Colt Cowboy vs. Ruger Vaquero

N

Noban

New member
I've handled both but fired neither. I've had a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .357 magnum for over 15 years, so I know and trust the Ruger brand. However, I'm thinking about a .45 Colt and there is just something about the "Colt" mystique. What makes the Colt Cowboy that much cheaper than the SAA?

Your anticipated opinions and advice are appreciated.

Noban
 
I've never heard a single good thing about the Colt Cowboy, and a whole lotta bad. Apparantly it's more or less an Italian clone with a transfer bar, and a bad clone at that.

The Ruger is heavy. That's why I've got a serious lust thing going on for the Gary Reeder "Backpacker", a 4" barrel custom Vaquero in .45LC with the total weight dropped to 28oz.

In comparison, the Ruger SP101 weighs 27.

Oh ya. HELL ya :). Now if he'll chamber one in .45ACP and stick a Tritium front sight on it, I'll have to pony up the $1,500 it would take from my winnings in my CCW lawsuit :).
 
Given those choices, I would opt for the Ruger. Since none of the above are really "the original", I would consider, for practiacal purposes, a Blackhawk convertible (.45 ACP/.45 Colt) which gives you a lot of flexibility and better sights. (Of course "fanning" the hammer is out unless you want to help increase the value of Johnson & Johnson stock.)

Jim
 
They factory make .45ACP/.45LC convertible Vaqueros now, as well as the Blackhawks. Check www.gunbroker.com or similar, they're out there...I think they were made special for a single distributor, which is why they're not a catalog Ruger item...but prices still don't seem to be too bad.
 
You mentioned the "Colt mystique" in your original post. You are correct that there is a "mystique" about Colts. The SAA has one of the most colorful historical records of any handgun.

Unfortunately, the Colt Cowboy has none of the qualities that mystique was built on. It is a German import that didn't have the decency to copy the original but "improved" it. Even the Italians copy the SAA closely.

Since neither of your choices comes close to the original, go with the Vaquero. It will probably outlast you and your children (provided we are allowed to own guns that long).
 
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