Help picking .38 spec. single action
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Gaucho Gringo
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I own both a Ruger NMBhawk in .357 and a Taurus Gaucho in the same. I like both guns, just for different reasons. The Gaucho to me is a better looking gun, more closely resembles a Colt SSA and has the smoothest trigger out of box. The Ruger is more rugged(built to take more abuse) and has adjustable sights. It is also the one I will reach for first in a self defense situation only because I have less money invested in it. In my opinion they are both good guns and if they weren't, I wouldn't have them.
Jim,
I was more pointing out with a thourough checkout a Gaucho can be a fine gun mine have very smooth actions.but taurus QC can be iffy there were two others on the table I looked at a 5.5" blue and 4.75" bright stainless the 5.5" gun had timing issues and the stainless had a gritty trigger.which is how I came home with a 4.75" and 5.5" in matching CCH.I've known for a long time the quality of rugers I have owned many and have never had an issue.I myself would not have a problem with buying a ruger online, I have yet to be burned by them, but a 44 tracker (light strikes, granted only with CCI primers in DA) has caused me to question any purchase of taurus online.
I was more pointing out with a thourough checkout a Gaucho can be a fine gun mine have very smooth actions.but taurus QC can be iffy there were two others on the table I looked at a 5.5" blue and 4.75" bright stainless the 5.5" gun had timing issues and the stainless had a gritty trigger.which is how I came home with a 4.75" and 5.5" in matching CCH.I've known for a long time the quality of rugers I have owned many and have never had an issue.I myself would not have a problem with buying a ruger online, I have yet to be burned by them, but a 44 tracker (light strikes, granted only with CCI primers in DA) has caused me to question any purchase of taurus online.
Jim March
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Mavracer, most of the problems I've ever heard of with Rugers are "birth defects" - stuff you can spot right away. Once a Ruger is running right, it's damned unlikely to break (original large frame or the new mid-frame).
A lot of the reports on the Gaucho start with stuff like "around the 300th shot...". They're breaking PAST the initial checkout point, in too many cases.
With the amount of shooting/handling I have in my NewVaq to date (and it was an early one bought in '05), I can be *very* damn sure it's going to work right the next time I shoot it. Moreso than almost any gun of any type ever made, by anybody.
Only the same basic design without a transfer bar (like the Old Model pre-1973 Rugers) could possibly be any tougher - once in a great while a Ruger will snap a transfer bar.
Other than that, good metallurgy with a low penchant for stress cracks, a good design and coil springs throughout means *solid*.
A lot of the reports on the Gaucho start with stuff like "around the 300th shot...". They're breaking PAST the initial checkout point, in too many cases.
With the amount of shooting/handling I have in my NewVaq to date (and it was an early one bought in '05), I can be *very* damn sure it's going to work right the next time I shoot it. Moreso than almost any gun of any type ever made, by anybody.
Only the same basic design without a transfer bar (like the Old Model pre-1973 Rugers) could possibly be any tougher - once in a great while a Ruger will snap a transfer bar.
Other than that, good metallurgy with a low penchant for stress cracks, a good design and coil springs throughout means *solid*.
Jim,
hey, we are pretty much in agreement Rugers have better QC and are generally more durable than Taurus.they are also more expensive.but I digress. as to the OP I would strongly recomend New Vaqueros, I would also recomend Gauchos but I'd use your revolver check out on them first.
hey, we are pretty much in agreement Rugers have better QC and are generally more durable than Taurus.they are also more expensive.but I digress. as to the OP I would strongly recomend New Vaqueros, I would also recomend Gauchos but I'd use your revolver check out on them first.
tinygnat219
Member
I just sold my Gauchos at a considerable loss. I couldn't be happier to get rid of them. Unreliable revolvers to say the least. One had light primer strikes and the other had a trigger that would "slap" your finger after the shot was fired. The fact that you had to take yours to a smith, after you received them to make them safe to fire, speaks volumes to me.
For those of you considering the GAUCHO. DO NOT BUY THESE GUNS.:banghead:
rocinante
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rcmodel that is not true. The New Model Vaquero has only been out a couple of years. It has a smaller frame than the Old Model that was built on the BlackHawk frame. If it is a new model vaquero it will say New Vaquero on the left side of the frame. I have a new model vaquero in 357 and be LOVING it. It looks enough like a peacemaker to make me happy and has updated safety and reliability. Good gun IMO.
I think Rcmodel is referring to the action, not the frame size. I believe he is correct that all Blackhawks and Vaqueros produced in recent years are "New Models" incorporating the transfer bar system. Ruger introduced some confusion when they called the current Vaqueros "New Vaqueros" (which they are) because the original Vaqueros were, indeed, New Model Ruger actions. So are the "New Vaqueros", albeit on a smaller frame. So, the "Old" Vaqueros and the "New Vaqueros" are all "New Models" as opposed to the "Old Models" sans transfer bar. Maybe they should have called the New Vaqueros "Little Vaqueros" (Pequeno Vaquero?) but what self-respecting cowboy would buy a Little Vaquero? ( I have a couple of them also, and they are superb.)
zxcvbob
Member
It does speak volumes, but what it says is to check over a Gaucho thoroughly before you buy it, especially if it's a new one. I think I still got a good deal for $300, just not as good a deal as I thought I was getting. A New Vaquero would have been about $500 if I recall correctly. (Sounds like yours may have had a related problem to mine; the firing pin wasn't fitted to the gun.)
I like shooting my model 15 or my Ruger Security Six better; I shoot them single-action most of the time even though they are DA. But "woof" specifically asked for SA's, so that's why I mentioned the Gaucho.
Thinking about your wants (a companion to your Marlin to shoot lots of .38 Specials), you might check out the Ruger 50th Anniversary Blackhawk. I believe there are still some in the marketplace and you might even get a pretty good price (below 500 certainly). They have all the features of the Blackhawk, have adjustable sights, are blued like your Marlin probably is, and are built (generally very well) on the smaller frame used by the New Vaqueros with a smaller grip frame that is just the ticket for .38 levels of power. I bought two of them, thinking they would be gone in a flash, but they didn't sell that fast and I think you could still get one. If you want fixed sights, I personally would add a few nickels to the pot and get a Ruger New Vaquero, or a Beretta Stampede, in that order.
Jim March
Member
The 50th Anniversary Blackhawk in 357 is an adjustable-sight version of the mid-frame (Colt SAA-ish size) New Vaquero. Nice gun. The 50th Anniversary 44Mag is built on the large-frame, but with the same new slightly smaller grip frame as the NewVaq and 50th 357.
StrikeEagle
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Bingo. This is the gun.
I love that frame size... it's ideal for .38spl IMO. I have a USFA .38spl and it's flawless and glorious... but kinda heavy, and a bit bulky for the caliber. (Don't tell it I said that; it loves me!)
I've had my eye on this gun for over a year, though I certainly don't need it.
But it's the one I'd buy for sure.
Jim March
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Yeah, the closest thing Ruger has is the Single Six in 32Mag six-shot. Nice gun if you can deal with the somewhat funky caliber.
Shawnee
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My vote is for a Ruger Blackhawk.
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