[Sawgunner1283]

I have been wanting to get one for a long time but I dont know what ones to get and how much they run ...The only ones I have played with are the rugers ...Anyone give me help on this

Thanks

[461]

The Freedom Arms ones are without question the best but they'll cost you a few thousand dollars. I'd put Ruger a distant second but I think they still outclass any of the others, it's hard to beat them for the money. They run around $400.00 or so and can be had in a dizzying range of calibers and configurations. I'm a Ruger guy myself although I'd probably give Freedom Arms a try if that darn ship ever comes in. :)

[Vern Humphrey]

You have two options, tradition and utility.

For a traditional SAA, there are Colts. If you think a Colt is too pricey, then some of the clones will come close.

If you want utility, then Ruger is the way to go. They're strong, safe, and modern.

I have one SAA, a 2nd Generation in .357. It's a joy to shoot and carry, and I wouldn't sell it for twice what they bring these days. But I have two Ruger Blackhawks in .45 Colt, and those are my "serious" guns.

[Sawgunner1283]

WOW just looked at freedom arms site ..I wish I had the money for one of those but it looks like I am going to have to go a little cheaper on it ...Now the guys that have a six shooter do you try to speed draw with one

[Lost Dutchman]

I'm shooting a colt right now, but for a newbie I'd recommend a ruger. You just can't beat the darn things. :)

[Sawgunner1283]

Ok what caliber should I look for

[22-rimfire]

I would go with a stainless Ruger Vaquero 45LC. If your love of single actions continue, look at the more expensive stuff or get some more Rugers.

I would look for a Colt New Frontier if you are interested in a 22 SA or the old favorite, Ruger Single Six.

[MCgunner]

Speed draw? Uh, not really. I'm not into fast draw with SAs.

I like the Rugers for actual serious outdoor use. They look a little too modern, I guess, for cowboy action shooting. If I were into that, I think I'd get a Remington .58 and a cartridge conversion cylinder for it. Heck, might just shoot cap and ball. Might be fun.

There are lots of SAA clones and near clones out there. Taurus and even Beretta have come out with 'em. Everyone wants in on cowboy action shooting's popularity.

EAA has some cheap but effective single actions. Try lookin' at them. I was on the site the other day, http://www.eaacorp.com/handguns-witness-revolvers.html. Under $400 and even have a .44 mag model. It's called the "Bounty Hunter". I read a good test of one in "Gun Tests" years ago and thought about one before I got my Ruger .45 Colt which is what I really wanted.

[Sheldon]

I just had a related conversation with a friend of mine the other day about single action revolvers. He is a good shot and I value his opinion. He mentioned to me that he had recently bought a Colt clone SAA made by Emf. He has had Ruger single action for years and told me the SAA clone was a world of difference as far as balance and comfort went. He told me all the "talk" was true. I'm not a single action guy, but made note of what he said. I may end up getting one for my son....he likes the cowboy stuff!!!

[StrikeEagle]

If you're under the influence of the wonderful Western shows of the 50's and 60's, and the great Hollywood Western movies... I think you'll want a .45 Colt... though a .22 is a possibility for cheap shootin. ;)

Look at Ruger New Vaquero first. Hold it and work the action. It's strong, it's modern, and it's got modern safety features. If that satisfies, you surely won't go wrong with it.

If you're looking more for 'authentic' than 'modern' check the Ubertis. If you've got some real dough to toss at this project look at the Colts... or (possibly even better...) the US Firearms offerings.

I love, LOVE the Single Action style. I think you will too. :)

StrikeEagle

[Sawgunner1283]

You know I would like to get into shooting the single action I have shot alot of guns while in Iraq you can imagine I played with alot of different weapons and want to get back to just shooting just for fun ...thanks for the info guys...I think I will get something cheaper not to cheap to start out with and then move to the better ones

[ArmedBear]

Traditional on a budget? Uberti Cattleman, one of the less-expensive variants, and a set of Wolff Springs (another $20 or so; the ejector spring doesn't fit, so keep the original. The rest all benefit from replacement).

Want a modern revolver that looks and balances like a SAA? Ruger New Vaquero. Load 6, no worries. But it's fair to say that the action feels NOTHING like the real thing. That's not to say the trigger isn't wonderful; cocking the hammer just feels really different.

