I used to have a Ruger Single six that I gave away a couple years ago, leaving me without a single action revolver in my pretty sizeable revolver collection.

I have always wanted to pick up a Colt Single Action Army in 45LC (one of the newer ones, as I am not looking for a collector's item). However, they seem awfully expensive compared to the Rugers, and I have heard a lot of people say they're not very durable comparably.

What options are out there in the single action arena, and what do you recommend? What are the most popular calibers?

Thanks.

p.s. I should add that I'm not going to compete with this, just shoot for fun.

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Aaron Terry

You're right. They cost much more than a blackhawk, and a blackhawk is stronger.

But then, a Model 29 costs much more than a Redhawk, and a Redhawk is stronger.

So, do you bypass the Smith in favor of Ruger double actions?

As for my credentials, I've got one Super Blackhawk, 6 Blackhawks, 6 Single Sixes and a Bearcat. Also got one Colt, 4 US Firearms and 4 Italian Colt copies. Truth be told, the US Firearms SAA is both prettier and a better shooter than the Colt, but the Bisley Blackhawks will shoot better than any of them. 'Course, the Bisley's have been to see West Fargo, while the others are stock. Makes a difference.

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I always take precautions

It really depends on what your plans are, if you want something to admire and shoot every on occasion the the Colt will last a lifetime, if you want to play Cowboy games and shoot hundered of rounds every weekend then that sort of wear and tear may not be what you want to inflict on a Colt. Beretta and Uberti make very nice copies of the Colt SAA. If you want to run hot loads pushing near magnum velocities then the bulkier Ruger is the way to go.

Of all the SAAs out there only the Colt is the real investment, if you buy wisely and take good care of it you will always be able to get your money back out of it and then some.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I really like the Ruger Vaquero with the SAA feel and handling. A quality gun that you can actually load all 6 chambers. I prefer it in .38/.357 magnum.

[img]http://www****ger.com/products/vaqueroBlued/images/5106.jpg[/img]




I've also handled and fired several of the different Italian made SAA's. I particularly like the EMF models like the 'Californian' model, which also comes in 38/357 (plus 44-40 and 45 Colt)



Cimarron, Navy Arms, Beretta, and Uberti all have some pretty nice offerings.

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- Change it back -

Had a few, starting with the 1st gen. Colt SAA that I had to lie about my age to get.

Depends on what you want to do; but lately I really like a stainless Ruger NV .45. It is a FINE looking gun that is almost indistinguishable from the Colt from a couple of feet away, anvil tough, and a fraction of the price. It shoots frighteningly well, and I am refining the zero now.

I have other Rugers, ranging from fairly old to new flat-tops, and they are solid working guns.

Had a 3rd gen. Colt SAA but it had quality issues and went away. My wife developed a liking for USFA nickel, and her safe queen is better than a Colt IMHO. Her shooter is a charcoal blue Uberti.

So we are all over the lot here. My two favorites are the above NV and a Ruger .45 Convertible; fun guns that WORK.

That pretty much sums it up. When it comes to resale, Colts are like Harleys. Better or not, they are worth more. "No pony? It's a phoney!"

I never owned a Colt SAA but I did buy this US Firearms on a whim. It is as good or better than any of the Colts that I have handled or shot. The case hardening is the best I've seen on just about any gun including some high priced custom jobs.

When I got my USFAs, they told me that Turnbull was doing the casehardening.

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I always take precautions

I'm not certain what sort of durability is required of a single action as I've owned, shot, and carried this circa 1905 Colt since the early 1980's. It has even stood duty for some small amount of fairly energetic "Elmer Keith" .38-40 handloading experimentation (a cast lead 172 grain bullet at 1211 fps with 560 ft./lbs muzzle energy). In all probability it has fired no more than 1200 or so rounds in the nearly 30 years I've owned it. While that's not a whole bunch of shooting, 24 boxes of .38-40 gives quite a lot of single action entertainment.

It is still both holstered and shot on occasion, accompanying me on hunts and hikes on our old place or on deer leases. It has been completely reliable, with no parts breakage since acquisition. It's diet these days consists of the cast lead 172 grain bullet and a mild charge of Unique giving 829 fps.

I have seen Colt SAAs, of various vintages,for sale on the Net recently. Cherry's Fine Guns currently has a bunch.
Calibers range from .32-20, to .38/.357 to .44-40 and .45 Colt. Some of the .45 Colt guns have auxiliary cylinders in .45 ACP.

