If you want to be the most historically correct I suggest a Pietta-built gun such as the EMF Californian or the Cimarron Frontier. All the current Uberti Cattleman models have the retractable safety in the hammer. You wouldn't know it by looking at their website but every model now has it.
I want a good single action revolver. Any suggestions?
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TTv2
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The problem with this statement is that there's a big difference between 14,000 PSI and 55,000 PSI. The Blackhawk's are capable of shooting .45 ACP +P loads at 23k PSI, so we can assume that .45 Colt loaded to that will be safe too, however we've got good data out there that has been out there for decades that shows that .45 Blackhawks (that are not the flat tops) are capable of 30k PSI. The Redhawk is capable of much higher pressures than that, but I would say anything in .45 Colt that's beyond 30k PSI is better off being shot in a .454 Casull.
That said I plan to shoot 30 to 40k PSI loads in my Redhawk someday.
OP
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KarateHottie93
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Thank you all. There's some great information in this thread. I guess I'm gonna grab the Cimarron Pistolero right now, and just get the 454 Super Blackhawk for hot loads in the near future.
Armybrat
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Of course we will need pics!
45 Dragoon
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Yep, well 21,000 is a bit over the 14,000 psi max for tier 1. My point was you don't need to be scared of being close to the max for tier 1. Wouldn't/didn't mention anything about loading 454 pressure or even "Ruger onlys".
Mike
ontarget
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And you are free to assume whatever you want to about YOUR gun.
As for me, I will assume mine are rated for the load level indicated by a stamp on the side of the gun. 45 Colt for example.
The Ruger Only loads have a separate section in the loading manuals for a reason.
If you want 44 Mag performance, buy a 44 mag.
Don't overload a 45 Colt then sell it to some sucker after you have worn it out.
ontarget
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And I concurred that you were probably correct. I also said I load on the high side of the data. I'm certainly not afraid my guns will blow up if I exceed the lawyer proof loading data in my manuals by a couple hundred psi.
I just don't see the reasoning that some shooters do in trying to make a cartridge into something it's not intended to be.
Obturation
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Can't go wrong with a blackhawk.
I did this thing years ago. I was hot rodding 45 colt loads and wanting more, settled on 454 casull and now everything's good. Mild to wild, it's all fine in the casull . if I were you, I'd buy a bfr or used freedom arms in 454 and carry on, quality is worth every cent, won't leave you wanting more.
I did this thing years ago. I was hot rodding 45 colt loads and wanting more, settled on 454 casull and now everything's good. Mild to wild, it's all fine in the casull . if I were you, I'd buy a bfr or used freedom arms in 454 and carry on, quality is worth every cent, won't leave you wanting more.
The SAAMI 14,000 psi max is to make sure the older non-heat treated guns, or those with smaller/thinner traditional sized frames, don’t catastrophically fail using higher pressure ammo. Each person has to decide what is right for their firearms and take their chances. For me that means loading my modern construction .45 Colts (Ruger Vaquero/Blackhawk and S&W N frames) to no more than the pressure of a standard .45 ACP load, even in my Rugers. You can choose to do otherwise.
I normally stick to 14k psi loads unless using the guns for hunting, then I load up a little higher pressure.
No need to think about it or make it hard. Just buy a Ruger Blackhawk. Pick the caliber and gun you like. Your $750 budget is more than adequate for new or used. Look at the for sale section of the Ruger Forums for a start) Ruger Blackhawk takes the hottest loads. If you do not want adjustable sights and do want a more cowboy look and do not care to shoot the hottest loads listed then look at the Ruger Vaquero. You can still shoot all factory level loads but maybe or maybe not the Ruger only loadings. ("Ruger only loads" Does that phrase tell you something about the perceived strength of the platform.) Yes, I like the guns too, but for the cost/performance Ruger single actions are a good place to be.
In the original Vaquero you can use “Ruger Only” loads, but in the smaller New Model Vaquero you should not.
Armybrat
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Still, there is nothing wrong with the New Vaquero...
.308 Norma
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I don't think Ruger ever built any Super Blackhawks in 45 Colt. Regular Blackhawks in 45 Colt sure - lots of them. But Super Blackhawks were always 44 Magnums as far as I know.
However, I see on Ruger's website that they're now building Super Blackhawks in 454 Casull. So that would be another way to go.
BTW, I have a beautiful Freedom Arms Model 97, 357 Mag that a friend sold me at cost because he was closing his gunshop and retiring. However, even though I got that FA revolver at cost, I still paid about 3 times more for it than what I paid for my old Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt, and it's not a darned bit more accurate or reliable.
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KarateHottie93
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Oh most definitely! I love posting pictures of guns I buy. I already posted this one a few weeks ago but went in for a Cobra...left with a Cobra and a RAMI BD
Sorry if you've seen this already. I'm just proud of them.
ArkieVol
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Good guns, both accurate....no complaints
gotboostvr
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Ed Ames
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I’m surprised at how this thread turned. Not only that so many people suggested reproduction guns, given that they don’t really meet the requirements in the original post, but that the OP has apparently gone along with them.
As much as I hate to say it, the only gun that unambiguously matches the originally posted requirement is the Blackhawk. Nothing wrong with Blackhawks, I just wish there were more options.
