Long Hunter tuned SAA clones

[YosemiteSam357]

Does anyone here have any experience with Long Hunter's tuned guns? Jim Finch does action work on several including the Cimarron Model P and the USFA Rodeo, and his prices on new guns with the work already done are pretty good. I first read about him in a gun rag article, and wanted to know if there was any real world experience out there I could tap into.

Secondary question: Is a tuned USFA Rodeo $265 "better" than a tuned Cimarron Model P? I don't do CAS, and am certainly not in the league of the cowboy gun gamers. I shoot for fun, but accuracy is important. I don't shoot thousands of rounds a year. I really just want a nice slick action in an SAA.

Thanks in advance,

-- Sam

 

[Jim March]

Huh. You know, I'd not heard of this guy before. But...OK, I know Rugers better than I know the "real Colt clones" like the Ubertis and USFAs. I own a New Vaq as most here know . So I looked at this page covering his Ruger work:

http://www.longhunt.com/firearms/ruger-nv.shtml

If I understand right, and you're buying a New Vaq supplied by him and tuned as specified there, for $575, I consider that a good deal. The mods he's suggesting are sane and should produce a very shootable combination.

So...it looks like, if you have the money and it's not THAT much over a regular dealer-shelf gun, this guy is worth doing business with. I glanced at his setups for the others and...my only "concern" is with the Evil Roy Cimarron as that's already tuned up pretty good. Might benefit from his extra touch though, I don't know the Cimarron line well enough to be certain.

All THAT said, I would consider buying a set of the Freedom Arms dovetailed front sights in different heights, mailing them to him with your order and asking that instead of checkering my stock front, I'd have him cut my barrel for the FA dovetail. I'm talking about these things:

http://gunblast.com/Freedom_NewSight.htm

I'd then have him grind the rear channel to match the FA front's width plus a bit. This should work well on any of the SAA-pattern guns. It cost me almost $200 to add something similar to my New Vaq so if you can get his basic package plus the FA front done for...probably less than $100, maybe less than $50 if you provide the front off of FA, then this is SO worth it.

I *think* this sight mod would be CAS/SASS legal but I'm not sure - I'd go ask on the SASS wire forums to be sure. This would be a cleaner version of the setup I have now, which I love for it's functionality but is kinda "blocky".

Trust me: the upgraded and dovetailed front was a wonderful addition to my gun.

 

[YosemiteSam357]

I emailed him and verified that he supplies the gun, etc. So yeah, for about $120 you get an action job on a Model P along with new springs, plus you don't have to send the gun off for the extra work. This is based on the price of a base Model P from the Buffalo Arms site ($375).

The Rodeo is an interesting angle. His price for a tuned one is $55 less than the price quoted on USFA's site. I suppose there are USFA dealers that sell cheaper than the manufacturer, but I'm not aware of them. I saw a few on the auction boards in the $650 range, and have seen some (long gone) used ones in the $500 range.

I've got no dog in this hunt, as they say, I'm just looking at options at this point.

-- Sam

 

[Jim March]

Right, I'm not trying to steer anybody any direction either. I'm just judging based on his Ruger deal. Looks damned decent.

 

[PotatoJudge]

Those prices are low. Wonder how the work is.

 

[YosemiteSam357]

Wonder how the work is.

Well, John Taffin was suitably impressed with the Rodeo in the article I read. Granted, those guys are paid not to dislike anything, but there were no USFA or Long Hunter ads in that issue...

And that jeweled hammer looks awful nice...

-- Sam

 

[peacemaker45]

