I acquired a stainless .357 Mag. Ruger Vaquero (5 ½ bbl) back in ’99. I have been slowly customizing it over the past few years. A new front sight here, new cylinder pin there; everyone knows what I’m talking about. I was attempting to piece together a classy yet functional gun built on the indestructible Vaquero frame. I believe I’ve finally completed it with the addition of the Buffalo Horn grips from Eagle Grips.
The gun started as a NIB Vaquero. Over time, a trigger job and spring kit enabled a very light and crisp 3 lb trigger pull. A Belt Mountain (supplied by Brownells) cylinder pin was also added. Cylinder wobble was eliminated and the cylinder spins very smoothly.
The hammer and trigger were also jeweled on both sides to add a little flash to the overall appearance.
Due to the gun being stainless, sometimes it is difficult to get a precise front sight as the glare can be a problem shooting outdoors. A suggestion from my ‘smith was to cut out a notch on the front sight and fill it with a colored epoxy. Of course, black was the color and he took the initiative to serrate it.
The last option was grips. Something to complement the stainless frame would look really sharp. Black or black/grey would look spectacular. Off I went on my search, and eventually came upon Eagle Grips (www.eaglegrips.com) in Buffalo Horn. They have a good reputation and the pictures on their website looked fabulous.
They have two styles for the Colt clones: Cowboy Action and the Gunfighter Series. Cowboy Action is as the name implies; for the cowboy action shooter. The Gunfighter Series is also for the cowboy action shooter, but they are shaped differently. They are much slimmer than the factory grips, and allow a better purchase on the gun. They also reduce rollback during recoil, allowing for faster follow up shots. The Cowboy Action grips are available in mother of pearl, sambar stag (limited availability and the costs are rising), ivory, rosewood, ebony and buffalo horn. The Gunfighter Series is only available in rosewood, imitation ivory and buffalo horn. Either style can be hand checkered for $20.00 extra.
My first impression was one of awe. The grips simply look fantastic. The color of the natural buffalo horn is quite appealing. The grips are mostly black with a hint of grey. The checkering is sharp and with few errors in it. Several of the peaks of the diamonds on the checkering are missing, but I attest this to the fact that it was hand checkered and chalk it up to character. The checkering was similar to the 20 l.p.i. you would find on the frontstraps of semi-auto pistols. Aggressive yet comforting because you know the gun won’t slip out of your hand.
Once I put the grips on the gun, my immediate thought was to how narrow they are. The factory grips are a lot thicker towards the bottom of the grip. Holding the gun, it pointed very natural for me.
I put 100 .38 Spl through it today to get a feeling for the grips. Recoil was negligible, and the follow up shots were very quick. The checkering definitely aided in maintaining proper grip. It points naturally with one hand or two.
The gun is simply a joy to hold and shoot. I couldn’t be happier, and recommend Eagle grips to any other Vaquero owners out there.
esheato…
The gun started as a NIB Vaquero. Over time, a trigger job and spring kit enabled a very light and crisp 3 lb trigger pull. A Belt Mountain (supplied by Brownells) cylinder pin was also added. Cylinder wobble was eliminated and the cylinder spins very smoothly.
The hammer and trigger were also jeweled on both sides to add a little flash to the overall appearance.
Due to the gun being stainless, sometimes it is difficult to get a precise front sight as the glare can be a problem shooting outdoors. A suggestion from my ‘smith was to cut out a notch on the front sight and fill it with a colored epoxy. Of course, black was the color and he took the initiative to serrate it.
The last option was grips. Something to complement the stainless frame would look really sharp. Black or black/grey would look spectacular. Off I went on my search, and eventually came upon Eagle Grips (www.eaglegrips.com) in Buffalo Horn. They have a good reputation and the pictures on their website looked fabulous.
They have two styles for the Colt clones: Cowboy Action and the Gunfighter Series. Cowboy Action is as the name implies; for the cowboy action shooter. The Gunfighter Series is also for the cowboy action shooter, but they are shaped differently. They are much slimmer than the factory grips, and allow a better purchase on the gun. They also reduce rollback during recoil, allowing for faster follow up shots. The Cowboy Action grips are available in mother of pearl, sambar stag (limited availability and the costs are rising), ivory, rosewood, ebony and buffalo horn. The Gunfighter Series is only available in rosewood, imitation ivory and buffalo horn. Either style can be hand checkered for $20.00 extra.
My first impression was one of awe. The grips simply look fantastic. The color of the natural buffalo horn is quite appealing. The grips are mostly black with a hint of grey. The checkering is sharp and with few errors in it. Several of the peaks of the diamonds on the checkering are missing, but I attest this to the fact that it was hand checkered and chalk it up to character. The checkering was similar to the 20 l.p.i. you would find on the frontstraps of semi-auto pistols. Aggressive yet comforting because you know the gun won’t slip out of your hand.
Once I put the grips on the gun, my immediate thought was to how narrow they are. The factory grips are a lot thicker towards the bottom of the grip. Holding the gun, it pointed very natural for me.
I put 100 .38 Spl through it today to get a feeling for the grips. Recoil was negligible, and the follow up shots were very quick. The checkering definitely aided in maintaining proper grip. It points naturally with one hand or two.
The gun is simply a joy to hold and shoot. I couldn’t be happier, and recommend Eagle grips to any other Vaquero owners out there.
esheato…
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