Want the best shooter for a reasonable price? Ruger Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk. There's a lot to be said for sight picture, believe me! Or, to go traditional, a Cimarron Evil Roy, actually a Uberti that's been highly tuned and has traditional-looking but different sights.

Got some cash? US Firearms if you want a really nice shooter, Colt if you want an investment.

Just my humble opinion.

And don't neglect springs. Unless you buy a real POS, springs will do a lot to tailor a SAA. The higher-end stuff like USFA or Evil Roy guns come as you want them. But my Uberti Cattleman Millenium cost me $265 brand new, and, though the trigger pull and the action feel were lousy when I bought it, a set of Wolffs slicked it up really nicely for 20 semolians.

[Pumpkinheaver]

The Ruger Blackhawk is my favorite.

[tegemu]

I have and love a Ruger New Vaquero .357 Mag. Very classy traditional look, case hardened steel (vari-colored & beautiful) and I've put custom engraved Ivory Polymer grips ( www.gungrips.net ) on it. It shoots like a dream.

[doggscube]

A Ruger Blackhawk can be obtained with a .45ACP conversion cylinder. I just got mine, I'm hoping to load some .45ACP for it this weekend (I have some SWC that may not work in the autos; you know you're a gun nut when you buy a gun to match the bullets on your bench!). I also picked up some fun "Ruger only" .45LC handloads from my local shop.

Next SA on the wishlist: Blackhawk in .30 Carbine!

-Jeff

[bakert]

Another Ruger fan here. Colts are overpriced in my opinion but many love them. The freedom arms revolvers are beautiful guns but way out of my price range. Although no experience with them I understand some of the Colt clones are excellent guns. Unless you just have to have a new one there are a lot of used Rugers out there in various calibers at reasonable prices. I have the .45 Colt/ .45 ACP convertible and a Super BH .44 mag but if my wife ever lets me spend some more of our SS money I intend to have at least one more either one in .357 or maybe .22.:p

[Lost Dutchman]

sawgunner, I like the 45, but if you don't roll yer own, I'd probably go with a 357. You can get .38's for a song. :D

[bakert]

Like Lost Dutchman I too love the .45 Colt caliber but his recommendation of the .357 is probably the best idea for most people.

[foghornl]

My preferences?

Hmmmmm (While rummaging through Foggy's Artillery Locker....)

Ruger "Sheriff's Model" .357Mag Vaquero Glossy Stainless

Ruger "50th Year Blackhawk" in .357Mag

Ruger "50th Year Single Six" .22LR/.22Mag

Ruger "Wm. B. Ruger/NRA Commemorative" MKII .22LR...hey wait a sec...that's not a revolver. :o ooops!

Guess I'm sort of a Ruger guy. But I REALLY want one of those USFA single-actions...just not in the budget right now.

[Harve Curry]

My favorite and what I use everday is the Colt SAA, 4 3/4" barreled in 44 special. But I'm a handloader.

The best choice for versatility, reliability and value I would say is the new Ruger Flat Top in 44 magnum. You can shoot both 44mag and 44 spl in it.
Lots of factory ammo and commercial reloaders load 44 mag and 44spl ammo everywhere.

[Clipper]

If you're going to fast draw, get the Vaquero. The sight blade of the Blackhawks will tear your thumb up eventually, unless you take a grinder to it, even then it will slow you down. I'd also go with the blued or case-hardened look version rather than stainless, as the blued guns use an aluminum grip frame and ejector rod housing and the stainless guns use stainless pieces, which adds a suprising amount of weight to slow your draw, and changes the balance a lot. If you don't go with a Ruger, make sure you get a transfer-bar gun, since you'll be cocking as you draw, you don't need an AD if your thumb slips off the hammer...

[bulbboy]

I picked up a Beretta Stampede Marshal the other day and really love it. Its smaller than the others and has a real distintive grip. A total blast to shoot!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f284/kevinmichaeldick/Stampede_Marshall_S_maxi.jpg

[bigger jon]

ive had a lot of problems with the beretta this is the replacement gun they sent me because the first one shot so far to the left it was off the paper at 25 yards?
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g23/jhunter63/IM004377.jpg
well at least this ones on the paper?

