Newbie Question - Fast loading cowboy guns?

[slyfox_1973]

Hi all,

I apologize if this question may sound ridiculous, but I am new to firearms. (I just relocated from communist NYC to Texas)

I am very interested in "cowboy" guns and the nostalgic look and feel about them. I have shot some single action revolvers and enjoyed them very much. The only draw-back I see to them is the reloading process. Ejecting each spent case one-by-one is just too time consuming! (especially in a gunfight!)

I understand that using a double action revolver solves this, but are there any double actions that have the cowboy "look" and feel"?

How about revolvers that break down?

I really want to purchase a revolver that has the look of the old west, but the ease of reloading found in modern guns. Am I asking for too much?

Thanks in advance for any help...

Sly Fox

 

[akashooter]

even if you get a cowboy action revolver that can load faster than one by one, and shoot faster the barrel is going to get too hot

 

[kentucky_smith]

schofield?

Not sure if there are speedloaders available?

 

[Deer Hunter]

I'd suggest a Berreta Laramie, it's a top-break single action revolver that's chambered in many different and popular calibers.

 

[usmccpl]

If you are worried about slow rreload time do like a movie stunt double I watched once.He would shoot 2 rounds then reload one then shoot one and reload one,until I saw that I always wondered how actors could turn a six gun into a 12 18 24 or more shooter.






one shot one kill

 

[TallPine]

Ejecting each spent case one-by-one is just too time consuming! (especially in a gunfight!)

Single action cartridge revolvers based on the 1873 Colt SAA are very quick to reload compared to the cap and ball (loose powder) revolvers that preceded them

 

[Texas_Cowboy]

Hey Slyfox....

Let me ask you, are you wanting a Concealed carry for protection? or just like shooting the old style guns?

In my old west re-enacting I love the Colt 45 peacemaker, but for safty, only carry 5 shells & leave the hammer on an empty chamber ... if dropped, you could hurt or get hurt. Safty first....
As far as the schofield, great gun, it will eject the cartriges like you want, and sometimes when you don't.... a friend of mine has one, (in an Old-West Re-enactment) he tried to rob me in the dark, a scuffle occured, his gun opened & ejected all his cartriges, Lucky for me that day I lived, he died.

I love to shoot old west guns, but I carry a Wather. Also Old-West Re-enacting allows you to practice with blanks in situations of robbery & gun play with others, it will make you realize that if that situation occurs in real life, you will not survive, with practice, your chances are better.

I am still very much a newbie as far as guns go, but thought I might put in my two cents. I became a member to gain knowledge
Glenn

 

[Jim March]

One option with SAA-pattern or near-pattern (like most Ruger SAs) is to use bottleneck cartridges, either old-school (38-40, 44-40) or new-age (356GNR, a wildcat where you neck down a 41Mag shell to 357). These allow faster insertion and tend to drop free more easily than straight-wall cartridges.

The 38-40 is a ballistic twin of the 40S&W but about 120 years or so older...and being a bigger shell, operates at lower pressure which also aids in "free dropping".

The advantage of the 356GNR is that you don't need to swap barrels...just start with any 357Mag gun and have the cylinder sent off to Gary Reeder for reaming. Get his sets of reloading dies and some starter ammo from his ammo spin-off company and you're set.

If you start with a Ruger 357Mag SA built on the 44Mag frame (most Blackhawks and the Old Vaquero) you can get some big power going. If you start on a smaller frame (basically any normal-sized 357Mag, any SAA clone, the Ruger 50th Anniversary 357 on the mid-frame and the mid-frame New Vaquero) you can get power levels somewhat in excess of the 357Mag but also get a better "free falling" effect - open the loading gate, point the gun up, spin the cylinder. Esp. if you do ammo that's either mild by 357Mag standards or a stout 38Spl+P. Bigger case volume means less pressure, less pressure means less sticky extraction.

For loading, one possibility is tubes capped by corks or something. Barrel down, put the uncorked tube against the loading gate, spin cylinder. Hold the back of the tube in your teeth I guess . It's been done by people eccentric enough .

