Taylor's Smokewagon Deluxe

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ilmonster

New member
Well, not having any particular need for a cowboy gun, I recently bought a Taylor's Smokewagon Deluxe and picked it up this week. This is the color case hardened model with a tuned action. I bought the 5 1/2" version. It looks to be very well put together and finished. Well worth the dollars.

I took it to the range last night and was impressed. I reloaded some beginning ammo with 250 gr. RNFP bullets and 6.5 - 7.0 gr. of HP-38 powder. I tried 6.5, 6.8 and 7.0 grains of HP-38. Each had a little more recoil than the previous, but were all very comfortable to shoot. All shot to point of aim, so the sights are well regulated. The trigger is very crisp and light, but not too light. Today I took the cylinder to a friends machine shop (has pin gauges) to see what size chambers it had. It had exactly .452" chambers, which partially explains why it shot so accurately last night.

Very happy with it so far. Can't wait to shoot it again. Will post some pic's later when I get a chance.
 
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That is a nice looking gun! I recently bought a Pietta in .45 Colt. These Italian imports are some of the best S/A revolvers out there. Fine looking gun there ilmonster.
 
Thanks. Just got my first 50 rounds of handholds through it last night without a hitch. Nice feeling and plenty accurate. A very nice trigger comparable to my Les Baer (different trigger, but well tuned). This is going to be a fun revolver!

I already have a Super Blackhawk, so this isn't my first single action, but is my first "cowboy gun". And who doesn't like putting .452" caliber holes in targets!

p.s. loaded up another 50 rds today. Ready to go again.
 
I have never heard of the Taylor Smokewagon. I don't get around much, anymore. Looks impressive. I'll google it.

Is a replica, or is it improved? The color looks good, but I'm sure it looks better in person.
 
I'm entirely new to SA revolvers, is there a problem with the retractable firing pin? Is it just because it's non traditional like a transfer bar?
 
is there a problem with the retractable firing pin?
Click to expand...
I have two, a Cimarron SAA and Tayor SAA, with the floating firing pin on the hammer. So far they work fine.... But .... it isn't the way the 'original' works. So looks okay. But not authentic. Sign of the times....
 
Agreed. Looking at mine it looks like a genuine Colt SAA. But it is only a "3 click" revolver when pulling the hammer back vs. a "4 click" hammer on the original. Thankfully that doesn't bother me. Very much feels like a SAA, with a great trigger and beautifully made.
 
I’m a cowboy action shooter. We see just about every centerfire SA revolver used in competition. My revolvers are Rugers but I like the Italian replicas and tell new shooters that they are a good choice.

SASS rules require that we load the revolvers with five rounds, hammer down on an empty chamber. As a result, my Rugers’ transfer bar ignition, or any other type of passive safety designed to make the revolver “drop safe”, is unnecessary. I do understand that manufacturers have to satisfy US regulations to get revolvers imported, and that most SA purchasers are not competition shooters.

Uberti, Pietta, and others have incorporated transfer bar ignition into Colt clones. Some of those systems have proven to be less rugged than the Colt design, and the frame mounted firing pin that typically accompanies the design detracts from the look of the revolvers. Uberti developed the Cattleman 2 with its hammer mounted retracting firing pin as a way around this issue. Yes, they eliminated the “safety notch” on the hammer which means three clicks instead of four as the revolver is cocked. It seemed to me a good approach when I first heard about it.

The problem is that some purchasers have experienced light strikes with this system. Not all revolvers, for sure, and I’ve heard that Uberti (or the importer) has been able to fix the ones that don’t work.
 
At least with mine, and with only 50 rounds down the pipe, no light strikes to report. I hope to get another 50 rounds through it in the next week or two. I was also impressed that the chambers measured out to exactly .452" where they should be.
 
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