rjlencioni
Inactive
I'm just about ready to purchase one. I'm also looking at a UBERTI 45. Help me decide.
Ruger vaquero 45
- Thread starter rjlencioni
- Start date
Super Sneaky Steve
New member
I don't think I could put such a pretty revolver on stone like that.
Dragline45
New member
I cringe every time I see people putting beautiful guns on stone to take pictures.
Back to the OP's question, I would personally go with the Ruger. Correct me if I am wrong, but the Uberti cannot be safely carried with the hammer on a live round similar to the original Colt SAA. <-- Don't hold me to this.
Uberti now lists a transfer bar safe for six up model called the 1873 Horseman. I believe it's relatively new.
I love my Cimarrons (made by Uberti). But then I don't mind the "five up" thing one bit. I do carry one or both out in the woods. Usually just the Model P, it has proven itself to be a fine gun.
I love my Cimarrons (made by Uberti). But then I don't mind the "five up" thing one bit. I do carry one or both out in the woods. Usually just the Model P, it has proven itself to be a fine gun.
I have two Vaqueros in .45 Colt 4 1/2 barrel. Had them tuned and took first place in the New England Regional SASS Sr. Gunfighter class this past summer. Love them until I found two Taylor & Co. Running Irons in 3 1/2 barrels. Great action work and shoots to point of aim. Been doing a lot of dry fire work getting ready for this season
Hunter Customs
New member
mk70ss, when you posted a picture of your birdshead Ruger in another thread I knew then I had to have one.
This is what I came up with.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
This is what I came up with.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
Welcome to TFL!
I have a question for you, when you say "Vaquero", what gun are you talking about, specifically?
There are two different guns people refer to as "Vaquero", in casual conversation. And they are NOT the same gun.
The stainless gun is a Vaquero in .45 Colt, with a 4 5/8" barrel.
The blued gun is a New Vaquero in .45 Colt with a 5 1/2" barrel.
Note how they are almost exactly the same over all size.
The VAQUERO is essentially a new model (post 1973) Blackhawk with fixed sights. It was made with the large (44) size frame. They are bigger, beefier guns than the Colt SAA. After several years, Ruger dropped it from production, replacing it with the NEW VAQUERO.
The New Vaquero (the guns say "New Vaquero" on them), is built on a smaller frame. The NEW VAQUERO is the same size as the Colt SAA (and clones).
The Vaquero can handle "Ruger only" loads in .45 Colt. The New Vaquero cannot. (if that's your thing)
I don't know what was going through the heads of the boys in the marketing dept when they gave their new gun the name "New Vaquero", but the unintended consequence is that people say just "vaquero", and other than from context, we just don't know what gun they are talking about.
Since you are comparing the Ruger to the Uberti, I assume you are talking about the New Vaquero, but I can't know, unless you tell me.
Between the Uberti and the New Vaquero, I would choose the Ruger, but only because I have decades of experience with the Ruger (new model) operating system. There is no half cock. opening the loading gate frees the cylinder for loading and unloading. And the transfer bar means you can carry 6 in safety.
The Colt is different. The Uberti is the same as the Colt (I think the even the ones with transfer bars still have half cock, etc.)
The Ruger uses coil springs. Colts (and clones) have flat mainsprings. And Ruger is an American company (if that matters to you).
So, which Vaquero are you actually looking at?
I have a question for you, when you say "Vaquero", what gun are you talking about, specifically?
There are two different guns people refer to as "Vaquero", in casual conversation. And they are NOT the same gun.
The stainless gun is a Vaquero in .45 Colt, with a 4 5/8" barrel.
The blued gun is a New Vaquero in .45 Colt with a 5 1/2" barrel.
Note how they are almost exactly the same over all size.
The VAQUERO is essentially a new model (post 1973) Blackhawk with fixed sights. It was made with the large (44) size frame. They are bigger, beefier guns than the Colt SAA. After several years, Ruger dropped it from production, replacing it with the NEW VAQUERO.
The New Vaquero (the guns say "New Vaquero" on them), is built on a smaller frame. The NEW VAQUERO is the same size as the Colt SAA (and clones).