Then there's the "Clint Eastwood reload"...two or more cylinders for the same gun, swap the whole cylinder. On the large-frame Rugers the cylinder pin is retained in the gun. In the New Vaq and 50th 357 Blackhawk it can come free, you'd have to fix that first somehow (over-length base pin head). Now you're gettin' pretty wild .

 

[mainmech48]

About the only viable option to the classic SAA-type loading/ejection system that's legal for the Cowboy Costume Show I can think of are the repros of the S&W No.3. Top-break design with automatic extraction/ejection, and much faster than one-at-a-time.

Three basic iterations, from two different brand names, all Italian. The "Schofield" model, the "Russian" and the "New Model No.3" differ primarily in their profiles and way the latching mechanism is done. The Beretta "Laramie" pictured above is a repro of the "New Model" No.3. The "Schofield" and "Russian" are made by Uberti.

The Schofield's latch is on the frame, where it was relocated by Maj. George Schofield in order to make S&W's original design more suitable for mounted cavalry use where one hand is generally occupied with the reins. The redesigned latch made it easier to open and eject spent rounds with one hand.

The original No.3 "American", the Russian Model, and the New Model all have the latch on the topstrap and require both hands to manipulate. The Russian has a different grip shape from the original No.3 American and Schofield, and a curious finger rest on the trigger guard. The New Model has a grip very similar to the Russian, but without the finger rest.

Calibers, barrel lengths and finish options vary. All are generally quite well-made, accurate and reliable. Avoid anything marked "Armi San Marco" no matter how attractively priced.

The S&W repros aren't inexpensive. They are much more complex machines than the more "conventional" SA designs and require a good deal of skilled hand work even with modern manufacturing methods. They are however quite competitively priced with the "premium" SAA clones of comparable quality. The Ruger New Model Vacqueros are about the only exception, running a hundred bucks or so under the Navy/Uberti Schofields and three or more below the Berettas.

 

[Spartacus451]

Jim, does the New Vaquero in .45LC have the small frame? I am looking for a fixed sight SA from Ruger that can take some heavy loads.

 

[slyfox_1973]

Thanks for all the advice......

Just wanted to thank you all for helping out this newbie.

My main reason for this question was that I really love the look and feel of the SA. I would like to purchase one and maybe use it as an option for home defense (along with my 12ga.)

I am not a big hand-gunner, and most likely will own no more than 2 handguns. Long-guns are another story and I have that department covered already. With that said, I am probably looking at purchasing a .357 since I know I can handle that caliber. A .45 may be too much for me, especially since I am very green when it comes to handguns. I have shot the .357, and I'm pretty confident in my shot placement with one.

I don't ever foresee myself in a gun-fight and hope the day never comes, but the reloading time for a SA was just something that nagged on me. Maybe I'll just buy a twin set of .357s and a nice gun belt to go along with it!

On the other hand....... do they make DA revolvers that actually "look" and feel like the SAs of the old west?

 

[Axman]

How about an Uberti Millenium .45LC? I had the oppurtunity to try a friend's Uberti out and liked the feel of it. Great looks too.

 

[Jim March]

>>Jim, does the New Vaquero in .45LC have the small frame? I am looking for a fixed sight SA from Ruger that can take some heavy loads.<<

The New Vaq in 45LC is on the mid-size SAA-sorta frame size. Cylinder wall thickness is alarmingly lacking. Stick a Buffalo Bore 325gr 1,300fps supermonster in there and you've probably got a hand grenade.

For a fixed-sight 45LC SA Ruger on the 44Mag-class frame, find an Old Vaquero.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I really want to purchase a revolver that has the look of the old west, but the ease of reloading found in modern guns. Am I asking for too much?

That's why they carried 2!

A .45 may be too much for me, especially since I am very green when it comes to handguns. I have shot the .357, and I'm pretty confident in my shot placement with one.

If you have fired .357 then .45LC will be a sweetheart. The Magnum is a much snappier recoil than the big ole .45.


Now, financially the .357 is better for sure.

 

[Texfire]

Welcome to Texas.

