Any Virginian Dragoon Fans?

J

Jeff

New member
Say, I'm kinda new around here, although I've been in "lurk" mode for some time. Finally decided to join in and participate. Anyway, I did a cursory search on "Virginian Dragoon" and didn't find anything. I'm hoping I can draw some fellow owners out to talk about these fine single actions.

I currently own two. One is a 7 1/2" blued/case hardened .357 mag, and the other is a 6" stainless .44 mag. Both are of the later American manufacture, just outside of Alexandria, Virginia. I bought the first one, the .357, back in '81 as a 21st birthday present to me, myself, and I. I'm on the hunt for a third, something in .45 Colt, but I hardly ever see them at the local gun shows. Seems most who have one want to keep 'em.

I have about a dozen, maybe fifteen single actions of various descriptions. Mostly Rugers, from their Single Six to the Blackhawk to the Old Army cap'n'ball gun. A few Colts of various vintages as well. My pair of Virginian Dragoons meet or beat any and all of them as fas as quality of manufacture and accuracy. They are truly one of the finest single actions I own. Maybe the finest.

So what happened? They have not been produced in what, 25 years or better? Seems in this new single action market, Interarms was foolish to discontinue this gun, and then compounded that foolishness by missing the opportunity to bring it back. When both were available, I chose the Virginian Dragoon over the Blackhawk. Twice. I would do so again, if I could. I am that pleased with mine. Anyone else into these things?
 
I bought one of those when they first came out. They had a dealer special when I was an FFL,I think for $159.00 for a stainless .44 mag.
I wasn't in to single actions, so foolishly sold it.It was a very well built,and accurate firearm.
 
i had the opportunity to buy one in .44 (minus the cyl) for $100.
i knew nothing about them so i passed. kinda regret it now.
 
i have one

i have the 44 mag in 7 1/2 stainless. very fine gun IMHO, use it deer hunting. just wish i could get a good scope mount for it.
 
I had one of the blue/casehardend 7.5in .44mags long about 1978-1985 that had been built in 1976 and said "We the people" on the butt. I sometimes miss that revolver. it had to have locktite to stay together lol, or screws would loosen withen a few shots.

These days in single action I own a Blackhawk in .30carbine, and a Beretta Stampede in .45 colt
 
If anyone is interested, I know where at least one is...a 7 1/2" Stainless .44 for $329 in good shape. if interested, PM me. I might kow where another one is as well.
 
Yeah, the loosening screws come with the territory on any single action that uses them. I have to loc-tite my Colts as well. The pins on the Rugers won't do that.

The grip strap markings on the bottom were one of the unique features. My .44 has "Liberty Forever" in kind of a waving banner, and my .357 has "Don't Tread on Me" with the snake. I had a 7 1/2" stainless .44 (sold it and kept the 6") that said "Sic Semper Tyrannis". Cool stuff.

I think that in '76 they were still the imported Hammerli (sp?) guns. Excellent quality as well, but I prefer the "Virginian" Virginian Dragoons.
 
I bought a V' Dragoon in the early 80's (.44 Mag). Mine was US made. I bought it specifically to use for handgun hunting Mule Deer. I was drawn by the fact it had a larger and heavier frame than a Ruger SBH and I wanted to use some top end reloads in it.

It shot very well and I manage to bring down 3 bucks with it is the 8 years I owned it.

My complaints against it were:

-The "Swiss safety" (always carried 5, so I did not have to use it)
- The grip panels came loose and pinched me (replaced with Pachmayr's)
-Screws came loose (tightened after use)

But I wish I had never sold it and would snap one up if I found one for sale locally.
 
That blasted "Swissafe" never really bothers me; I just ignore it. I think since Ruger had recently patented the transfer bar mechanism on the Blackhawk, Interarms was in a bit of a quandry as far as just how to put a "safety" on a single action. The old "five beans in the wheel" is so ingrained in me I don't even think about it anymore. Load one, skip one, load four, full cock, lower hammer. That easy. Renders the "Swissafe" pretty superfluous.

I do like its tradtional lockwork in a hunting revolver. They can be cocked in absolute silence, where the Ruger (or any double action for that matter) cannot. The trick is to take your stand (you don't want to walk around like this...) and bring the gun to full cock over a live chamber. Lower it back to half cock, and sit there and wait. It will now return to full cock without the cylinder rotating, without the hand and bolt clicking. Hold the trigger back as you cock it, then with the hammer at full cock, release the trigger and lower the hammer 'till the sear notch catches. Absolutely silent. I have spooked game trying to cock a Ruger single action.
 