The Vaquero can handle "Ruger only" loads in .45 Colt. The New Vaquero cannot. (if that's your thing)
I don't know what was going through the heads of the boys in the marketing dept when they gave their new gun the name "New Vaquero", but the unintended consequence is that people say just "vaquero", and other than from context, we just don't know what gun they are talking about.
Since you are comparing the Ruger to the Uberti, I assume you are talking about the New Vaquero, but I can't know, unless you tell me.
Between the Uberti and the New Vaquero, I would choose the Ruger, but only because I have decades of experience with the Ruger (new model) operating system. There is no half cock. opening the loading gate frees the cylinder for loading and unloading. And the transfer bar means you can carry 6 in safety.
The Colt is different. The Uberti is the same as the Colt (I think the even the ones with transfer bars still have half cock, etc.)
The Ruger uses coil springs. Colts (and clones) have flat mainsprings. And Ruger is an American company (if that matters to you).
So, which Vaquero are you actually looking at?
rjlencioni
Inactive
" ruger loads "
What are RUGER LOADS, and what brand are they?
And my model is NEW VAQUERO with fixed sites, 4.62" barrel
What are RUGER LOADS, and what brand are they?
And my model is NEW VAQUERO with fixed sites, 4.62" barrel
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Ruger loads are generally handloads
A few companies make excess pressure loads for large framed rugers(Blackhawk, Bisley, redhawk) that are well in excess of the 15,000 that standard .45 colt works at. The new Vaquero is built on the smaller frame and not safe for these loads.
Buffalo Bore is the only one that comes to mind for me.
A few companies make excess pressure loads for large framed rugers(Blackhawk, Bisley, redhawk) that are well in excess of the 15,000 that standard .45 colt works at. The new Vaquero is built on the smaller frame and not safe for these loads.
Buffalo Bore is the only one that comes to mind for me.
If you look in a reloading manual, 45 Colt are usually listed in two catagories. Standard pressure, and Ruger Only. (confusing now that Ruger makes the New Vaquero and mid frame flat top Blackhawks that aren't strong enough for this class of ammo)
Sometimes there are loads spoken/written of that are between these . Mid range loads that are o.k. for some of the newer production guns with similar pressures to 45 acp.
The "Ruger Only" loads are ones that are in the 30,000 PSI range vs . standard 45 Colt at 14000 psi. These are "Magnum type" loads, and are only suited to certain large frame Rugers , Freedom Arms, T/C contenders and the like. These are NOT for mid frame Rugers like the New Vaquero or SAA clones.
Remember the Vaquero and New Vaquero are NOT the same gun. The Vaquero is built on a 44 Magnum frame. The New Vaquero is not.
as to which one to purchase ??
Do you like the traditional 4 click action and load 5 with an empty under the chamber like a Colt? then look at the Uberti
Do you prefer a gun you can safely load six in but doesn't have the traditional 4 click action? then go for the Ruger.
I have examples of both types and love them both. There is no wrong choice.
The Ruger New Vaq is a fairly robust gun that is built around coil springs that are not prone to breakage or failure. A new model Ruger will leave a ring or drag line on the cylinder from the bolt.
The Uberti is more traditional Colt (with a few discrepancies) that uses Colt style flat springs that can be more prone to break although it's an easy fix when they do. Uberti does use a coil hand spring in the newer versions. IMO the Colt style has a bit more sex appeal.
Do you like the traditional 4 click action and load 5 with an empty under the chamber like a Colt? then look at the Uberti
Do you prefer a gun you can safely load six in but doesn't have the traditional 4 click action? then go for the Ruger.
I have examples of both types and love them both. There is no wrong choice.
The Ruger New Vaq is a fairly robust gun that is built around coil springs that are not prone to breakage or failure. A new model Ruger will leave a ring or drag line on the cylinder from the bolt.
The Uberti is more traditional Colt (with a few discrepancies) that uses Colt style flat springs that can be more prone to break although it's an easy fix when they do. Uberti does use a coil hand spring in the newer versions. IMO the Colt style has a bit more sex appeal.
