Accidentally bought a New Vaquero…

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KarateHottie93

KarateHottie93

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My coworker knows nothing about guns whatsoever and it was just a random gift to him. He had an unfired blued 357 New Vaquero with a 5.5in barrel. I wasn’t interested at first cause he wanted $800 (which is fine) but the gun already had a ring around the cylinder and it’s just really not what I’ve wanted. At least enough to pay cash for at this very moment.

I’ve been after a SAA clone forever but one with a 3.5 barrel, a birdshead grip frame, a case hardened finish, a way to safely carry 6, and chambered in 45LC. This one was everything but that…except he did tell me that it was in 45LC. Still wasn’t what I wanted.

Finally he said he’d go ahead and give it to me right now for $200 and then another $200 a month for the next three months. When I went to meet him for it I immediately realized it was 357. He had another one in stainless that was chambered in 45 so I guess he just assumed they were all the same. I was a bit iffy for a minute but then I thought about how it’s more of a shooter than a carry setup like I was after anyways. Might as well get it in the caliber that’s typically way cheaper to shoot…especially with 38’s, and offers much more readily available defense and hunting options with 357.

Now I’ve gotten it home and I’m pretty happy with it. Not sure that it was really an “accidental” buy, but I’m sure you know what I mean. Sometimes these things just work themselves into place and the situation forces you to buy a certain gun come hell or high water.

Update: Some kind folks on here have pointed out that it appears to be the 4.6in barrel. It has no paperwork in the box but I posted a better picture below the first original one of the barrels lined up together. The TRR8 has a 5.5. Help is appreciated. It does look to be about 1/3in or so shorter. I like it even more of it is infact the shorter one.

Update again: I just remembered that the TRR8 is 5in…not 5.5. That definitely means it’s the 4.62 Vaquero. Case dismissed.

0546B3A6-286E-4FF0-B559-D83ABB04F8C7.jpeg
B3854A50-5111-4E9A-81E7-B66B6B3DB181.jpeg
 
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Not a bad accident at all.
Notice how lean and svelte the SAA style is compared to the modern DA in your pic.
Very hard not to love a good looking SAA clone.
ETA, I recently picked up a Blackhawk in 357. It was not what I was looking for. I was on the hunt for a Blackhawk in 45 Colt.
But the barrel length was what I wanted, 4.62, and the price was right, so WTH?
I do not regret it one bit.
 
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plainsdrifter said:
Nice. Vaqueros in 45 LC are near impossible to find and cost more but .357/38 are more versatile for sure.
Click to expand...

Really?

Maybe they are difficult to find today, but that was not always so. Left to right in this photo, a Ruger Blackhawk convertible 45 Colt/45ACP, a blued "original model" Vaquero, and two stainless "original model" Vaqueros, all chambered for 45 Colt.

pn74cpq4j.jpg




A Ruger New Vaquero, chambered for 45 Colt.

pnto28unj.jpg




By the way, notice all of these revolvers have a turn line. That is because Ruger timing is different than Colt or clone timing. When properly timed, the bolt of a Colt, (or clone) pops up in the teardrop shaped lead in to the cylinder locking notch. So a properly timed Colt will not exhibit a turn line unless the owner lowers the hammer from the half cock position. WIth any Colt or clone, the hammer should always be drawn back from half cock to full cock and then carefully lowered. This will pop the bolt up in the lead to the locking notch.


Rugers are timed differently. From the factory, the bolt pops up about halfway between chambers, so shoot a Ruger very much, and it will always exhibit a partial turn line, just like you see on these. I have had that Blackhawk in the first photo since 1975, quite a few rounds have gone through it, so it has a prominent turn line.

Just the slightest hint of a turn line on this 2nd Gen Colt from 1973.

posDjxy8j.jpg
 
KarateHottie93 said:
Yeah I just wish they made this one in 45 and Id buy it in a heartbeat. I also hate myself for not buying the Carryhawk when it was actually in stock everywhere.

View attachment 1094005
Click to expand...
I would too!
I lucked on a vaquero last week in .45 LC. I was going to settle for a Umberti, stopped by the LGS and there sat a new vaquero stainless 5.5 in
20220729_114237.jpg
 
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Driftwood Johnson said:
Really?

