cnorman18
Member
Next to the genuine article, what is the best Colt SAA replica?
And does anybody make one chambered for .44 Special?
Thanks.
And does anybody make one chambered for .44 Special?
Thanks.
Best SAA?
- Thread starter cnorman18
- Start date
- Status
The new Vaqueros aren't the same internals, but are externally similar to the SAA's. USFA is pricey. For close to the same money you could get a Ruger and send it to Clements for a conversion
http://www.clementscustomguns.com/
http://www.clementscustomguns.com/
StrikeEagle
Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2004
- Messages
- 709
Best Colt SAA replica... .44 Special.
There's only one answer to that: U.S. Firearms.
I have one in .38 Special. Super, super, super. You won't do better.
I wish all questions had such a clearcut answer as yours!
There's only one answer to that: U.S. Firearms.
I have one in .38 Special. Super, super, super. You won't do better.
I wish all questions had such a clearcut answer as yours!
huntershooter
Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2005
- Messages
- 1,058
Usfa.
bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 26,306
I have been very fond of my EMF Hartford Model, though it is the .45 U.S. Cavalry Model. The bluing, color case hardening, and walnut grips are some of the best that I've seen in a Colt SAA replica. Here it is pictured with the real thing, a genuine Colt Model 1860 Army.
[/URL][/IMG]
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
U.S.F.A. is the best, by a very wide margin.
It is a much better fitted & finished gun then even the 3rd. generation Colt SA.
rcmodel
It is a much better fitted & finished gun then even the 3rd. generation Colt SA.
rcmodel
U.S.F.A. is the best, by a very wide margin.
It is a much better fitted & finished gun then even the 3rd. generation Colt SA.
I don't know that I would agree with that. Colt is turning out some quality SAAs these days with excellent fitting and timing. The guns from late 1970's and 1980's still give Colt a bad name, IMO.
The USFA is a fine gun, but I likes me a Colt.
Buy both!
It is a much better fitted & finished gun then even the 3rd. generation Colt SA.
I don't know that I would agree with that. Colt is turning out some quality SAAs these days with excellent fitting and timing. The guns from late 1970's and 1980's still give Colt a bad name, IMO.
The USFA is a fine gun, but I likes me a Colt.
Buy both!
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I like them too, but the Colt SA I bought new in 1999 is a POS compared to any new USFA I have looked at in the last few years.
I also simply detest the 3rd. gen Colts pressed-in base pin bushing.
My 1999 gun came out of the box with excess end-shake, and there is nothing I can do about it without a lathe to get the old bushing out & a hydraulic press to get the new one in!
Why they ever did away with the separate base pin bushing that could be replaced and fitted by the village idiot is beyond me.
I mean, it has worked very very well for a hundred plus years, so why change it?
Anything to save themselves .50 cents on a $1,200 gun I guess!
rcmodel
I also simply detest the 3rd. gen Colts pressed-in base pin bushing.
My 1999 gun came out of the box with excess end-shake, and there is nothing I can do about it without a lathe to get the old bushing out & a hydraulic press to get the new one in!
Why they ever did away with the separate base pin bushing that could be replaced and fitted by the village idiot is beyond me.
I mean, it has worked very very well for a hundred plus years, so why change it?
Anything to save themselves .50 cents on a $1,200 gun I guess!
rcmodel
Smokin Gator
Member
Colt SAA
The current production Colt SAA have the removable bushing in the cylinder. I'm not sure when they started but they have had them for some time.
The current production Colt SAA have the removable bushing in the cylinder. I'm not sure when they started but they have had them for some time.
jamesb
Member
Depends on what you want it for. Are you looking for most authentic, best CAS race gun, or out of the box Saturday afternoon shooter?
