SAA Replicas

[AZ Jeff]

I was toying with the idea of getting a replica of the Colt Single Action Army Model of 1873, probably in .45LC caliber.

I know there are a ton of makers out there, including AWA, Uberti, US Firearms Co., as well as Colt themselves.

I am pretty much looking for just a "shooter", and not something collectable. So the actual Colt's are a bit too pricey, as would be the high end US Firearms.

Does anyone have any feedback on how the AWA or Uberti replicas hold up under use? I don't intend to fire heavy loads in whatever I get, but I don't want something that will be loose and out of time in 1000 rounds.

Any feedback from SAA users would be appreciated.

 

[hillbilly]

I have an Armi San Marco Colt 1873 clone that I really like.

And I didn't like single action old west revolvers, either.

Ubertis and Armi San Marco are basically the same thing. I went with this one because I got a real deal on it.

Also, check out Cabela's "Millenium Revolver" for less than $250 brand new.

The Millenium Revolver got good reviews.

hillbilly

 

[retiredsgt]

SAA's

I never thought much of any of them, but Colt. I recently
fell in love with the Ruger Birdshead grip SS Vaq. in .45 Colt.
I bought a new one with a 3 3/4" barrel and am amazed
with the quality. And it is made HERE! I now use it for CCW.
Check out the Rugers.

 

[DonP]

Got a Cimarron/Uberti/Benelli in 45 ACP & 45LC

I picked up a used Cimmaron SAA clone that came with 2 cylinders, one 45 ACP and one in 45 LC.

It's turned out to be a great combination that lets me practice with cheap 45 ACP and keep my 45 LC ammo prices down.

Very smooth action, (actually much better than a Colt Cowboy I tried) and easy to change. It has the original four stop cocking and a way to use the center pin as a semi-safety to keep the hammer from reaching the primer. I still only load 5 rounds anyway.

Don P.

 

[JCM298]

Ruger

I stopped at my local gunshop and saw a used Vaquero, .357. I looked at it and put back. A week later it was still there. Looked again and put it back again. Two weeks later it was still there. Looked again and compared it to a new Sheriff's model. The used one looked better and was cheaper.


I bought it......just because! It will serve no useful purpose. I will not carry it as a CCW. I have no plans to join CAS (?) and I won't even get a holster for it.

Yesterday, I had to test the new Crimson Trace grips on my Smith 340SC, the 12 oz "beast" . After that, I decided to try the Ruger.

The first round was so mild, after shooting the "beast", I thought I had a squib. Checked everything....no problems. Then, I looked at the target:
a hole in the 9 ring at 6 o'clock. The next nine rounds were all in the 9, 10, or X rings.

Check out the Vaqueros. I like mine but I won't carry it, nor will I buy a holster.......well, maybe an Uncle Mike's,

John

 

[oscar]

I have a Millenium that I got from Cabellas. It is plain looking but shoots fine.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have a Colt early 3rd gen and a Cimarron old enough to be an ASM, not a Uberti. They both shoot just fine; but I think the plain finish USFA Rodeo is at least as well made a gun, maybe better. Rugers are stronger but they are 15% bigger which is just too big for me.

If you like the Ruger, consider a Blackhawk. The Vaqueros' fixed sights are a disadvantage in anything but Cowboy Traditional. I have seen VERY few fixed sight SAs of any brand that shoot where they look.

 

[Jim March]

The Colt Cowboy is a near-SAA-clone - it has an internal safety like a Ruger. Quality is known to be VERY bad, among the worst.

The Beretta Stampede is the first results seen of the Beretta buyout of Uberti. They've re-thought the Colt Cowboy concept and grafted a transfer bar safety onto the SAA yet again. Early reviews are actually quite good, they may have gotten it right.

Of the non-safety true clones of the SAA, the USAF Rodeo has the best rep in the sub-$600 price range. If I was shopping for a non-safety SA, that'd be my first choice by a mile.

The Rugers are bigger, WAY tougher and have a safety.

