Vaquero Differences

First off, all you Vaquero fans please forgive me for my ignorance about these guns. When they first came out I had 4 Colt SAA's that I loved and had no reason to search for any other "Old West" style handgun.

Times change, those Colts are gone and I'm seeing Vaqueros, or at least pictures of them, on my PC monitor now and again and they have led me to ask this question:

What is the difference between the "Old" Vaqueros and the "New" Vaqueros?

Many Thanks for any help you can give me.

A12

Frame size. Both the cylinder frame and grip frame on the New Vaquero's are smaller than the original model. The original model had the same cylinder frame and grip frame size as the Blackhawk. The new Vaquero has a grip and cylinder frame much closer to the original SAA.

All you want to know can be found here:

Gunblast New Vaquero
Gunblast New Vaquero Revisited

A12,

Since you referenced Colt SAAs, you might be interested in a size comparison with the New vaquero.

The cylinder of the New vaquero is only .020" larger in diameter than the Colt SAA, so as mentioned above, the gun's size is very close indeed to the Colt, with a little extra strength built in. In 45 Colt chambering, this allows the safe use of tier two Ruger only loads, however not tier three Ruger only loads meant only for the large frame Rugers like the original Vaquero.

The grip frame size is so close that new, unfitted Colt SAA grips can be fitted to it by just relocating the dowel hole in the grips. One additional benefit of the New Vaquero is that they are available chambered for 44 Spl. The New Vaquero is all steel, no alum alloy parts.

Hope that helps,

Very interesting. Thanks guys, you've given me my answer and more. It's the "more" part I'm not so sure I should thank you for - that's the part that leads to bills sprouting wings and multiple purchases of guns I never knew I needed!

But, like the young 'uns say, "It's all good", right? But somehow I can't imagine that being a sufficient answer to my wife's question about "where did XXXXX dollars go"?

Great info here, thanks

the original 5 1/2" Bisley Vaqueros in 44 and 45 with color case frames, some of the best guns Ruger has built for balance, and with hot loads strength & accuracy.
I keep looking for one in 45

I think 2 ounces on a Martha Stewart kitchen scale with the same barrel length. Put some slim grips on the Original Vaquero and it handles about the same.

There is no such animal as a New Vaquero 44 Special, thats what makes it special. Sure, its built on the same frame size as the new vaquero, but make no mistake...It says Vaquero.

LuckenbachTexas said:

There is no such animal as a New Vaquero 44 Special, thats what makes it special. Sure, its built on the same frame size as the new vaquero, but make no mistake...It says Vaquero.

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Exactly right, there can't be a new 44 spl Vaquero if there never was an old one.

Jim

We 44 Special folk are a funny particular bunch

It says Vaquero.

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But ... still a ... New Vaquero . Ruger is in the habit of 'mis-labeling' their guns. And yes, there never was one built on the original Vaquero frame. Yeah ... we are a funny particular bunch all right. Just want to call our guns what they really are .

I agree, the 44 is of the New Vaquero 'design' And not even confusing once, as you posted, it's understood that it's the first 44 Spl Vaquero. But not miss-labeled. Ruger doesn't miss-label their guns, their marketing/catalog names have a different purpose than their official model names which is what they stamp on the guns.

Your right... I should NOT say 'mis-label' as that gets collectors 'attention'. Vaquero is the label that Ruger stamped on there medium frame .44 Special fixed sighted revolvers ... which I think was not a bright thing to do... Ah well.... <sigh> ... We shooters just have to 'live' with it. Certainly doesn't affect how it they shoot after-all!

Ruger may not have mis-labeled, but they certainly muddied the naming waters more than a few times.

Dos Vaqueros said:

Ruger may not have mis-labeled, but they certainly muddied the naming waters more than a few times.

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It certainly may seem that way, but I can't think of any off the top of my head where eventually their method of madness didn't become clear. But I may be missing something that you're not.

Jim

The good news is it's not xxxxx dollars they can be found for only xxx dollars. Wife can rest easy.

Sometimes pictures are good, and the diff is most obvious with 45LC. Comparison with old and new.



The new is also a little shorter.

Here's another image that shows the different frame sizes....

There certainly are advantages to both sizes indeed.....