I do like its tradtional lockwork in a hunting revolver. They can be cocked in absolute silence, where the Ruger (or any double action for that matter) cannot. The trick is to take your stand (you don't want to walk around like this...) and bring the gun to full cock over a live chamber. Lower it back to half cock, and sit there and wait. It will now return to full cock without the cylinder rotating, without the hand and bolt clicking. Hold the trigger back as you cock it, then with the hammer at full cock, release the trigger and lower the hammer 'till the sear notch catches. Absolutely silent. I have spooked game trying to cock a Ruger single action.
Click to expand...

I forgot about that quiet lock work. Very smooth too, and a big plus.

I once was sitting in a alder stand, near a deer trail, when I heard a group of does approach. They walked right past me (I was hunkered down real well), but a spike yearling got a whiff of me and came over to investigate. As he leaned his head down and stuck his nose out, I slowly cocked my .44 Dragoon. He never heard a thing as I pointed it right at his breast.

I did not shoot him, as I would have never lived it down in camp, bringing in a spike bambi and all. A so called "suit case deer."

It turned out okay. I brought down a nice 2 point the next day as he walked out of a leave strip into a clear cut.
 
Had my 6" blued since 1980. I recall a write up in the Dope Bag in AR which
noted the aesthetics of the Virginian Dragoon are very pleasing, said the designers got it "just right", really looks like a Colt.
 
Bob Milek wrote them up in Guns and Ammo at about the same time. I believe the same article made it to a special edition single action guide they produced. He had nothing but high praise for it.

I had a similar experience some years ago on a caribou hunt, DMZX. We were on a "meat hunt" on the Tagagawik River east of Kotzebue, Alaska. I was holed up in a pile of driftwood, watching a herd walking by less than ten yards away. This was on about the fifth or sixth day, and I had already taken a couple of good bulls with my rifle (a M70 in .375 H&H), so I as just going to shoot a cow or something. Then I saw a smaller bull, still in full velvet, the only one I had seen the whole time. I figures it would be neat to have a caribou rack in velvet, so it was his lucky day...

He was maybe six or seven yards away when I brought the hammer back. He would have heard me cocking anything else. My first shot shattered his right shoulder, hit his left scapula, and turned north. I found it under the skin next to his left ear.

He didn't actually drop to that shot, but rather staggered around to see what that noise was. With him facing me, my second hit him square in the brisket, exiting right next to the left side of his tail. That's about when he called it a day.

The load was a 300 grain LBT LFN cast from wheel weights over 23 grains of 296, for just over 1200 fps. The Virginian Dragoon handles it with ease. Its grip is noticeably longer than that of the Blackhawk and seems to handle heavy recoil much better, at least in my big ol' meathooks. Not quite as long as a Bisley grip, but close, and much better looking. In my opinion, anyway.
 

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The January 1982 issue of shooting times has a good article by Skeeter skelton on the V.Dragoon. It also graces the cover in a blue edition .45 Colt. I have a nice copy of it right here with me.
If I could find a 6" blue .45 Colt it'd be coming home with me.
 
If you want to know the history of your firearm here is your site!
http://www.singleactions.com/index.html

img_0616.jpg

Here is my 45 Colt that I have never had the heart to shoot
 
I have the 7 1/2 .44mag in stainless steel with "liberty forever" on the butt, I like it so much I sold my Ruger .44 single action, and I really like Rugers.

I'd like to know how old mine is and if its American made or imported.
 
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As far as I know, only the American made guns had the inscriptions on the butt. They also had much heavier frames than the Hammerlis. The Hammerli was a pretty good Colt clone, of about the same size. The American guns were as big, maybe bigger than, a Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk. Also, if you look at the photo a couple of posts above, you will notice a groove in the side of the top strap. Only the American guns had that groove. The Hammerlis had the two piece grip strap arrangement of the Colt, where the American version had a one piece cast grip frame ala Ruger.

Virginian Dragoons were made in Virginia from about '76 through about '84 or so. The Hammerlis were imported from about '72 through '76. Your "Liberty Forever" gun is of later manufacture, sometime after '81-'82. My earlier 7 1/2" stainless .44 had "Sic Semper Tyrannis" on it. Boy, I wish I kept that one...
 
Here are mine, a 1981 vintage .357 mag (one of the rarest caliber/barrel length combinations) and about an '84 vintage .44:
 

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I have a new and unfired one I bought in 1981 and recently brought out of storage... It is a SS 44mag with a 7 1/2 barrel. I'm looking for Pachmayr or Hogue type grips for it. Please PM me if your know where any could be found.

If I'm unable to find larger grips for it I plan to make the gun available for sale. This one has "Yorktown 1781-1981" on the butt.

Thanks!

TC
 
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