As much as I hate to say it, the only gun that unambiguously matches the originally posted requirement is the Blackhawk. Nothing wrong with Blackhawks, I just wish there were more options.
Shooterbob
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308 Norma Ruger makes a super Blackhawk hunter in 45 colt
45 Dragoon
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Not necessarily, it depends on what "hot loads" are.
If he meant "Ruger onlys" , well then it was a silly question. If he means shooting loads at the top of tier 1 loading tables or a little over, then Italian copies are plenty gun and for the correct money. So much is written about "cowboy loads" (which basicly means nothing) in everything you read, it can be confusing for anyone getting into shooting again! So,
- high power guns are too expensive.
- Rugers are fine but heavy and not for everyone.
- Italian guns beat U.S. for power capability, have (for the most part) a Colt type action and are in the price range.
That's about as simple as it gets. This thread is really about rooting for one's favorite S.A. which also isn't what the OP asked . . . well, directly anyway . . .
Mike
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Ed Ames
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I guess I’m not looking at it the same way you are.
High power guns are too expensive in what sense? He asked about .45 colt that could handle hot loads, with a budget of $750-$1000. I bought a Blackhawk .45 colt/ACP a few years ago For $550 and I just checked online, you can still get them for $560ish. I just checked the price of a .454 Super Blackhawk and it’s around $825 new (Bisley 6.5”). Both of those are in budget and can handle the hottest of hot loads.
I agree Rugers are not for everyone, but they do seem to target folks looking for what the OP was after.
Again, not understanding what you mean about power capability. Ruger is a U.S. company, and the Blackhawk is a legitimate “carry it with 6” revolver where the Italian guns are “maybe safe to carry with 6.” The Ruger can handle hotter loads.
Yeah I think that’s what confused me. I get that a lot of people like the Italian clones and some of them are really nice looking guns, but objectively they are second or third on a post of best fits for the OP. The fact that I like the reproduction Schofield (my personal favorite Italian single action, and a gun I’d rather have than Blackhawk all told) doesn’t mean I’m going to suggest it, because it doesn’t meet the OP’s requirements.
Tallball
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Here you go:
I bought this one NiB about ten years ago. It shoots mostly 45acp.
This was a steal used for $299. It's from the mid 1970's and was shot a lot before I got it. It still functions perfectly.
I got this one used for $399. It only had one or two pictures taken at strange angles, and I did not realize it was a three screw. The trigger is so light that I always miss with my first shot because I forget how light it is. It is amazing. It's been shot so much that I just use 44 specials in it, because I don't want it to get loose.
I bought this one NiB about ten years ago. It shoots mostly 45acp.
This was a steal used for $299. It's from the mid 1970's and was shot a lot before I got it. It still functions perfectly.
I got this one used for $399. It only had one or two pictures taken at strange angles, and I did not realize it was a three screw. The trigger is so light that I always miss with my first shot because I forget how light it is. It is amazing. It's been shot so much that I just use 44 specials in it, because I don't want it to get loose.
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45 Dragoon
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Yap, we aren't looking at it the same. I look at "hot loads” as being upper end (or just over) of the loading tables for whatever caliber you're loading. "Hot loads" to me are significantly below "Ruger only" loads. "Ruger only" loads are basically (to me) another designated load just like 454 Casull, the various Linebaugh loads, etc.
That being the case, I don't automatically think "Ruger" at the mention of "hot loads". I like Ruger S.A.'s fine and I work on Old Armys often. They are fairly heavy guns but very popular in CAS events. When I think of " high power" S.A.s, I think F.A. or Mag.Research . . . but even then, it's more about build quality and mechanical accuracy. Therefore, the cost rules them out.
The OP said he'd rather spend less than $750.00 so, S.A.'s such as Uberti's versions of Colt or Remington or the Pietta offerings seem like a good fit (to me). From my own experience, the El Patron that I had for years ( .45C / acp convertible) was probably my favorite. And as previously stated, they are proofed for higher than SAAMI /ANSI specs. BTW, I always carried /loaded 6 and the current Cattleman versions can also be carried safely with one "under the hammer".
Again, Ruger is as you say, a very nice S.A. and is the basis for many builds from mild to extreme! I'm definitely a fan of the 3-screws!!
Mike
The .480 and .454 Bisleys are Super Blackhawks...
I call it progress. You don’t have to push the .45 Colt to .454 levels (that’s a 65,000 PSI ceiling), but you sure can make it a more invigorated cartridge by NOT limiting it to 14,000 PSI.....
I guess bias ply tires work, so why step up to radials...
Ed Ames
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Well, nothing wrong with that.
Always good to get different takes on an issue.I suppose I’d interpret “hot loads” a bit more generally than that, thinking they wanted the ability to run the hot commercially available ammo or recognized loading table loads. In normal times I can hit up the local ammo seller and pick up .45 colt ammo that is well above SAAMI or Italian proof loads.
But, as I said, nothing wrong with that.
I don’t have anything against either of those makers, but, again, Ruger plays at the bottom end of that space too. If you want a .454 s.a. for under $1200 Ruger has several options for you.
Is that the new firing pin system they introduced around 2016? I’ve heard the manual says to load 5, implying they don’t 100% trust the system. I could be wrong about that.
I genuinely wish there were other options that more closely matched the OP’s wish list. Nothing against Ruger, I just like options.
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