Considering getting the Frontier in 7.5. I am surprised that I don't see more feedback online about the 7.5 inch SAA clone. What are it's drawbacks? It's advantages? I had also thought again about the Cimarron Outlaw but it is hard to get away from desiring the SAA full length. Any feedback?
Cimarron Frontier 7.5?
- Thread starter DavidB2
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I imagine that the longer barrel's benefits include increased bullet velocity and a longer sight radius, which could aid in better accuracy. Disadvantages would probably include having more difficulty finding a holster since that barrel length is less common than 5-1/2". Also, draw speed will be slower and you may need to wear it cross-draw.
joecil
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I have a 7.5" barrel Cimarron though mine is the P model 1873 SAA. Now as for the designation it is all the same really with just bells and whistles added such as grips and finish etc. Cimarron uses either Uberti or Pietta hand guns. Now as for holsters period type holsters really aren't that hard to find. A picture of mine with the rig is shown below. Mine was custom made and is period correct for the 1880's and was also cheaper than some others mass produced as well. Even the stitching, thread used and dye used is period correct. I also have a matching holster for my 4.75" and 5.5" to match it.
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Driftwood Johnson
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Howdy
The Single Action Army was made in three standard barrel lengths, 7 1/2", 5 1/2", and 4 3/4". There were other lengths, but those were the standards. Historically speaking, the original barrel length in 1873 was 7 1/2". After 20 years or so many or the original revolvers were sent back to Colt or government armories for repair and refurbishing. Most of those guns had their barrels cut back to 5 1/2" at that time. Many of these guns were reissued to artillery units when the Spanish American War broke out in 1898. For that reason, the 5 1/2" barrel length is unofficially called the Artillery Model by collectors. The 5 1/2" barrel was the most popular barrel length with the SAA, selling more than any other length.
I shoot a pair of 2nd Gen Colts in Cowboy Action Shooting. One has a 7 1/2" barrel, the other is 4 3/4". I think the 5 1/2" barrels look boring, but that is just me.
I can tell you from experience that it is difficult to draw a SAA with a 7 1/2" barrel from a high riding strong side holster without getting your elbow tangled in your armpit. So I wear my 7 1/2" Colt cross draw on my weak side.
As far as increased velocity from the longer barrel is concerned, yeah there will be some, but you will not notice it. Yes, the sight radius is longer, and that should help a bit with accuracy, but to tell the truth I do better with my 4 3/4" Colt than I do with the 7 1/2". If I cared about speed, which I don't, I could tell you that it takes longer to pull the long barrel from leather than it does the short barrel. But I don't care about speed.
The real reason to shoot a 7 1/2" SAA (or clone) is because they look so cool.
The Single Action Army was made in three standard barrel lengths, 7 1/2", 5 1/2", and 4 3/4". There were other lengths, but those were the standards. Historically speaking, the original barrel length in 1873 was 7 1/2". After 20 years or so many or the original revolvers were sent back to Colt or government armories for repair and refurbishing. Most of those guns had their barrels cut back to 5 1/2" at that time. Many of these guns were reissued to artillery units when the Spanish American War broke out in 1898. For that reason, the 5 1/2" barrel length is unofficially called the Artillery Model by collectors. The 5 1/2" barrel was the most popular barrel length with the SAA, selling more than any other length.
I shoot a pair of 2nd Gen Colts in Cowboy Action Shooting. One has a 7 1/2" barrel, the other is 4 3/4". I think the 5 1/2" barrels look boring, but that is just me.
I can tell you from experience that it is difficult to draw a SAA with a 7 1/2" barrel from a high riding strong side holster without getting your elbow tangled in your armpit. So I wear my 7 1/2" Colt cross draw on my weak side.
As far as increased velocity from the longer barrel is concerned, yeah there will be some, but you will not notice it. Yes, the sight radius is longer, and that should help a bit with accuracy, but to tell the truth I do better with my 4 3/4" Colt than I do with the 7 1/2". If I cared about speed, which I don't, I could tell you that it takes longer to pull the long barrel from leather than it does the short barrel. But I don't care about speed.
The real reason to shoot a 7 1/2" SAA (or clone) is because they look so cool.
45 Dragoon
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Nice lookin irons Driftwood. How have they held up with the Cowboy Shooting / what have you had done to them if anything ?
45 Dragoon
45 Dragoon
Driftwood Johnson
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Howdy Again
They are holding up fine. First off, I don't stress them by shooting them as absolutely fast as possible. That is what wears out many CAS guns, working the action faster than a 1911 will shoot. Second, I only shoot them with Black Powder, so there is no over pressure from heavy loads.