Here's the hottest "Ruger ONLY!!!" 45LC+P load I am aware of:
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=38
325gr at over 1,300fps tromps most 44Mag factory loads in terms of raw power. Pressures are probably at or near the 33k PSI mark that John Linebaugh discovered was safe in Ruger large-frame 45LCs back in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Ruger large-frame SA 45LCs have cylinders with excellent metallurgy that is heat-treated to 44Magnum specs. It can't quite take the same peak pressure as a 44Mag (thinner cylinder walls, by a bit) but the extra case volume makes up the difference in terms of bullet energy despite less peak pressure.
Linebaugh developed his ideas on large-case-capacity loads while messing around with what the 45LC can do in large Rugers, and wrote up his notes here:
http://customsixguns.com/writings.htm
He then took what he learned there and boosted it upwards into the custom 475 and 500 Linebaugh calibers, and he doesn't put his development notes on THAT online. But it's an extrapolation from where he started on the 45LC, and that is documented at the link above.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=38
325gr at over 1,300fps tromps most 44Mag factory loads in terms of raw power. Pressures are probably at or near the 33k PSI mark that John Linebaugh discovered was safe in Ruger large-frame 45LCs back in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The Ruger large-frame SA 45LCs have cylinders with excellent metallurgy that is heat-treated to 44Magnum specs. It can't quite take the same peak pressure as a 44Mag (thinner cylinder walls, by a bit) but the extra case volume makes up the difference in terms of bullet energy despite less peak pressure.
Linebaugh developed his ideas on large-case-capacity loads while messing around with what the 45LC can do in large Rugers, and wrote up his notes here:
http://customsixguns.com/writings.htm
He then took what he learned there and boosted it upwards into the custom 475 and 500 Linebaugh calibers, and he doesn't put his development notes on THAT online. But it's an extrapolation from where he started on the 45LC, and that is documented at the link above.
It's not terribly important but perhaps worth mentioning that while the New Vaquero should not be fired using "Ruger only" 30,000 psi loads, it also is not limited to the 14,000 psi that is the SAAMI standard for .45 Colt. Many sources have stated the New Vaquero is certainly good up to 20,000 psi and some writers, such as Brian Pearce rate it higher than that. Many New Vaqueros have been fitted with an extra cylinder in .45 acp which has a SAAMI standard of 21,000 psi and, again, some sources (Brian Pearce again) claim the .45 acp version can handle .45 acp+P, which is up to 23,000 psi.
There seems to be a wide range of loadings over 14,000 but less than the forbidden 30,000 that the New Vaquero can handle just fine.
There seems to be a wide range of loadings over 14,000 but less than the forbidden 30,000 that the New Vaquero can handle just fine.
Bob Wright
New member
Dragline45:
Uberti made revolvers have one of two types of safeties. One is the so-called "Swiss Safe" type, in which the cylinder base pin can be pushed back and locked (with the hammer at the safety notch) in position. Thus the base pin will prevent the hammer from going forward enough to fire the round. A nearly useless safety, in my opinion.
The second is a true hammer block. When the hammer is placed in the safety notch (first click) the trigger sear engages a pivoting safety block in the hammer that impinges between the hammer face and frame. This has been tested by the ATF and found to be reliable as far as the hammer drop test is concerned. This type has the advantage of being engaged and disengaged without any extra manipulation.
Bob Wright
concerned
Uberti made revolvers have one of two types of safeties. One is the so-called "Swiss Safe" type, in which the cylinder base pin can be pushed back and locked (with the hammer at the safety notch) in position. Thus the base pin will prevent the hammer from going forward enough to fire the round. A nearly useless safety, in my opinion.
The second is a true hammer block. When the hammer is placed in the safety notch (first click) the trigger sear engages a pivoting safety block in the hammer that impinges between the hammer face and frame. This has been tested by the ATF and found to be reliable as far as the hammer drop test is concerned. This type has the advantage of being engaged and disengaged without any extra manipulation.
Bob Wright
concerned
Vaquero and blackhawk are the same gun
I'm pretty certain that cylinder pin issues are common with handloads that operate in the high pressure ranges. Standard pressure ammo should not cause this. If it does occur then maybe a new cylinder pin(or trip back to ruger)is in order.
I'm pretty certain that cylinder pin issues are common with handloads that operate in the high pressure ranges. Standard pressure ammo should not cause this. If it does occur then maybe a new cylinder pin(or trip back to ruger)is in order.