Ruger Vaquero .45ACP or .40S&W - how's it shoot?

M

MatthewVanitas

New member
Got a buddy who wants to buy a Ruger Vaquero SA revolver. He just wants it for plinking and the "fun" factor. He's not a stickler for authenticity (no 44-40 or such), just wants it chambered for a round he can buy at Wal-Mart of the local gunshop for reasonable prices.
He's made it clear he wants a big-bore, so no Bearcat or Single-Six.

I've suggested he get one of the Vaqueros in a semiauto pistol round, either .45ACP or .40S&W. I've seen the convertibles for sale, and once saw a .40S&W only for sale (though it could have been a used with the other cylinder missing).

What's the consensus on .45ACP and .40S&W Vaqueros? I've heard mixed things about the 9mm Blackhawks, and better mixed things about the .45ACP Blackhawks.

Right now I'm inclined to reccommend he get the 38-40/40S&W convertible. Bracing myself for the inevitable "What's a 38-40?"

All advice cheerfully received.
 
The .45acp/.45Colt convertable with a 5.5" barrel is on my short list of wanna have's. Seems the most useful to me.
 
I have two RVs in stainless, both in .45LC. One's a 4-5/8" and the other is a Birdshead in 3-3/4". They look good and shoot well... perfect addition to my SASS outfit.

(I like my '58 Remington reproductions better, but you didn't ask that.)

-0-
 
The .45 Colt/.45 ACP convertible Vaquero would be very useful for my needs.

However, I can't see ever being interested in a .40 Vaquero. YMMV
 
Yeah that stainless 45Colt/45acp 5.5 inch Vaquero is pretty darn cool. Don't know anyone who has one though.
 
I have the .45 lc/acp convertible in blue with the 4 5/8" barrel. Great gun and lots of fun. Being able to shoot .45acp is sweet because it is a hell of a lot cheaper than than the lc. I bought it too for "fun" and for something to break up the pistol monotony. Great gun for the money, and if I feel the need for a big bang it will handle the +p .45lc loads easily.

Much better and more versatile than the .38-40/.40sw. IMHO.
 
The Vaquero is a great, solid, very tough revolver (it's just a Blackhawk with fixed sights). And while a caliber that starts with a "4" is all well and good (and I've got a bunch of them!) the .357 is pretty much ideal if you want to shoot a lot.

If you choose the .357 caliber, you can shoot hot .357's when you really want some power and the rest of the time you can shoot target reload .38spl for practically peanuts! If you like to shoot a bit, the cost difference in ammo from .45Colt or .45ACP to .38/.357 will save you enough money to buy a new pair of Vaqueros EVERY YEAR! Run the numbers yourself and you'll see what I mean.

Of course if you're just going to go to the range once every couple of months and shoot a box then call it a day, your choice of caliber won't have any tangible economic impact. Shoot 400 to 500 rounds a month and your choice of caliber will make a big economic difference.

Lastly, if your priorities are to hunt big animals, you should probably resign yourself to .44mag. Since your friend says he wants the gun for fun shooting, plinking, (or Cowboy Action Shooting - my favorite shooting sport!) I'd choose the versatile .357 myself and shoot the heck out of it with .38 or .357 cowboy loads.
 
Last edited:
I've pondered this a bit myself :).

There was at least one special run of 40-only Vaqs. Most others were 40/38-40 or in some cases 10mm/38-40.

Any of the 40S&W cylinderss can be quickly and easily converted to 10mm, just bore the part of the cylinder where the shell goes a bit deeper.

A Vaq in 40 with a second cylinder in 10mm would seem to be highly useful. 12-rd semi-magazines in 40S&W are still available and can provide two quick speedloads for a Ruger SA; the 40cals can be thumbed into the loading gate from a magazine easier than 45ACP because they're a bit narrower :).
 
I recently bought a Vaquero in 45 Colt as I always wanted a 45LC. They had last year price on it with a 10% off sale. Picked it up for $342. Stainless steel guns are my fancy. I don't have to worry much about ammo prices as I reload about everything except the 9MM.

