Help Me Pick My Next SA Revolver...

[nero45acp]

I'm going to buy a SAA (or clone) revolver in the next month. I want it to have the 4-3/4" barrel and be chambered for .357 Mag and/or .38 Spec. These are the models that I'm considering:

Colt SAA (current production)
USFA Single Action
AWA Ultimate 1873 Revolver

Please vote on my poll for which you think I should get, and any info/opinions/experiences concerning any of these three would be appreciated. Also, I do plan on shooting this gun from time to time at the range, but no Cowboy Action competitions. Thanks.


nero

 

[jakk280rem]

i voted the usfa. probly the most expensive of the three. another pistol worth a look is the new vaquero by ruger. not an exact copy of the saa, but close, and safe to carry fully loaded. i don't know what class of sass cowboy you plan on shooting, but the blackhawk may work also. it would shine at the range with the adjustable sights.

 

[PRM]

I have owned other single actions over the years - but I have come to the point, if I want a Colt, thats what I buy.

I have a Colt SAA that dates to the 60s that is a top of the line gun. When you handle it and shoot it, pure Colt quality is all I can say. I sent it back to the Custom Shop a few years back and had a .45 ACP cylinder fitted to it - great investment. Now I can have the .45LC when I want it, and the .45ACP for cheaper shooting.

I have handled a USFA, from the look and feel it is on par with the Colt. Great feeling guns that really talk to you.

I think you would be more than satisfied with the Colt or the USFA. No experience with the other.

 

[calaverasslim]

I voted Colt. However, must say for a pistol rite out of the box, you can't beat the USFA. The mechanics of the USFA is some of the smoothest SA's I have ever handled and shot. I own several Colts and USFAs and am torn between the 2.


Any decent SA will need a good action job. You will feel a big difference after one.

A good USFA will cost about half of what a Colt wud cost, BUT, you just can't beat the mystique of a Colt.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

If you're considering a Colt in the comparison, then get a Colt.

I like the other two, but an SAA made by Colt is something altogether different from every other clone on the market.

 

[nero45acp]

Thanks for the replies/opinions.

How much of a reliability/durability difference is there between the Colt & USFA with their leaf type mainspring, versus the AWA Ultimate with it's coil type mainspring?

Again, Thanks.


nero

 

[calaverasslim]

Ruger uses a coil main spring and a very good one it is. However, as I mentioned earlier, a good action will make your SA a joy to shoot. That will include a custom mainsplring and in the Colt/USFA brand, the Wolff mainspring can't be beat.

Get the action job and you won't ever have to worry about the springs

 

[glockman19]

I'm looking at the Colt SAA 4.75", .357, nickle plated.

So...It's the one I'd get.

 

[CSA 357]

I voted colt, i have a 3rd gen 43/4 45 i love it! Had a belt and holter made for it, i wear it when im out walking the woods, shoots realy good, i sent you a pic in a e mail, i have a hard time posting pics, let us know what you get! Csa

 

[sgtdevildog]

Got a USFA and love it. They had a deal a while back where they included the .45 acp cylinder and that clinched it. Not cheap, but the color case hardening is great and the action smooth.

 

[rcmodel]

chambered for .357 Mag and/or .38 Spec.

The small-bore SAA's don't balance the same as the real ones with big holes in them!

32-20's & .357's just don't feel the same as a .44-40 or .45 to me!

I also have an aversion to the nickle finish. I can't see the blue sights very well, and the nickeled sights are impossible in bright sun.

rc

 

[owlhoot]

A Colt is a Colt and anything else is just a copy.

The USFA is as well made as the Colt and the top of the line models have case colors that are louder than the Colts is you like that. Only problem is it costs as much as the real McCoy.

STI has a Colt copy that costs more than the Colt. But it is a better gun, made to closer tolerances.

If you want a good gun at a good price and don't care about the looks, The USFA Rodeo is a best buy. Ugly finish but the same gun as their premium model on the inside.

The best buy in a Colt reproduction that has the good external looks of the Colt and the same innards is the Great Western II sold by EMF. Same finish as the top models from USFA.

I agree with RCModel that the big bores have better balance, but the .357 with the 4.75" barrel balances quite nicely and it is cheap to feed. Still, every man owes himself one or two of the big bores.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Colt single actions. I have been accumulating them for over fifty years. Here is one of my fancy ones in .45 cal.

 

[Dienekes]

My wife got the urge for a USFA in nickel; it came in last week. Probably the best made new gun I have seen in years. The thing reeks of quality.

