What about making A .45 New Vaquero Convertible ?

[pete44ru]

I opened my lastest copy (Jul 2009) of GUNS & AMMO magazine, and as luck would have it - there was a very nice little article (w/pics) on a New Vaquero.45, that the writer had sent to Bowen, who made/fitted an extra .45 cal cylinder that had a lip inside each chamber to headspace .45ACP, but would also accomodate the .45 Auto Rim, all for a mere $495.

I'm thinking, if I could get my mitts on a .357 NV cylinder for my .45 NV, I could bore & chamber it for a tad fewer smackeroos.

What say ye ?

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[Aggie01]

I could sell you the cylinder in my 357 flattop anniversary if it'll help me finance a custom long cylinder for a .41 mag conversion.

or call H. Bowen- I bet he has take off parts.

 

[tek4260]

Thougth that was a no no since the 45ACP generates more pressure than the old Colt round. And, many here say stay at 13k..... :?

 

[pete44ru]

[I could sell you the cylinder in my 357 flattop anniversary if it'll help me finance a custom long cylinder for a .41 mag conversion.]

Thank you - Yesterday, I probably would have taken you up on that, since AFAIK the .357 NV cylinders are the same as the 50th Anniv's.

Today, though, I'm advised in the RF Revolver Section that the NV .357 cylinders are shorter than the (my) .45 Colt cylinders, necessitating a barrel setback for compensation - and that's just not going to happen, here.

Time to explore other avenues.

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[JimMarch1]

The best variant is to start with a 357, ream the cylinder for 45ACP, and at the same time "shorten" most of it by half an inch or so. This puts the working part of the cylinder ideal for 45ACP. You then back the barrel into the frame by that amount. Obviously the center of the cylinder where the base pin goes is still stock length.

This weird looking setup lets you have a 4" barrel in the same overall length as an ordinary 3.5" gun.

Even more radical would be to shorten the cylinder frame but welding on Ruger's metal isn't a place I want to go.

 

[pete44ru]

Thanks for the input, but that's waaaay more involved than I want to get, as I was thinking more or less along the lines of a "drop-in" conversion/addition to make a convertible, or (failing that) some relatively EZ cylinder swap or mod - thereby costing me much less than the $500 quoted in the G&A article for Bowen to custom make a new cylinder.

I'm not only lazy, but I have to be cheap - since I'm retired.

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[btrumanj]

I'm not only lazy, but I have to be cheap - since I'm retired. Wink

And I thought maybe I was the only one :lol:

 

[CraigC]

Obviously rechambering a .357 cylinder and setting the barrel back would be the best way to a .45ACP New Vaquero but I don't think there's any way around the convertible option without building a new cylinder from scratch. Although if you don't mind dealing with Gary Reeder, I think his additional cylinders are less expensive. Really though, $500 is a pretty good deal on a scratch-built cylinder fitted by Bowen's shop. Well sort of, he does outsource his cylinder blanks but you know what I mean.

 

[pete44ru]

Yeah, I "know" - but I just HATE shelling out more for a part, than I paid for the whole revolver last Summer, new.

If I have to spend that much, or more, again - I'd rather get a second gun.

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[victank1]

A new Vaquero convertable in 45 Colt, that will be a great little gun... I'm waiting on one Ruger. Make it happen