Why do folks like SA revolvers still?

I grew up with a Single Six.

My hands are XXL. I have to tuck my pinky under a K-frame with standard grips. If I have to tuck a pinky anyway, it feels better with a SA.

I like shooting them. They point and balance differently. I shoot them well.

I take three revolvers to the range every visit, and there's usually a SA in the mix.

I could use one for CC. My 4.6" SAA could be carried under a cover garment. I don't do so, because of the exposed hammer, the extra step of cocking the hammer, and its size/weight. But I'm very used to them and wouldn't be unarmed at all.

For me it has little to do with how it shoots points aims or anything like that. I actually much prefer the look and feel of a double action Smith & Wesson revolver. However once I held an Uberti replica and saw how well it was made I thought to myself I have to have one of these. It's fun to shoot I wouldn't conceal carry it and I wouldn't hunt with it. For the price it's a great toy for the range and it just looks dang cool and is a fun conversation piece. But again I'll take my Smith & Wesson double actions which I shoot in single action mode when I'm silhouette shooting anyway. I only shoot my double actions rarely and would find it a benefit in a self-defense scenario.

For me, 57 BTW, I like the mechanical aspect of it, and I like the mechanical aspect of guns, and really early guns.

The noises it makes when you cock the hammer, how it feels in your hand as you move it, the little clicks as you load it.

I can say the same thing about my trapdoor, I just love the thing, it is so mechanical, same with a lever gun all those little parts fitting so close together that (I) am making work.

Early automatics are interesting as well, things like a model 8 or an auto 5 just how they work, all those little levers doing this that and the other so fast inside a gun is just amazing to me.

For me nothing beats a Colt army open top ,repro, of course. The feel of it in my hand just makes me smile. I am not a high tech guy and revolvers in general are all I have an interest in.

tinhorn said:

I also like manual transmissions and rollup windows, and I tend to select cars, women, and guns by their attractiveness. Really, compare an NAA Earl (SA) to a Ruger LCR (DA). Sheesh.

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There's a reason people hide those things in their pockets.

My first handgun was a stainless single six at age 16. Through the years I accumulated several double action revolvers and semi autos but didn’t get another single action revolver until I hit 38. Now that I have it, I find myself looking at others. Something about the way that .45 Colt round plunks when it falls into the chamber that I love.
And while I do carry a Glock for self defense, let’s face it. In the off event that trouble comes through my door, I can hit the torso size target with that 255 grain cast slug just as easy and quickly as with any handgun I own.
I’ll mix up gun types too. I often have my Glock 27 on my side while hunting, in addition to my lever action deer rifle, because it was laying there when I got dressed. But I might grab my AR-15 and go for a walk around my property while carrying the Taylor’s Runnin Iron on my waist. I realize that those choices don’t really seem to go together, but hey, apparently being confused is the in thing now days.

tinhorn said:

I also like manual transmissions and rollup windows, ...

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Add rear wheel drive and actual key locks in both front doors (no remote!).

To me revolvers are the manual transmissions of handguns. I don't know if I can go so far as to liken SA revolvers to the crashbox (non syncronized) transmission of long ago. Never drove a crashbox, but do enjoy SA revolvers.

Like somebody said, she ain't much to look at, but she sure can cook.

aaaaa said:

Add rear wheel drive and actual key locks in both front doors (no remote!).

To me revolvers are the manual transmissions of handguns. I don't know if I can go so far as to liken SA revolvers to the crashbox (non syncronized) transmission of long ago. Never drove a crashbox, but do enjoy SA revolvers.

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There must be something to this. I just "downgraded" from a 2016 Ram Cummins to an `03 Chevy with the 8.1 big block. The original plan was to find a mid-80's square body with a 454 and a 4spd when I found the `03 with only 37k miles. I was looking for roll-up windows, vinyl interior and a carb. New is overrated. The `03 still has plenty of electronic crap to go wrong but at least I can work on it and there is no fear of dropping a $20,000 injection pump.

For me, the same applies to guns. I've spent plenty enough time with modern guns to know them and be proficient with them. They're effective defensive tools but they're not what keeps me up at night. I don't dream about AR's. I do dream about what the engraver, gripmaker and gunsmith can do with my latest obsession.

One is a tool:



The other is so much more than that:

AK2

I’ve had one kind or another single action in my collection for 50 years, since I first started shooting. Big-time fun. This is my current favorite SA-

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One of my all-time favorites as well!

There's just something about the way a single action feels in your hand, how it balances and handles, and how it works overall, that make it a truly all-time classic revolver design.

That and numerous single action toy guns (including a pair of Mattel Fanner 50s), and a healthy dose of TV Westerns (Wagon Train, Maverick, Cheyenne, Bronco Lane, Sugarfoot, Bonanza, and of course Roy Rogers) to turn me into a single action fan for life!