I have a decent 1st generation Colt SAA and briefly had a 1980s 3rd generation. The latter was not up to expectations and I sold it off in a short time. Sad to say, the prancing pony is not necessarily a guarantee of anything except a stiff price tag--IMHO, anyway. I think that is the edge USFA has.

Have had a variety of Rugers including Blackhawks and old and new Vaqueros. My NV .45 stainless in 4 5/8" is one very nice gun, particularly for the money.

Life is too short to own poorly made single actions. Especially if I have to work on them to straighten them out.

 

[Dienekes]

My wife got the urge for a USFA in nickel; it came in last week. Probably the best made new gun I have seen in years. The thing reeks of quality.

I have a decent 1st generation Colt SAA and briefly had a 1980s 3rd generation. The latter was not up to expectations and I sold it off in a short time. Sad to say, the prancing pony is not necessarily a guarantee of anything except a stiff price tag--IMHO, anyway. I think that is the edge USFA has.

Have had a variety of Rugers including Blackhawks and old and new Vaqueros. My NV .45 stainless in 4 5/8" is one very nice gun, particularly for the money.

Life is too short to own poorly made single actions. Especially if I have to work on them to straighten them out.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

Owlhoot, that's a beautiful revolver.
More pics?

 

[Byron]

I have the Cimarron Model P in 357 and a 4 5/8th" barrel. I am very pleased with it. Byron

 

[Hawk]

I'm a fan of Owlhoot's Colt and his appraisals of the alternatives.

I have an STI and find the action and general quality to be very impressive but it isn't available in anything other than 5.5" in .45 Colt. There seems to be enough pain and agony on their part catching up with demand that I wouldn't wish to get in a queue for a 4.75" .357.

And, though I'm certainly no expert on Colt copies, the STI's cylinder flutes look a little "short and shallow" compared to the Turnbull/USFA copy. The hot salt blue on the STI isn't as pretty as could be but the hammer isn't white which is worth a dime to some of us.

The Turnbull "Cowboy Classic" is a USFA "pre-war" more or less but now mostly sold out. The new pricing on the Turnbull "Open Range" is ... unh ... stunning, though I'm sure it's nice. I'm given to understand that they're doing more of the assembly though USFA parts are still in use. Personally, I doubt any amount of hand work will make a USFA-based product work like the STI. STI has raised their prices as well though by less than Turnbull.

For the "real thing" the Colt is a flaming bargain right now and it seems you won't be as penalized for shooting the thing as once was the case. If I were looking at "current production" Colt's I'd prefer the post-03 over any old stock at the LGS due to the bushing.

So I voted for Colt's.

Which I'm sure surprised some that know how much I like my STI.

 

[Kyle E. Coyote]

You could get a Colt, because after all everything else is just a clone... or you could get a better gun.

Colt: Expensive... very expensive. Although Colt doesn't use cast or MIM parts, their revolvers are notorious for being fragile. Also, they aren't true to the origional design. The old Generation III guns had a firing pin mounted in the frame, and their new Generation IV guns have a transfer bar safety. Yuck.

USFA: Durable as a Ruger. True to the origional design. Reliable and accurate. All parts are forged or milled. Custom and customizable. Fantastic customer service. Lifetime warranty. Spare parts (even ammo for defense, hunting and Cowboy Action) available from their website... for cheap. And you're paying for custom gunsmiths to put togeather your gun right, and finish and furnish the gun how you want it to be done... not for a picture of a horse on your reciever. And for all this, they're still $300 less than a Colt.

Sure, the USFA is just a clone. But so is a Les Baer, and which 1911 would you rather have?

 

[nero45acp]

Thanks for all of the helpful/informative replies, and poll votes.

I'm very suprised to hear that Colt has a transfer bar safety on their SAA.

"Also, they aren't true to the origional design. The old Generation III guns had a firing pin mounted in the frame, and their new Generation IV guns have a transfer bar safety. Yuck."



Also, I'm a bit surprised there's not a single vote for/comment about the AWA Ultimate. I wonder if it's because it's considered an inferior product by comparison, or if it's just unknown by most folks. Frankly, I'm leaning towards the AWA for a couple of reasons. One, it has a coil main spring and according to Jim Martin on The Gunfighter Zone Forums doesn't require any kind of action job, he states it's good to go right out of the box. Two, it's available with Turnbull's beautiful CH work, and that includes a CH hammer (something that one would have to pay extra for on the Colt or USFA). Three, it comes with one piece walnut grips (which I prefer over the rubber), again that's something I'd have to pay extra with for the Colt or USFA. Four, it's considerably less expensive than the other two. Not that cost is the most important factor, I'm not wealthy but I can afford the Colt. Rather, I'm looking for very good quality and the best value for my money.