If it's not a colt then the USFA has the best and most authentic replicas. If you are looking for one that looks authentic then the ruger vaquero is my next choice even though the firing pin is not on the hammer and the internals are different. I think really the question you need to answer is what price range are you looking at? If money was not an option then you wouldn't be asking about a colt replica, you'd have a colt. Your options for a .44 special are, at the top USFA (700-1100) and at the mid range is taylors and cimarron (300-600). If you are not set on .44 special the ruger vaqueros are good out of the box and dependable. Taurus makes one (not in .44 sp) that is on the lowest end price wise and they are a crap shoot if you get a good one or lame duck but they stand behind there warenties. EMF also makes a mid range SAA (not in .44 sp) but I have not heard how they are.
If it's not a colt then the USFA has the best and most authentic replicas. If you are looking for one that looks authentic then the ruger vaquero is my next choice even though the firing pin is not on the hammer and the internals are different. I think really the question you need to answer is what price range are you looking at? If money was not an option then you wouldn't be asking about a colt replica, you'd have a colt. Your options for a .44 special are, at the top USFA (700-1100) and at the mid range is taylors and cimarron (300-600). If you are not set on .44 special the ruger vaqueros are good out of the box and dependable. Taurus makes one (not in .44 sp) that is on the lowest end price wise and they are a crap shoot if you get a good one or lame duck but they stand behind there warenties. EMF also makes a mid range SAA (not in .44 sp) but I have not heard how they are.
Jim March
Member
IF you want a transfer bar safety for safe six-up carry, the Ruger New Vaq is best overall (or the 50th Anniversary 357 for an adjustable-sight SAA-size gun) but the Beretta Stampede series is a bit more authentic.
The Taurus Gaucho is another "transfer bar SAA near-clone" but there have been a lot of poor QC reports.
All three give you the same size, heft and "feel" as a Colt SAA, or at least very close. The Taurus and Berettas load on the half-cock, where Ruger loads with the hammer fully down - just pop the loading gate open, do your load/unload, close the gate. The Ruger system isn't traditional (and there's fewer clicks when you cock it) but it's faster.
The Taurus has one advantage, in that all-blue models are available as normal production. Ruger and Beretta have dabbled in mediocre "fake case coloring"; Ruger has done some special runs of all-blue NewVaqs that are worth tracking down. Ruger's bluing is fine, they didn't need to screw around with fakery.
The Taurus Gaucho is another "transfer bar SAA near-clone" but there have been a lot of poor QC reports.
All three give you the same size, heft and "feel" as a Colt SAA, or at least very close. The Taurus and Berettas load on the half-cock, where Ruger loads with the hammer fully down - just pop the loading gate open, do your load/unload, close the gate. The Ruger system isn't traditional (and there's fewer clicks when you cock it) but it's faster.
The Taurus has one advantage, in that all-blue models are available as normal production. Ruger and Beretta have dabbled in mediocre "fake case coloring"; Ruger has done some special runs of all-blue NewVaqs that are worth tracking down. Ruger's bluing is fine, they didn't need to screw around with fakery.
Jim March
Member
IF you want a transfer bar safety for safe six-up carry, the Ruger New Vaq is best overall (or the 50th Anniversary 357 for an adjustable-sight SAA-size gun) but the Beretta Stampede series is a bit more authentic.
The Taurus Gaucho is another "transfer bar SAA near-clone" but there have been a lot of poor QC reports.
All three give you the same size, heft and "feel" as a Colt SAA, or at least very close. The Taurus and Berettas load on the half-cock, where Ruger loads with the hammer fully down - just pop the loading gate open, do your load/unload, close the gate. The Ruger system isn't traditional (and there's fewer clicks when you cock it) but it's faster.
The Taurus has one advantage, in that all-blue models are available as normal production. Ruger and Beretta have dabbled in mediocre "fake case coloring"; Ruger has done some special runs of all-blue NewVaqs that are worth tracking down. Ruger's bluing is fine, they didn't need to screw around with fakery.
The Taurus Gaucho is another "transfer bar SAA near-clone" but there have been a lot of poor QC reports.