USFAs are niiiiiiiice. With an action job of the caliber you'd get from jim, you've got a heck of a setup, just not pretty. Not because of anything jim did or didn't do, but because that's how the rodeos are.

~~~Mat

 

[El Rocoso]

While I've not personally handled any of Long Hunter's work, I do know that he's highly regarded in the CAS community. I have some good friends who know him and trust his work implicitly. He is also a fine CAS competitor, so he knows what's needed and what's not. I'm no shill for him, mind you; just passing on what meager info I have.

 

[Father Knows Best]

USFA's are indeed very nice. I owned a pair of Rodeos years ago when I first got started in cowboy shooting, and they were fine built firearms. The finish was a matte black, though, like something you'd expect to find on a Glock or SIG, as opposed to the polished blue you expect on single action revolvers.

As for Long Hunter, I don't know him and haven't seen his work. He is highly regarded in the cowboy action community, however, and has been in business for many years. That's a business where your reputation is everything, by the way, and his is stellar, so I wouldn't hesitate to order from him.

 

[Father Knows Best]

Jim, I do really like the sight mod you suggest, but I have doubts about its legality for SASS. I haven't been active in SASS for the last year, but my understanding is that adjustable sights have always been restricted to the Modern category, and a sight that can be drifted in a dovetail is "adjustable." I think the rule was meant to apply to rear sights, but it may well apply to front sights, too. That would severely limit your ability to use guns with such a sight setup in SASS matches.

More importantly, SASS adopted a whole set of new rules on modifications just a year or so ago, and I'm not familiar with the details. Under the new rules, however, any mod is presumably illegal unless it is specifically listed under the rule as a permissible modification. You'd have to check that list to see whether such a front sight mod is listed. If I remember correctly, it's o.k. to checker or serrate a front sight, but not to undercut it or radically change it to a more modern shape. If that's the case, then any gun with that mod is banned from SASS use, period.

That's not to say you shouldn't do it, of course. There are lots of great uses for single action revolvers that don't involve SASS.

 

[El Rocoso]

I don't compete in CAS events but do like single action revolvers. I have USFA Rodeos, a Cimarron Model P, and a Ruger New Vaquero. All of mine have been fine shooters. The USFAs are precisely built and finely timed. I like the bead-blast black finish for a shooter and would love to have a polished case colored USFA but just haven't spent the money yet. My Cimarron is an excellent shooter with a very nice trigger out of the box. The case colors on them (they are Ubertis) is nice, but subdued. Unless you get the Evil Roy, they have the old "v" shape narrow rear sight groove. Some contend that the Uberti parts tend to be softer than some others and may not hold up as well over time. I have had no trouble with mine. The Ruger New Vaquero is a great shooter (for me, anyway) out of the box. it has a good rear sight groove and as a Ruger, has all coil springs and the transfer bar. My trigger was fine without any work for my purposes. Of course the Ruger "case colors" are an applied finish which, at least on the original Vaqueros, didn't hold up well with time and a lot of shooting.
If you're looking for an adjustable sighted, Colt-sized single action and can live with .38/.357, the 50th Anniversary Flat-Top Blackhawks are still around and are splendid shooters.

 

[Jim March]

>>Some contend that the Uberti parts tend to be softer than some others and may not hold up as well over time.<<

My understanding is that the situation there has improved. Dunno the timescale but apparently within the last 5ish (BIG question mark!?) years they've gotten pretty good. Spring quality is about the last concern and even those ain't half bad and certainly easy to retrofit with Wolff or similar as desired.

 

[El Rocoso]

Thanks, Mr. March. I have read the same about their hardening. It may have coincided with Uberti's becoming part of the Beretta family. As you said, replacing springs is no problem. My Cimarron has been a fine shooter with no issues, as is. The fine folks at Cimarron--the Harvey family-- are splendid to deal with. I believe the "Evil Roy" model has been beefed up with coil springs replacing those small springs which are most likely to break, leaving the mainspring as is for smooth action.

 

[Jim March]

Last I heard, even the Cimarrons below the "Evil Roy" level got replacement US-made springs - flatsprings like the original, but still better than Italian springs.

I don't know if this is true of the new ultra-low-end series...I forget what they're called, but they're even less bucks than the standard Model P.

 

[YosemiteSam357]

I don't know if this is true of the new ultra-low-end series...I forget what they're called, but they're even less bucks than the standard Model P.

Cimarron has the Pistolero and Badlands. And I can't tell what the difference(s) are supposed to be between them, maybe just grips. Both brass grip framed matte finished guns. Pietta markets one as the Millenium, and I may end up with one of these "real soon now".

-- Sam

 

[Father Knows Best]

The only reliability problem I've experienced with Ubertis has been hand springs. I've fractured three or four hand springs over the years. Uberti guns tend not to have the fit and finish of USFA's or Rugers, but some are pretty good (it's hit and miss), and even those that are a little rough are generally fine with a little stoning and polishing of the internals. The mainsprings can be a little stiff (necessary to overcome drag from the poorly fitted parts), but again, springs can be shaved and polished, or just replaced, at very little effort and cost. I've been competing in CAS for six years now, the last five with Ubertis, and the only failures I've ever had have been broken hand springs. Unfortunately, the only good way to prevent that particular failure is to have them converted to a Ruger-style coil/plunger hand spring, and that's neither cheap nor easy. For that reason, I generally recommend Rugers only for people who put reliability above all else, and if you want to win at CAS, then reliability should be your #1 concern. FDew things ruin a match quicker than a broken gun.

 

[YosemiteSam357]

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