Single action Cowboy Revolver

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My first Cowboy is the Schofield Top-break, (Taylor's model #0855) Great gun. the recent ones have worked out the bugs you may read about from the 90's. The design is inherently weaker than a solid frame, so you tend to stick to cowboy and low (non +P) power FMJ rounds if buying ammo. The Beretta Laramie is the same gun with a bit more polish.

The Standard seems to be the Ruger Blackhawks and Vaqueros, and most of them can take just about any modern load you like if you want to use it as a field gun as well.
 
Colt SAA for the real deal.
U. S. Firearms for the best built replica.
Ruger Vaquero for the best safety features and a lifetime of trouble-free use.
Any of the Italian import clones for the cheapest, and possibly the roughest action.

PS: The new Ruger Vaquaro is a smaller Colt size frame, and not as strong as the earlier Vaquaro built on the .44 Magnum frame.
It is not +p+ strong like the old ones.

rc
 
It's hard to beat a Ruger Vaquero for reliability versus cost. They're very strong guns. Colts are over-priced IMHO, the USFA guns are probably built better than the Colts (at a cost only slightly less), and the reliability of some of the Italian clones is suspect. YMMV (a lot).
 
Depends on your hand size.

If you have larger hands a Ruger New Model Blackhawk is a great gun.
I know because I have one & love it.

For smaller hands the New Model Vaquero is quite a bit thinner & has a smaller frame than the Blackhawk.
If I had tested the 2 side by side I'd have bought a Vaquero.

Another difference in them is that the Blackhawk has adjustable sights.
The Vaquero has fixed ones.

Just my 2 cents worth
 
Beretta

I have a Baretta Stampede Bisley. I am very pleased with the fit and finish,smoothness of action,trigger pull,and accuracy. The more I shoot it,the more I like it.:scrutiny:
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My wife and I used Ruger Vaquero for years, only thing I did to them was the trigger kit ... never had any problems
 
The 1st gen Blackhawk is Colt size. The 2nd gen Blackhawk is 10% larger than a Colt and the same size as the 1st gen Vaquero. The "New Model" or 3rd gen Blackhawk is back down to Colt size as is the 2nd gen Vaquero.
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That's a confusing way to look at it and not quite correct. The Old Model Blackhawk .357 was built from 1955-1973 and was approximately the same size as the Colt SAA. The .44Mag, .41Mag, .45Colt and .30M1 Old Model Blackhawks were built on the large, .44Mag-sized frame. All New Model Blackhawks and Vaqueros including .32-20/.32H&R, .357Mag, .38-40/10mm, .41Mag, .44Mag and .45's have all been on the large .44Mag-sized frame.

The only exception came in 2005 with the 50th anniversary Blackhawk .357, as well as the New Vaquero, plus the new .44Spl's are all built on a new Colt-sized frame.
 
YMMV is the truth. I picked up a Cabelas Millennium a few years back. Made by Uberti. I gave about $220 and it is a gun they will have to pry my fingers off when I die. A smooth trigger out of the box. No finish issues, but the grips could have been fit a bit more.

I would recommend you shoot some different ones before you buy.
 
I would recommend you shoot some different ones before you buy.
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While that's a good answer, it's not always practical.
Where I live there are no shooting ranges that have guns.
They're all members only or members & a friend type deal.
Either you bring your own or you don't shoot.

The nearest one might be 80 miles away.
I say "might" because I don't know of any & there may not be any.

And no gun store in my neck of the woods is gonna allow you to "try" before you buy.
I wish they did, like I said in Post #5 if I had tried a Blackhawk & a Vaquero at the same time, I would've gotten the Vaquero.
 
Depends what your main use for it will be. "If" you may possibly do any hunting with it, get a Ruger (or some other brand) with adjustable sights.
 
I'm thinking that in your situation your best bet is to get a .357/38 New Vaquero or a 357/38 Blackhawk, depending on how "cowboy" you want to go. The New Vaquero has fixed sights like a Colt Single Action Army in the movies. The Blackhawk has adjustable sights. Depending on what you shoot now, you could consider a Blackhawk convertible which in .357 could shoot 3 calibers, .38, .357, and 9mm with the auxiliary cylinder. If you shoot .45 acp, a Blackhawk convertible in 45 would allow that and also 45 Colt (expensive if you don't reload). I don't believe they have made any 357/9mm convertibles in the New Vaquero but they have made some in 45acp/Colt.

Simplest, get a .357/38 New Vaquero, stainless or blued as you prefer in either 4 5/8 inch or 5 1/2 inch barrel and shoot the snot out of it.

My main shooters are .45 convertible Blackhawks but I do have a couple of .357 New Vaqueros I like very much.

I have owned one Cimarron and seen others and they seem to be pretty good guns for the money and more traditional than the Vaqueros.
 
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It really comes down to "do I want the gun to match the ammo or have to buy ammo to match the gun?"

The true 1873 SAA guns all have fixed sights. This means that you're going to tune the sights one time to suit a particular load by fileing down the front blade. From that point on you'll have to reload or buy that particular load or the POI will not match the POA. Now there may be a few lighter and heavier bullets that when pushed by a particular powder load will match the original ammo but on the whole you're going to be very limited to the ammo you can use and still have the sights true to aim.

On the other hand the Ruger Blackhawks with their adjustable sights can be set to work with different ammo loads as you desire. So you're free to play with a wide variety of loads from soft popping plinkers to real hardy fireball rounds at the end of the day. It's just a few sighting in shots and some tweaks of the elevation screw to get it right. And with a chart of what you found worked before the gun can be set up with a couple of clicks worth of change to work with different ammo with consistency even during a single range outing.

So it comes down to there are a variety of SA guns but you need to decide if you want a faithful fixed sight version or an adjustable sight version based on how you like to shoot
 
It won't be used for hunting. Just something to have and shoot with from time to time. The Vaquero seems to be pretty popular (or rather, recommended), so I'll gave to do some rooting around at the local gun shops and laugh at the outrageous markups :laughs:
 
Blackhawk works...

I always circle back around to a .45 Ruger Blackhawk. Not really a cowboy gun with the adjustable sights I suppose but it works great for me.

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Cocked and Locked - I'm with you. It took me a while wandering about in the world of handguns, but I am in love with Blackhawks, especially 4 5/8 inch Blackhawks and especially .45 Blackhawks.
 
Ruger New Vaquero or Blackhawk. Go down to the gun shop and handle them to see which one you like better. The New Model Rugers have the transfer bar so you can safely carry six rounds. I have both:)

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