Ruger Convertibles?
- Thread starter Lightsped
- Start date
Strangely enough, it appears that shooting .355-bore 9mms in a Vaquero's .357-bore barrels works OK 
. Many have reported quite decent accuracy that way.
You can thumb 9mm rounds into the loading gate from any 9mm autopistol magazine
.
My personal preference is for SAAs to be more "light at the nose" than some people like. I shot a 6.5" barrel .357 Blackhawk about a year ago, and it just didn't feel right.
At a gun shop yesterday, I had an opportunity to handle a Sheriff's model .357 with a 3.75" barrel and the standard Vaquero grip. Felt a lot better...but the cool thing was, a Vaquero in .45ACP/.45LC convertable with a 4.6" barrel they had on hand felt *exactly* the same.
Upshot: .45cal Rugers have a more "light, agile feel" for the same barrel length as the medium bore guns, due to lighter cylinders and barrels.
My next gun will be a Vaquero in .45LC/.45ACP convertable.
. Many have reported quite decent accuracy that way.You can thumb 9mm rounds into the loading gate from any 9mm autopistol magazine
.My personal preference is for SAAs to be more "light at the nose" than some people like. I shot a 6.5" barrel .357 Blackhawk about a year ago, and it just didn't feel right.
At a gun shop yesterday, I had an opportunity to handle a Sheriff's model .357 with a 3.75" barrel and the standard Vaquero grip. Felt a lot better...but the cool thing was, a Vaquero in .45ACP/.45LC convertable with a 4.6" barrel they had on hand felt *exactly* the same.
Upshot: .45cal Rugers have a more "light, agile feel" for the same barrel length as the medium bore guns, due to lighter cylinders and barrels.
My next gun will be a Vaquero in .45LC/.45ACP convertable.
slickpuppy
New member
Lightsped,
The Blackhawk Convertible .357/9mm was my first handgun when I turned 21 a little over 20 years ago. Pretty rough gun. Lousy finish. So-so accuracy. Just what every 21 year old Navy guy needed in the back country of San Diego county in his Jeep offroading.
Only handgun I ever sold.
If you have to have a single action I would look at an older Colt Single Action Army if it is in your price range.
The Blackhawk Convertible .357/9mm was my first handgun when I turned 21 a little over 20 years ago. Pretty rough gun. Lousy finish. So-so accuracy. Just what every 21 year old Navy guy needed in the back country of San Diego county in his Jeep offroading.
Only handgun I ever sold.
If you have to have a single action I would look at an older Colt Single Action Army if it is in your price range.
Heh. First point, fit and finish on recent Rugers has actually been pretty good. Toughness is unmatched. They also have the best internal safety, by far - they're as safe to carry six-up as any modern DA wheelgun.
There's also a ton of upgrade bits available. We collected a bunch into this thread:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80872
Much of this stuff is user-installable. Even if you splurge and add the Power Custom hammer/trigger setup, which is like dropping in a top-quality action job and then some, plus a grip frame, Belt Mountain base pin and some other goodies, you'll be WAY under the price of any Colt SAA.
Colt SAAs go for a TON of money these days. Barely shootable heaps go for a grand
.
The other option is the Italians. They ain't as tough, often need action work, usually cost as much as a Ruger if not more.
You can upgrade a Ruger to the point where it's as slick and accurate as a Freedom Arms, usually for less money than an FA. The latter are damn fine guns though, I'm particularly fond of the model 97 in .357. See also www.freedomarms.com - they've got the best sight setups of any SA, and a safety to rival Ruger's.
There's also a ton of upgrade bits available. We collected a bunch into this thread:
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80872
Much of this stuff is user-installable. Even if you splurge and add the Power Custom hammer/trigger setup, which is like dropping in a top-quality action job and then some, plus a grip frame, Belt Mountain base pin and some other goodies, you'll be WAY under the price of any Colt SAA.
Colt SAAs go for a TON of money these days. Barely shootable heaps go for a grand
.The other option is the Italians. They ain't as tough, often need action work, usually cost as much as a Ruger if not more.
You can upgrade a Ruger to the point where it's as slick and accurate as a Freedom Arms, usually for less money than an FA. The latter are damn fine guns though, I'm particularly fond of the model 97 in .357
. See also www.freedomarms.com - they've got the best sight setups of any SA, and a safety to rival Ruger's.slickpuppy
New member
When you attempt to make a sow's ear into a silk purse, you still have a sow's ear at the end of the day 
slickpuppy
New member
Tamara such blasphemy towards my beloved Porsches!!!!
I passed on a 930 a few years ago that had been turned into one of those fast pigs. Settled for a 911 Speedster instead.
As to the Rugers, if the accuracy is there with the original gun you can definitely smooth out the action with some well machined aftermarket parts.
Nothing wrong at all with that. I do it with most of my firearms. I was simply being a smartalec
Shooting friends of mine have current production Ruger SAs - Blackhawks - and they are definitely MUCH better in quality than the ones from years past.
I passed on a 930 a few years ago that had been turned into one of those fast pigs. Settled for a 911 Speedster instead.
As to the Rugers, if the accuracy is there with the original gun you can definitely smooth out the action with some well machined aftermarket parts.