I'm a Western history buff, almost an amateur historian. As such I have a deep interest in the guns of the post-Civil War, Trans Mississippi West. That means single action revolvers, lever action and single shot rifles, and double barrel, hammer shotguns. I have at least one of each. Much of my interest centers around law enforcement in the period, no doubt because I served as a deputy sheriff in the Arizona. A lot of law enforcement was done with a revolver in hand and most often it was a single action revolver. So, my main focus is on the single actions of the era and the ammunition they used (cartridges loaded with black powder and soft lead bullets).

Single action revolvers are both research for me, and just fun to shoot, particularly with my black powder hand loads. Add to that my first handgun was a single action, purchased about 9 months before I joined the army (1967). When I got out the next three handgun purchases were all single actions. I started my law enforcement career with a DA revolver but soon graduated to a single action semi auto (1911). Today I have a number of DA revolvers and even carry one daily as my arthritis prevents me from working the slide on most semi autos. Still, if I'm going to the range for fun and to relive a bit of history it will be the single action every time.

Dave

For me it’s cyclical I guess.

I bought my first two SA revolvers for a brief period of SASS shooting in the mid 1990’s. I bought a stainless Vaquero in .45 Colt, then a Uberti. I gave the Uberti to a good friend as a moving away gift about ten years ago but I still have the Ruger. I just never shot it much since hanging up the SASS clothes and letting my membership lapse.

I bought a single six convertible off GB about 9 years ago. It sparked a bit of an interest in shooting SA’s again, then S&W DA revolvers took over and those became a focus. I went on a Glock buying/building spree for a bit. Then 1911’s were a phase. Recently CZ’s took over, etc. The two SA’s I had just sat.

In the past three years SA’s, particularly Rugers, have become a slowly building a reborn interest and have turned out to be a lot of fun. Maybe its the ammo drought, but taking time to build a load and see the results of the SA guns on paper over the past year has been more fun for me than taking out the Glocks or CZ’s or 1911’s.

I added a .41 Magnum and .44 Special Blackhawk, a .32 H&R Bisley single six (my new favorite grip!) and more recently two Wranglers with the standard and birdshead grip. I just won a Bisley .22 Monday, I am awaiting my FFL to call to tell me it is in so I can start the paperwork and waiting period.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring. To me, that’s half the fun.

Stay safe.

“I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy”…

Because they're awesome.

Tell you what, I'm a lot more afraid of a big-bore SA pointed at me than any new "crunchenticker", as J. Cooper used to call 'em...

Conelrad

When someone with a DA revolver is trying to shoot it well, most will cock the hammer to get a better trigger pull. So, you're right back to a SA then

For me, the grip, feel, and they handle recoil better in the big calibers.

Ohen Cepel said:

When someone with a DA revolver is trying to shoot it well, most will cock the hammer to get a better trigger pull. So, you're right back to a SA then

For me, the grip, feel, and they handle recoil better in the big calibers.

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Not all DA shooter are like that. I can't remember the last time I cocked one of my DA revolvers. If the ranges are under about 50 yards and there is no support (ie shooting freestyle) I shoot better in double action than single actions. A couple years of shooting USPSA/IDPA/ICORE with a revolver will teach you to shoot DA every bit as good as SA.

mcb said:

Some of us are stuck between the two and attempt to see how fast we can dump rounds from a revolver.

Years ago I even made speed loaders for my Blackhawk (9mm) to speed reload it for some head to head steel matches that required 11 rounds to complete the heat. Since it was handicapped by your base time from qualifying you could be competitive even reloading a single action. It was fun for a change.

ETA: Since this is a thread about single actions here is my very first revolver a Single Action Ruger Blackhawk convertible 38/357 - 9mm

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That just means you're slightly schizophrenic.

Smaug said:

I'm not criticizing the choice, but just want to understand it better. I think I'm younger than the typical SA revolver aficionado. (45) With respect, maybe it's a generational thing?

To me, a DA revolver that has a SA option does the same thing, and more efficiently, while retaining the same fixed barrel accuracy:

• Faster lock time
• Faster reloading
• DA option

Is it a nostalgia thing, for folks who grew up watching cowboy shows, or is there something more to it? For example, I've read that SA revolvers with the traditional cowboy grip tend to rotate upwards in recoil rather than push back. From the few times I've shot one, that arch still gives a pretty good thump right in the palm of the hand.

Is it akin to choosing a lever action rifle over an automatic rifle, where a slower, more deliberate way of doing things can be more satisfying?

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I like both for different things.
Single actions lead better for me so any time I might be going after running game, I prefer a single-action or a lever-action. The Ruger Super Blackhawk long barrel (7-1/2") and the Browning BLR are both exceptionally well balanced for leading a running deer-size animal. For animals closer to the ground, the 1873, Blackhawk, Marlin 94 and those types of slimmer, handier designs work really well. It's not that an Official Police or Lawman isn't good for leading a small animal like a pig - I happen to think the Lawman 4" is about the perfect DA pig gun - but walking, sitting in a tree stand or an aerial blind the single actions have a slight edge.

