I wondered if it could shoot heavy handloads with ease? It shoots well with not much recoil with standard factory ammo but I wanted to know if the frame had the muscle to take abuse from bigger loads?
Howdy
I wish I had a dollar for every time this question gets asked. First off, the question must be asked, exactly what does the OP mean by 'heavy handloads'?
Secondly, exactly what does the OP mean when he says 'Vaquero'?
The 'original model', big frame Vaquero was manufactured from 1993 until 2005. In 2005 Ruger ceased production of that model and introduced the New Vaquero, a smaller frame gun, but more importantly, the cylinder of the New Vaquero is smaller and the the chamber walls of the New Vaquero are thinner. Meaning the cylinder is not as strong as the older, larger model. Then, in their infinite wisdom Ruger dropped the name 'new' from the New Vaquero. Look it up on their website and the only thing you will see is Vaquero, even though this is the smaller model.
So. Any Vaquero made after 2005 is the smaller, and less robust New Vaquero, despite what the website says. I believe Ruger has even stopped stamping 'new' on the frame of the smaller Vaquero.
'Ruger Only' loads: These predate the New Vaquero, at least in my loading manuals. These loads were published before the New Vaquero existed. So be very careful of loading up ammo from the 'Ruger Only' pages of any manual and firing them in a New Vaquero. The gun may or may not take them.
Ruger made it extremely clear when the New Vaquero was introduced that it was designed to take SAAMI MAX 14,000 psi 45 Colt loads. Period.
Why anybody feels the need to push the envelope beyond that escapes me.
I have bunches of Single Action revolvers chambered for 45 Colt. Ruger, Colt, and Uberti. I do not happen to own a New Vaquero chambered for 45 Colt. If I did, I would not load anything more powerful than the SAAAMI Max of 14,000 psi for it.
Period.