Impulse buy, now what do I do with it???

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Farnham

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I realized the irony of this purchase on the way home from the range/store today. Go to the range with a Glock 17C and a RRA CAR-15, and come back with a Glock 17C, an RRA CAR-15, and this --

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I think it was a combination of watching "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", Tales of the Gun (Colt episode, very educational) and the article in this month's American Rifleman about Beretta buying out Uberti. It's a used Uberti in 45LC, and while I looked at a nice Ruger Single Six, it wouldn't stop whispering, "Buy me, buy me." So I did. :neener:

So, anything important I need to know about the care and feeding of this hand cannon? The only other handgun I own is the aforementioned Glock, and I qualified on the M-9 in the Marines. Prior to that, the Single Six is the only handgun I'd ever fired.

The only ammo they had was some of the SASS Winchester stuff (anemic at best), so what else can I feed this thing? What's a good hard hitting reload recipe? I'm sure this will provide me with an excuse to get dies in 45LC (and probably a lever action in 45LC :evil: ).
 
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I like a 255 grain cast bullet (I use a Lee wide flatnose, cast of wheel weights and lubed with liquid Alox) loaded ahead of 19 grains of H4227,for about 1000 fps from my 7 1/2" barreled Colt New Service. Your revolver should be safe with the same load.
 
Did the same thing last year, funny feeling huh.

Went in to look at a new AR upper, and came home with a Cimarron Single Action, which is made my Uberti also, but refinished and regripped by Cimarron.

That Winchester stuff in your picture is a nice soft shooting load, but it's pretty expensive. I have been feeding mine plain old Blazer in .45LC and it eats it up.
I did find some .45LC Silvertips and carried the thing CCW once on a whim.

Funny thing about these, I find myself unable to shoot it 2 handed. I can only shoot the gun with one hand. I guess it's the shape of the grip, or one too many movies.

Enjoy that thing, it's a load of fun! And yes, I too am on the lookout for lever action in matching caliber, but I can't find any that don't cost a fortune.
 
The best way to shoot it is first put the hammer at half cock open the loading gate, load one round then pass up the next chamber and finsh loading with four more rounds, then pull the hammer back and lower the hammer on an empty chamber. Never load more than 5 rounds or carry with the hammer on a loaded chamber. There is alot of places that carry "cowboy loads". Nice gun :D
 
Thanks for all the suggestions and info, folks, I can't wait to get out and try it out.

I noticed the same thing, TexasSIGman, it just doesn't want to be held two handed. Gotta turn sideways and fire "duelist" (thanks for the link to sassnet.com, Braz, looks like fun) style.

Farnham
 
You asked about loads - -

--Anyone's .45 Colt case. I like Star Line - - uniform, strong, high quality.---

--Just about any 250 to 255 gr. lead bullet, RNFP if you want to do the "Cowboy" style. I prefer the 250 LSWC - - A bit better game bullet or defensive proposition. (Not that the old RNFP didn't do quite well for anti-personnel use.)

--8.0 gr. of Win 231, or H. Universal, or Unique. I've used them all, and all work fine. These will give you somewhere around 840 fps, a good, pleasant load which lets you know you're shooting a major caliber revolver, and pretty similar to those Winchester cowboy loads in your photo. You can work up from there, very cautiously, if you wish. These loads will kill any paper target on your range, and whitetail deer as well. Any of them is more potent than a .45 ACP service ball load.

To try something a bit lighter, use the 230 lead roundnose bullets intended for .45 ACP, with the same powder charges as above. This gives a load similar to the old .45 S&W or "Scofield" load of Indian War times.

Farnham, you've acquired one of the supreme "fun guns" available, and there's utterly no call to try to turn it into a magnum. Heavy loads will reduce the life of this nifty handgun and accomplish. If ever you took a notion to pack it where bear or wild hawgs roam, you MIGHT want to mess with somewhat stronger loads. But a heavy duty Ruger in .45 Colt or a .44 magnum might be better for THOSE purposes.

Hope you enjoy your SAA big bore shooting as much as I have mine over the years. :)

Best,
Johnny
 
It's a common, sad story. I did the same thing a week ago, Uberti SAA (brass and CCH frame, 4-3/4") AND a Bearcat. I have an impulse buying problem.

I'd recommend getting some period style leather, it's meant to be slung down on your hip.

As for carry 5, I assume if you knew there was gonna be shooting, you'd load the sixth chamber. Does the gun go to half cock at that point? I can't believe a serious gunman would give up the extra shot in trade for nebulous carrying safety.
 
As for carry 5, I assume if you knew there was gonna be shooting, you'd load the sixth chamber. Does the gun go to half cock at that point?
Click to expand...
NO!

Point of order, there really is no such thing as half cock on a true SAA. There is Hammer down, Safety Notch, Loading Notch and Full Cock. The Loading Notch is for loading and unloading ONLY. NEVER, never, ever carry a single action in this condition.

If you knew there would be some serious social intercourse in your immediate future you'd load the sixth and put the hammer in the safety notch.

I can't believe a serious gunman would give up the extra shot in trade for nebulous carrying safety.
Click to expand...
BELIEVE IT.