All three give you the same size, heft and "feel" as a Colt SAA, or at least very close. The Taurus and Berettas load on the half-cock, where Ruger loads with the hammer fully down - just pop the loading gate open, do your load/unload, close the gate. The Ruger system isn't traditional (and there's fewer clicks when you cock it) but it's faster.
The Taurus has one advantage, in that all-blue models are available as normal production. Ruger and Beretta have dabbled in mediocre "fake case coloring"; Ruger has done some special runs of all-blue NewVaqs that are worth tracking down. Ruger's bluing is fine, they didn't need to screw around with fakery.
YosemiteSam357
Member
Don't forget the Uberti and Pietta guns sold by Cimarron, EMF, etc. Basically, these are in the $400-500 range, and are still SAA "clones". Quite a bit less than the USFA guns, which are almost as expensive as the Colts. Not quite the same quality, but again, it depends on what you want the gun for.
-- Sam
-- Sam
Hawk
Member
In addition to the blued New Vaqueros that were shipped with, I believe, a faux ivory grip that looked pretty nice, Ruger is shipping a John Wayne version with machine engraving, blued with wood grips. Not hard to find under 1,000.00 which is less than the nicer USFAs that pop up at rare moements.
It might actually be easier to find than the earlier New Vaq and it's not so fru-fru as you'd have any second thoughts about shooting the thing. Seems a servicable means of avoiding fake case color if such is an issue.
It might actually be easier to find than the earlier New Vaq and it's not so fru-fru as you'd have any second thoughts about shooting the thing. Seems a servicable means of avoiding fake case color if such is an issue.
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
Yeah, depends what you want to do with it.
I have one of the charcoal blued Cimarron/Uberti SAAs and I've shot 4-500 rounds of .45LC through it and it's been perfectly reliable and accurate.
Not sure what else I could ask of a single action.
The USFA is real pretty but I don't quite see the point. It's still not a "real" Colt, just a reproduction (though a good one).
If you want as close to the real deal, get the real deal; Colt. Otherwise get 2 Ubertis for the same price
I have one of the charcoal blued Cimarron/Uberti SAAs and I've shot 4-500 rounds of .45LC through it and it's been perfectly reliable and accurate.
Not sure what else I could ask of a single action.
The USFA is real pretty but I don't quite see the point. It's still not a "real" Colt, just a reproduction (though a good one).
If you want as close to the real deal, get the real deal; Colt. Otherwise get 2 Ubertis for the same price
cnorman18
Member
thanks, guys
Thanks for all the information. USFA does look like the best--a LOT of reviewers (not just here) seem to be saying it's better than current Colt production. Big bucks, though.
I really just want it to have it, if you know what I mean, and I probably won't be shooting it that much. So I'll probably end up cheaping it out.
I like a short-barrel SA, so I'll probably go with a cheap little Italian Sheriff's Model (with ejector) that I found online. But now I know what the "someday" gun will be. That USFA "Gunslinger" model looks like the best SA this side of a time machine.
Thanks, guys.
PS--years ago I had a 4 3/4" nickeled Colt in .44 Special and it was a lemon. Base pin used to walk out by itself because the retaining pin wasn't fitted properly and the spring was too weak. Traded it (for an old-model AR) before I got around to getting it fixed.
Thanks for all the information. USFA does look like the best--a LOT of reviewers (not just here) seem to be saying it's better than current Colt production. Big bucks, though.
I really just want it to have it, if you know what I mean, and I probably won't be shooting it that much. So I'll probably end up cheaping it out.
I like a short-barrel SA, so I'll probably go with a cheap little Italian Sheriff's Model (with ejector) that I found online. But now I know what the "someday" gun will be. That USFA "Gunslinger" model looks like the best SA this side of a time machine.
Thanks, guys.
PS--years ago I had a 4 3/4" nickeled Colt in .44 Special and it was a lemon. Base pin used to walk out by itself because the retaining pin wasn't fitted properly and the spring was too weak. Traded it (for an old-model AR) before I got around to getting it fixed.
- Status
