Hello all:

If this is not in the right place please move.

I was wondering if I could get some good (and maybe not so good?) opinions on the Colt Single Action Army Reproductions. I would like to have:

Six shot,
357 magnum caliber,
Really good warranty,
Good name brand,
Something that could be used for "cowboy action" if needs be,
Reasonable price,
Also, something that if I wear no one would laugh me to scorn!!! LOL!

Let me hear from you?!

From my perspective it seems that Uberti may be the way to to?

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

__________________
"That is all!"

U.S. Firearms company was the best clone but they quit building them. They were almost as expensive anyway. Uberti has to be the best clone out there for the money. It does get confusing as Uberti and I believe Pietta based in Italy or Spain makes a lot of guns for other names of other companys. Here is a good writeup for cimarron firearms.
Cimarron Home

I agree on Uberti. IMO their SSAs are more robust then the original Colt product.
Jim

Look at the Cimarron Firearms web site. I have a Uberti made Cimarron Artillery model 45colt. Very well made firearm.

USFA revolvers are just as nice, maybe nicer than Colts. Now that they have stopped making them, prices are higher than new Colts. Uberti are very nice clones, for the money. The Pietta's I have seen are usually not quite as nice as the Uberti's.

How about the Ruger Vaquero series? They are dead ringers as far as style goes, and offer a stronger and more reliable action than traditional Colt style SA's. Ruger stands behind their guns, and aftermarket parts are everywhere for these revolvers.

Larry

Ruger is now marketing the New Vaquero for the cowboy shooting crowd, although it looks like a SAA, mechanically it is totally different. They make a bright stainless version in .45 Colt which come in a matched pair in consecutive serial numbers which is popular with the cowboy action shooting fans.

For full disclosure purposes, I have a Heritage Rough Rider 22lr / 22 mag. Well made, heavy, fit and finish, but it is not accurate and I am going to have "to bend the sight" to learn how to make it go to point of aim.

What think ye of the Heritage Big Bore Colt SAA clones?

Thoughts?

__________________
"That is all!"

I have a uberti I think they're great for the money. Good fit and finish an accurate enough that my son can put all six shots in the black from 50 feet

__________________
Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

IMHO, get the Ruger. No one will laugh at you and the warranty is better.

I am fortunate to have Colt SAA's of First Generation, Second Generation, and Third Generation, as well as an original Bisley Model to play with.

Of all the clones I have experience with the absolute best I have seen were those made by American West Arms (AWA) in the Peacekeeper and Longhorn series. Dead-on and spot-perfect copies of the second generation Colts, all parts interchange without any issues in my experience. This is not to say that the AWA's won't benefit from a good action job, and the sights usually require a little regulation (just as the original Colt's did). The AWA revolvers are manufactured using Italian parts assembled and fitted by hand in Florida by competent SAA smiths.

Well worth looking at for a SASS or cowboy action gun, IMO.

I have accumilated quite a few various single actions. Both the real deal colts, 3 various rugers and a couple ubertis etc. For the money I agree about ruger. My first picture is a Lipsey special ruger in .44 special. It`s a tank! I have a silver plated engraved uberti "General George S. Patton" clone of his .45 colt saa made for the american historical society. I havent shot it. Also have a "Thunderer" dual cylinder .45 colt/.45 acp made by uberti for cimmeron arms. Also a Dakota .45 colt 5 1/2". Some of them are cheap. But seem pretty good for the money.

Heres my Ruger New Vaqueros . They are .357 with 4.5 inch barrels.I have them for sale on arms list. I have not fired them , but they feel even better than my Colt Saa`s

Attached Images

_JOC2669.jpg (95.8 KB, 28 views)

I have a 2nd gen Colt SSA and it is a nice gun but the design will not hold up to a lot of hard use. That statement might make a few fanboys cry but many of the cowboy action and fast draw champions have quite a bit of gunsmith work done on their SSA's to help get them to hold up. The Ruger New Vaquero is hard to beat. It really does have the same feel as a SSA. It is extremely very hardy and I beat the heck out of my two and never had a problem. My only complaint is that the 357 is a bit heavy. The outer diameter of the barrel is the same as a 45LC but the bore is of course smaller so there is more metal in the gun. I have to say that I was very amazed at just how accurate the Ruger NV is. I hate to admit it but my New Vaquero's shoot better than any of my S&W's and my S&W's have had some smith work.

I've been very pleased with my Uberti SAA.

__________________
- Change it back -

Another thumbs up for the New Vaquero. I have a 5 1/2 inch in .357 Mag that I bought to have converted to .44 Special just before the Lipsey's run. Shoots just fine and I'm happy to say that all the New Vaqueros I have (.45 Colt, 357 Mag and .44 Special) all shot low from the factory and the windage was good. Why is it good they shoot low, you can always file the sight down to regulate to your favorite load, it's a lot tougher to add height you know. The Uberti's are good as well. Let us know what ya get!

