Won Interesting Vaquero at Auction, Question?

[bullwinkle3331]

I won an Old Model Vaquero at Auction the other week with the following description:

Ruger Vaquero (1996) Quick Draw, Quick draw fully customized with 4 inch aluminum barrel and the other modifications this gun should not fire real bullets without replacing the barrel

I just picked it up and found the following: 4" Aluminum/Steel Sleeved Barrel with Rifling. The Barrel had slight magnetic attraction and I found light rust(red in color) in the barrel - just a powder and should clean out fine. The barrel has an ejector rod housing attachment screw hole, and is crowned(maybe the sleeve). The Main Frame is Stainless Steel and the hammer is butchered pretty bad(bobbed).

I haven't seen a sleeved barrel like this before and I am wondering what I might have, and worth. I had planned for it to be a rebarrel project......but now I am having second thoughts.
By the way, I picked it up for a total of $325 - revolver, shipping and FFL Fee.

I know that pictures would be extremely helpful, however I do not have a photobucket account(sorry).

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[M'BOGO]

It sounds like somebodies customized fast draw pistol, not factory. The value of the parts is what someone is willing to pay.

 

[Hondo44]

Someone who does fast draw may pay more for it because they wouldn't have to wait to have it modified. But to anyone else it's not worth more than you paid for it unless you parted it out and sold in pieces.

The barrel is set up for wax bullets to be to shot with just primers. If you replaced it there's a market for it.

These fast draw guns take a beating from fanning if not strengthened inside with a cyl bolt "block". Check for cracks around the cyl bolt aperture in the bottom of the frame window. Does it still have a safe trigger pull? Check for sear wear and hammer full cock notch wear.

 

[caryc]

What you have is indeed a gun customized for fast draw and designed to shoot wax bullets or blanks. It will undoubtedly have modified internals as well. It probably also has a hammer stop block in it. Take the grips off and you'll see what I mean.

Since it's a fast draw gun the timing is probably a little different. Most fast draw guns are set so the cylinder actually free wheels into lock position. If cocked slowly, the cylinder may not lock into place. I'm guessing that you know not to fire any live ammo through it. Since you already have the gun why not get yourself some wax bullets or load up some blanks and use it as intended. Fast draw is lots of fun even if you only compete against yourself.

Does it still have the stock cylinder? I'm guessing .45 cal? Vaqueros are pretty heavy guns to convert to fast draw. The most desirable guns to convert are the old 3 screw .357's. Those smaller cylinders are then bored out to .45 cal and they already have the aluminum grip frames. Has the top strap been ground down on your gun like the ones in my picture? This is also done to remove a little weight.

Here is a picture of two of my fast draw guns. The top gun has a fanning hammer and the bottom gun has a thumb draw hammer.

 

[Ruger36]

Are you sure about barrel being 4 inch and not 4&5/8 never heard of a 4 inch in competition there are a lot of alum. steel sleeved barrels out there not ment for live ammo.

 

[caryc]

Here's are pics of adjustable hammer stops. The hammer stop block is what keep you from tearing up the action when fanning.

 

[caryc]

By the way, most of the fast draw guns have steel lined aluminum barrels. It's another way to drop some of the weight.

 

[Hondo44]

Yes, steel lined aluminum as the OP described it and no ejector rod housing. Perhaps the threaded hole is stripped out of the soft alum barrel.

 

[caryc]

Yes, steel lined aluminum as the OP described it and no ejector rod housing. Perhaps the threaded hole is stripped out of the soft alum barrel.

Maybe the original owner didn't put an ejector rod on it. As I said, the Vaquero is already a very heavy gun to use for fast draw.

There would be no real reason to tighten the ejector rod screw to the point of stripping it. There really is no real recoil to worry about anyway.

 

[caryc]

Yes, steel lined aluminum as the OP described it and no ejector rod housing. Perhaps the threaded hole is stripped out of the soft alum barrel.

I'm aware that the OP said he had a steel lined aluminum barrel. The reason that I mentioned it again in my post is because the OP said he never saw such a thing.

So, I mentioned that most guns for fast draw had them and it was not a one of a kind thing.

 

[Hondo44]

Cary,
Yes, that could very well be, you can't just buy one,it would have to be a shortened ERH for a 4" barrel.
I'm curious. You probably know this; do the rules allow a part to be left off? .

 

[caryc]

Cary,
Yes, that could very well be, you can't just buy one,it would have to be a shortened ERH for a 4" barrel.
I'm curious. You probably know this; do the rules allow a part to be left off? .

Good point about the rules. Of course for WFDA the guns are not stock. The front sights are left off. The ejector rod is about the only other thing one could leave off, but I really don't know the rules about it.

Of course we don't really know if it really is a 4" barrel since the OP has not said anything. Believe it or not some people really don't know how to measure a barrel length.

 

[Hondo44]

Of course we don't really know if it really is a 4" barrel since the OP has not said anything. Believe it or not some people really don't know how to measure a barrel length.

You are absolutely right! A 4 5/8" barrel measuered from the frame would come out right at 4". I had forgotten what a very common mis-measurement that is.

Thanks again,

 

[Ruger36]

Hondo the guy that makes the steel lined barrels If I remember right he makes them from 45 cal rifle barrels , more barrels to the barrel so to speak

 

[Hondo44]

Hondo the guy that makes the steel lined barrels If I remember right he makes them from 45 cal rifle barrels , more barrels to the barrel so to speak

Yeah, makes sense to me. One reason I've always heard as to why the 4 5/8" barrels weren't made at all at first and then infrequently thru out the OM production was that there was more waste from each standard length of barrel stock.

 

[bullwinkle3331]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for all of the posts and information on this topic, and thank also for the pictures - Cary. Sorry, I haven't commented earlier as I am now traveling for the week.

One thing I forgot to do was to measure the barrel length(from the face of the chamber to the end of the barrel) to verify the auction description.....It will probably turn out to be 4 5/8".

I believe that the only customization that was done with any worth was the barrel. There is no front sight on the barrel and the ERH Screw Hole may be stripped or full of dust - I will clean it out and check.

The Hammer was rough cut with the "ear" of the hammer cut off and serrations on the top similar to a Colt Fitz - I don't see how anyone could do any fanning or thumb draw with this hammer very easily. I have already thrown this part out and replaced it with a NM SBH Hammer for now.

The main frame appears to be untouched with the sight channel remaining as factory.

The grip frame is stock without any modification. Looking at the the hammer/main spring - It is a flat coil spring which is a little bit different from what I have seen and It seems to bind up on itself a little, even with the hammer at rest. There was no hammer stop block installed.

The cylinder I believe is original to the factory gun.....45 colt.

I had the revolver completely apart but cannot remember if there is a bolt block internal to the gun......I will check that as well when I get home.

I will update the post over the next weekend. If you guys would like to see pictures - is there anyone I could send them to for posting?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[caryc]

It actually sounds like a fast draw conversion that someone started on and never finished.