They did need some work. The 7 1/2" gun was made in 1973. When I got it it had the heaviest hammer spring I have ever seen in a handgun. It was the stock spring and it could have been used for a Mack truck suspension. To compensate for the heavy spring somebody had attempted a trigger job and really botched it. I had a gun with a really heavy hammer pull and a hair trigger that went off if you barely touched the trigger. So it got a ground down hammer spring and the full cock notch on the hammer had to be welded up and recut. Happy Trails did the work for me and he did his typical action job while he was at it.
The 4 3/4" gun was a parts gun when I bought it, so I got it quite cheap. It was made in 1968 and it is my favorite Cowboy gun. Some clown had attempted to age it and he had stripped all the blue and most of the colors off the case hardening. The gun was basically in the white. He had also carved some notches into the gripframe! Other than that, the action was very nice and light. The stupid notches got welded up. I did not do anything about the finish, I just allowed it to age over the years from all the Black Powder I put through it. It has now achieved a very nice patina of age and looks much older than it actually is. The firing pin broke one day a bunch of years ago and I had to replace that. A couple of years ago the bolt broke and Happy Trails fitted a new one for me.
They are holding up fine. First off, I don't stress them by shooting them as absolutely fast as possible. That is what wears out many CAS guns, working the action faster than a 1911 will shoot. Second, I only shoot them with Black Powder, so there is no over pressure from heavy loads.
They did need some work. The 7 1/2" gun was made in 1973. When I got it it had the heaviest hammer spring I have ever seen in a handgun. It was the stock spring and it could have been used for a Mack truck suspension. To compensate for the heavy spring somebody had attempted a trigger job and really botched it. I had a gun with a really heavy hammer pull and a hair trigger that went off if you barely touched the trigger. So it got a ground down hammer spring and the full cock notch on the hammer had to be welded up and recut. Happy Trails did the work for me and he did his typical action job while he was at it.
The 4 3/4" gun was a parts gun when I bought it, so I got it quite cheap. It was made in 1968 and it is my favorite Cowboy gun. Some clown had attempted to age it and he had stripped all the blue and most of the colors off the case hardening. The gun was basically in the white. He had also carved some notches into the gripframe! Other than that, the action was very nice and light. The stupid notches got welded up. I did not do anything about the finish, I just allowed it to age over the years from all the Black Powder I put through it. It has now achieved a very nice patina of age and looks much older than it actually is. The firing pin broke one day a bunch of years ago and I had to replace that. A couple of years ago the bolt broke and Happy Trails fitted a new one for me.
That 4.75" gun looks terrific! Pristine safe queens do nothing for me, guns like other tools and also people look most interesting when you can see the effects of working and living on them.
Mike Venturino the gun writer has one of my favorite attitudes towards ownership and use of a fine weapon. He ordered a new Sharps rifle with upgraded wood and a bunch of other top end extras and then proceeded to make it one of his main rifles for his beloved shooting sport of choice, Blackpowder Silhouette, and shoots the heck out of it! He's run thousands of rounds through that rifle and it has aquired marks of use and and the beginnings of that fine patina of age that brings charactor to weapons. To me that only adds to a weapons appeal, not detracts from it.
Mike Venturino the gun writer has one of my favorite attitudes towards ownership and use of a fine weapon. He ordered a new Sharps rifle with upgraded wood and a bunch of other top end extras and then proceeded to make it one of his main rifles for his beloved shooting sport of choice, Blackpowder Silhouette, and shoots the heck out of it! He's run thousands of rounds through that rifle and it has aquired marks of use and and the beginnings of that fine patina of age that brings charactor to weapons. To me that only adds to a weapons appeal, not detracts from it.
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bannockburn
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DavidB2
I have an EMF Hartford Model which was made to resemble a U.S. issue SAA, complete with the U.S. marking and the inspectors cartouche on the walnut grips. I mainly bought it because I always have liked the look of the Cavalry model and this was a decent enough reproduction of one. My own preference in a SAA is the 4 3/4" barrel length.
I have an EMF Hartford Model which was made to resemble a U.S. issue SAA, complete with the U.S. marking and the inspectors cartouche on the walnut grips. I mainly bought it because I always have liked the look of the Cavalry model and this was a decent enough reproduction of one. My own preference in a SAA is the 4 3/4" barrel length.
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