SO You Wanna be a Cowboy?, The Ruger Vaquero
Written: May 06 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent Single Action Revolver. Highly durable, great quality
Cons: Standard trigger is poor, Sites, non adjustable, but they aren't supposed to be.
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| mattjoe's Full Review: otdr/Other |
I'm posting these articles into Outdoor/Other because there is currently no place for them. Epinions has told me to keep putting them here and eventually they will create a category for them. Feel free to also put your gun reviews here in Outdoor/other, and let me know when you do. Once there are enough, I will link them all together from my home page
The fastest growing Shooting Sport in the country is Cowboy Action Shooting. Their are two groups which organize it, the Single Action Shooting Society and the Cowboy Action Shooters Society. I don't know which one is larger.
This new sport requires the use of replicas, or authentic firearms of the turn of the century. This means, Single Action Revolvers, old shotguns, and old rifles.
If you're going to get involved, you'll need some Shootin' Irons, A Pair of Six Shooters. Yes, you need two. They only are loaded with 5 rounds during any stage, so how long could a stage be, and what fun could it be if you only had 5 shots? Answer: NONE.
There are many single action revolvers to choose from.
Perhaps the best buy in a quality single action revolver these days is the Ruger Vaquero. (They come standard from RUGER with trigger lock)
Ruger is a good name when it comes to firearms. They do not make garbage.
The Ruger Vaquero is available in many different sizes and calibers, and finishes. Available in varying barrel lengths from 4 5/8ths inch to 7 1/2inch and calibers ranging from 357 Magnum(compatible with 38 special) to 44 Magnum, and 45 Long Colt, an additional cylinder is available for the 45 gun which adapts it to 45ACP. A much more common round than the 45 long colt.
The gun is very well constructed and has a firing pin safety on it which older single action handguns didn't have. Yes, this safety mechanism works, and it does make it less authentic than a few other cowboy style replica guns, but it is a good feature. However one should always remember the correct way to carry a revolver is with the hammer down on an empty chamber. Complete safety.
So what about the sites?
The Ruger Vaquero is a replica of older cowboy guns, the Colt Single Action Army, of which originals today will sell for well over 1500 dollars.
As a replica of such a firearm the sites are basic. There is a front blade site and an indentation on the rear of the gun where you would try to line up that front blade. There were no adjustable sights back then, so the Ruger doesn't have them.
Trigger.
Decent, and wider than others, such as the Italian made replica by Uberti. The advantage to the wider trigger is the ability to spin the gun on your finger like in the movies. The thin trigger of the Uberti will actually hurt you.
Wider is better. But seriously, the advantages include accuracy. You have more of a trigger to feel, the ergonomics of the gun are increased. It is much smoother than an Uberti's trigger, and extremely close to a Colt's trigger.
The trigger pull weight.
The standard Ruger Vaquero comes with a trigger which will result in the pull weight being around 6 pounds. This is horrible for accuracy and competition shooting. That trigger pull has got to go!
And go it will! by simply buying a spring kit from a major manufacturer, and dropping it in. You don't need to be a gunsmith to know how to do this. It will take you no more than half an hour of your time, just pay attention to how everything came apart. You may need a file or a dremel tool, as many of the Rugers have burrs in the steel where you'll need to insert a small pin. Don't force anything if you're trying this on your own. You could send it out to be done, I found somewhere that charges $75 for this work. This is absolute robbery! The parts cost $12.
The Ruger Vaquero simply cannot be beat when it comes to dollar value in a single action replica revolver of the Colt Single Action Army.
Now go buy your Ruger Single Action Vaquero. If you want to remain authentic to the era, get it in 357 Magnum or 45 Long Colt. The 357 Magnum can use 38 Long Colt, You can buy the brass and reload it yourself.
Now "You gonna pull those pistols? Or stand there whistling Dixie?"-
The Outlaw Josie Wales.
Recommended:
Yes
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mattjoe
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