My First Vaquero - Advice?

[Rufnek100]

I'm looking to buy my first SA revolver and am looking for advice on pros / cons of the various configurations out there. What seemed like an easy decision at first is now more complicated after browsing the forum for info - nothing like information overload, right? So, a few first-timer questions:

1. 45 LC or .357? I want the 45, but am a little leary after reading some of the info on the thinner walls in the NV. I'm not a handloader (yet), but safety is always a concern. Also, not presently owning anything in this caliber how's the recoil? I've got a 44 mag for comparison - I still want something that's fun to shoot and I hear most cowboy action guys are shooting thhe .357 because it's more manageable (I don't plan on competing at this point).

2. 4-5/8" barrel or 5-1/2" barrel? I like the look of the shorter barrel, but does this limit the options on leather? How about any notable differences in accuracy? Or is it just personal preference?

3. Grips - leave them stock or aftermarket? And if aftermarket, where's a good resource?

4. Stainless vs. Blue - any wear issues with either?

And any other "watch outs" and general opinions - I realize most of this is probably personal preference, but I'm interested in hearing some different viewpoints that I may not have considered.

Thanks!

 

[101VooDoo]

Rufnek,

1. If you're not a reloader, don't get the . 45 Colt. Ammo prices are just stupid for that round, and you'll end up not shooting it as much. Which is a shame as the .45 is really a great round.

2. I've always liked the 4 5/8, but lately have been getting a number of longer-barreled (6 1/2 & 7 1/2) guns and find I shoot them a bit better. The 5 1/2 is a nice compromise.

3. If they're the black cheese graters, I'd replace 'em. Pvt Schultz makes some nice grips at a pretty reasonable cost.

http://www.privatescustomgrips.com/

I've got some of his maple burl grips on order, I'll post a pic when they come in.

4. Personal preference, though the Stainless is a bit easier to maintain and fix if you get wear.

Jim

 

[Rclark]

1) Standard .45 Colt loads have way less recoil than .44Mag. Very comfortable. Don't have to worry about the 'thinner' walls. The walls are thicker than the 'original' Colt .45. Stick with standard .45 Colt loads and all is well. Don't worry. As for shooting the .38/.357 .... Manageable just means they can get off shots faster :roll: . You can almost reach out and grab the bullets as they leave the barrel, as they want the minimum amount of muzzle raise to get back on target . I don't call that fun . I like the .45 Colt as 'traditional' SA load... On the other hand .38/.357 ammo is easier to get than .45 Colt if you aren't a reloader. Money wise you can shoot a whole lot cheaper with a .38/357 if you don't reload.

2) People normally shoot more accurately with a longer barrel. The barrel length itself has no bearing on it's potential accuracy. It's the person shooting it . I prefer 5 1/2".

3) Your choice. There are lots of vendors out there in many different styles. Bear Paw, CaryC, PVT Schultz, Eagle grips, etc. Just do a internet search.

4) The bluing will eventually 'wear' off a gun. The SS will never show much wear and is more resistant to moisture. Any wear can be buffed out of a SS gun. I prefer blued, but again this is 'your' choice. Both styles will last you a lifetime regardless.

Good reading :

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-NewVaquero.htm
http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-NewVaquero2.htm

 

[Tarheel]

See Below:
1. 45 LC or .357? I want the 45, but am a little leary after reading some of the info on the thinner walls in the NV. I'm not a handloader (yet), but safety is always a concern. Also, not presently owning anything in this caliber how's the recoil? I've got a 44 mag for comparison - I still want something that's fun to shoot and I hear most cowboy action guys are shooting thhe .357 because it's more manageable (I don't plan on competing at this point). The NV is plenty strong enough for any standard factory .45lc load. I think the main reason that a lot of CAS folks go to the .38/.357 is for less recoil and the economics on reloading. You get a lot more rounds per pound of lead or powder in a .38. On a standard or CAS .45lc load, the recoil is nothing compared to a .44 mag. More of a boom and push, that a crack and slam.... It is however more than a .38, but again much less that a .357 mag... The speed shooters are mostly shooting .38s..
2. 4-5/8" barrel or 5-1/2" barrel? I like the look of the shorter barrel, but does this limit the options on leather? How about any notable differences in accuracy? Or is it just personal preference? No difference on accuracy, marginally longer sight plane, but not enough to matter. It is more a preference on balance and appearance than anything else. You can always put a 4 5/8 gun in a holster made for a 5-1/2... so no concerns there...
3. Grips - leave them stock or aftermarket? And if aftermarket, where's a good resource? Purely personal preference and a factor of the size of your hand. For several years I put Pachmeyers on, but as I shot my SAs more and more, I got more comfortable letting them roll in my hand the way they're designed to. The are lots of great aftermarket grip makers including several that post on this forum. Personally I find the NV grip too small and prefer the original Vaquero/New Model Blackhawk grips. I now don't have any rubber grips on my SAs, most are smooth wood or some sort of fake ivory or bone.
4. Stainless vs. Blue - any wear issues with either? The Blue will show holster wear quicker - the stainless lots of little scratches. The stainless can be buffed to remove the scratches... rebluing is a bit more trouble... Personally either will be fine as long as you don't expect a gun you use to retain safe queen appearances... The stainless is more forgiving on a less than perfect cleaning regiment. And any other "watch outs" and general opinions - I realize most of this is probably personal preference, but I'm interested in hearing some different viewpoints that I may not have considered. Go to a CAS shoot or get with some buddies and try out a few guns of the different calibers.... Fixed vs. Adjustable sights is also something that you should think about and try before you buy.... I like fixed sights, but I've not had the problems that some have had with guns that won't shoot to POA... or you could do like some on this forum just buy one or two of each.....

