Inexpensive quality SAA clones?

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Green Lantern

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I'm interested in opinions on what would be my first Single Action Army-style revolver. On one hand, don't want to spend a lot of money but on the other hand considering I can probably only get the one I want it to be good quality.

Caliber? 45 Long Colt would be the most "correct," but I do already have a .38 and a .357, so there would be ammo commonality there. On the other hand I've heard of 45 LC and .45ACP convertibles, and I do plan on getting that 1911 eventually....

I don't think I'd care for adjustable sights.
 
Uberti, Armi San Marco, Armi J'a'ger and J.P. Sauer (also as Hawes and Herter's) all come to mind tradenames including EAA, Dakota, Cimmaron etc. with various grades and pricing.

If I were doing this on a budget I would go to the auction sites, get some education and find your niche.
 
Uberti. Cimmarron does a nice job of hand fitting them once they get to the U.S., and I hear Smoke Wagon does a nice job tuning them also, but I can't see you being disapointed with a plain ol' Uberti. Plus, their easy to work on if you want to improve the trigger. I also heard that they have (or possibly still do) make parts for Colt and other reputable manufacturers. That's enough of a resume for me to want one!
 
Uberti makes a good SAA replica and they are affordable. Most $500 or less. They're imported by Stoeger (Uberti branded), Cimarron, Dixie Gun Works and Taylor's. Later model Pietta's are well reputed but I have handled none. ASM always had quality issues.

USFA's are the best (better than Colt) but they will more.


Cimarron does a nice job of hand fitting them once they get to the U.S.
Click to expand...
Don't know where this comes from because it ain't true. Cimarron has their own QC people at the Uberti plant but that is it. Uberti makes the guns from start to finish.
 
Uberti. I have a Cattleman with a 4.75 inch barrel in 45 Long Colt and it is much more accurate than it should be for even double the price IMO.
 
Craig - Good correction. I knew Cimarron had their own people/Quality Control, but I didn't know they were all assembled overseas. Does Smoke Wagon and Taylor do something similar, or do they order in bulk and do their tuning here in the states?

By the same token, who do you think does the best Uberti-tuning for the money? The only Uberti I've ever shot was my father in law's from the 70's in .357. Great trail gun and a real nice shooter.
 
Here's the best deal going: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=299269711

The Uberti Hombre is the plain finish (some say plain ugly) version of the 1873 "Colt clone" revolver. I have two friends who each purchased a pair of these revolvers for cowboy action shooting and they are pleased with them. This dealer once had a bunch of them in .45 Colt but all I've seen on GunBroker the recently are the .357s. You're already set up for that chambering so more savings for you.

Buy one (or a pair) and shoot the heck out of it. If at some point you want a prettier gun, certainly you could get all or most of your money out of it.
 
Ruger Vaquero.

If you prefer historical authenticity to reliability and shootability, then by all means check out Ubertis & Piettas & etc.

But watch the cowboy action shooters who abuse their single actions in competition, and you'll find most use Ruger New Model Vaqueros and most are shooting .38spl followed by .45colt.
 
Rugers have a transfer bar which won't allow the gun to fire unless the trigger is fully depressed.
This is a good safety feature.

On the other hand Uberti makes an original clone with the firing pin mounted on the hammer.
Not as "safe" but technically correct.
Here's my Uberti. :D

In case you're wondering...
Paid 435.60 including background & tax
Purchased New 1/5/2011 picked up 1/7/2011 at
Gander Mountain

I love it, it shoots like a dream.
It's one of the most accurate guns I own.
uberti.jpg
 
I'm in the Ruger New Vaquero camp too. Since 2005 the Vaquero has been practically the same size and weight as the original SAA. It's an extremely reliable revolver and it's not overpriced. The Ruger isn't and exact close so if that's what you're looking for the Vaquero isn't what you're looking for but if you want a great SA revolver that's the one to buy. I have a Bisley Vaquero in .45 Colt and 2X New Vaqueros in 38/357.

Three_SA.jpg
 
By the same token, who do you think does the best Uberti-tuning for the money?
Click to expand...
No idea, never bought a factory tuned Uberti but I'm fairly certain all the tuned models are tuned in the US. I usually do my own action work but there are plenty of reputable `smith's who tune them. Tom Sargis and Bob Munden come to mind as SAA specialists.

Ruger makes a great single action and I have a bunch of them but the Vaquero/New Vaquero are in no way a SAA replica. IMHO, if you want an SAA or replica you want a traditional half cock action and the Ruger feels & operates nothing like it.
 
Cimarron doesn't hand fit anything.
The company is an importer, does no assembly in-house.
Some models may be sent out locally for additional work, but the majority are imported as assembled & fully finished Uberti guns & sold as they come.
Denis
 
Another fan of Cimmaron's. Cimarron might not hand-fit anything, but from what I've seen, they must choose the picks-of-the-litter from Uberti, because the ones I've seen and had were flawless with an "Uber"-slick action.
 