200210301774999645636234.jpg
 
I have a "Limited Edition Sheriff's Model" Vaquero in .357. Short barrel, about 3-1/2". To me, it is the most 'fun gun' that I have. I am drooling over the new Bird's Head Vaquero, short barrel .45 with the black grips.

Alas, it does not yet reside with me.... :(
 
MPH brings up an issue: if you don't reload, you'll find that .45LC prices are absurd. Other than taking advantage of the market for CAS/SASS sports, I can't see any reason why .45LC should cost double what .45ACP does.

*For me*, that's the only reason to go with .38 over .45 -- hell, when I'm practicing I shoot fullhouse loads for fun just coz the c'boy loads are too wimpy for me. :D

YMMV, natch...

-0-
 
The reason .45ACP is cheap is that it's a military caliber, so you can get bulk lots turn up on the surplus market. Plus Wolf (Russian crapola) loads for it - between those two sources, bulk .45ACP plinking/practice fodder is often as cheap as .38Spl reloads.
 
As far as the 38-40/40S&W convertible Rugers are concerned:

Ruger isnt doing a good job sizing the cylinder chambers right for currently available 38-40 ammo to fully seat inside the cylinder.

They will tell you on the phone that Winchester 38-40 will fit in it just fine.

Problem with that is, Winchester don't make that no more.

I have found several other people who have had the same problem, and Ruger isn't acknowledging that there is a problem.

If anybody has a Ruger Vaquero 38-40/40 S&W that any brand of currently made 38-40 ammo will fit in, I would love to here from you.

The 40 S&W cylinder works fine.
 
Lonegunman,

I'll tell you my RV 38/40 & 40 S&W tale. I purchased one in stainless with a 4 5/8" barrel in SEPT 01. The 40 S&W cylinder was great, no problem at all, it would chamber and fire handloads and Federal factory ammo great (Fed was the only brand I purchased in factory to test the gun).

The 38/40 was an entirely different story; my cylinder WOULD chamber the Winchester factory ammo just fine (and some long discontinued R-P a friend gave me). The factory amm used a half jacketed bullet which starts the ogive curve right out of the case. But, no brand of lead bullets in handloaded ammo would fit in the #2 or #3 chambers at all, chambers #1, 4, 5 & 6 would seat the lead bullet handloads okay ( a little push was necessary). I called Ruger, they refused to give me the factory spec's for the throat diameters. I slugged them and what I came up with was this; the throats in chambers 1, 4, 5 & 6 where .397" while the throats in chambers #2 & 3 where .398". I called the factory back and they would only tell me to ship the gun back and they would check to see if it met their spec's.

I decided to call Dave Clements in Mississippi - he said the throats should be .401", so the driving band, just ahead of the crimping groove of the lead bullets wouldn't stick in the undersize throats. I sent the cylinder to him and had the throats opened to .401", BUT that still did not solve the problem - it was better, but not solved. I then decided that what was happening was that the reamer was worn or didn't fully cut the chamber in the #2 & #3 chambers - as a painted dummy round was scarring hard right where the neck began (on the junction of the straight neck and the tapered body. I made up two dummy rounds, used a dremel to cut a screw slot across the case head and put fine valve grinding compound on the neck/shoulder junction of the dummy. I then inserted each dummy into chambers #2 & #3 and turned them with a large screwdriver. After several applications of the valve grinding compound on the dummy I had polished away enough metal that the problem was solved (by opening up the neck area of the chamber).

Of course you have noticed that new factory loads and new reloads have long necks on them (to work in the vastly differing chambers that have been cut since 1879 and prior to modern SAMII standardization). My problem did not manifest itself until I started using the once-fired (and thus fireformed) cases for reloads - the new shorter necks would not fit the short chambered Ruger cylinder. Having Clements open the throats helped, but didn't solve the problem. Of course an additional benefit of all this is my accuracy is better and leading is virtually non-existent.

Good luck,
NG Bruce
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top