I typically use a Contender if the blind is at ground level. Talk about anachronistic! A single-shot pistol of all things But it's quiet and accurate. I've cocked the hammer on the T/C less than 20 feet from a feeding doe and got not much more than an ear flicker. My most powerful straight-wall pistol loads are for the T/C only. I also have some .30-30 and .35Rem loads that are loaded down to .357Magnum energies for the T/C.

Double actions like the Official Police, 3-5-7 and Lawman, as mentioned, are just about perfect for holster carry in close quarters, on uneven ground, and hand carry when trying to keep the gun holstered might be too slow. They lead well, draw well, and the actions are smooth enough for a running shot, easily.

I guess it just depends on where your focus is. If the handgun is a tool or a toy. For me it's mostly a good tool that puts food in the freezer. Mostly.

I shot my first Colt SAA when I was 10. I've been hooked on them ever since. I have three DA revolvers. On the rare occasions I shoot them I always cock the hammer first. It's second nature to me. However not all single actions are equal. I cannot stand the lock work on a Ruger. I can tolerate it on a .22 and I do have a Single Six but I will not own a Ruger single action centerfire. I also will not own a DA semi auto and I prefer my semi autos to have external hammers. These are my favorites altho I have some cap and balls that are pretty close.

mcb said:

Not all DA shooter are like that. I can't remember the last time I cocked one of my DA revolvers. If the ranges are under about 50 yards and there is no support (ie shooting freestyle) I shoot better in double action than single actions. A couple years of shooting USPSA/IDPA/ICORE with a revolver will teach you to shoot DA every bit as good as SA.

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True, I have some well tuned DA's that I shoot DA only.

I love a SA. The nicest one I have at the moment is a (new) Vaquero in 357 (which is pretty much the only handgun cartridge I have or use). However, I almost never shoot the Vaquero because I can't hit with it. With my DA revolver, I break clays at 80 yards off-hand in double-action. Other than the trajectory, it rivals any rifle I have, but the biggest difference between the Vaquero and the double-action (S&W) is the sites. The vaquero sites are awful. The S&W has a Trijicon reflex site. There's just no comparison. Now could I put a dot on the Vaquero? Not practically. A Blackhawk or something else that's drilled and tapped would be easier.

I bought the Vaquero for the iconic (1873 Colt SAA) style. I didn't buy a Colt because of the cost, unavailability (I think the wait times were two years at the time), and because it lacks a hammer block or transfer bar. I also bought the Vaquero for what I heard was an ideal grip for instinctive point-shooting. I found that I was better point-shooting the Vaquero than I was a j-frame, but that I was at least as good point shooting a long-barrel L-frame as I was with the Vaquero.

From time to time I still think about trying to make the SA revolver useful to me. Besides the sites, I detest this thing about the Vaquero:
The loading gate actuates the cylinder stop.
The rims of the cartridges are not supported by a recess in the cylinder.
Therefore under recoil, the loading gate pops part way open and cocking the hammer will rotate the cylinder causing the cylinder stop to mar it.

It's just a stupid design flaw that Ruger should have avoided. Recess the cylinder or use a half-cock position instead of the loading gate to drop the cylinder stop.

westernrover said:

I detest this thing about the Vaquero:
The loading gate actuates the cylinder stop.

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That right there is the main reason I won't own a Ruger single action centerfire. I've had a few but never kept them long because of it.

I'm a big fan of the Vaquero transfer bar design. My preferred carry gun is a stainless 4 5/8" New Vaquero in .45 Colt, and the transfer bar lets me get away with carrying 6 rounds with confidence.

Elmer Keith argues in Sixguns, "In either double action or single action, for men trained in its use, it is faster to get into action for the first shot than an auto." I find this to be the case for me. I can draw the old plow handle and get it on target faster and with a more positive grip than I can with any automatic I own.

westernrover said:

From time to time I still think about trying to make the SA revolver useful to me. Besides the sites, I detest this thing about the Vaquero:
The loading gate actuates the cylinder stop.
The rims of the cartridges are not supported by a recess in the cylinder.
Therefore under recoil, the loading gate pops part way open and cocking the hammer will rotate the cylinder causing the cylinder stop to mar it.

It's just a stupid design flaw that Ruger should have avoided. Recess the cylinder or use a half-cock position instead of the loading gate to drop the cylinder stop.

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hawg said:

That right there is the main reason I won't own a Ruger single action centerfire. I've had a few but never kept them long because of it.

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Before I bought my Ruger Wrangler .22 LR SA I was at first puzzled because it did not have the half cock position. I thought something was wrong with the gun and the sales person did not know. A different sales person, a revolver guy, came out and explained it to me. Seemed like a convenience so I bought it. My Interarms Virginian Dragoon .44 Magnum has the half cock loading position, and I like that better but it does add a step to reloading.

I wonder if the Ruger style with no half cock is a relatively new thing or did that occur on some guns in the olden days of SA revolvers.