[Lost Dutchman]

Harve Curry, I too carry and shoot a colt saa. I have the latest 3rd gen. some people call it a 4th gen. Mine has the replaceable bushing and some other 2nd gen. features. The only thing it didn't have, that I really wanted, was 44 spec. chambering, rats. :mad:

[jad0110]

bigger jon:

Your shot groupings look familiar! In my case, it is not my guns, just me. I am 6'7", so I have rather long fingers. As a result, I have a bad habbit of pulling the trigger with my first finger joint. Since I'm right handed, this tends to pull my shots to the left just before the hammer falls. I'm finding that with LOTS of practice and dry firing, this tendency is finally being banashed.

That said, for dirt cheap, fun plinking and great training on the fundamentals, I really enjoy my SA Heritage Mfg Rough Rider Combo, 6.5" barrel. I know, all of the SAs mentioned here are far superior, particularly in their finishing and finely honed, slick mechanicals. My little Heritage is definitly a little crude. But for $149 NIB, I got two cylinders, one chambered in cheap .22LR and the other in .22 Mag. I really enjoy going to the range and blasting through cheap Wally World .22LR (550 rnds for 9 bucks!) This little Heritage has proven to be a very reliable, fun training aid.

Happy shooting to all!:cool:

[stevekl]

I wonder if I bought a Ruger convertible .45LC/.45ACP, and I only shot .45ACP, would the SASS people hit me with a frying pan?

[Jim March]

Yes, if you use 45ACP autoloader magazines as speedloaders (thumbing rounds in the loading gate) :D.

Ahem. Seriously now.

The Ruger New Vaquero is unlike previous Rugers. It's a "near clone" of the Colt SAA, similar in feel, size and heft. It's a little bit different in terms of loading - on the Ruger you flip the loading gate open with the hammer down, on a Colt or true clone you need to take it to half-cock first. The Ruger system is in my opinion safer and faster. Unlike previous Rugers, the New Vaq does at least line up each cylinder bore with the loading gate on each "click".

The New Vaq has the same fully modern transfer bar as...well, pretty much any modern fully safe revolver. Which is similar to the Taurus Gaucho and Beretta Stampede...I call these three guns the "transfer bar SAAs".

The Freedom Arms 97 and all the other Rugers (made after 1973) have transfer bars but for one reason or another they're not "true clones" of the Colt SAA. They're either a bit oversize, have different grips, have adjustable sights or some combination of these.

Of the transfer bar SAAs, I prefer the New Vaq. The Beretta is prettier, the Gaucho is too and perhaps a bit smoother, but I like the accuracy of my New Vaq 357 and I love how there's tons of upgrade bits available. Other Ruger parts such as hammers and various grip frames (Superblackhawk/Bisley/bird's head/etc.) drop right on, aftermarket bits such as Belt Mountain base pins, Power Custom match-grade hammer/trigger sets and the like are available and more. Aftermarket support for the Rugers are ahead of anything else.

If you plan any set of upgrades, the New Vaq is the way to go:

http://www.equalccw.com/vaqhawk.jpg

[sm]

Ruger Bearcat.
Darn thing is just too neat, too much fun, and allows one to learn so much by shooting the oh so affordable .22 lr ammo.

Gotta have.

Even if you get a centerfire...gotta have.

[bigger jon]

i just spoke with a jackie from beretta customer service,she said that my first gun did shoot 10in low and 4in to the left HOWEVER THAT FELL INTO BERETTA SPECTS?she said the only reason i got a new gun is that they messed up the blueing? and if i send the 2ed guy they will probly send it back because its not as bad as the first one? WOW what a ripoff icant beleve my ears? now what, iam going to try to get to speek with a supervisor just as soon as i cool down...

[Jim March]

The shooting low part is normal. Fixed-sight SA guns are always set that way so that you can file the front sight and dial in the elevation for your load. That's normal and proper, comes with the territory.

The screwed-up windage is another matter! It means either the barrel needs turning (ouch, esp. if the barrel-to-cylinder-gap is in a good state already) or you can have the front sight cut completely off and dovetail/solder/screw something else entirely in. Which is basically what I had done, even though my gun's factory windage was nowhere near as far off as yours. I just wanted better sights.