Maybe they are difficult to find today, but that was not always so. Left to right in this photo, a Ruger Blackhawk convertible 45 Colt/45ACP, a blued "original model" Vaquero, and two stainless "original model" Vaqueros, all chambered for 45 Colt.



Rugers are timed differently. From the factory, the bolt pops up about halfway between chambers, so shoot a Ruger very much, and it will always exhibit a partial turn line, just like you see on these. I have had that Blackhawk in the first photo since 1975, quite a few rounds have gone through it, so it has a prominent turn line.

Just the slightest hint of a turn line on this 2nd Gen Colt from 1973.

View attachment 1094016
Click to expand...
I'm not fond of the turn line but after awhile I don't pay it much attention. Shows up less on stainless. I have a Blackhawk in .357, born in mid 80's so I'm used to it. Put on some extended mesquite grips cus the original ones were to small and a corner broke off.
I may do it to the vaquero.

blackhawk4.jpg
 
Post 1 looks like a 4.62" barrel to me (I like the 4.62" looks-wise).
Nothing wrong with that, but the post talked about it being a 5.5".
Either barrel lengths' MSRPs are $1019.
$800 sounds like a good deal to me.
Congratulations.
 
I agree with L-2 that it’s a 4 5/8” barrel which I happen to prefer over the 5.5” especially in a .357.

As Driftwood said the Ruger will almost always show a turn line. It is not an issue. I’ve been shooting a pair in cowboy action shooting for about 12 years. They just get better the more you shoot them.

The .357 is very versatile. A New Vaquero in .45 Colt is fine but not robust enough to handle the “Ruger Only” level loads.

There are Colt replicas out there with nice cosmetics but if you want to carry with six I think Ruger has the best design. They’ve been making them that way since 1973.
 
Nice! I would have taken that deal, too. :thumbup:

My only Vaquero is an old model in .45 Colt. (Here with a Rossi ‘92 in .45C as well.)

F61683B7-A77F-499B-9339-524CD4A3B564.jpeg

Once you find a load it likes stick with it, playing musical sight pictures with a variety of loads is not always easy. My Vaquero has a dead-center hold with standard “cowboy” type 255 gr loads, I remembered that after it shot low with a 6 o’clock hold on the top left target (the other gun is a .44 Spl. Blackhawk showing my propensity for flyers :().

E8597EA8-4D0C-4C4B-BE07-9EFD8770AC7B.jpeg

Let us know how it shoots when you get a chance. :)

Stay safe.
 
plainsdrifter said:
I'm not fond of the turn line but after awhile I don't pay it much attention. Shows up less on stainless. I have a Blackhawk in .357, born in mid 80's so I'm used to it. Put on some extended mesquite grips cus the original ones were to small and a corner broke off.
I may do it to the vaquero.

View attachment 1094062
Click to expand...

Where did you get those extended grips at? Interested. Thanks.
 
L-2 said:
Post 1 looks like a 4.62" barrel to me (I like the 4.62" looks-wise).
Nothing wrong with that, but the post talked about it being a 5.5".
Either barrel lengths' MSRPs are $1019.
$800 sounds like a good deal to me.
Congratulations.
Click to expand...

Hmm I haven't really paid much attention to it but that was just what he told me...like when he told me the wrong caliber. I'll check the specs tonight. I know it's a hair shorter than my 5.5 TRR8 barrel. Maybe that hair is almost a full inch lol. Should have probably checked. It feels good though.
 
Bought a gun by accident? What bull.

Now the story I wanna hear is, "Hey,
look, I accidentally bought a
$25,000 necklace with emeralds."
 
I have bought a few guns by mistake. The most plausible were the mistakes where I bid so low that I didn't reasonably expect to win them. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I have an inexpensive Italian clone that seems to be the same barrel length as the OP's. It's a little under five inches. Four and seven/eighths or whatever they call it. It's a very nice barrel length for 357. It's light and handy and points well.

Cimarron Model P in 357 magnum

Cimarron Model P in 357 magnum

 
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