Am I missing something here? Is the AWA inferior compared to the other two, or is it just that it's unknown? Please, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to argumentative, and I do sincerely appreciate the info/opinions provided, so if I'm on the wrong track with the AWA, please set me straight. Heres a link with a very positive review of the AWA Ultimate and some nice pics of it:

http://www.hobbygunsmith.com/Archives/Apr04/Interview.htm

Again, I appreciate your opinions/info.


nero

 

[MCMXI]

My wife got the urge for a USFA in nickel; it came in last week. Probably the best made new gun I have seen in years.

I have to agree 100% with this statement. I bought two USFA Rodeos last year and the quality of the machining, the fit, the finish is second to none. I honestly wish that everything in life was made with the obvious attention to detail that Rodeos were blessed with. That said, I voted for Colt. I bought the Rodeos to shoot in CAS type events so I needed two of them. Since I wasn't familiar with SAA revolvers, I figured that two Rodeos at $595 a piece was a better idea than a pair of Colts at around $1300 a piece. Now I know more about SAA revolvers, my next pair will DEFINITELY be Colt. I'll readily admit that I'll be paying for the name and the history behind that name but that's ok with me.

If you do buy USFA revolvers, I'd highly recommend that you buy from www.longhunt.com . You won't find a better price which includes Jim working his magic on your revolvers. They'll come with a bunch of upgrades including the coil main springs that Vaquero fans always talk about and consecutive serial numbers are FREE!!

One last comment ... I bought a Ruger Redhawk last year for $625, just a bit more than the Rodeos, but the quality is nowhere near the quality of the USFA revolvers. I still like the Redhawk and I'll keep it for the rest of my life (and after if possible) but Ruger folks should take a look at what USFA is doing.

owlhoot, that is a seriously beautiful revolver. I too would LOVE to see more photos ... I think 10 to start off with including some close-ups of the stunning engraving followed by weekly updates should do it.

 

[owlhoot]

Nero, Kyle has misinformed you. The Colt SAA has never had a frame mounted firing pin nor a transfer bar.

A dozen years ago Colt did market a mostly Italian gun assembled here that had the referenced features and sold for about half the price of a SAA. That gun later morphed into the Beretta Stampede. It was on the market for a very short time before it was abandoned by Colt.

Regarding the AWA the "ultimate" is perhaps the nicest of the Italian clones. I'm not sure who is making the AWA revolver now. At one time the AWA guns were made by Armi San Marcos but the original AWA went bust as did Armi San Marcos. AWA was purchased and is now essentially a two man operation. They do very little advertising and there are relatively few of the Ultimate revolvers in circulation. But as I said, they are very nice revolvers indeed. However, the last time I saw a price list on them, they were pretty expensive for an Italian gun.

The coiled hand spring in the Ultimate departs from the traditional design, but it is a worthwhile change inasmuch as the traditional hand spring will break from time to time. And the coil spring should last indefinitely. I think all of the Italian makers offer the coiled hand spring now.

And Russ and Bob at AWA are good people. So if you're leaning toward the Ultimate, go for it. It is, after all, your money.

1858, thank you for the nice comment. And I agree with you, if you are buying USFA Rodeo revolvers, you certainly want to get them from Long Hunter.

 

[Hawk]

Colt: Expensive... very expensive. Although Colt doesn't use cast or MIM parts, their revolvers are notorious for being fragile. Also, they aren't true to the origional design. The old Generation III guns had a firing pin mounted in the frame, and their new Generation IV guns have a transfer bar safety. Yuck.

According to Colt there is no generation 4. Some of us have been known to refer to the post-03 (removable bushing) gen 3 as gen 4 but this isn't correct.

http://www.bar-w.com/saa-generations.html

 

[imdarren]

I struggled with this question myself last year. Buy the Colt, or the USFA "Prewar model". Yes the colt will hold its value better if your into collecting. I recently held my Dads current production Colt next to my USFA, WOW what a diffrence! I didnt point it out to my Dad, but the lockup / cylinder fit was MUCH tighter on my USFA.
You want to talk finish? The bluing on my USFA leaves the Colt in the dust. The Colt doesnt even have the case colored hammer like it should.
A Colt however has my deepest respect for sure. It's the real deal, but fit and finish? USFA Pre War, hands down.

When The American Pistolsmiths Guild picks a SAA for their foundation, they go USFA. Now this pistol is a bit to frilly for me, but who can question the quality?
http://www.americanpistol.com/custom_guns/SSA-Engravced_jpg.htm

Darren