any advice on a new .45

R

riverratt

New member
I have been thinking about getting a new wheel gun and i think i settled on a .45lc.

I'm manly gonna be using this as a range toy and woods gun wile bow hunting. I would like it to be fairly easy to carry but easy to shoot as well so nothing under, say, 4 1/2" or over 6" barrel. I already own a .44 mag so I don't need the hot ruger only load capability. I am however partial to ruger revolvers, so I'm thinking blackhawk or vacero possibly. I want it in a single action and have the classic look, but possibly in a brushed stainless finish.

Now i know it sounds like i already have it figured out, but, I'm just wondering what else is out there, what do y'all have or like?
 
Your requirement for a minimum 4 & 1/2" barrel rules of the 4" S&W Mountain Gun. Although, I am not sure what the extra half inch will do for you.
 
I'd get the vaquero with a 4.5" barrel.

You won't be disappointed. If you want a brushed look, there are ways to do that to the Vaquero's shiny finish.
 
You can buy a new Colt SAA. Still a great gun. I shoot a Blackhawk, and yes, I do load some knuckle busters. But the nice thing about the BH is its ability to handle loads just a bit too warm for a SAA or clone, but still pleasant to shoot.
 
Howdy

Standard Ruger single action barrel lengths are 5 1/2" and 4 5/8", not 4 1/2". The 4 5/8" length matches the length of the ejector housing. Both the Blackhawk and Vaquero are available in either blue or polished Stainless. Not a brushed finish. Many shooters bead blast the Stainless finish for a matte finish, but it is not the same as a brushed finish.

There are also many fine reproductions of the original Colt Single Action army made by Uberti and Pietta. They are imported in the US by Taylors, Cimarron, and a few others. Of course with these guns you do not get a transfer bar and they should always be loaded with only five rounds with an empty chamber under the hammer.

Real Colts are kind of expensive.
 
Lipsey's Flattop .45 Convertible.
http://ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkDE/specSheets/5240.html
Also available with 4 5/8" barrel blue or stainless.

Regular Blackhawk.
http://ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkBlued/specSheets/0465.html

I like the more compact size of the Flattop but they weighed it down with a steel grip frame so it is as heavy as the big Blackhawk.

The only thing I would buy a Vaquero for would be CAS where the fixed sights would be more authentic looking. For actually aiming the gun, I prefer adjustable.
 
The Ruger Vaquero has not been in production for several years. The Vaquero was essentially a fixed sight new model Blackhawk (large frame).

The gun in current production is the "New Vaquero" (and it says so right on it). Its frame size matches the Colt SAA, it is smaller than the new model Blackhawk.

I have a New Vaquero, 5.5" .45 Colt, one of the early guns with the faux case colors on the frame. Gun has been fired 12 times, otherwise NIB. I don't much care for it, its too "small" (I'm used to Blackhawks and Vaqueros).
 
True.
But there are a lot of Original Large Frame Vaqueros "on the street."

I prefer the Colt size and wish that they had stayed with aluminum grip frames in the New Vaquero and new Flattop to keep the weight down around Colt scale. Because they are still a little bigger.

I would also want new grips. The plastic grips have a lot of square corners and sharp edges, especially right behind the trigger guard where the weight of the gun bears down.
 
When I finally decided on a 45Colt price ruled out the Colt so I looked around for awhile. It came down to the Uberti El Patron or the Ruger Blackhawk. I really liked the look of the Uberti, but I have never got used to the empty chamber practice and the adjustable sights on the Ruger was a plus for the range (to me). I went with the Blackhawk 45 Convertible so I could use 45acp also. I might have done better without the convertible feature because I rarely use the 45acp cylinder. I feel 45acp should come out of a semi-auto pistol. I am happy with my choice of the Ruger though. I got the 5.5 inch barrel for a little more sight radius. I think the 4 5/8 inch barrel would be a little easier to carry. $.02.
 
Get a 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk convertible model, that way you get the .45 Colt and .45 ACP. You might not want Ruger only loads but you'll have a Ruger that will shoot them, just don't get the flattop model if you want a STRONG Ruger, the flattops are smaller and weaker.

I love the 4 5/8" size, it balances very well and with mine I could shoot anything from a 230gr .45 ACP doing 800 fps to a 330gr hardcast doing 1300+ fps. They only come blued, but they're really nice guns and a great value for the money.
 
I love my Ruger Blackhawk. To me the extra 45acp cylinder was well worth it, since that ammo is so much cheaper and easier to find.
 
KMAX, you can carry six in a Patron. I have an El Patron Competion and carry it most of the time. It has a solid hammer block that deploys when the safety notch is engaged. It works very well and I'm comfortable with six. My other carry is a '58 Remie by Pietta with a six chamber conversion cyl. (.45 Colt). Hammer rests in a safety notch between two chambers (not present so I had to cut a notch) and I keep six in it as well.

With a few tweeks that I do to all SAs, the E.P. is my fav. Mod. P "clone" I have ever owned.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
 
@ 45 Dragoon: Thanks for the info. Maybe I was confusing the Patron with something else I looked at or maybe I missed the hammer block feature. I am thinking about getting another SA revolver so the Patron may be back in the picture. I really did like the looks of it with the case hardened color frame and the grips it had on it. It looked much more authentic to the 1800s than the Blackhawk. Still I don't regret choosing the Blackhawk for other reasons.
 
Hi
I have a Pre-Model stamped S&W Model 25 revolver chambered in .45 ACP it has a Uncommon 5-7/8" barrel length. I shoot Auto-Rim cartridges in it that I hand roll, and it is Deadly accurate. I have found that the S&W revolver's in the model 25-5 series which is chambered in .45 Colt have not been accurate enough to suite my needs. Rwegards, Hammer It

S_W_45_Target_revolver_004.jpg
 
Blackhawk/original Vaquero/New Vaquero in .45 Colt all get my vote. I like them all in 5 1/2" barrels. Matter of taste though between 5 1/2" and 4 5/8". I do like the New Vaquero a little better over the original, but that's just me. Feels more 'right' in the hands. Matter of do you want adjustable sights or not.

Good shoot'n for 25Y there Hammer It ... even though it is a S&W ;) .
 
Good shoot'n for 25Y there Hammer It ... even though it is a S&W .
Click to expand...

Hello Rclark
Is there anything else to own ? I am Not a Lover of any Die cast Investment Gun's that is why I choose S&W's they are the Thoroughbred of revolver's.... ;) and the Only one's in my safe...;) Hammer It
 
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