Rodeo - a very nice gun

J

James K

Member In Memoriam
FWIW, I just bought a U.S. Firearms Co. Rodeo. This is their "entry" level SAA but it is a pretty nice entry. The Rodeo comes in .45 only, but in three barrel lengths. It is finished in matte blue, a finish which seemed to grow on me to the point I decided to buy. Maybe because of the matte finish, they didn't polish the gun a lot, so the corners are all sharp and crisp, screw holes and cylinder notches not dished, in short, like it ought to be. The price is right, too, MSRP of $505. And some dealers will come down a bit more.(USF's standard case color and bright blue models start at $1250.)

Everything is tight and amazingly well fitted, as close to a pre-war Colt SAA as you are going to get in that department. Of course, it can be "tuned" like any other Colt style, and I will probably do that or maybe I will buy another one to work on and keep one untouched.

I think it is a nice gun and would be interested in hearing from others. I like my Cimarron, but I think it will take a back seat to the newcomer. New Colts are just not as nicely fitted, and my older ones are getting just too darned valuable to shoot.

Jim
 
Jim,

thanks for the post. the rodeo is my next revolver purchase or trade. my local dealer has a couple and the initial quality is quite impressive to say the least. some that know a lot more than me say it's on par with a 2nd generation. whether that's true or not, it's still a nice compliment.

the ONLY reason i don't own one yet is because my dealer has them priced at $599. that's nearly a C-note over list. i want one but not that badly.

again thanks for the post,

j scott
 
I've seen pictures of Doc Holliday's 1873 that he carried at the OK corral and it looks like a plain blued colt with no casehardening. I have always wondered if colt made guns without the casehardened finish for the army or on special order. I suppose it's possible that this gun is a refinish too. Still, it was a nice looking, somewhat plain pistol that matches my impression of what a person who was used to guns and knew they would need to rely on them might have chosen.
 
The standard SAA finish was a color casehardened frame, gate and hammer, with the rest blued. But target revolvers were often all blue, as were presentation pieces. But, as with everything else Colt, I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Jim
 
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