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I can speak with some authority on the Cowboy shooting aspect of your questions as I have been shooting CAS since 2001. The reason many CAS shooters have gone to 357 Mag revolvers is because cowboy shooting today is mostly a game of speed. Although not all cowboy shooters are interested in speed, those who are are mostly shooting lightly loaded 38 Specials, not 357 Mags in their shooters. Loads that are far lighter than most factory 38 Special loads. This is purely to reduce recoil and allow fast follow up shots. But there are still a few of us who like to shoot loads with some authority in them and like to shoot loads that recoil and punch like the original loads did. Some of us even shoot Black Powder, but that is another story.

The presently available New Vaqueros chambered for 45 Colt are completely capable of shooting any SAAMI spec 45 Colt load on the shelf with no problems at all.

In the cowboy world, I wish I had a dollar for every shooter who simply had to have a 45 because of the romance of the cartridge, but later decided to trade it in on a 357 for the reasons I already stated. Can often pick up some pretty good bargains because of this.

If you want to shoot a 45, by all means go for it. The first single action cartridge revolver I ever owned is my 45 convertible Blackhawk that I bought in 1975. And once I decided to shoot cowboy I went for 45s simply because I was already familiar with the cartridge. But I also went in to it with the clear understanding that I would need to start reloading in order to shoot much and still avoid the poorhouse. In those days, 45s cost between $18-$22.50 for a box of 50. Try to touch those prices today for factory ammo. There is absolutely no question that whether shooting reloads or factory ammo, 45s will always be more expensive than 38s. More lead. more powder, more brass and bigger primers.

As far as Stainless vs Blue, yes, a blued gun will accumulate some wear if you use it much. I look on that as honest wear. A stainless gun is easy to bring back to pristine condition, you simply polish out and light scratches or dings. Can't do that with a blued gun unless you want to refinish it.

And please, let's not raise the myth about stainless guns being easier to clean than blued guns. Complete myth. Difficulty to clean is a function of the smoothness of the surface finish, not the type or color of the steel.

 

[two bit okie]

two stainless, to cch/blue old model Vaquero, 44 mags

just for comparison.

 

[Knuckles]

I'm looking to buy my first SA revolver and am looking for advice on pros / cons of the various configurations out there. What seemed like an easy decision at first is now more complicated after browsing the forum for info - nothing like information overload, right? So, a few first-timer questions:

1. 45 LC or .357? I want the 45, but am a little leary after reading some of the info on the thinner walls in the NV. I'm not a handloader (yet), but safety is always a concern. Also, not presently owning anything in this caliber how's the recoil? I've got a 44 mag for comparison - I still want something that's fun to shoot and I hear most cowboy action guys are shooting thhe .357 because it's more manageable (I don't plan on competing at this point).

The Vaquero when it first came out was built on the new model Blackhawk frame, lots of hot factory and home made .45colt rounds available. Even a heavy .45LC recoils less than most .44mags.
The ammo makers like Double-Tap and Buffalo-Bore have normal loads that you can run through the smaller frame 'New Vaqueros' without a hitch and they clip along between 960fps-1100fps (ball park) Hornady makes a hunting round in the LeverEvolution brand that is a heat-seeking missal out of my 4" Redhawk .45colt.

2. 4-5/8" barrel or 5-1/2" barrel? I like the look of the shorter barrel, but does this limit the options on leather? How about any notable differences in accuracy? Or is it just personal preference?

The 4 5/8" bbl is a well balanced gun in both the SS Vaqueros / SS New Vaqueros & Stainless Steel Blackhawks or Super Blackhawks. The 5 1/2" bbl SS Vaqueros & New Vaqueros are very good looking /good handling too! Accuracy is kind of a wash with me on those two sizes.
You won't have any trouble finding holsters for either bbl lengths.


3. Grips - leave them stock or aftermarket? And if aftermarket, where's a good resource?

Try the "stock Grips" first... upgrade later if the checkered-plastic hurts the hand (they don't bother me), the gunfighter style wood grips are wonderful.

4. Stainless vs. Blue - any wear issues with either?

You know the answer to this Question... make a choice.

And any other "watch outs" and general opinions - I realize most of this is probably personal preference, but I'm interested in hearing some different viewpoints that I may not have considered.

Thanks!

I have owned lots of Vaqueros, New Vaqueros, Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks... The only two guns I didn't like were the blued-New Model Blackhawk 'Convertible' 9mm/.357mag (aluminum grip frame felt unbalanced to me) and a Blued 5 1/2" bbl New Model Super Blackhawk that shot terrible and felt lousy in the hand (the barrel was twisted and the rear-sight could not correct).

On my short list of guns is a new trapper size lever gun in .45Colt and a SS New Model Super BlackHawk with 4 5/8" bbl.

Have fun gun hunting (hunting for a new gun that is!) :wink:

 

[trapperon]

rufnek---

Looks like your questions have been answered very well. One thing I would like to point out to you is on the stainless vs blued subject. I have owned both variations and when shooting in the sunlight the sights on a stainless vaquero are very difficult to see due to the shiny glare. When shooting on overcast days it does not pose a problem. If you were thinking Blackhawk, Blued sights are fitted on the stainless models from the factory. As Far as the New Vaquero, I lean towards the blued these days just for the sights. Just another thing for you to consider in your decision!

ron

 

[Rufnek100]

Wow, exactly the kind of information I was looking for - thanks a ton for all the great feedack!