Saa

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maxinquaye

New member
OK so I thought I was done (at least for a while) but now I find myself thinking about going down and checking out a single action revolver. I can't imagine why, probably cause it's something I don't have.
I've always thought SAA's were kind of silly and labor intensive since you have to load each round individually, etc...
Someone tell me why I should buy one so I can feel better when I go plunk down the $$ please :D
 
Are the triggers better then say a Smith fired single action?

I am completely ignorant here...what is a good kind to get? How are prices on them...they seem to be cheaper when I see them at the gun store....
 
Go the whole route and get a cap and ball revolver ;-).. It may be slow, but nothing like shooting a Walker dragoon offhand to build up your arm strength ;-)
 
Are the triggers better then say a Smith fired single action?
Click to expand...

No. Single action only revolvers tend to have a slight hesitation before breaking, and some over travel (although its a VERY LIGHT trigger pull weight). My Blackhawk trigger feels slightly mushy before breaking, and it will still pull a little more after the gun has fired. OTOH, my DA revolvers fired fired single action break like glass. So, I'd say DA revolvers actually have slightly better single action triggers than SA revolvers.

An advantage of single action revolvers is that they are easier to cock the hammer back one handed. Try cocking the hammer back one handed on a DA Ruger SP 101 or GP 100, and you are met with a very heavy mainspring and poor trigger shape, and its a chore. S&W DA revolvers are better at this than Ruger DA revolvers, but still any single action revolver is easier to cock than a DA revolver, IMO. For instance, my Blackhawk (single action) cocks very easily, due to the shape of the hammer, grip shape, and the lighter mainspring weight.

I am completely ignorant here...what is a good kind to get? How are prices on them...they seem to be cheaper when I see them at the gun store....
Click to expand...

If money is NOT an issue, look at the Freedom Arms line of SA revolvers (they cost a lot but are top notch quality), or modern Colt single action revolvers. If money is an issue (as it is for most of us), I'm pretty confident that a Ruger Vaquero, Bisley, or Blackhawk would make you happy.

Prices...the Rugers will run $400-600 brand new, depending on configuration and the area you live in. The Freedom Arms is in the $1000-1500 price range, and a modern Colt if memory serves is in the $800-1000 price range.
 
From: "Thunder Chicken" <w00dy65@yahoo.com>
To: <ruger@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: <22lr@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 9:47 AM
Subject: [Ruger] SA/DA...What's The Diff???
>
>
> I have always owned semi auto or double action revolvers...never had a
sigle action revolver, until today. I would like to know the differences
between SA & DA revolvers.
>
> * Safety Issues

Original SA revolvers didn't have much of a safety. If you loaded all
chambers and then dropped the gun, it could easily go "bang". The cure was
to load it one less than max, and rest the hammer on the empty round. Even
then, reloading was tricky - we get the term "going off half cocked" from
these guns.

All Ruger "New Model" single actions, which means everything made after
1973, has a fully modern transfer bar safety. There is NO safety difference
between such a Ruger SA and a modern DA revolver. Rugers before 1973 can be
retrofitted with a transfer bar setup by Ruger for free, but as the trigger
isn't quite as slick, many people choose not to do that and rely on extreme
caution and religiously following the old-time 19th century safety drills.

In the shooting sports that use SA revolvers, you're required to load one
less than max regardless of whether or not your SA has a transfer bar. That
way, people shooting Colt SAAs or the various Italian clones of same are at
no firepower disadvantage from a guy shooting a Ruger SA. But for street or
woods carry, it is 100% safe to fully load a Ruger transfer bar SA to the
max.

> * Performance

Because the SA cylinder doesn't "swing out", reloading is slower but
accuracy can be higher. The most accurate revolvers in the world are the
Freedom Arms large-frame SAs, and any number of gunsmiths can get serious
accuracy out of a Ruger new model SA action.

The SA action is very strong. All of the most powerful handgun calibers
were developed on customized SA revolvers, almost all Rugers. The premier
gunsmith doing "handcannons on Ruger frames" is John Linebaugh:

http://www.sixgunner.com/linebaugh - look under his "gun services" and check
out the ballistics on the .475Linebaugh caliber on up through the "Longs".
He's getting these horsepower levels WITHOUT modifying the Ruger SA frame.
Which means in stock .44Mag or .45LC, it's close to impossible to blow one
up with anything short of a max doublecharge.

One more SA advantage: the traditional SA grip designs were meant to be
fired one-handed. They "roll in the hand" - when you use them two-handed,
you can deal with recoil levels far beyond what any other action type can
handle. And what Ruger calls the "Bisley" grip is even better at major
recoil control - that grip is really an old Elmer Keith design from the
1930's, it's not "old west" like Ruger wants people to think, but Elmer
REALLY knew what he was doing :).

