What Are Your Thoughts on SA Revolvers?

So you just need part time protection?

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I think most people would to have had to duck to miss his point....

I had a High Standard Sentinel revolver and was disappointed by it. It was a later improved model, and thus steel rather than aluminum. Its accuracy was poor. I have also heard from people who owned them and liked them.

The original post talked about a SA for plinking. Maybe I got lucky but I got two Heritage Rough Riders at Cabelas on sale recently. One is 22lr only, the other has the 22 mag cylinder. They lock up tight, have been completely reliable, fit and finish is decent (in fact better than I expected at that price). They group well although they tend to shoot low at 25 yards. And they feel good in my hand. Plus, they are a LOT of fun. For under 200 bucks, much less on sale, I think they are a great introduction to SA shooting.

This doesn't mean I'm ignoring my Vaquero, Single-Sixes, or many Blackhawks or all the C&B revolvers.

Jeff

Rocketmedic

Good to hear you're enjoying your .22 plinkers. I typically take three or four .22s and a brick of ammo every time I go shooting.

I have been a single action junky since I owned the very first Arminus 40 years ago. Ever since I have had little use for Double actions. Hunting and target work they are all I use, but with sever arthritis for self defense and edc, I have turned to the commander sized 1911. But just can't seem to leave the single actions alone, and kinda partial to them in 45 cal.

You guys posting all these pics are awful

Upon learning that my preferred plastic fantastic SIG p320 is on its way back to me, I took a good long look at the Ruger American in .45 I bought to carry while the 9mm SIG was getting "upgraded" (I was sure this process was going to take 4+ months instead of a couple of weeks). I really like the Ruger, but she's too wide for my hand with the smallest of back straps and gives me a RAP on my knuckle hard enough that I began to flinch. It really is pretty doggone uncomfortable, and once the SIG gets back, it will languish in the safe.

So what's this have to do with SA revolvers, well I got a better trade in on the Ruger than I had planned and spied a nice Great Western II in .357 for a good price under the glass. It's the Californian model sporting just shy of a 5" barrel, nice case color, and says hello with 4 very satisfying clicks. No retracting firing pin, no transfer bar. Just handsome Italian steel sporting 5 beans in the wheel.

For no more than what the difference was for the GWII, I feel it will make a fine range toy or something for bumming out in the woods. I was on the fence going for the .45 colt, but it's just too spendy for my budget. .357 will get the job done and .38 special will be a pussycat out of this hoss.

I'm hoping to take her for a spin tomorrow.

Hell I might as well post pics of my boomers too. Top is Ruger Blackhawk Bisley .44 Special. and 5" Super Blackhawk Bisley .44Magnum with some work done to it.

Randy

Back when I was active in Cowboy Action Shooting - about 12 years ago - there was talk of Uberti or Pietta bringing out an SAA-style gun that could be loaded either through the side-gate or by swinging the cylinder out to the left, like a more modern gun. Does anyone know if this ever actually hit the market? I can't even remember what it was called now, but I thought it would be a neat gun with some additional utility outside of CAS.

"What Are Your Thoughts on SA Revolvers?"

I'm thinking I don't have enough of them.

Rocketmedic said:

This thing is loud with 22 Magnum! Did not expect that.

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Yep they are, have several SAs grew up watchin westerns. I burned up a ton of 22s fast drawing on outlaw trees at grandpa Jack's farm with dad's single six.

Rocketmedic said:

This thing is loud with 22 Magnum! Did not expect that.

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.22 magnum has substantial bark regardless what you shoot it out of. Shooting it out of an NAA gives off a report closer to warm/hot 9mm with very little recoil. Just monkeying with it in the mini platform has me wanting a lever gun chambred in it.

I had a Winchester 255 lever in 22 mag that I regret selling many years ago, it was fun and quite impressive with head shots on squirrels.

My go-to plinking revolver is a 4" GP-100, which for all intents and purposes is a single action revolver, and I shoot like a single action. I don't even want to know how heavy the DA trigger is, which is odd because the SA cocking and trigger pull are both pretty nice. The weight of the Ruger makes 357s feel like 38s, and 38s feel like 22s.

My thoughts on SAs: I don't see much of a use for DA for plinking. I want accuracy a lot more than I want fast follow-ups, so I'd prefer to cock a hammer and greatly lighten/shorten the trigger pull.

I don't own a SAA, but the closest thing I've shot is the Heritage Rough Rider. Those are just really fun little guns to shoot. Kind of a pain to load and unload though. I think I'm going to stick with the swing-out cylinders for larger caliber guns.

Rocketmedic said:

So I'm thinking of scratching an itch with a SA revolver. I am considering a Heritage Rough Rider for plinking or an NAA minimag as a carry piece if I feel frisky. What are your thoughts?

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I love single action revolvers. Matter of fact I just picked up a Ruger super Blackhawk manufactured in 1973. They are typically not the first choice for self defense, but I say use whatever you shoot well.

I also have a minimag I throw in my pocket once and awhile. Any gun is better than no gun

I think that single action revolvers are slow and annoying to load and unload. This really doesn’t matter with something like a 44 magnum where I rarely shoot more than 24 rounds in a session, but it’s the reason I traded my Single Six.

They invented the swing out cylinder for a reason.

Mine has the folding grip w/pocket clip. Sometimes I just clip it into my wasteband or unfold it and put it into a deep pocket. Being in a warm climate clothes often dictate what and how I carry.

Elkins45 said:

I think that single action revolvers are slow and annoying to load and unload. This really doesn’t matter with something like a 44 magnum where I rarely shoot more than 24 rounds in a session, but it’s the reason I traded my Single Six.

They invented the swing out cylinder for a reason.

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Hmmm, I have no problem putting a brick of ammo through a Single Six in two or three hours of shooting.

S.A.s are only slow to load/unload empties if you don't know how. I've seen some of the most awkward things done by folks on YouTube vids ejecting empties! After what I've seen, those are the reasons why "swingies" were made! Lol!!

Mike