If I was going to buy one, I'd probably pick one in a caliber I already reload for.

I have an old Mitchell SAA and an AWA in the Colt clones. They have a certain appeal since every cowboy we watched on TV growing up used a Colt. However, in the real world there were other choices, lots of other choices. I also have a couple Navy Arms Schofields and I like them a lot more than the Colt types for some reason. Uberti, which made the Navy Arms replicas also makes the Laramie for Beretta, which I'd love to have one of those as it is a copy of the S&W New Model No. 3. If I had lived in the Single Action era I'd probably have chosen a S&W over a Colt.

My favorite single action though is a double action S&W with the hammer cocked.

Well stated! About every ten years I just have to satisfy the feeling that I gotta have a SA. So I buy a Ruger or something and shoot it for a while. Then I remember why I got rid of the last one: slow to load, slower to unload, long slow hammer fall, poor trigger and doesn't really fit my hand. Then I start all over again.

I have Colt, Freedom Arms, Ruger, Cimarron, and others, but if I only wanted a neat one to shoot it would be my USFA Rodeo in .45 Colt.

You can buy anything you want, but if it doen'st say COLT on the gun and when you cock it, it ain't no Colt.

I own a single action .45 colt Gunslinger from U.S. Firearms.
It is the most accurate out of the box SAA .45 I have ever owned.
..and I've had a colt 3rd gen and a Ruger vaquero (1st series).

The US Firearms investment is money well spent because they are IMHO tomorrow's classics.
Incredible fit in finish, accuracy and all made under the blue dome.

I live close to Hartford and all the local gun store owners all speak highly of Doug Donnely's product.

There are plenty of product reviews on his website.
I believe their base gun is the Rodeo, but same accuracy as the more expensive finished models.
Hope this helps...

I am partial to the Remington M1875 copies. I bought mine after reading about Frederick Russell Burnham, he carried one in 44-40 (mine is in 45 Long Colt). A good shooter, something a little different but still authentic.

I chose a blackhawk convertible in 45 colt/45ACP. I already had a super blackhawk in 44 mag.

Aaron,

Like 'deanodog' above I too have a fondness for the convertibles...


3rd Gen. Colt chambered for the 45 Long Colt & 45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridges.



And I carry her on those lazy days...That's when she's the best company of all.

Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I think a lot of people in the know would agree that probably the best-made single action today is made by the folks at U.S. Firearms. This one is a nearly exact copy of the pre-war Colt Single Action Army. The workmanship and attention to detail is superb, and they are made in America!



If you are looking for ruggedness, it's hard to beat the older Ruger Vaqueros. I've modified mine so that they load traditionally at half-cock with precision indexing. The top one, in high-polish stainless steel, is a convertible and has cylinders for both .45 Colt and .45 ACP.

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

"You can buy anything you want, but if it doen'st say COLT on the gun and when you cock it, it ain't no Colt."


The U.S.F.A. single action does say "C-O-L-T" when you pull the hammer back. It's made under the same blue dome on some of the same equipment. I guess that the only difference is that U.S.F.A. has some real quality control and isn't operating on the verge of bankruptcy.

Of course here in the People's Republic, Chairman Mao.....ah, make that the Atty General, Martha Caokley...... has decided that these guns are a danger to consumers and has outlawed the sale of them. I'm glad I got mine when I did.

I started out with a ruger single six 50 years ago. I probley shot more rounds through it in my early years than I have with many guns since all put together, so single actions feel right for me.
While I own more smiths than anything else, I still own about 10 various single actions. I belive 4 colts, a scout, two rugers, 3 clones and a original remington new model army.
Yes, they are slow to reload and have a long hammer fall time. None of that bothers me. There are clones out there that are cheaper and good. Like EMFs Dakota. You can usualy find similar for three or four hundred bucks and less. It all just depends on how bad you want one and your pocket book. I will show pictures of a couple of my clones. They will do the job. Every gun person really likes to have the best and most unatainable. I belive we all like a custom one too of just our own design. I have had a few. Were I to lay out big money now I belive I would look for a colt new frontier in .44 special or .45 colt. I like short barrels but if you like long barrels, thats okay too. The new frontiers in my estimation are under priced! You get adjustable sights and that is a huge plus! They run a lot less than the standard fixed sight tradional SAA. They are a sleeper! I am encloseing a picture of the one I had that audie murphy owned. I sure wish I had it back! If I ever locate it, I would put on ivory grips and shoot the hell out of it. After I found audie had bought it new, I quit shooting it. I made it a safe queen. My ex flat stold it when she ran off. Its # 5355 NF.

