My 1873 Uberti Cattleman Single Action 357, and lusting after Rugers

[NateCowlishaw]

Hey Guys,

I was going to buy a second gun to go with my Uberti 357, which is going to be a 45 Colt. But then I've been eyeing the Ruger Blackhawk... Maybe I should buy two Blackhawks and sell my current Uberti? Or Maybe I should keep my Uberti 357, and purchase a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt, with a 5 1/2 inch barrel. If I could get a matching pair, coming from two different manufacturers, that would be good. But, oh well... :banghead:

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Your Uberti is a much truer to the original SAA design than the Ruger.

Nothing wrong with either.

 

[ScottsGT]

Oh yea... You've officially become a gun nut! Just get one of each. Life's too short to not have enough guns

 

[bakert]

Yep, your Cattleman is a very nice revolver but if you like single actions you just gots to get one of these too.

 

[Seancass]

i bought a ruger first off, and it left me longing for a half-cock gun. unless you buy an old model that is. if you reload i'd go ruger since i've heard you can run hotter loads through them. if not, save youself money and get the uberti.

 

[NateCowlishaw]

Hmmmm....

So would a Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt (for hot loads as an extra), go good with my 357 Uberti? I also figure why would I want super-duper loads for my 357 when that is why they extended the 38 special to a Magnum? When supplies dry up I want to have both so that I will be able to find ammo for one or the other . Plus I need one of America's oldest calibers... I'm a cross between collecting replicas, and being somewhat modern, so I like Ruger! I've even developed the bias in favor of Ruger, because I own a pretty little Mark III Pistol...

 

[NateCowlishaw]

"Oh yea... You've officially become a gun nut! Just get one of each. Life's too short to not have enough guns"


I love this the quote, Scott! Now I have the justification needed to keep on buying, collecting, and stuff.

 

[November]

You definitely need one of each

 

[Wolfen]

NateCowlishaw -

Sorry my camera is Out to lunch, or I'd post pictures of my new "Fun Shooter" -
Stainless New Ruger Vaquero in 45 Colt.. What a bute, both to look at and to shoot.
If you're not into reloading, you still have Six factory rounds at your disposal -
38 Spec & .357 Mag in one - 44 Spec & 44 Mag in one and 45 Schofield & 45 Colt in
one. Of course, the best thing is to reload.

Go with RUGER!! If you must use hotter loads, go for a Ruger Vaquero in 45 Colt. It will handle
heavier loads than the New Vaquero. Or you can get either in .357. Then you can get a Super Blackhawk
in .44 Mag and have all the High Power shooting you will ever want.

As soon as I sell my Merrill Sportsman with 5 barrels - 2 in 22 LR, 1 in .357 Mag, 1in 7mm Rocket and 1 in 30 Merrill - I'm ordering my Stainless Super Blackhawk in 44 Mag with a 7 1/2 " barrel. After enjoying it foe a few rounds, I'll send it to Ruger for re-barreling to 4 5/8". That will give me a Flat Back with non fluted cylinder in 4 5/8" like my New Vaquero. What a pair.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Franco2shoot]

Anniversary

I sprung for the anniversary model which is being offered just now, and just love it.. Fires .44 specials which you can handle all day long, but I throw in a couple magnums just for the thrill.. As an owner/operator, I can highly endorse one..

KKKKFL

 

[ScottsGT]

"Oh yea... You've officially become a gun nut! Just get one of each. Life's too short to not have enough guns"


I love this the quote, Scott! Now I have the justification needed to keep on buying, collecting, and stuff.

Anything to help a brother gun nut out! Now you want to see something to cry over? Here is my Dad's Series 1 Colt next to my Ruger. I'll never get to own this gun since my brother was smart enough to name his son after him, so my nephew will get it one day. And I'm the family's gun nut! :banghead:

 

[NateCowlishaw]

Response to Wolfen

Actually Wolfen,

I heard the Ruger Vaquero is not designed to withstand high pressured loads only the Black Hawk. Now I need to know this for sure if I am going to look into getting a Vaquero. They are beautiful guns, in fact some of the finishes are outstanding! I'm wanting a 45 colt revolver that can take high pressure loads, that is my concern, especially if I am going to learn the reloading process!