You've hit on the trick for quick reloads of a SAA gun, have a second gun. This also allows you double the rounds available for immeadiate use, as well as redundancy for platform failures and squib loads. If you have a failure in your primary gun, switch to the backup firearm instead of trying to diagnose and fix the failure. The number of rounds isn't limiting, lots of people carry 5-shot revolvers, statistically that's more than you'll need in an encounter, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with playing the odds that way and like you've said, reload times are extended in comparison to more modern actions.

I have and shoot SAA clones for CAS, but use semi-autos for home defense and CCW with the exception of one double-action revolver, my S&W 642, which is an occasional pocket gun.

 

[TallPine]

That's why they carried 2!

yeah, the fastest reload is a second gun

A .45 may be too much for me, especially since I am very green when it comes to handguns.

Actually, the standard pressure .45 Colt is pretty mild, especially in the large frame Rugers (Blackhawk and "old" Vaquero). Feels about like a .38 special to me.

OTOH, the large frame Ruger .45's can handle some loads that will definitely hurt your hands (hopefully, they would hurt a bear somewhat worse )

BTW, the transfer bar single actions (Rugers and some others) can be carried with six rounds, but the true SAA clones should only be carried with five as Jim already said.

And I don't see any problem with a single action revolver for self defense

 

[RPCVYemen]

I would like to purchase one and maybe use it as an option for home defense (along with my 12ga.)

You'd have to in a pretty rought neighborhood if you couldn't fight your way to your 12 ga. with 6 rounds of .45 Colt

Mike

 

[TexasRifleman]

And I don't see any problem with a single action revolver for self defense

Same here. I have a SAA loaded with 5 rounds of .45 Silvertips sitting on my desk at home on a display stand. People think it's decoration

 

[dpote]

I may be an idiot for saying this, but for my .357 Blackhawk, I use an M1 carbine magazine as a speed loader. I've gotten fairly quick at it, but not as quick as the New York.

Dave

 

[HiWayMan]

SKS stripper clips do the trick for .38 and .357 guns. Start the cartridge into the hole and pull to the side. Repeat as needed. And they hold 10, two perfect reloads for those that only carry five beans in the pot.

 

[ScottsGT]

Ahhhh..My favorite gun subject, at the moment. I just bought a New Vaquero in .45LC and all the reloading supplies to go with it. Very affordable if you reload. I would suggest to stick with the .45LC if you want a cowboy gun, since the .45LC is the original. Not bad recoil either. Don't let the size of the round fool you. that big old honkin' hunk of brass was made that big to hold a lot of black powder. With the new powders, it is just a small ammount in the bottom of the shell. That's why they came out with Trail Boss powder. to fill the case. Go over to the reloading section if your interested in that aspect. But I'd stick with the .45LC, but your choice of guns varies. 7 1/2" barrel, 5 1/2", 4 1/4", blue, stainless, customized with a brass frame birds head grip, ivory grips, stag grips, it just keeps going. But the Vaquero for a fun gun, don't worry about speed reloading. Just plink with it and have fun. If you want a carry gun, get something different unless you get real good with a single action. I've got a friend that I let shoot mine. he's not the worlds most "gun savvy" person. I loaded 6 in the cylinder, and handed it to him on the firing line. I had to chuckle my butt off when he started squeezing the trigger and it would not go off. After about 10 seconds, I finally yelled to him, "You might want to cock that hammer if you want to hear it go bang!"

 

[Onmilo]

If you end up getting into cowboy action shooting, double action guns are out even though double action guns proved extremely popular with the original old west gunfighters.

The copies of the Smith and Wesson single action top break revolvers are still the fastest reloading revolvers available in the current market.
Because the empty cases are ejected you can learn to load three cartridges at a time by holding them correctly in your hand as you drop them into the chambers.
There have been rumors that some company may soon be making a replica of the Merwin Hulbert forward ejecting single action revolver available.
Calibers are supposed to be .38 Special, .44/40, .45 Colt, and .44 Russian.
This would be a wonderful and fast reloading gun if they become available.HTH