How does a Ruger Bisley New Vaquero compare to a Ruger Bisley New Model Blackhawk?

[Smoky Shooter]

Hello to everybody! This is my first post.

I own a Bisley New Model Blackhawk which is my favorite gun. Now I'm thinking of buying a Bisley New Vaquero. Yet I've never handled or shot a New Vaquero or a Vaquero. Is there a lot of difference between the two? Is The New Vaquero a lot smaller or just a little smaller? None of the gun stores around here, and there are not many, ever get one in for me to examine.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Smoky Shooter

 

[batmann]

You Bisley Blackhawk is a 'large' frame Ruger and the 'new' Bisley Vaquero is Ruger's medium frame. The mid sized frame is (was) designed for the Cowboy shooting crowd, but is a fine revolver. I have two mid frame Blackhawks. One is the 50TH 'Flattop' Blackhawk in .357 made in 2005 and my most recent purchase is the .44 Special 'Flattop' that is a special edition from Lipsey's, both are the 4 5/8ths bbl.
They are closer to the orginal Colt's in size and have the indexing feature. That being, whern you open the loading gate, the click lines up with the cyl charge hole. I like this feature, but if you are used to the older style, it may take some getting used to.
I personally love this frame size, but the mid-size frame is smaller overall and the cyl is smaller. This is OK for .357 and .44 Spl, but if your Bisley is in .45 Colt and you shoot the so called 'Ruger only loads' the mid-size frame in .45 Colt is a no go. If you shoot the standard .45 Colt loadings it will do just fine.
I hope this explains some of you question.
OH----and welcome to the forum!

 

[1858rem]

what about the new model blackhawk versus the origenal blackhawk?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The New Model Blackhawk has a transfer bar and can be carried with all 6 chambers loaded. The Old Model Blackhawk has the firing pin mounted on the hammer and must be carried with only 5 chambers loaded, and the hammer down on an empty chamber. There is no difference in frame size.

(Caveat -- early on, Ruger made Blackhawks in two frame sizes, one for .357 and one for .44/45. The smaller frame size was soon discontinued and all Blackhawks were then made in the current frame size.)

 

[1858rem]

new model 45 colt just as strong right?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

new model 45 colt just as strong right

If you mean the New Model Blackhawk, the cylinder walls are about 80% as thick as the .44 Mag, which means you can load .45 Colt to around 32K PSI (data available from Hodgedon) instead of the 14K the old Colts are limited to. So loaded, a .45 Colt Blackhawk will edge out a .44 Magnum.

But if you mean the New Model Vaquero, the answer is no. Such guns can be loaded a bit hotter than standard SAAMI specs, but should not be loaded to Blackhawk levels.

 

[1858rem]

no im leaning toward blackhawk, i have had my fill of fixed sights lol

 

[madcratebuilder]

Careful with them hot loads boys.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

is that the convertable model?

 

[ArmedBear]

1858rem-

A few things that get confusing.

The New Model Blackhawk was introduced in 1973. It's not really "new", just newer than the Blackhawk which had been around since the early 1950s. The frame is the big, strong frame also used for the Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum. The "New Model" has a transfer bar and is loaded without raising the hammer, whereas the "Old Model" had Colt-style notches and a hammer-mounted firing pin. The size and weight, when Ruger made the switch, were the same.

The New Vaquero was introduced a few years back, to answer complaints from cowboy action shooters who found the original Vaquero (fixed-sight New Model Blackhawk really) to be larger and heavier than they wanted. So, Ruger brought out a gun that was about the size, shape and balance of the Colt Single Action Army (aka 1873). They also went to Colt-style one-handed grips, smaller and closer to the trigger than New Model Blackhawk grips.

Now along about that time, the Blackhawk hit its 50th anniversary, so Ruger used the New Vaquero frame to build a Blackhawk "flattop" that looks like the earliest Blackhawks in the early 1950s. They were smaller than the Blackhawks made since then. These also have the smaller grips, which Ruger calls "XR3".

The "50th Anniversary Blackhawk" is NOT the "New Model." It's either the "flattop reissue" or the "50th anniversary" or the "5/6 frame size" I think. The New Model is the one that's been around, essentially unchanged, for 36 years.

