Ruger 4 5/8 45 Colt

[Red Cent]

I have discovered something interesting. Not particularly a gun. It seems no one wants 5 1/2" Rugers and no one will let go 4 5/8" Rugers. Now, I am not talking outrageous sale prices or lowball buy prices.

In the members estimation, what would be the value of a Ruger NM Vaquero 4 5/8"s, SS, 45 Colt in excellent used condition?

What would be the value of a cased set of SASS Rugers, SS, 5 1/2"s, used in excellent condition?

 

[midland man]

lol I want the 5.5in version as I have the uberti hombre model in 45c witch has the 4 3/4in barrel but rather have the 5.5in!

 

[kiskicowboy]

I can agree with that Red Cent, have a set listed at a great price, and so far no takers.

 

[red rick]

I prefer a 5 1/2" . I have passed locally on 4 5/8 " models .

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have a 5 1/2" model, and consider it ideal. It has a long sight radius, compared to the shorter barrel, but is short enough to allow me to sit, drive, and so on while wearing it.

 

[bannockburn]

Red Cent

Right now in my collection the 5 1/2" barreled single actions outnumber the 4 5/8" barreled revolvers 3 to 2. I like the 4 5/8" barrel for aesthetic reasons; basically I just like the way it looks more than anything else. But there's something about the 5 1/2" barrel that gives me a feeling of being better balanced in my hand along with providing me a slightly longer sight radius. These two barrel lengths are pretty much my favorites in single actions though I also have a 7 1/2" barreled single action (U.S. Cavalry Model replica), and even one with an 8" barrel (Colt Model 1860).

 

[Ed Ames]

I can't really help on the value questions, except...

Are you sure it is the barrel length and not the matched-set-ness? To be honest outside of SASS shooters I am not sure who would be in the market for a pair of shooter-grade single action revolvers. I personally wouldn't buy both as a set for for more than maybe 1.8 of what I'd pay for the better of the two alone (so if I would pay $500 for one of the guns, I'd pay at most $900 for the pair). The reason comes down to opportunity cost. Money spent on a duplicate is money I can't spend on a gun that isn't a duplicate (and is therefore more interesting). That reduces the value of the duplicate in any transaction with me as the buyer. That would change if my use required a matched pair...but, again, outside of SASS competition where will you find that?

FWIW: When it comes to looks, my favorite is the 3.75" and goes down as the barrel length goes up. When it comes to shooting, I think it probably goes 3.75", 4.625", 7.5", 5.5" with the 5.5" at the end because the barrel is long enough to be inconvenient but not long enough to give that old school long sight radius.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

with the 5.5" at the end because the barrel is long enough to be inconvenient but not long enough to give that old school long sight radius.

Actually, I find the 5.5" barrel easy to carry. I make my own holsters, and my Single Action holster carries the gun fairly high and completely encloses the trigger guard.

And the sight radius seem to lose very little compared to the 7.5" barrel.

 

[Ed Ames]

It is probably just a personal quirk of mine.

I tend to find revolver barrels of more than about 2.5" a bit awkward, with exceptions (NAA mini revolvers with 4" barrels are fine). I also have a fondness for old school long-barrel shooting irons, everything from single shot flintlock pistols up to Colt C&B monsters with 8"+ barrels, where I still find them awkward but I like them anyway. Yeah, not very consistent. The 5.5" isn't one or the other so it doesn't get the love from me it perhaps deserves.