 

[xd45gaper]

ScottsGT your brother named his son Series 1 Colt?!

 

[LoneCoon]

Oddly enough, I just got an Navy Arms .357 to go with my Marlin 1894c...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

LoneCoon,
Very nice!! Which model is that?

Also, are the Navy Arms revolvers better than the Uberti ones?

 

[Jim March]

NateCowlishaw:

The original Ruger "Vaquero" (sometimes called by people around here the "Old Vaquero" was built on the 44Magnum-sized frame first seen in the 1973 Blackhawks/SuperBlackHawks.

That "Vaquero" can handle any load the other large-frame guns can, in 45LC or any other caliber.

There is a new "mid frame" size class Ruger that cannot handle 44Mag ammo or 45LC"+P" of basically similar horsepower. This "mid frame" is similar in heft, size and strength to the Colt SAA 2nd or 3rd gen, or the various clones of same you've seen in this thread. Or the various USFA sixguns.

SO FAR this new mid-frame has appeared on two guns:

* Ruger 50th Anniversary 357Magnum Blackhawk (always blue, adjustable sight, 4.68" barrel).

* Ruger New Vaquero (various barrel lengths, stainless or blue with fake case color frame, 357Magnum or 45LC).

The New Vaq in 45LC is the ONLY Ruger 45LC factory gun that cannot take "Ruger ONLY!!!" ammo by Buffalo Bore, Doubletap or the like. This gun should be fed ammo marked as compatible with the Colt SAA 2nd/3rd generation although it's possibly just a hair stronger.

Adding to the confusion: you'll see references to the "50th Anniversary Blackhawk" being on the mid-frame. That was true until the 50th Anniversary 44Magnum Blackhawk came out which combines a larger primary frame size with the SMALLER grip frame size of the New Vaquero and 50th Anniversary 357. In other words, it's a "hybrid". A GOOD hybrid. Also the ONLY 44Magnum Ruger single action that does not bear the word "Super" before the word "Blackhawk". Same gun Franco2shoot posted above, damned fine piece.

If you want a large-frame Vaquero, they are discontinued but still pretty common on the used market. Prices are rising though on many calibers, especially 45LC. 357 and 44Mag, not so much unless they're one of the special-run multi-caliber sets (357/9mm, 44Mag/44-40, etc.). There was a 38-40/40S&W convertible special run Vaquero that's probably worth decent coin now. "Bisley Vaqueros" will be worth more than plain "Vaqueros".

I think the New Vaqueros are better-built guns and have detailed that on other posts on this subject. I suspect most people are better served with the new mid-frame series so long as they don't need more power than the 357 can deliver, or in 45LC a 255gr lead slug doing 1,000fps or a 200gr JHP at 1,100.

 

[LoneCoon]

ArchAngelCD:

It's my understanding they're of similar quality to the Uberti's. It's the 1873 Single Action .357. I took it shooting on Sunday and I must say, for the $275 I paid for it, I'm VERY pleased.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Only $275 hmmm, I just might hafta geme one a dem dare shootin irons!!

 

[Golddog]

Pick up a Ruger to see how you like the feel. They're bigger and clumsier, at least for me.

 

[Jim March]

"Rugers" are no longer "bigger and clumsier".

Large frame (aka 44mag frame) are. The new mid-frame series are not.

It's no longer accurate to condemn all Rugers as "big and clumsy".

On edit: the reason I call the New Vaquero and 50th Anniversary 357 Blackhawk "mid frame" is that the Single Six series is properly "small frame". Buffalo Bore has been calling the New Vaq and 50th 357 "small frame". I disagree with their terminology.