit cumbersome for CAS ... as a consequence 4 5/8" definitely seems much too short to my eye, so 5.5" gets the nod.

I suspect that is the most popular length, actually ....
 
Personally I prefer the 4 5/8" barrel. It's much easier to get to the next target when shooting multiple targets and faster to clear leather with. Long barrels in Cowboy Action can be a real pain at times.
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Show Horses And Go Horses EH

I have been a SAA fan since 1973 when I FINALLY saved up to get a Third Generation Colt Nickel SAA in 45 Colt.

It had until its "amputation" a 7&1/2 "brl. I found the longer barrel somewhat cumbersome for holster carry. Shortening it to 4&3/4' and having an extra cylinder for 45ACP along with getting spare handsm bolt stops and a mainspring made it a better carry gun for my Ontario Wilderness Handgun Course work.

I picked the Colt SAA as my Ontario Wilderness Handgun special because in 1973 or now I can take it apart clean it and put it back together with one screw driver. I have spare parts for it if it breaks. It is great for point shooting as I added Herretts grips to it.

yes the original Colt SAA is one I picked to be carried on board a late 20 Century bush plane to go prospecting in "Gods Country" far from the nearest gunsmithy or even bush road.

The 1873 SAA is a classic design..has been produced in the same form for nearly 124 yrs! Imagine that! Next year 1873 to 2008 will mark 125 years of production.

Even former Liberal PM Chretien didnt hang on in such an outdated form that long! Almost a Century and a quarter for the SAA in one form or another.

Yes I am so old I can remember in the 1950's when the Colt SAA was out of production..and Bill Ruger had not started his firearms firm yet. Great Western or Hy Hunter in California tried to plug the gap while Clint Eastwood and Sammy Davis did fast draw with original Colt SAA.

Thats how Clint was so good in those "Spaghetti Westerns".

Sammy Davis used to do quick draw demos on his 1950's TV appearances! The "good ole days"!

Then with all the "1950s pent up SAA demand" from all that gun twirling and innumerable Hopalong Cassidy re-runs (two SAA in 5.5" brl) in 1956 Bill Ruger's genius took the SAA design and modernized it..better springs and design faults fixed up..

Eureka! Sales Boomed! The 44 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk sold for $99 or so. Two weeks wages in Ontario with the minimum wage at a $1.00 an hour. A pack of 1950 smokes cost 33 cents; gas 25cents a gallon!

From its 1950's "near death" experience the Colt was reborn!

Behold the 1956 "Single Six.22LR then the 357 or 44 mag Ruger Blackhawk" Once a week I would go to a local sports store and look at the 44 mag Ruger sitting there in a nice wooden box.

Nobody wanted it. It sat there for two months. I made $60.00 a week teaching Grade Six and had two suits to wear for 200 days in the classroom.

Eventually that very early 44 mag Blackhawk took a walk. It was one of first thousand produced.

Fifty years later its "original Ruger 50th Anniversary Edition is a mere $700 or so..Hmmm seems the price has gone up "somewhat'!

All those 50 years of Ruger 1956-2007 show how durable the Bill Ruger "redesign" of the Colt SAA IS.

That said if you wanna have a very durable and strong SAA clone the Ruger Vaquero either 1st or 2nd model is the way to go. If SASS Cowboy action is your pick the Ruger Vaquero owns it.

Bill Ruger even put out the best ever Vaquero.. the Bisley one.

Better grip for recoil and higher line of sight. Worked in 1890 or so for original Colt Bisley, works today well too. Form follows function. Faster to recover shots in heavy recoil than the traditional plow handle grip of 1873.

Elmer Keith and his Idaho friend Harold Croft "redesigned" the Colt SAA in 1929. Bill Ruger finally put it into production as did some of the other firearms firms.

Made in 1890 the Colt SAA cost about two weeks wages for a cowboy at a dollar a day for 14 days..$14.00.

No days off for cowboys on the trail drive.

