Why do folks like SA revolvers still?

[derek45]

Same reason I love shooting my WWII issue CMP M1 Garand, and Cap&Ball guns.

Shooting is FUN

 

[Rock185]

I grew up out West, and watching Westerns. Maybe that influenced me, but for whatever reason, I've always liked SA revolvers. I've had .22/.22 Mag., .357/9mm and .44 Rugers, .45LC/.45ACP Colt SAA, and an FA .454/.45 ACP. Had some nice ones, but the build quality of the FA I bought years ago is the best of the bunch.

BTW, Never had a loading gate pop open on any of them.

 

[Pat Riot]

They are great sock drawer guns for people that lack the strength or confidence to pull a double action trigger.

-Stan

Feel better now?

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Feel better now?

Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything.

 

[Pistolay]

My wife's LCR .22lr 3" recently had to go back to Ruger when the transfer bar snapped after 12,000 rounds. While it was gone, she bought a Wrangler to take to the range, and she has fallen in love with the thing. Her LCR is back, but she'd rather shoot the Wrangler. I don't know why, but as long as she's happy, I don't care.

 

[westernrover]

I took my Vaquero out today after bashing it a bit in this thread. It's a good gun. I'd have sold it if it wasn't, but it's a really good gun. It's not the gun for shooting silhouettes at 80 yards, but it's as good as any gun and better than most for point-shooting at 5 yards. The sites on mine aren't regulated because I shoot different handloads. It has the full factory front blade. Even so, it's easy to hit plates out to 15 yards if I figure where to hold. Is it better at anything than my DA? It looks better. I also like the way it recoils in one hand with a relatively soft load (158 grain @ 1050 fps). It's a better one-hand gun.

I think about carrying it. I bought it to carry and did for about 6 months. That's why I got the Vaquero instead of an old 3-screw or Colt clone. I think about what else I might like. A tuned top model from Taylor's line (Uberti) or maybe step up to a Standard or find a good Colt.

 

[nofendertom]

Its just a phase. It just lasts longer with some than with others.

 

[James K2020]

Why do people shoot black powder? PITA to load and clean but that doesn't stop people from loving them.
Got those, SAs, DAs, and semi autos and I like them all. Each time I go shooting I have a nice choice and it's not the same ole same ole.

 

[Kleanbore]

Is it a nostalgia thing, for folks who grew up watching cowboy shows,

For me, it started with that--not nostalgia per se, really , but the fact that my heroes--Cisco, Gene, Hoppy, Lone, Roy, the Wild Bills, and the others--carried 'em on the silver screen.

I became familiar with handling a plastic scale replica with four clicks, etc.

I came to believe that there is no handgun in existence that can match the Model P for grip, balance, intuitive operation, appearance, .... I like Rugers, too.

 

[stanley_white]

Feel better now?

The relief is washing over me.



-Stan

 

[cfullgraf]

Why do people shoot black powder? PITA to load and clean but that doesn't stop people from loving them.
Got those, SAs, DAs, and semi autos and I like them all. Each time I go shooting I have a nice choice and it's not the same ole same ole.

I enjoyed shooting my cap and ball revolver. You might say, it was my first experience at reloading. It gave me an appreciation of folks of that era went through to have a firearm.

Cleaning was just part of the game and was part of the experience.

If nothing else, you could fire off six quick shots and escape in the smoke screen.

I eventually gave the gun to a friend who is into Civil War re-enactments. He is part of a Cavalry unit and could use another revolver for his charges.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I can answer the opposite question. That is, why I don't like SA revolvers. It's really simple, the grip shape is absolutely awful. I can't hold it well at all. Recoil makes it twist around in my hand. That single handedly drives me away from them.

That's where I'm at.

The 22lr SAs are fun, they kinda make me feel like John Wayne, but as soon as you even get to 357s I'm out.

 

[Targa]

For the most part, if it revolves I am a fan…

 

[jmorris]

Car salesmen say, “there is a butt for every seat.”