There are ways of modifying a Ruger so that the ergonomics are closer to the SAA in terms of hammer and trigger reach. The way you can get there pretty cheap is to start with the 45LC Bird's-Head in the 3 & 3/4" barrel, and swap hammers down to the SuperBlackhawk or Bisley types to get the hammer reach down to what you want. The bird's-head grip, especially with thinned factory panels or the Eagle Gunfighter skinnier panels, may not look like an SAA grip but the basic ergos are pleasantly close. The shorter barrel gets speed up the handling and overcome the heavier frame and cylinder of the Ruger over the real SAA-patterns while being long enough to give decent ballistics. You'll want two other cheapo mods: a Belt Mountain base pin to tighten the action and provide a set-screw ($22, send the cylinder off for final throating to a couple of good machinists doing these up right (less than $50) and perhaps a spring kit ($17).

There's a TON of aftermarket support for Ruger SAs...much like the 1911s and AR patterns. You can spend a lot more money as desired, the recipe above is the cheapest way I know of to produce a functional SAA-clone out of a Ruger.

See also this thread for upgrade bits:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80872

Oh ya, one other detail: Georgia Arms has apparantly just came out with a really nice 45LC load for defense or light hunting, involving a 200grain Gold Dot JHP moving at almost 1,100fps. $17 for 50, and that's new vs. reloaded. Not at all bad. That load should be safe in all of the full-frame modern SAA clones, the Taurus/S&W DAs and of course the Rugers. Avoid in open-tops, breaktops and cap'n'ball conversion cylinders.

It's not on their site yet, but several people have commented on these. They're the ultimate for CCW, in my opinion...ballistics are the same as the Cor-Bon 200 but the projectile is worlds ahead. I want to see Cor-Bon respond by loading the 165 Pow'R'Ball in LC cases .

 

[38Mike]

I just picked up a .45 colt AWA Longhorn. $275. before tax. AWA will sell you a non safety notch basepin for $17. (15. + 2. shipping). While ordering the pin, the AWA gal told me that the Longhorn was being discontinued, to be replaced by the "Classic" ( basically the same gun ). Longhorn was made by Armi San Marco, don't know about newer stuff.....ANYWAY, I haven't shot the gun yet, sure is perty, got it mainly because of the price......will wring it out soon.

 

[tex_n_cal]

The USFA Rodeo is said to have a cylinder about .015" or so larger than a Colt SAA, to make it a bit stronger without ruining the feel. Nice idea.

I still want a Colt

 

[Cthulhu]

Anyone considering a repro should look long and hard at the AWA. Even the base model Long Horn blows away the Colt Cowboy or USAF Rodeo in terms of slickness of the action, fit and finish, and historical accuracy to the original design. The Long Horn and Peacemakers are being discontinued in favor of the Classic and the Ultimate 1873. The Ultimate has a coil mainspring with interchangeable springs and internal adjustments to vary the weight of the cocking effort, among other internal and cosmetic changes. The Classic still has the leaf spring IIRC. There should be plenty of Longhorns and Peacemakers out there at decent prices in the interim, and they are close enough to the original colts and new classic models to make replacement parts easy to come by in the future. The AWA's out of the box trigger/action jobs are light yet reliable, and their guns have held up better than the used Cowboys and Rodeo that I've seen.
The EMF Hartford guns fare pretty well, although their actions are heavier and grittier than the comparably priced AWAs. I've also fired the Beretta/Uberti revolvers that were a couple of grades up from the Stampede (no transfer bar) and found them to be slick, well fit, and accurate enough to put 5 Black Hills .45 Colt loads into a ragged hole at 50" off hand. Whether or not these will be available in this configuration is unknown at this time, but the reps showing off the guns estimated the street price at $650-700.

If you want to know long term durability, post over at SASS net and let the cowboy shooters tell you. They put more rounds through the six guns than many of us put through our modern pistols. The Ruger will definitely out last all of the clones, due to its heavier construction and proven metallurgy, but lacks the feel and balance of Colt-styled SAA.

 

[guy sajer]

Beretta Stampede

These are very good quality . Fit and finish is very good . I would pick one of these for myself if I was looking .

The Ruger is the sturdiest single action but it's larger and heavier .

Mitch
www.oldeenglishoutfitters.com