New Vaquero - .45 Colt or .45acp?

My Ruger warning label is on the bottom of the barrel. This makes it the new style cylinders. It's a drag that the cylinder is not friendly to my standard lead 45 loads. It'll chamber my jacketed .451 boolits fine but not the .452 boolits that I normally feed my Colt Government model.

It does top off easy from a 1911 Mag though! I wonder if Ruger would open up my chambers a little to make it lead boolit friendly?
 
Darkgael:

Ruger currently doesn't have a "custom shop". There IS a way to do a second cylinder and it's pricey but extremely high quality. You need to start with a Bowen cylinder blank in your choice of chromoly or high-grade stainless - either are better metal than a stock Ruger cylinder:

http://www.bowenclassicarms.com/parts_store/cylinders.html

You then have to get it chambered and fitted at a gunsmith :(. Total price could hit $400 (ow).

DAMN Ruger for not having a custom shop...

Edward:

The good news is your chambers are uniform. Bad news: they're tight. Here's your answer:

http://www.cylindersmith.com/

$42 and all he needs is the cylinder so shipping is cheap (and included at that price).
 
Yep, get 'em reamed. The last two flattop .45 Convertibles, 3 of 4 cylinders needed the treatment and of course my other two large frame .45 Colt revolvers also required it. The reamer tool has more than paid for it self now :) .

Even with my .45ACP cylinders reamed, it still 'sometimes' takes a little finger pressure to seat a .452 sized round... but at least it seats!

Joe_Pike, In your case, the .45ACP sounds better than .45 Colt looking at it from a cost/ammo availability standpoint. Either a .45 ACP only, or a convertible sounds like right up your alley. I, of course, prefer the .45 Colt, but I haven't bought factory ammo (except 22 of course) in many years. At least you would still be shooting a '.45'. For standard loads the recoil is the same, so the 'feel' is the same as shooting .45 Colt....unlike the peanut .38/.357 revolvers.

For a 'first' Single Action, I would not buy the 'short' Sheriff model 3 5/8". Stick with at least 4 5/8" barrel length up to 7 1/2". I found my Sheriff sixshooter is a bit more tricky to stay on target, but for short range shooting (15 yards or so) it works fine. I prefer 5 1/2" barrels myself, but that is just a 'personal' choice. Also if a 'first' SA, I'd consider adjustable sights. Opinion only.
 
I looked at a used polished stainless New Vaquero in .45 Colt the other day for $525. It didn't have the Birdehead grip or the shorter barrel (it had a 5 1/2" I think), but it sure did feel good. I don't know if that was a deal or not. I still need to sell a gun before I buy another one (kind of my new rule, unless I find something too cheap to pass up).
 
mcc45acp200swc.jpg
mcc45acp230lrn.jpg


Yep this is cool :cool:



IMG_0307.jpg



Ruger Vaquero Talo Exclusive Birds Head Stainless 3.75 45 ACP

just ordered mine
 
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I just picked up a slug of 45 Auto Rim cases... can run those through the 45 Colt chambers if you want... been planning on having my machinist buddy make me an ACP cylinder for my snubbie, just to have the option... but I do shoot CASS, & have a pair of regualr Montados in 45 Colt, as well as a lever gun in that chambering... along with 1000 cases I reload... as mentioned earlier, the 45 Colt is an easy reload... as good a cartridge as any to start with, & plenty cheap to reload... as far as reduced loads on that bigger case... ( or the acp for that matter ) Trailboss can be your friend... CASS "gamer" shooters have been loading mouse phart loads in that cartridge for a long time... I personally use it to load mid range loads when I shoot CASS

BTW... if you do choose the 45 Colt, you can shoot those Auto Rims, as well as 45 Schofield cases... & you are head spacing on the rims... if you getting the shorter 45 acp chambers, you are headspacing on the case mouth ( makes brass length more critical for proper function ) than the longer chambers headspacing on the rims... I have several revolvers that head space on the case mouth, & it's not really an issue, just something else that can go wrong
 
Even with my .45ACP cylinders reamed, it still 'sometimes' takes a little finger pressure to seat a .452 sized round... but at least it seats!
Click to expand...

An awful lot of people have trouble with thier 45ACP handloads when using them in revolvers but not a problem using factory loaded ammo. I used to be one of those people until a fellow asked me if I was using a factory crimp die and I said no and he said you should, and then I bought a 'Lee Factory Crimp Die' which solved all my problems. Now all my reloads get the treatment so I dont have to sort my ammo by auto or revolver.
 
I am learning alot by reading this thread!

To speak to the OP's original question....
I too have recently been obsessed with this new birdshead vaquero from Ruger, and have been following a thread on a Ruger forum (.net) , where someone is showing off their recently purchased birdshead in .45 ACP.