Another option: filing one inner face of the rear sight (basically cutting it sideways) will open up the gap while at the same time shifting windage. Which is OK if your rear sight channel isn't already on the wide side AND you don't mind a more "combat versus target" sight picture. Combat sights run a bit of air gap each side of the front sight when it's in the rear sight channel; target sights run a very "tight" sight picture where the front fills most of the rear sight channel in your eye.

If you're now shooting left, lesse here, you want to make the tip of the front sight go left, dragging the muzzle bore rightwards. Which means tightening the barrel, which means shrinking the gap AND risking compressing the intake end of the barrel such that a constriction forms and blows your accuracy.

Hmmm.

What I would do:

Measure your barrel-to-cylinder-gap. See the "checkout stickie" for details. As long as it's at least...hell, I'm not sure here, I think you'll be safe if it's at least .005" (it gets risky as hell at .003") you can build your own barrel vice setup and turn it yourself. You need a big bench vice. Take two pieces of hardwood and cut a "v" into each side so that they can grip the barrel lengthways and protect the gun's finish from the metal jaws. Then with the cylinder out, carve the end of a 2x4 so that it exactly fits the frame's cylinder window. Put the gun in the wood-protected vice, use the altered 2x4 to do the turning.

Turn it just a hair at a time, check windage, go back and do it again.

If your groups open up any as a result, your barrel was already on pretty dang tight. All is not lost. Send it off to get a Taylor Throat job from any number of gunsmiths, they'll open up the barrel's intake end in a gentle flow and probably improve accuracy significantly over stock. See also:

http://www.alphaprecisioninc.com/revolver/default.htm

Clark's, Reeder, Linebaugh and more or less all decent SA gunsmiths know about Taylor Throating or some variant (Gary Reeder calls it something else I think).

Odds are a little bit of barrel wrenching won't hurt you if you do it carefully. And if it does go a little wrong, Taylor Throating will cure it right up.

If you're not going to shoot it in CAS/SASS, I recommend a full-on front sight swap to whatever windage position you need :). My setup cost me $200; any local gunsmith who deals with rifle sights can do it and mill the rear sight channel out at the same time.

[gopguy]

I really like my engraved set. One I shoot the other I am leaving mint. Sure to be a classic and made in limited numbers.:cool:

http://www.ubertireplicas.com/galleryHtml/cattle_16.htm

http://www.ubertireplicas.com/galleryHtml/cattle_15.htm

[Camp David]

The Freedom Arms ones are without question the best but they'll cost you a few thousand dollars.

While I do not begrudge Freedom Arms its quality offerings, the "best" title should rightly be assigned to Colt in terms of single actions. Indeed, for the cost of some of the Freedom Arms line, one could acquire, with a little searching, a used Colt! Depending on the need of the user, the best should follow, for single actions, from Colt on down... yet since Colts are no longer available new I see the reason for the non-mention...

Just my 2 cents...

[Jim March]

I personally consider the Freedom Arms '97 in 357 the best SA sixshooter ever made, period, end of discussion. Nothing else can touch it in terms of workmanship AND accuracy short of something custom-tuned.

Every FA '83 and '97 has a line-bored cylinder. Colt can't say that, USFA can't either. Either of the latter may look prettier if you like classic looks such as case hardening, bluing and nickle...but they're not FAs.

[StrikeEagle]

While I do not begrudge Freedom Arms its quality offerings, the "best" title should rightly be assigned to Colt in terms of single actions.

I agree with this... but have to emphasize the "should". Really I'd have to say that the USFA SAA's are right up there with anything Colt's ever done. Taffin says the same in his new SA Sixguns book. He says that USFA guns are as good if not better than the best of the First Gen Colts.

Colt still makes a fine SAA, but they just are not what they used to be... :(

I really hope they make it back to the top.

StrikeEagle

[KINGMAX]

IMO one of the best buys on the market, (yesterday, today and again tomorrow), is a RUGER New BlackHawk in .357 for general type shooting and all around handy firearm. The length of barrel is up to you. You can shoot rat shot, .38 cal., .38 +P, and .357 all in one hand gun. You adjust to what ever type recoil you want by changing ammo. You can even hunt w/ the .357. Most important, it's up to you. :)