The first single action revolver I bought was a Cimarron 1873 in .45 Colt. I thought it was really neat. The hammer was ridiculously hard to cock and the trigger broke at around 12 pounds. The front sight fell off and the blue finish was gone after about one month. I did love the solid walnut grips though.

I sold it.

Then I bought a Colt. I think everyone who has an inner desire for a single action really wants a Colt. We try to talk ourselves out of it due to the cost. The idea that a Colt is somehow fragile is insane. The men of the late 1800's did just fine with them. Most people who break them did things like two handed fanning and it was their fault, not the gun's.

My 1982 Colt .44 Special had a trigger pull of around 8 pounds. I put a set of custom springs in it and now it breaks at just under 2 pounds. I have thousands of rounds through it and the blueing is just starting to wear at the muzzle from all the holster use it gets.



I now have several Colts and I love them dearly.







I also have a few Rugers. If you like the Vaquero or the Blackhawk, they're tough guns that are hard to break, even if you do stupid things like fanning or dropping or otherwise abusing them. Rugers take the abuse. I think today's Ruger single actions are the best yet, especially since they moved the billboard WARNING writing to the underside of the barrel where it doesn't get in the way of fine engraving!











I even bought another Cimarron because I loved the look of the 1872 Open Top and they now offer it in .44 Special. I still love their one piece walnut grips. But I shipped it to Bob Munden for an action job before I even shot it once. The trigger was horrible and now its just pure magic.





CDNN was selling new AWA Peacekeepers in .44 Special for just $399 a few years ago and I snapped up two of them for my wife. The actions are amazing, right out of the box and the blue and case hardening are gorgeous.

I own two Ruger Vaqueros in 44 mag, consecutive serial numbered, 5 1/2"bbl. I am looking for one in 7 1/2". Have a Super Blackhawk in 44mag that I use for hunting. Those Hornady rounds, 225gr flextips, are awesome out of a 7 1/2" bbl. Owned a US Firearms Rodeo before, great gun. Plan on puting some new inerds in my Vaqueros to free spin the cylinder. My next Single action will probably be the new Sheriff's Model in 44 special. Yes they are slow to load and unload, but as they say "if you need more than six ............"

Well, I have a number of Ruger Single Action Revolvers but as others have stated, my favorites are Colt SAA's. I have four (4) Colt SAA's plus three (3) Colt New Frontier/Peacemaker .22's.

My first two (2) Colt SAA's are .44 Specials (4 5/8") with ivory grips (pictured). They are from the 1970-80's and the quality is good but not great. In the last 2 years I have purchased two (2) New Colt SAA .45 Colt/.45 ACP convertible revolvers (one in 4 5/8" and 7 1/2"), the quality has been excellent and they both handle and shoot great. If you look at the price of a Ruger Vaquero and add the price of the Turnbull Color Casehardening, you are right up there at the price of a new Colt SAA.
I don't think you can go wrong with a Colt SAA, everyone should own at least one!

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Couldn't agree more.

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Sure you did

So seein as how I missed this thread by about 7 years, I will, whith your kind permission, throw in my two bits worth. I have a 1901 colt SAA, with a solid history. I shoot it often and refer to as the old man. I can tell you that once you shoot a Colt SAA, you are hooked. There is no going back. I have an old dear friend who has owned and shot nothing but Sigs all his life and one time shooting the old man threw him into a tail spin that he had yet to recover from. All that being said, Colts are far too expensive fir every day use. Uberti makes a solid facsimile that is true to the nature of the Colt, as does cimmeron. The comment about cocking the colt from the other fella refers to the 4 distinct click that a Colt makes when cocked. Ruger vacqueros do not make such a sound, as their mechanism it's completely different. I'd say stick with uberti and you will be pleased as punch.
Yours truly
Col. Johnson

I have held and fired many different marques of SA revolvers. The Rugers are very workmanlike and stout. The Italian clones are very nice and look quite good for the most part. But.......there is just something about a Colt SA that brings a smile to my face and a chill up my spine. My 3rd gen Colt .357 is superb.

