I want a good single action revolver. Any suggestions?

Check out SA revolvers made by Pietta or Uberti and marketed by Cimarron if you want something traditional in construction. Also check out the Ruger revolvers with transfer bar actions.

Ruger Super Blackhawk, built like a tank and in your price range.

I have a couple of the Italian clones. Great revolvers, close enough to the Colt that I can not tell the difference. Both started out chambered for the 45 long Colt cartridge. Both got new cylinders and are now 45 ACP.

Also got a Ruger Blackhawk. A much heavier revolver than I liked so it went down the road. Good guns but heavy. And I did not then and do not now, load heavy.

Here is a photo of my favorite


Kevin

Maybe try looking for an older Ruger Vaquero or Blackhawk. My Vaquero is one solid, well built single action and Ruger used the same size frame to make the .44 Magnums.

KarateHottie93 said:

First off, sorry for all the threads over the past few weeks. Just getting back into firearms lately, after previously selling what I had and going without for a good few years. Now I'm just obsessed with making up for lost times.

So on to the major problem, desperately in need of a solution. I want a good shooting single action in 45, but I don't wanna spend over $1,000. Preferably no more than $750 or so. The new Cobra and RAMI BD I just bought have chipped away a good chunk of my gun budget.

The other thing is that I'd like something I can run hot loads through. I'm not sure how realistic that may be for what I'm willing to spend, but it's definitely something that's very important to me.

I greatly appreciate any help.

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Hot loads= used bfr or Blackhawk.

Hi...
If you want to shoot heavier loads, I would recommend a Ruger Blackhawk. I own several in various calibers and they are dependable, strong and accurate handguns.
They also fall in your stated price range...for the $1000 you are willing to spend, you may be able to buy two used Blackhawk revolvers with a bit of careful shopping.
I also own several of the Uberti SA clone revolvers and they are also fine handguns...just not as suited to heavy loads as the Ruger Blackhawk revolvers.

Ruger

I have a Beretta/Uberti and other son has an Uberti Cattleman and Ruger Vaquero..all really fun, easy, accurate and reliable.

KarateHottie93,
I will also recommend the Ruger Blackhawk or a used original Ruger Vaquero, not the New Vaquero, as you mentioned wanting to load “hot”.
The Italian clones will not handle “hot” loads.

Ruger Super Blackhawk x9

My Ruger Super Blackhawk is my favorite firearm. The Blackhawks have larger adjustable sights, so they are much better shooters than the Colt clones. They are also sturdy. I bought my 45 "convertible" Blackhawk NiB, but I will not make that mistake again. My 357 Blackhawk and my 44 magnum SBH were both bought used,were produced in the 1970's, were both shot a lot before I got them, and both function perfectly.

My Ruger BlackHawk convertible 9mm/357 is not only fun to shoot, BUT also is in my Inventory as a SURVIVAL gun. Solid, dependable, easy to use, ammo availability.

I like Rugers and have a couple. Here is my favorite; a Ruger Vaquero in 10mm with adjustable sights, fixed up by Alan Harton:

heavy charges, the ruger. dont be surprised if the chambers are bored too tight to give bad groups. if they do just send it to a gunsmith who can ream them to the right size. uberti cattleman is the traditional one and the cylinders are perfect from the factory as is the accuracy. they have a new hammer and trigger that is supposed to make it safer. some times it works and sometimes it does not. if you get one that does not just order a old type hammer and trigger and put that in to replace the other as i did. i would go with the uberti as it will be more accurate out of the box than the ruger. i had to ream out the cylinders of my ruger bisley and then it shot tight, then i sold it to a friend as i still did not like it. as of now all i have is uberti colts. several of them.

If you are going to shoot hot loads stay away from the Uberti, they can’t handle them. The price range you are working with will get you a Ruger Blackhawk or Vaquero. Either of those will handle the 30K PSI loads.