Both the New Vaquero and the 50th Anniversary Blackhawk are lighter and weaker than the New Model and Super Blackhawks. They appeal to those who don't need to shoot the hottest loads, but prefer a lighter gun with a one-handed Colt SAA/1851 Navy grip frame.

I prefer the regular Blackhawk and the Super Blackhawk. The grip sizes and designs were an outgrowth of Bill Ruger's friendship with Elmer Keith. If there was anyone in history who REALLY knew single-action revolvers for heavier loads, it was Elmer Keith.

Oh, and the Ruger Bisley grip really bears a lot of (okay, near 100%) resemblance to Elmer Keith's design "The Last Word" from the last 1920s, not to the Colt Bisley. Keith put a Colt Bisley backstrap and a plowhandle front strap/trigger guard on a Colt, and fit wood to it. There's an example in the Keith museum here.

Make sense?

 

[AgentOrange]

"but if your Bisley is in .45 Colt and you shoot the so called 'Ruger only loads' the mid-size frame in .45 Colt is a no go. If you shoot the standard .45 Colt loadings it will do just fine."

i just ordered me up one of the new vaqueros in 45LC,stainless steel 5 1/2". in doing some research online about them and the smaller frame, i happened to see quite a few posts about it having the smaler framer and not to use anything but "cowboy loads" in the gun. this isnt what i wanted so i got on the phone and started making some calls. a good friend of mine owns a couple of the 47lc new model vaqueros ( and a gun shop) so i called him to ask him about them and get his take on the situation. he told me that he REGULARLY shoots warm loads thru his, and has never had a problem. he said that he spoke to ruger about it, and they assured him that the gun would handle any 45 colt ammo o the market, hotter reloads,etc. the only thing they didnt recommend (he told me) was shooting the 300gr 45 colt +Ps thru it ,everything else is fine.

i dodnt get mine to stoke to 44 mag pressures, i got it to plink with. if i want to do some business, ill pull out of of my 500 s&w's with the 700gr bulletproof limo stoppers (i own 4 now) or one of my 460s (of which i own 3)

 

[10pacesmike]

I suggest that you call Ruger directly and ask them about this, specifically talking about the types of loads and the pressures you intend to run. It's your hand/life, but I wouldn't stake mine on what I heard my friend heard from someone else.

 

[R.Clem]

Vern: Ruger never mounted the firing pin on the hammer.
The old model Blackhawk has a floating firing pin just like all other Ruger six guns, they did not have that damn transfer bar, (you're right, I don't like the transfer bar). You should carry the old model with 5 in the cylinder and hammer down on the empty. Bill Ruger did make the gun so it could be carried with 6 rounds, but too many people didn't read or heed the instructions, so they changed to the transfer bar system in the 1970's.
If you have an old model Blackhawk and send it to the factory for repairs, you will get all the parts back that were original but they won't fit your gun anymore and the price just dropped 20%.

Ray

 

[Vern Humphrey]

You're right. Where is my head these days?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

madcratebuilder, any details on that? I'd like to know if there are. What was the load? ect. That had to have hurt something.

 

[KodiakBeer]

OK, Ruger experts - what is this? I bought this new a few years ago, but I've had several people tell me it doesn't exist - that Ruger doesn't make a Stainless 5.5" Bisley in .45 Colt. And when I check the website, that appears to be true.

I bought this at the USCG exchange in Kodiak. It looked like just what I needed (even though I didn't know I needed it until I saw it), so I plunked down the $500 and took it home.

I had to order a taller front site, but other than that it's been a joy to own and shoot.

 

[Leadhead]

Kodiakbeer, that's an Accusport limited edition model.
I like mine as well!

 

[KodiakBeer]

Interesting! With that name I was able to google up a number of hits.

How many did they make?

And was your front sight too low? I had to replace mine, but it was an easy fix.

 

[Leadhead]

Not sure how many were made, but not very many came north...

I've only been shooting it with the .45ACP cylinder so far and the stock front sight is fine.

 

[KodiakBeer]

Mine didn't come with a .45acp cylinder. I've got a ton of 230 grain cast slugs around here someplace, and I keep meaning to make up a bunch of light loads for practice, but never seem to get around to it. It's a fine shooter with the heavy "ruger only" loads, but the recoil does take a toll and so I don't usually shoot many at a session.