__________________
Stay safe people!

When someone is wanting a Single action cowboy gun I always tell them to go to a range and rent one first. I love their looks and the romance and have had four or five but I always get rid of them, they don't fit my hand that well and I HATE that slow, long hammer fall. The Ruger is the benchmark for durability but it is really nothing like the original Colt and the Cimmarons/Uberties are a lot closer but still not exact. If you wanna feel like a real cowboy you need a Colt and pony up the big bucks.

As far as single actions are concerned I would stand with Ruger. Have several enjoy them all.

__________________
I am a sheep dog!
1601 (ret)

My vote goes to the Ruger NV. At a glance my SSG is indistinguishable from my nickelled Colt SAA that left the factory in 1882, feels and handles the same for all practical purposes. (The .45 is a lot lighter...) You CAN break a Ruger--2X on my Convertible--but it's pretty unlikely.

Ubertis can be pretty, but the lockwork can be rough and the steel seems soft. We have 4 around the place, but like Lone Watie's piece of rock candy, two are for looking only--one is retired, and the remaining one is for light duty.

She also has a nickelled USFA, but it's too nice to actually shoot. So the NV makes the most sense.

Question on the issue:

Why is it no one has an opinion on the Heritage Big Bore guns?

Just asking?

Thoughts?

__________________
"That is all!"

I dont know how the Heritages are now but just going by faulty memory many years ago, werent they a cheap rough looking replica built in germany? Could be wrong, think there was a cheap version called the Bison.

I don't know about the others, but here's my take.

Many years ago, when the Heritage Rough Rider first showed up, it sold for about 70 bucks. Handling one in the store, it appeared to be a crude (as in "tooling marks", "grips don't fit the frame", that type thing) copy of a Single Six, with the addition of a hokey safety. For less than one quarter of the price.

When a price difference is THAT great, it makes me leery. Yes, I know sometimes you pay for the name (Buick vs. Cadillac, or anything Colt), but that seemed just TOO cheap.

I handled one in three or four different stores. They all felt "clunky". The actions felt gritty. I was not impressed.

When, a few years later, they came out with the Heritage Big Bores, I never even bothered to look. If their 22 was that bad, why would I think they could make a good 45?

Now, I have seen many people write that the have a Rough Rider, and it's a wonderful 22, and it's accurate, and it's smooth. Maybe they've improved 'em.

But I was so unimpressed by the 22 that I have never even thought about handling a Big Bore. So how could I give my impression?

There just might be many others with the same experiences.

__________________
I always take precautions

I also vote Ruger. I don't have one, but if I was in the market, it would be Ruger.

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

I vote Ruger.

BTW... if ya ever watch John Wayne in his very last movie, The Shootist... he's sportin' two "antique", engraved, Ivory-handled "Colts", per the movie's opening remarks by Gilliam Rogers (Ron Howard). Those are not Colts, but are some reproductions made by a now-defunct company... Great Western.

At the end of the movie Gilliam Rogers tosses a gun across the saloon... and that is a Ruger Blackhawk... modified to look like a Colt.

My ranch gun is a Cimmeron in 45 Colt. It gets a lot of hard use - very hard use - and has stood up perfectly. I can't say that about my Colt SAA. Just for grins, my next one will be the Ruger NV.

This is a .45 colt "Dakota". I bought it cheap maybe thirty years ago. Probley made by Pietta for cimmeron arms? The first and "probley only" time I fired it the ejector housing and rod flew off. I sent it back and they made it good. The gun looks to be well made and fitted up. It does have a deep V notch rear hog wallow with a thin and tapered front sight that probley is hard to be accurate with. I just never bothered working with it but might wring it out soon after all these years. This would be considered probley one of the cheapest replicas out there and I suppose you can find one at cabellas for $350s or so. Still, its a fine looking replica for about a fifth of a similar colt. I dont believe a colt is really worth five of these either.

I have a couple of Uberti made Cimmerrons, a couple of 1970's JPSauers and 6 old model Vaqueros. These all have held up to several thousand rounds very well! The other clones have fallen apart during shooting a scenario. The reason people don't have comments about a knock off brand is we have been bitten too many times. I have a friend that started buying Colt SAA's (and N-Frame Classic guns) a few years ago, he has over 17 first and second gen guns now. Over half are factory engraved and a couple have elephant teeth. I give him boxes of light cowboy loads and he shoots them all, but they are just an investment since CD's pay nothing. I don't see anybody collecting clones in the future! Ivan

Here's my vote. US Firearms Army 45. One of the only modern guns I have seen that was able to come close to original Colt case hardening. It's a shame that they are no longer made.

I bought this earlier this year. It is a 1969 vintage Ruger 3-screw Blackhawk .357 Mag. I found it on Gunbroker for $550 including shipping and transfer fee. It has not been "fixed" by Ruger. It sounds just like an original Colt when cocked and shoots nicely.



First target that I shot with it at 15 yds. The first 4 shots were in the bull then I got sloppy.


Then there is the 3-screw .41 Mag.

__________________
Corripe Cervisiam