I too suggest a Ruger. A Blackhawk would be my preference. An original Vaquero would also work fine with hot loads (though they have fixed sights). A New Vaquero will not, as they're built on a slightly smaller frame and not quite as strong.

I have found it increasingly necessary - to avoid myself becoming the maker's quality control department - to thoroughly inspect the firearm before I purchase it. In the case of a Ruger Blackhawk, you may want to figure out a way to measure the chamber throats, and the barrel cylinder gap. Read up on both if you don't know how to check these. Also check the timing. A bore sight laser could also be useful to ensure the sights have enough windage adjustment available. I've noticed on adjustable sight models far less care is taken in correctly clocking the barrel, which results in the front sight being off to one side or another. Sometimes that can be corrected for with a rear sight adjustment. Sometimes it can't.

Or, you can just by one, figure that out later, and send it back to the factory to be fixed. I've been burned a few too many times by Quality Control failing to do their job correctly, and I'm particularly sore about it this week. Having said that, I have inspected most of my Ruger revolvers thoroughly, prior to purchase. And those that weren't acceptable, were bought by someone else.

I have 2 Ruger Blackhawks, one flat top 44 special and an NMBH in 357 magnum. I like the adjustable sights. Both are shooters and I would recommend them. One day I will get a Vaquero or other SAA clone, but these scratch my itch for SA guns at the moment. I do not think a Ruger Black Hawk will disappoint.

If I wanted a single action that I could run hot rodded .45 Colt through and will come well under a budget of $750 It is the Ruger without hesitation. DO NOT get an Italian clone for hot rounds, that could be a short lived relationship.

Ditto all of the above.
I love my pair of Uberti SAs but they will never see any hot loads.

Yes!! You know the Italian made guns will blow up if you just look at them hard! We read stories about that all the time!

Y'all do know they are proofed for loads hotter than U.S. made guns. You can step over the tier1 loads . . . except for the guns talked about here . . .
(The Italian S.A.'s are very safe guns)

Mike

Only options are Magnum Research (a bit under your $1000 mark) but Ruger is the only one that'll be under $750 and be strong to run a hot load thru.

Now, the question is what .45's do you want this gun to shoot? Ruger's Blackhawk can do .45 ACP, Super, and hot .45 Colt, the Super Blackhawk is available in a 5 shot model for .454 Casull, but it can't shoot any .45 ACP because it doesn't have the cylinder to do it, and if you want the Magnum Research, you're gonna have to pay $200 on top of the standard price for the .45 ACP cylinder.

If shooting .45 ACP doesn't matter to you, that .454 Super Blackhawk Bisley is mighty tempting.

DR505

Nice customized Ruger Vaquero! Sort of reminds me of the old Virginian Dragoon with those sights.

45 Dragoon said:

Yes!! You know the Italian made guns will blow up if you just look at them hard! We read stories about that all the time!

Y'all do know they are proofed for loads hotter than U.S. made guns. You can step over the tier1 loads . . . except for the guns talked about here . . .
(The Italian S.A.'s are very safe guns)

Mike

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You are probably correct. My attitude has been if I can't do the job with a standard pressure load in a given cartridge, rather than try to make it something it's not, just move up to a cartridge more appropriate for the given task.
My revolvers only see hand loads. Most of those loads are on the high side of the loading data, but I just don't see the point in trying to make my 45 Colt into a 454 Casull.

ontarget said:

You are probably correct. My attitude has been if I can't do the job with a standard pressure load in a given cartridge, rather than try to make it something it's not, just move up to a cartridge more appropriate for the given task.
My revolvers only see hand loads. Most of those loads are on the high side of the loading data, but I just don't see the point in trying to make my 45 Colt into a 454 Casull.

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Excellent point. I keep my .45 Colt loads down at or below 21,000 psi. A 270 grain LSWC at 900 FPS is a pretty persuasive load. As you say if I need more, I will use a .44 magnum or larger.