Per a lot of reports, if you fire hot .44Mags in a Ruger SuperRedhawk
weighing about 50 ounces, and compare the felt recoil to firing the same
load in a Bisley Vaquero .44Mag weighing 39 ounces, the difference in
comfort is night and day and it's the Bisley that *wins* despite being
lighter. The more compact frame drops the bore down closer to your wrist,
and the grip soaks up recoil better. Now, shot-to-shot speed on the SA will
be slower unless you put some serious practice in.

You really have to make a commitment to mastering the SA, it's much more
difficult than the "grab it and pull the trigger over and over again" drill
on a DA. But there are rewards! More power in a smaller package, and with
a LOT of practice, the fastest draw/fire sequence of any handgun type.

> * Pro's & Con's of both type of action

The DA is easier to get a fast string of shots off with, and is much faster
to reload. But accuracy, size efficiency, toughness and recoil control all
go to the SA. They are also very easy to modify, and because Ruger stayed
with the same mechanism from 1973 to present the aftermarket support is
extensive:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80872

> Thanks!!

You're welcome :).

Jim
 
Do not buy the modern Colt guns unless you must have a Colt for historical reasons. The 3rd gen colt model Ps cost $1200 and you get a beautiful hand-manufactured gun that unfortunately still needs a lot of work. The 3rd gen colts are notoriously rough and many people put $300 into them after they buy them. Much speculation has been made about this over on the SASS Wire. Colt evidentally has indictated these are meant to be wallhangers due to their lack of modern safeties (they don't want to be sued like Ruger). The materials are first rate but buying a $1200 gun that still needs work is not really excusable in my opinion.

The Colt Cowboys are made using much cheaper manufacturing methods and are of lower quality than guns that are less than half their cost ($800).

If you are thinking about getting a single action and money is an object, look at the Italian clones made by AWA, Pietta, and Uberti. They are sold through a bunch of different distributors in the US.
 
"Someone tell me why I should buy one so I can feel better when I go plunk down the $$ please "


Whoopee-ti-yi-yo get along little doggies ...... :D
 
Right, the "Spaghetti SAAs" (Italian clones of the Colt SAA and other old-west guns such as the Remingtons) vary from acceptable to very good. By most accounts, Uberti (owned by Beretta) is the best current source.

Like the Colt SAAs that they're usually parts-compatible with, the Italians are a bit smaller than the Rugers and per most people, have a better "feel in the hand". The Rugers are WAY tougher and have that safety for six-up carry. And you can tweak the feel of the Ruger with grip and grip frame swaps and different hammers/triggers.

Cimmaron has a good rep in Spaghetti SAAs. They work with Uberti, specifying a higher level of finish and doing some of their own in-the-US inspection and sometimes final tweaking. A few of their models are exclusive to them from Uberti.

There's at least one outfit importing major parts from Italy but doing their own final assembly and finishing, and basically blowing past Colt quality levels and still coming in under Colt's prices. Does anybody remember who that is? Hartford maybe?
 
The best and most accurate Colt clones I have seen are the U.S. Firearms guns. And the good news is that their Rodeo model (matte blue finish) is only $505 retail. I would buy this over any of the Italian made ones if you want an (almost) "real" Colt. No case coloring, but (I think) a very nice, if unusual, looking gun.

The Rugers are another story, of course. They are rugged, modern guns that are single action, and I like them, but they don't look or feel like the Colt SAA.

Due to the mechanism, there are no Colt type SA's that have a light trigger pull, and you can't lighten the pull because then the trigger will drop into the half cock notch and break both trigger and hammer. Even the Ruger trigger pulls do not permit a lot of work.

Jim
 
I have one genuine Colt SAA (3rd Gen and mine is very nice and needed no additional work in regards to previous post) and three Italian clones from two manufacturers. The Colt is nicer. Period. Is it three times as nice like the price is three times as much? I don't know. But I like the real Colt better than any of the clones. Also, if you decide to sell the gun in 10 years you may find that the Colt was a fair investment. Wish I had kept the pair I bought 20 years ago for $300 each (1st gen 44-40 and 2nd gen .357).

A modern SA like the Ruger is a fine hunting pistol. Strong, accurate enough, speed of reloading not an issue.

The traditional SA (the Peacemaker style) is a recreational gun. I think everyone likes to play cowboy once in a while.
 
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I agree completely with carrying any SA except the new Rugers with the hammer down on an empty chamber. But the old timers didn't always do that. They carried the gun with the hammer down between rounds, a system made easier by the sharp pointed hammers on the old guns. This was the way they had carried the old percussion Colts (with the hammer down on the safety pin) and they kept the habit.

Jim
 
maxinquaye,

I recently went through the same thing.
My wife got me a 1867 Army Police (black powder) from Cabela's,
and it is great fun to shoot.
But, when I got my .357 Ruger Vaquero, a couple of months ago, I really found out what fun was.
It was a sweet shooter to start with, and then I added a Wolff spring kit.
Made it even better. :cool:

It is super accurate, (you can pop ammo boxes from 25 yds all day long. :D ), and just plain fun.
Maybe it has something to with the fact that I "came of age" when there were 50-something Westerns on TV in a given week, but easing back the hammer on that Vaquero is almost a spiritual experience. :rolleyes:

Try it, you'll like it!
 
