Interarms Virginian Dragoon .44 Mag

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gsbuickman

gsbuickman

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Hiya Guys :) ...

I just closed escrow on my first real big bore revolver, and in the fashion that I tend to do things ( go big or go home) this time is no different :) . This is my interarms Virginian Dragoon in 44 Mag. It came with the better part of four 50 rounds of once fired brass, a lot of which has already been primed and a 3 piece RCBS die set to reload for it that I can take full advantage of now that I have a reloading bench :) .

I've always wanted a big bore revolver in 44 that fit my hands but so far everyone I've handled felt too small, kind of like a tinker toy but not this one. It's got a case-hardened frame, heavy bull barrel and nice adjustable sights on it. The lock-up is nice and tight, the cylinder spins free and smooth and the rotation from chamber to chamber is firm and positive and it has a real nice single action trigger. Overall I'd say it's pretty damn nice for my first real revolver :) ...

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I had the .357 version several years ago. I was impressed. Big heavy old thing, as I recall. You've got a good gun, there. Congrats!
 
Thanks Jim , I hope so and it definitely looks and feels like a nice high quality revolver that was made here in the USA. I read a lot of threads on numerous gunboards and watched quite a few videos about these before I decided to try and close escrow on this one after it popped up on our local gun Grapevine. I traded an ATI HP9 9mm & a few boxes of shells for it.
 
I have the same piece as the one you just acquired and they are nice shooters. Mine has been dead accurate and never failed me. Mine has been carried a lot by me around my property. If I am outside it is on me, on my ATV or tractor. I encounter bears, snakes and on occasion two legged critters and this .44 magnum fits the bill nicely! I bought mine many years ago from a pawn shop. They had another Dragoon with a nickle finish, it was gorgeous, and I came close to purchasing it as well but there was an issue with the cylinder, someone had buggered the base pin up pretty bad to the point me and the shop gunny spent quite a bit of time getting it back in place. You have a fine weapon!
 
Congrats... I've had one in stainless for years... It's been a good gun... I've always liked it because, besides being a "4 click," it was more unique and looked more like a Colt SAA then the Blackhawks. What does your say on the butt of the grip? Mine is a "Liberty Forever".....
 
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I've always liked those with "Don't tread on me"...... Other unique features include the cylinder marks and the hammer safety... Not sure how practical a safety it is but it is unique....
 
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Bushpilot said:
I've always liked those with "Don't tread on me"...... Other unique features include the cylinder marks and the hammer safety... Not sure how practical a safety it is but it is unique....
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Yep , I agree . It is unique, I've never seen another revolver with a safety like this on it. In a way I think it's a better idea than a 1/4 or 1/2 cock on the hammer.

It definitely looks and feels like a vintage high quality revolver that was made here in the USA , unlike some of the lighter cheaper feeling revolvers that I've handled ie: Taurus among others . .
 
You probably already know this, but anyway......................

There are two "dimples" on the cylinder. Leave the chamber empty that these dimples straddle. Then, after loading five rounds, index the cylinder so that looking down on the top strap, those dimples appear on either side of the top strap. You now have an empty chamber under the hammer.

Bob Wright
 
As to the safety, that is referred to as the "Swiss Safety" or Swiss Safe" base pin. With the hammer at half cock, depress the cylinder latch and push the base pin in until the base pin latch seats in the next groove of the base pin. this was originated on the Hammerli made Virginian which was the forerunner of the Virginian Dragoon. The Virginian had to have it to be imported into the US, also some Uberti made and, I think, sme Pietta made Single Actions used this system. Not very handy as a safety, but it did get the guns into the US.

Bob Wright
 
My first big bore handgun was a Virginian Dragoon in 45 Colt back in 1983. It was stolen a few years later.
I bought another one in the early 90’s to replace it and used it for a short time to shoot Cowboy Action matches.
I ended up selling it to a friend that had big hands and replaced it with two EMF SAA copies.
 