This thread is quite old and many referring to USFA for a good single action. So upon some checking I have realized that U.S. firearms is now out of business. Guess I missed that bus at least for a new version. I have yet to experience shooting a single action in 45 lc. I am sure I can find a Ruger still to do just that. I have looked at a Vaquero a few times at my lgs with jeweled hammer and trigger. Might just give it another look see.

Start building your war chest NOW. October 2018 the Colt Collectors Association will be back in Charlotte. There will be guns there that will make your dreams come true. My bunch went in'08, '13, and we'll be there in '18. You will be stunned at the reasonable prices. I bought 2 NIB 4 3/4, 45s in nickel with fire blue screws for a VERY reasonable sum. You will find what you want and will be able to get it. The factory is set up with all engraved guns with Pearl and Ivory { may be no ivory this year}. All for sale and all good prices. WAY LESS than fishers on GunBroker are trying. Don't settle, life is too short. Get a Colt.

I love threads from the dead....it gives me a chance to jump in....my 5 inch 1979 and 4.75 inch 2014 both in .45lc.......

I sure understand the nostalgia for original Colt SAAs. While I have a superb USFA example, made under the old Colt dome, and a good number of Rugers (mostly old models), having a Colt was important to me, because my maternal grandfather carried one. It was his personal and family protection gun during the Bisbee Deportation, when he was a copper mine foreman working for Phelps Dodge in 1917. If you are not familiar with the deportation, it was an interesting and harrowing piece of American history that is nearly forgotten today. If you have the time, you might want to google it. He also packed it as a shotgun rider on the Wells Fargo stage between Bisbee and Tombstone in his youth.

At any rate, years ago I found a new-in-the box Colt SAA in my favorite revolver caliber at a gun show in El Paso. It's still unfired. I think of my grandfather every time I handle it. My grandmother unfortunately sold his after his death in 1944, but my mother described it to me in some detail. Although I don't know the caliber of his (I suspect .45 Colt), this configuration matches my mother's description.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Uberti 1873 Frontier Series

Great revolver.







.45 LC

Shoots good too.

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

Zombie thread of nice SAA's.
My most recent is on top 1980 mfg
in .357.

LGS is currently sitting on a Ruger Blackhawk 7.5 in
44mag/SS with some great sambar stags.
Could likely drive it out for $600...giving that one some thought.

**Uberti**

When I was a kid I had every Ruger SA they made because they
were cheaper than Colts. When I was older I bought a few Colt
SAs and found that the Rugers were better practical shooters.
Today's Ruger SAs I don't like, I would buy the Colt. I don't buy
replicas because they have poor resale value, new Rugers aren't
much better in that dept. Far as I'm concerned the 3 screw Rugers are the best SAs ever made. As someone posted a Colt
will never loose its value if taken care of.

When it comes to SAA Revolvers the genuine Colts are the only way to go IMO. Yes, they are expensive - but you will never loose money down the road as they keep going up & up.

Todays Colt SAA's have incredible case colors, are smooth, accurate and blued like no others. Unfortunately, even though Colt is still making them, they are just trickling out of the Factory. You can find a NIB one on GB or similar and YES they are pricy, but you pay once and shoot all the time .

The Rugers,...... well their just Rugers. The Italian guns are OK, but the real deal is the real deal. I say just save up your money and "bite the bullet" on the Colt! I do not know anyone who ever regretted that!

Get one of the Cimmarron Arms made 1873 SAA "General Custer" .45s which are made in Fredericksburg, TX. You can order them through Bud's gun shop-no taxes-for about $485.00. An additional item you will find kuhl--a sticker that says: I'm your huckleberry. Ive got two-only one is a Custer gun.

Gosh dern it, another zombie (but useful) thread ;-)

Here are two of my favorite single actions. Top one is the Ruger old model Super Blackhawk, which, in the opinion of Elmer Keith was the finest SA ever made. The bottom one is a Ruger old model "flat top" .44 Magnum, with factory stag grips. Both have that incredibly nostalgic "4 click" action that you know means business when you hear it.

In my opinion, the old model Blackhawks were the best of the best - smooth, accurate, virtually indestructible, indexed for loading properly, and visually appealing.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Freedom Arms .454 and a New Model Bisley Super Blackhawk with a fluted cylinder in .44. Big sticks to carry in the woods.

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