Cimarron puts out good guns but I honestly cannot say that they are any better. I ordered an early 1860 Richards Transition model that was so poorly finished I had to return it. Yet my Open Top is wonderfully finished. All took some stoning to make them smooth but less than my Colt.
 
Beretta owns Uberti so their guns are made by them also. Other makers such as Cimarron use either Uberti or Pietta built guns (both Italian). Cimarron like the others then refinish the guns, put their grips in some cases, change springs and basically tune up. I have three guns 1 an ASM, 1 a Uberti Cattleman the other a Cimarron Uberti. The Cimarron was about $50 more than the Cattleman cost me but a better finish on the case hardened but blued parts seem the same. Cimarron is smoother though I did the same tune on my cattleman myself so both guns shoot about the same. I did change the grips on the Cimarron as I personally don't like medallions in my grips regardless. I replaced them with a Stag Horn style I will eventually change the other two gun to also.
 
The only guns that Cimarron has a gunsmith go through are the Evil Roy guns. Just like Taylor's with their Smokewagon.

The Pietta guns sold as the Great Western II by EMF are getting great reviews, but I've yet to handle one.

I love my Cimarron after their gunsmith (Ryan at HCP gunsmithing) went through it.
 
I have the Uberti and it is probably the sweetest shooting revolver that I have. I am a Ruger fan and own several, but I do not like any of them as much as I like the Cattleman.
 
Both Pietta and Uberti make very nice guns if you are after the old original Colt "4 click" style action.

I've been using my Pietta .357's with primarily .38Spl for almost 3 years of casual plinking and monthly cowboy action matches. The guns are as tight as new and the triggers are burnishing in and smoothening up nicely.

I've also got a couple of Uberti 1858 Remington clones in cap&ball black powder. Again two great guns with a very nice fit and finish.

Frankly I like the idea of the original style action. As for which brand to buy I'd be happy with either under their original banner or from one of the importing cover companies.

Or if it's important to be able to carry fully loaded then the choice is simply Ruger and their new model Vaquero or Blackhawk. The transfer bar makes carrying fully loaded safe where the old original Colt style action has to be carried hammer down on an empty chamber.

As for fixed vs adjustable sights as found on the Blackhawk just be aware that you need to tune the sights to your load and then shoot that same load or some rare equivalent in a heavier or lighter bullet from then on or the POA will not match the POI. If you know that you'll want to shoot a variety of ammo loads then despite the klunky look of the front and rear sights on the Blackhawk they simply are the better way to go. But if you know you'll be happy with one load power then fixed sights can be fine.
 
I've worked with an ER Model, that was the only Cimarron I'm personally aware of that does get sent out for work. I don't know if there are any other "special" models that get extra attention.
If there are, Cimarron does not do it themselves.

Otherwise, Cimarron does not re-finish, change springs & grips, and do action work.
The majority of their guns are ordered in certain configurations to certain specs & sold as they come.
Denis
 
I was thinking about getting an Uberti, but in the end I went with a 4.6" barreled Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt instead. Much stronger, can carry 6 safely & adjustable sights. I reloaded already so adding a set of .45 colt dies was not a big deal. A 255 gr LSWC in front of 9 grains of Unique is a whole lot of shooting fun.
 
I have two Uberti Cattlemans in 45 colt with 5.5" barrels.Great shooters and more accurate than my USFA,Colt and Ruger SAAs. I have broken a few of the internal flat springs each 3-4K rounds but they are easy to fit and replace.They don't exactly feel like a Colt or USFA in the hand and do not have the same C-O-L-T action when you cock them,but a good pistol that shoots well and costs a lot less.
I would buy them again.
 
Uberti's are good Colt clones and their prices are fair as well. If you can stand it, the Vaquero's are very well built and reasonably priced too. I love my Vaquero and would like to have others in the future.

425755cd-454b-1f7e.jpg
 
Thanks for the responses! :) I'd "heard" of Uberti before in passing, but had never really looked into them before. Hondo, that revolver is plumb beautiful. (note that I'm stuck on dial-up so apart from ArchAngel's three Rugers I can't see any other pics at the moment)

I'm not necissarily out for a 100%-exact clone of how one was back in the day, but I admit to not wanting adjustable sights for the aesthetics, even though they would be more useful.

I've never really cared for the look of Bisley grips, either. Suppose I should try to handle a gun with them to see how it fits me, though.

I figure I could live with an original design that means carrying with the hammer on an empty chamber, but I'm not totally against the transfer-bar either.

The 5.5" barrel length to me looks just right.

I'm really favoring the 45LC chambering because it's the most "correct" for the gun, and also because I don't own any "big bore" handguns. Though I figure that getting the most power out of that "big bore" 45LC would involve choosing a Ruger or other really strong design that can handle the hottest loads in it. I also don't reload and don't have any plans on starting anytime soon, which could be an issue - both as far as cost and availability goes. The latter especially if the antis have their way with internet ammo sales...

Having an extra .45ACP cylinder could help some, except that again I'd rather not do the adjustable sights...hmm.
 
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