I remember first seeing them on the IHMSA circuit in the late 70's early 80's. I had a chance to shoot one after a match one weekend. I remember being impressed with the quality. Especially as they weren't all that expensive at that time.
 
Had a friend yrs ago that had one, nice shooter, but his screws shot loose,(almost lost a frame screw, before he noticed it) after a box of factory rounds, after cleaning he put a dab of The reusable thread lock and no more problems.
 
A Virginia dragoon was my first .44.
Mine had a number of issues so I eventually sold it, but it was a well made gun for the price

OP, make sure you check a few pieces of fired brass before you get too invested in the gun. My dragoon had oversized chambers that left fired brass so ballooned that it had stretch marks and wouldn't fit in any of my other .44's
If I didn't reload I would still have the gun today
 
silicosys4 said:
A Virginia dragoon was my first .44.
Mine had a number of issues so I eventually sold it, but it was a well made gun for the price

OP, make sure you check a few pieces of fired brass before you get too invested in the gun. My dragoon had oversized chambers that left fired brass so ballooned that it had stretch marks and wouldn't fit in any of my other .44's
If I didn't reload I would still have the gun today
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Thanks for the heads upup, but I've read up on the "oversized bore cylinders" that some of the early dragoons had, that was the result of a QC issue during Mfg'ing. Fortunately interarms was able to resolve the issue fairly quickly and not too many of the dragoons were affected by the issue before it was fixed. I just went thru 400 pieces of brass (44 Mag & Spl) that came with the the Dragoon & randomly checked them against the cylinder and everything looks great :) ...

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Sounds like a score, I would chance picking up another one if it came around. Mine shook screws loose, flipped the loading gate open on every other shot, and shot 10" high at 25yds with anything but the lightest .44 spcl. loads even with the rear sight snug to the frame, but despite all that, I had a lot of love for the gun.
 
375supermag said:
Hi...
I have one of these in stainless steel.
Big, heavy strong revolver. Accurate as well.
I actually prefer it to my SBH in .44Mag.
Click to expand...

Kool :) . I've actually handled the Red Hawks and the Blackhawks but I didn't care for them, they were too small for my hands and they felt more like Tinker Toys to me. This on the other hand is a nice big full size revolver w/ a 7.5" barrel & it feels good in the hands and there's enough room on the grip for all my fingers, unlike the rugers which leave one or two fingers hanging off the grips. This won't be in my edc rotation but it will be a nice range gun and for field carry :) ...
 
silicosys4 said:
Sounds like a score, I would chance picking up another one if it came around. Mine shook screws loose, flipped the loading gate open on every other shot, and shot 10" high at 25yds with anything but the lightest .44 spcl. loads even with the rear sight snug to the frame, but despite all that, I had a lot of love for the gun.
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Wow , 10" @ 25 yds , really ? . That's nutz :what:. Did it have the factory front blade on it or had it been replaced with a shorter blade?, because the front blade on this one is really tall.
 
Factory front blade. I don't think you can swap out the front sight easily.
I was going to try grinding on the rear sight out of desperation but came to my senses and just sold it.
 
silicosys4 said:
Sounds like a score, I would chance picking up another one if it came around. Mine shook screws loose, flipped the loading gate open on every other shot, and shot 10" high at 25yds with anything but the lightest .44 spcl. loads even with the rear sight snug to the frame, but despite all that, I had a lot of love for the gun.
Click to expand...

Did you buy it new? Maybe a previous owner regulated the front for powder puff specials.
 
A taller front sight is a lot simpler to add than grinding down the rear sights I'd think.

Heck, some old timers would cut a penny in half and silver solder it in place for a taller front sight.
 
, Alright Guy's, I just picked up 200 rds of ammo for this beast for $75 .
50 rds 240 grn (tcsp) hp 44 mags
100 rds Remington 240 grn lead flat nose
50 rds Ultramax 200 grn lead, round nose

That'll put me up to 600 pieces of brass I'll be able to reload for this beast .


For those that are, wondering, this isn't an imported Hammerli produced dragoon . This is an Interarms Dragoon that was produced in Midland VA in 1976-77 .

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