The Pietta at $425? or so at Marstar for example equals ONE work week of 40 hours at the NEW minimum wage of $10.00 an hour..Seems like good value. Parts will break but if you know which ones do and keep some spares it is "No Big Deal". The original design is one you can take apart clean and put back together with ONE screw driver. A handy feature. The best of 1890's technology in action.

The "new Vaquero" at $650 or so is getting back to the "Two weeks of cowboy wages" in the 21st Century..maybe that cowboy or cowgirl is herding shoppers at some grocery store or convenience store versus a trail drive to the rail head eh!

It is "built like a tank" and inherently safer. Bill Ruger did a real re-design of the first Blackhawk for that reason. You can load SIX shots safely.

Ever seen a Colt SAA go off when dropped on its hammer with hammer down on "safety notch" with all chambers loaded?

All I can say is you just cant tell some people to only load FIVE chambers until they learn for themselves. Early in my teaching career of some 35 years I learned there are some "students who cant be reached until they learn for themselves"..

It is remarkable how the 1873 SAA Colt type pistol will do a graceful half turn in mid air and land squarely on its hammer spur.

Well balanced pistol takes on a "HOLE new meaning!". Much like overloaded SAA pistols..whose cylinders and top straps depart under intense pressure loads..commonly prefaced by a remark like "I've been loading up some loads over what the manual recommends.."

Ahh well. As before there are some people who are "educationally challenged"

I have two of the first model Vaqueros..one a Bisley and the other the SAA XL clone in 44 mag or 44 special. Fired about 2000 rounds or more out of the Bisley; trigger pull is better eh.
I got a terrific deal on the later with its longer barrel. Same length as Matt Dillon and Paladin used eh. The longer barrel gives finer aiming radius for aging eyes.

or the happy compromise is 5.5" brl.Same length favoured by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. In 1950s at the CNE I got to see both fire blanks with their six shooters off horseback at the CNE Grandstand.


The Key in selection in my opinion is to try out each from present owners BEFORE you plunk down your "one or two weeks worth of cowboy/cowgirl wages".

However either the Pietta or Ruger will not devalue much from the purchase price so you are not risking very much. Better yet buy used.
There are a lot of great Rugers and SAA clones on this CGN board where the owners disenchanted bail out before the cowboy-cowgirl SASS fun begins.
 
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As soon as it warms enough to be outside we need to set aside a Sunday to go to Candle Lake range and you will be welcome to shoot any or all of my 7 rugers,
2X Blackhawk 4 5/8, 2X Blackhawk 7.5, 2X Old Army .45BP 5.5in, 1 (for now) Blackhawk .357 4 5/8 We can set up some poppers and plates and you can get a feel of CASS,
Regards
 
$.02 from someone who (currently) owns no single actions.
Ruger New Vaquero, stainless, 4 5/8" barrels in .357.
You can get 'em by the the pair, sequentially numbered, for about $1200 from Wholesale (last I checked).
And if IIRC, in stainless, there is no real price difference between them and the Pietta's.
 
Docthompson that sounds like a plan. I'm wondering if your one of the fellows from the candle lake club I talked to at Frontier Taxidermy in early Jan. that started me on this slippery slope. :D
 
I am and I am looking forward to getting to the range with you. Also I have a bunch of spare 38 and 357 brass you can have so don't go out and buy a bunch.
Your welcome to use my 45s ,(pistols and rifles) we have spare shotguns and lots of ammo to burn so all you need to bring is yourself and any friends or family you want.
 
Hi Garand, The plans are in motion for CAS in Alberta this summer, So far Slim G. , Ginger Lee, and The Painless Dentist are on our way there, mabey we can talk Chuck McCann and family into showing up. We are really looking forward to the gathering.
 
hi,yes Doc Thompson,Slim G and I are all waiting impatiently for warm weather,you'll find the Candle Lake range a beautiful place to play at,and a bonus-it's not far to swimming and/or camping.Hope to see you there!
 
Docthompson I'm counting the days. My Vaquero showed up today and I can hardly wait to do some shooting. I'm ready to head out to the range as soon as the weather permits. Just let me know when your ready to go. Thanks for the offer on the brass it's much appreciated I'll take you up on what ever you can spare.
 
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