The dude who has the 45ACP vaquero states that, for him, ACP has several advantages over LC...even for those who reload.

I won't attempt to recount his exact thinking, but for him, the ACP is a great round for this new vaquero.

I do not hand load, so would opt for the 45ACP model.....

I am obsessed with the new birdshead model, and will likely get one in 45ACP.

You all will be the first to know, when it happens!
 
I was looking back at this thread, and saw where I posted last March that I was obsessed with this revolver in 45ACP....

Mine is in the mail as we speak, and I will be the proud owner of a Vaquero Birdshead 45ACP (blued model).

I will post pics asap, along with the DM Bullard Bodyguard holster that I just got!

45ACP rules for those of us who do not handload....
 
good choice. I love those short barrelled , birds-head . what kind of grips did you get? I changed mine from the stock Ruger grips to some nice walnut handles. I didn't mind the grips that came on the gun, but the big Ruger medalion started to bother me so I just changed 'em out.
 
I have both an old three screw in 45 colt and a new model Blackhawk convertible. Both guns have .4515 thoughts they shoot OK with lead bullets and I don't plan on having them reamed. The convertible Blackhawk has the 45acp cylinder installed. My 45acp hand loads originally were a problem until I started seating the bullets deeper and using a Lee Factory crimp die, now all is good. Reloading will allow you to shoot either the 45 colt or acp cheep but for factory loads there are more options available with the acp. :)
 
Wheelyfun, the ACP lovers suffer from an inferiority complex. They know the COLT rounds are BIGGER and produce more energy than wimpy ACP rounds. (I got a box of 300gr XTP's waiting to be loaded in my kitchen)

If you don't reload, this is a good reason to start. Join the manly man club and get yourself a fine American made revolver that shoots the original .45 Colt cartridge! :cool:

Then we can beat our chests and sing praise to our fine guns with our fancy mustaches (also a sign of manly manness).
wyatt-earp.jpg
 
An awful lot of people have trouble with thier 45ACP handloads when using them in revolvers but not a problem using factory loaded ammo. I used to be one of those people until a fellow asked me if I was using a factory crimp die and I said no and he said you should, and then I bought a 'Lee Factory Crimp Die' which solved all my problems.
Click to expand...

WADR, that doesn't make sense. If you want to load ammo that will chamber easily in all guns, then why not use .451 bullets? If you load .452 and then run it through a crimp die, it post sizes it down to .451, problem solved like you say. But to use .452 and size it to .451 in the case adds another step that is not good for your boolits.

I use the FCD in 44, but I took a punch and knocked that sizing ring out of it. I cast carefully, seat carefully, and size to fit the bore to reduce/stop leading. I can't wrap my mind around around destroying my efforts with a post size. So easy to have the cylinder reamed. :confused:
 
WADR, that doesn't make sense. If you want to load ammo that will chamber easily in all guns, then why not use .451 bullets? If you load .452 and then run it through a crimp die, it post sizes it down to .451, problem solved like you say. But to use .452 and size it to .451 in the case adds another step that is not good for your boolits.
Click to expand...

Make sense or not it's worked well in a S&W 325PD, S&W Model 21, Ruger convertibles as well as Colt SAA convertibles. Instead of telling myself it dont work I just enjoy the fact that it does. Who ever said anything about sizing down .452 bullets?
 
Even with my .45ACP cylinders reamed, it still 'sometimes' takes a little finger pressure to seat a .452 sized round... but at least it seats!
Click to expand...

This. I have the BH convertable too and the ACP cylinder takes any .451 bullet fine, the .452s that I load were about 50% of them would chamber, my same load for my Colt 45 in its unreamed condition works flawless in. For me to be able to use my existing load in both guns, it makes more sense to ream the cylinder once, and the load is golden in both guns, and IMO, certainly preferable to sizing the entire round down for one gun in a FCD. Not only does it (destroy) your boolit by sizing it down in the case, but now you have to separate the ammo also for the different guns. That does not compute.:D

I'm not bashin' the FCD either. It makes a nice crimp. I think it is a big mistake to post size ammo for personal guns though. Why would anyone want to size their boolits down in the case, when a 40 dollar adjustment to the gun cures the problem and the boolit isn't crushed so the ammo is good, and of one lot which is compatible with both my personal weapons. There is a 5 fps difference in velocity with my .452 load out of my 5.5" BH and my 5" GM and they shoot same! Ammo compatibility nowadays is everything. Post sizing is a crutch and a hack. YMMV :D
 
I thought you could by one that had cylinders for both rounds? 45
LC are very expensive so I would go with the 45ACP if I had to do it again
 
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