There are many accounts of men foolish enough to carry six all of the time, who stepped down from their horse to tighten a cinch only to shoot themselves in the leg.

Elmer Keith lost more than one friend this way.

Now for those of you city folks who have never sat a saddle lemme explain a few things. (Please bear with me if you have.)

The cinch is the band that goes underneath a horse or pony to hold the saddle in the correct riding position. It is secured by a loop-back through a double D-ring. During extended riding it is not uncommon to have to dismount to adjust the tension.

When you stop to adjust the cinch you throw the stirrup up over the saddle.
Usually you pull with both hands and finish up with your left hand on the saddle horn and your right hand on the cinch for one last tug to center the saddle.
During this whole operation, it is not uncommon for the stirrup to slip and fall. In fact you can almost count on it.
Now it usually falls harmlessly but often it will glance off of your right hip.
IF you are wearing a revolver, with the hammer resting on the safety notch over a loaded chamber, you will, more than likely end up with a hole extending from mid thigh to, um, er, oh,
at least your knee and quite possibly your ankle!

Hopefully you will miss the artery.

If not climb back on the horse as fast as possible and loop the reins around the saddle horn and then TIE THEM SECURELY TO YOUR BELT!

That way when the horse finds its way back to the barn your corpse will arrive simultaniously thus saving everyone the time and trouble to search for your assets.



Any questions?
 
There is one exception to the 5-shot rule. In smaller calibers (for example, my SAA in .357) it is possible to lower the hammer all the way, so the firing pin rests between the rims of adjacent rounds.

But with a .45, load one, skip one, load four, cock and lower the hammer on the empty chamber.
 
Looking for .45Colt ammo?

My favorite commercial reloader, National Bullet Company in Eastlake, Ohio has a deal on "Cowboy Action" loads:

45 LONG COLT 200GR. RNFP 500
Regular Price is $153.00 per 500 Save $14.00 $139.00

45 LONG COLT 250GR. RNFP 500
Regular Price is $153.00 per 500 Save $14.00 $139.00

If you send in your empties for reloading, it is $101 per 500. Bullet is Round Nose Flat Point soft lead, sort of a semi-wadcutter. [A semi-semi-wadcutter?]

Sure pounds the price of up to $25 for 50 rounds, eh?

No shipping charge right now, either. (Ever thought about how heavy 500 rounds of .45Colt is?)

1-440-951-1854
www.NationalBullet.com

I have no financial interest in National Bullet; however, I am a very satisfied customer.

P.S. Enjoy your new-2-u shooter. But DO NOT load those insane super zombie monster butt-stomper rounds {like the Garret HammerHead, BufaloBore, Cor-Bon, etc} in that revolver. While a very nice shooter, it isn't up to eating loads that the Blackhawks & Vaqueros sneer at. There is a valid reason why those super zombie ammo makers use the Vaqueros & Blackhawks for load testing....some loads are marked RUGER ONLY.
 
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Bluesbear,

I meant "nebulous carry safety" from the time of, say, loading the 6th round outside the saloon until you are inside the swinging doors and firing. Not loading up at the ranch and riding into town. :D

So the "safety notch" is the first stop, with the hammer just back from the frame?

That's where the hammer seems to want to end up when lowering it. (on an empty chamber, while practicing the manual of arms)

Thanks for pointing out the saddling danger, aside from falling into or off of something I always wondered where that "sharp blow to the hammer" was supposed to come from. :)
 
Quote:
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I meant "nebulous carry safety" from the time of, say, loading the 6th round outside the saloon until you are inside the swinging doors and firing. Not loading up at the ranch and riding into town.
----------------------------------------

Not every cowboy got into a gunfight every time he went into a saloon. But a lot of cowboys came out of saloons three sheets to the wind -- an ideal condition to both forget about having a live round under the hammer AND drop a stirrup on it.
 
I did about the same thing a few years ago...one of the few pieces I ever bought sight unseen. Mine was an early Uberti/Mitchell, adjustable-sight model with 4-3/4 inch barrel. Looked for all the world like a snubby Colt New Frontier. Considering I'd ordered the fixed sight version, I wasn't unhappy. Lovely brass grip frame, VERY nicely fitted and finished in every respect, and when I shot it with my 'standard' 255Keith/9grUnique load, it piled them into one hole. BUT...........
It shot a couple of inches high at 20 meters with the rear sight all the way down. Needed a taller front sight. I opted to file a bit off the bottom of the rear, and got it shooting close to center that way.
After a couple of hundred rounds and maybe 500 'dry' snaps, the main spring broke. Bad metal. Mitchell replaced it by return mail, but my confidence in the gun was shaken. I traded it away for an OM Ruger .41 Mag, and haven't regretted it. The Uberti shot well, though.
I've since heard that early ones were made of soft or poorly heat treated metal, though that could be a rumor only. Still, it being a Colt clone at best, stick with loads suitable for the ole' Model P and avoid the 'Ruger only' recipes.
 
Impulse buy

You will always regret an impulse buy. Send it to me and save yourself some grief.
 
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