Nothing wrong at all with that. I do it with most of my firearms. I was simply being a smartalec
Shooting friends of mine have current production Ruger SAs - Blackhawks - and they are definitely MUCH better in quality than the ones from years past.
Colt vs Ruger
Slickpuppy- Do you have a Colt SAA ? Not many guys I know do, when you can get several single-action Rugers for the price of a Colt. Many guys like the feel of the Colt better, because it is lighter, but the Ruger is stronger and safer. Check out www.sassnet.com for many comments on Ruger single actions. Most guys like them a lot.
Slickpuppy- Do you have a Colt SAA ? Not many guys I know do, when you can get several single-action Rugers for the price of a Colt. Many guys like the feel of the Colt better, because it is lighter, but the Ruger is stronger and safer. Check out www.sassnet.com for many comments on Ruger single actions. Most guys like them a lot.
Well, I have "real" Colt SAA's, as well as Uberti clones, and Ruger SA's including Blackhawk convertibles. Nothing wrong with any of them. The Rugers are very good guns for general sporting purposes. The Blackhawk sights, which are excellent, spoil the "cowboy" image, but AFAIK, we aren't fighting off "injuns" any more or having SA gunfights (anywhere but here).
Since those who feel the Colt's will increase in value are probably right, the Rugers provide a good alternative and the convertible models add an extra degree of flexibility.
BTW, a good lesson for the "9mm is everything" folks is to fire off a cylinder full of 9mm, followed by six full house .357 loads. Yes, folks, there is a difference!
Jim
Since those who feel the Colt's will increase in value are probably right, the Rugers provide a good alternative and the convertible models add an extra degree of flexibility.
BTW, a good lesson for the "9mm is everything" folks is to fire off a cylinder full of 9mm, followed by six full house .357 loads. Yes, folks, there is a difference!
Jim
slickpuppy
New member
Arnie,
I do have a Colt SAA 3rd Generation in .45LC that belonged to my father.
You could always get a Colt Cowboy SAA in .45LC. They have a transfer bar ignition system in them. Price on those is substantially less than the Standard SAA.
I do have a Colt SAA 3rd Generation in .45LC that belonged to my father.
You could always get a Colt Cowboy SAA in .45LC. They have a transfer bar ignition system in them. Price on those is substantially less than the Standard SAA.
I own both the .357/9mm Blackhawk and the .45 Colt/.45 ACP Blackhawk. If there was ever a problem with the quality of Ruger Blackhawks, this is the first I ever heard of it. Sure, they are not perfect, there are improvements that can be made. That can be said about most anything. Are they strong ? Look up some loads in a loading manual; they have specific sections for Ruger Only loads. No, they don't look exactly like the ones John Wayne had on the movies. For me, that is good. I like adjustable sights. I like the ability to shoot max+ loads. You may prefer a different look.
The "Colt Cowboy" is a cheap SAA clone with a transfer bar crudely grafted in. Every single report I've seen on SASSNet on them was negative. They don't hold up, factory accuracy is often lousy, there's no easy source of upgrades and tuning the way there are for the Italian "true SAA clones".
If you want a transfer bar SA that can be safely carried full-up and is worth a dang, Ruger and Freedom Arms are your *only* choices to date.
If you want a transfer bar SA that can be safely carried full-up and is worth a dang, Ruger and Freedom Arms are your *only* choices to date.
Rumor has it...
...that the Colt Cowboy is actually manufactured by a certain company in Italy and merely sold under the venerated auspices of the Prancing Pony Co. in Hartford, CT.
Can't testify to the veracity of the rumour, but careful examination of several Cowboys hasn't done anything to cast aspersions on its truthfulness...
...that the Colt Cowboy is actually manufactured by a certain company in Italy and merely sold under the venerated auspices of the Prancing Pony Co. in Hartford, CT.
Can't testify to the veracity of the rumour, but careful examination of several Cowboys hasn't done anything to cast aspersions on its truthfulness...
I've heard that too.
As to Ruger mods, go to the "mods page" listed above and you'll see some are quite cheap. Belt Mountain cylinder pins and the freewheel pawl are each less than $40. Wolff spring kits are less than $20.
Then again, a custom cylinder line-bored to a custom barrel by Stroh or Linebaugh or similar is a lot, starting around $1200. You get a LOT of accuracy for your money though...and unlike a Freedom Arms, you still have a ton of upgrade parts like grips, grip frames, all kinds of stuff available as drop-ins.
See also http://www.reedercustomguns.com/revolvers/index.htm for examples of what a maxed-out Ruger can look like.
As to Ruger mods, go to the "mods page" listed above and you'll see some are quite cheap. Belt Mountain cylinder pins and the freewheel pawl are each less than $40. Wolff spring kits are less than $20.
Then again, a custom cylinder line-bored to a custom barrel by Stroh or Linebaugh or similar is a lot, starting around $1200. You get a LOT of accuracy for your money though...and unlike a Freedom Arms, you still have a ton of upgrade parts like grips, grip frames, all kinds of stuff available as drop-ins.
See also http://www.reedercustomguns.com/revolvers/index.htm for examples of what a maxed-out Ruger can look like
.slickpuppy
New member
They did farm out their black powder guns to one of those "mysterious" Italian gun companies, or so I heard.