I'd go look at Ruger BlackHawks, Super Blackhawks and Vaqueros.

The Blackhawks have a adj rear sight which makes it easier than going to have the front sight filed down or bent left or right.

But then again all my revolvers are Rugers and I love each and every one.

GW45
 
SAA's are the best! My favorite guns. I think you owe it to yourself to buy one.

I have Colt's , Italian clones , Rugers , and even Freedom Arms. OK. Colt (my 3rd gen needs no work, old wives tale, like how no 1911 will work unless you send it to a gunsmith). IMHO There is Colt , then there's the rest. A Colt just feels different, even from the exact copies. Can't explain it. Is it worth the extra money? That's up to you, but to me it is.

The clones vary in price and quality. They are usually fine guns for the price. They ain't Colt's though and they never will be.

Ruger makes a darn fine gun. I really like the Vaqueros though they are about 10% bigger than a Colt/clone.
 
WHY? because my ruger blackhawk .45lc /.45 acp is the one gun that i shot the best. I was leary of purchasing a single action revolver, but i went ahead and have no regrets. how is it labor intensive. with semi's you still have to place each round in the magazine, with swing out revolvers you still have to place each round in the chamber (no speed loaders for me). plus my ruger was much cheaper than the smith 686 i bought, plus its more fun to shoot. How many single actions do you see on your trips to the range. Its not a self defense piece for me, just a practice and hunting rig.
 
SAA

You have gottten a lot of good advice, so I'll just give you my thoughts.

I would look at an EMF Hartford Model, 4-3/4 inch barrel, in 45 Colt.

I have an EMF Bisley in 5-1/2 in 45 Colt. It is a fine weapon. BUT, it is not the right gun for my hand. Come October, I plan on buying an EMF Hartford, 4-3/4 inch in 45 Colt.

The size of the barrel and cylinder of 45 colt gives a good balance to the weapon. Yes, the 45 is expensive. This is a good excuse to start reloading.The 44 Mag would be a fine choice, but as this is a fun gun with a 19 century lock, you would want to do most of your shooting with the 44 special, which is just as expensive as the 45 Colt. Reloading fixes the problem either way. Just get a big bore.

SAA are not like other guns. The sights are very different. You will have to file the front sight down or leave about half of the front sight above the rear sight when you aim. Or, you could try "point shooting" with it. SAA are like an extention of your hand. Just point it like your index finger and fire. Try it sometime. It works better than you think it will.

SAA are bought for the romance value. It has nothing to do with logic. They bring us back to a time when we knew who we were. It is a gentle reminder that civilization is just a temporary problem.

Go for it and join SASS
Joe
 
I just bought a US Firearms Mfg. Rodeo,I ordered it without ever seeing one before.I was a little nervous, but did alot of research and shopping around before I decided on my purchase.I wasn't impressed with the imported clones,and wasn't about to give a couple of thousand for a name.I paid 449.00 for my Rodeo and when it came in, I wasn't disappointed.The dealer even was impressed with the fact the quality appeared to be on par with his "real" Colts.In fact even if I had money burning a hole in my pocket I wouldn't buy a Colt,I would by more of US Firearms pistols.Top of the line quality without overcharging people.I always wanted a high quality cowboy type gun.I'm satisfied with my purchase,the fact it doesn't say Colt on the pistol means nothing to me,it has it where it counts.:cool:
 
maxinquaye, I've owned (3) third generation Colt SAA's. All were 45 lc with 4 3/4" barrels. The finish and color in the case hardening was beautiful. They are without a doubt the best looking handguns out there. Too bad they didn't work as good as they looked! Unless you are used to a STOCK Ruger trigger, the Colt triggers will need work. They are rough, with creep, and heavier than they should be. I kept one unfired and had trigger work done on the other two. For over $1100 each, they should be alot better. One of the guns shot 4" groups at 25yds. The forcing cone wasn't cut properly. The second gun shot O.K. as far as groups go, but hit 10" to the left! The third gun would have needed at least a trigger job if I was going to shoot it. On the other hand I bought a Cimmarron Arms gun that had a crisp 4lb trigger out of the box and shot as good as the best Colt that I have owned or shot. I have since traded all of these guns for Freedom Arms revolvers and would say that if you are going to spend over $1200 for a single action, don't waste your time or money on anything else, buy the Freedom Arms! I bought my first one without ever seeing one, and can tell you they are as good as they say. You can't even compare a Colt or anything else too a FA.
 
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You never mentioned that you specifically want a centerfire caliber revolver, so in case you are considering other options, you may want to think about a Ruger Single Six in .22 caliber. Great quality, accurate, cheap to shoot, less expensive than centerfire revolvers, and lots of fun to plink with.
 
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