It seems like they are right. Back in mid 1970’s there was a guy that sold his millionth river rock. They were a rock in a box, $3.

They have gotten more expensive over the years.

https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Rock-Aut...ocphy=9026833&hvtargid=pla-646677705255&psc=1

And I can almost guarantee not as fun to play with as a single action.

 

[Smaug]

I can answer the opposite question. That is, why I don't like SA revolvers. It's really simple, the grip shape is absolutely awful. I can't hold it well at all. Recoil makes it twist around in my hand. That single handedly drives me away from them.

Every tried a Bisley? There must be enough people that feel like you (and I) do, for it to be worthwhile to make a Bisley.

 

[Slamfire]

This was a first production year of a Ruger Super Blackhawk in stainless. I ordered it through a gun shop.




Unfortunately the Dirty Harry craze was keeping the price on S&W M29's almost double the price of this Ruger. And this pistol had everything I wanted, a good trigger, adjustable sights, and I could afford it. I have tried shooting 44 Magnums double action, the recovery time with a double action revolver due to recoil is insignificant ally faster than cocking a 44 Magnum single action. Best way to shoot the Ruger is with a glove on the support hand as the Dragoon trigger guard of the Ruger eats up the skin of the support hand.

I did pick this up almost two decades later, shoots great and all, only real advantage is that it is faster to reload.



I want to say, the old 1873 Colt SAA is carries a lot of power in a very compact, portable package. I called USFA and asked about chamber mouth diameters, and front sight thickness, and USFA said all the right things, so I ordered this. Colt cylinder chamber mouths were huge, sometimes 0.458", and I wanted something closer to 0.452". USFA had that.



This is a fun pistol, great trigger, accurate, shoots to point of aim with 250-255 grain bullets. It is not the high capacity Tupperware pistols going bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang that I am seeing and hearing on the firing line. The rockers and rollers are having their own fun going full auto, but they can't hit the broad side of a barn, even when inside. I try to keep all my shots on a 12 inch gong at 50 yards, offhand. These are entirely two different philosophies of shooting and we are each having our own fun.

Let no one think that a SAA can't be drawn quickly and brought into action fast. It is the seventh shot that is very slow. Using the thumb on the support hand to cock is insignificant ally slower than double actioning a revolver. Recoil recovery takes longer. I do have this question. how many concealed carriers have speed loaders or extra magazines on their person? If you don't, then how important is quick reload capability when your ammunition is in the trunk of the car in the parking lot?

 

[Arctic Linebaugh]

A good single action like a Bisley will handle big bore recoil much better than most double action designs. While my RedHawk 475 isn’t unshootable by any means the same loads in my bisley are way less worse

 

[tark]

Why do people shoot black powder? PITA to load and clean but that doesn't stop people from loving them.

It is no more difficult to load than smokeless, with the added bonus of the impossibility of an overcharge.

It is no more difficult to clean than smokeless, it just needs to be done every time the gun is used.

It can make you cough and gag and retch if you get a big whiff of that lovely white smoke. Smokeless can't do that!

What's not to like?

 

[jstert]

my random thoughts…

ruger single action revolvers are built like brick outhouses. used ones are decent value buys, unlikely to be worn out and ruger’s warranty is excellent. your unborn grandchildren will enjoy them.

fieldstrips into just three components, no springs that fly away or tiny bits to lose, easy to clean.

slows down ammo burn rate and forces better target acquisition.

superb handgun fundamentals learning/teaching tool.

less likely to attract the ire of nanny-state karens and regulators.

shooting a tupperware wonder-9 semiauto blaster versus a single action revolver = doing vodka shots versus sipping & savoring a fine single-malt scotch.

“an elegant weapon for a more civilized age.”

my first-ever, new-in-box, handgun purchase was a ruger single six, which came relatively late in life to celebrate early retirement: 22lr for fun, 22wmr for business.

my daydream is to live in a place where a single action revolver is the ccw of choice.

i like this video series:

 

[.38 Special]

It is no more difficult to load than smokeless, with the added bonus of the impossibility of an overcharge.

It is no more difficult to clean than smokeless, it just needs to be done every time the gun is used.

It can make you cough and gag and retch if you get a big whiff of that lovely white smoke. Smokeless can't do that!

What's not to like?

A while back I was shooting a target rifle loaded with 110 grains of Swiss 1.5fg, with the wind in my face. I touched one off and a fellow standing about 20 yards back made a positive comment about the whole catastrophe. I turned, took a breath before replying, and then coughed out my own little cloud of white smoke. Big grins all around... I do love black powder!

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Every tried a Bisley? There must be enough people that feel like you (and I) do, for it to be worthwhile to make a Bisley.

Howdy Again

I assume you mean a real Colt Bisley, like the one at the bottom of this photo, not the Ruger version of the Bisley grip.

ruger single action revolvers are built like brick outhouses. used ones are decent value buys, unlikely to be worn out and ruger’s warranty is excellent. your unborn grandchildren will enjoy them.

fieldstrips into just three components, no springs that fly away or tiny bits to lose, easy to clean.

Huh? What kind of Ruger are you talking about? There are a heck of a lot more than three components, more than in a Colt, and the loading gate spring can be a real pain in the butt to get back in place correctly.

Why do people shoot black powder? PITA to load and clean but that doesn't stop people from loving them.

It is actually quicker, and requires less elbow grease to clean a cartridge revolver that has been fired with Black Powder cartridges then to clean up after Smokeless. Trust me on this. Messier, but quicker and requires less elbow grease.


Not particularly difficult to load cartridges with Black Powder either, if you are set up for it. Here is a batch of 45 Colt cartridges being loaded with Black Powder on my Hornady Lock & Load AP progressive press.






Bottom line, nothing is as much fun as shooting Black Powder cartridges out of a single action revolver.

 

[.38 Special]

I assume that by "field strip", the gentleman means removing the cylinder - which does, I suppose, result in three distinct pieces.

With regard to the earlier post about loading gates popping open, I have never had it happen regardless of how many cartridges are or are not in the chambers, and I agree that something must be wrong with gun. Conversely, my five shot Bowen "Nimrod" conversion on the Bisley Blackhawk - which could be used with handloads equivalent to .454 Casull rounds - came with a warning that firing full-house loads without a case under the gate would result in damage, as the gate needed to be supported during the fairly violent recoil.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

It remains one of the safest options while mounted.

Also, option for loading a snake shot is nice.

 

[jstert]

I assume that by "field strip", the gentleman means removing the cylinder - which does, I suppose, result in three distinct pieces.

yup, “fieldstrip” means just that. frame, cylinder, cylinder retaining rod, i.e. three pieces. simple, easy and non-loseable components. i cannot imagine a fieldstrip of a ruger single action revolver going further, nor should it.

 

[James K2020]

Howdy Again

I assume you mean a real Colt Bisley, like the one at the bottom of this photo, not the Ruger version of the Bisley grip.

View attachment 1100093







Huh? What kind of Ruger are you talking about? There are a heck of a lot more than three components, more than in a Colt, and the loading gate spring can be a real pain in the butt to get back in place correctly.

View attachment 1100094






It is actually quicker, and requires less elbow grease to clean a cartridge revolver that has been fired with Black Powder cartridges then to clean up after Smokeless. Trust me on this. Messier, but quicker and requires less elbow grease.


Not particularly difficult to load cartridges with Black Powder either, if you are set up for it. Here is a batch of 45 Colt cartridges being loaded with Black Powder on my Hornady Lock & Load AP progressive press.

View attachment 1100095




Bottom line, nothing is as much fun as shooting Black Powder cartridges out of a single action revolver.

View attachment 1100096

Sorry I should have been clearer. I was talking about percussion black powder, not cartridge. Big Diff.