I am looking to buy a good CAS gun and I have narrowed my choices to these two guns. The Colt SAA is too expensive for me, so I wanted to know which was closest to the SAA, Speaking by Size, Feel, but is still tough. Which one should I chose based on the Criteria stated?

The Uberti is a much more faithful copy. The Ruger only vaguely resembles the Colt SAA. But it is more modern and more durably. I still wouldn't take one. I prefer the traditional.

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No life story has happy end.

Based on your criteria, I'd say Uberti resembles the Colt more than the Ruger.

I'd proably get a Uberti, if for no other reason than I like to hear four clicks when I thumb back the hammer.

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John 3:16 .

That's probably the best reason, unless the Vaqueros now click. My CAS guns are old Vaqueros in .45/c; I never went over to the new ones or the SAA replicas. It never made much difference to me.

True replica versus sturdiness - that's probably where you draw the line except for price and I don't have a clue about today's prices. I began shooting CAS 14 years ago.

***GRJ***

I thought someone made a conversion for the Vaquero's?

If I am correctly reading your mind , top priority is closeness to SAA, that would be the Uberti.

If strength and indestructability were on top , then Ruger. The "origional" Vaquero is slightly larger/ heavier , but is full capable of "Ruger only" loads if capability of substantial power as a option has meaning to you. The " New " Vaqureo is more SAA sized.

I have 6 Old Vaquero pistols and 2 Cattleman in 357. All Vaqueros have the same diameter barrels. that means the 357's get pretty heavy. My oldest Vaqueros are in 45 Colt and have over 6000 each them with ZERO problems. SAA Clones made in Italy are not that good! My Cattleman 357 cowboy loads are pretty mild, the guns will last better than most, but at around 4000 rounds each, they have required 2 trips each to the gun doctor. I put lighter springs in my oldest 45 Colt Beasley Vaquero along with "Power Paws," these allow you to turn the cylinder backwards to reload that sixth round faster. (my one concession to gamer mentality) I have 2 pair of Stainless Vaqueros for black powder shooting (44-40 and 45 Colt). The Nickel is not as durable IMHO. If you have a problem, Ruger will stand by you better than Beretta! Ivan

I purchased a ruger vaquero in 45 long colt only because I never had a single action nor double action revolver in 45 long colt. Plus I found it unshot with the orginal box and shipping box for $289. It is the discontinued model in polished stainless with a 7 1/2" barrel. We need to research into them before we look. I prefer the ruger, it's strong and dependable. Plus we can find them at affordable used prices.

If you only knew what we did to a ruger super Blackhawk in 44mag. I'm sure no other revolver could shoot these loads. Let's say the loads weren't listed in the reloading books. I had people leaving the range because of the flames and thunder.

Please don't try this at home we were professionals, young, dumb and living life on the edge. Some of us never made it to 30yo.

Heck some never got to drive or even hit 20yo. It's sad that drugs took its toll too. I watched my buddies who were like my brothers die. I didn't do drugs I had no money. Don't do drugs let life be your high.

We were the first jacks. Johnny Knoxville gets paid for it we didn't.

In the late 60's we shot Roman candles at each other on the beach at night. Who would of think it we could of been paid for it? We survived even worst stuff. Throwing egg fights between a few cars while driving. Racoon hunting at night while riding on the hood of a car. We got stopped by the cops and nothing was said, try that today with shotguns.

Ivan, that's "pawl", not "paw".

A friend of mine was going to a gunsmithing class, and needed a Ruger single action to work on. I loaned him mine. He said it would come back with an action job, and it did. Unfortunately, it was Powers' class, and it also came back with a "free-spin pawl". Damn I hated that thing.

Later I sent that one, and its mate, to Wes Flowers, to be converted to Old Model action. I told Wes to throw that cruddy Powers Pawl out, and put a real one back in.

I like it MUCH BETTER now.

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I always take precautions

I like my Vaqueros just fine the way they are, like Alpo said.

I used to have a SASS friend called Alpo - you ain't him are ya?

I'm Nubbins Colt, if that rings a bell. SASS 7802L

***GRJ***

Hey Nubbins. Ain't heard from you since Suzee died.

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I always take precautions

I know both of you ol' boys. And Suzee Silknickers was a sweetheart kinda lady... and passed from a bazaar accident.

She told me one time that she met this feller and he asked her to go out the next day, and she said she couldn't, as she had "a shoot to go to".

He says, "I knew you were a model. Lingerie or perfume?"

She says, "No, a cowboy shoot."

He says, confused, "Cowboy? Stetson cologne? Marlboro cigarettes?"

Boy just didn't get it.

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I always take precautions

I have a bunch of Rugers that I really enjoy. I just picked up a near new Uberti 1873 .45 Colt for $360 including tax. The quality on that revolver is superb. It's a faithful copy of the Colt SAA at about 1/4 the price. I highly recommend it.

Because of the Competition aspect I would lean towards the Ruger.

The Single Action Army is a fantastic revolver but it is acknowledged to be slightly "fragile" in heavy use. Mainly issues with springs breaking so not a big deal until you need a new spring before an upcoming event. With all the demand for the New Vaquero a new part is just a phone call away and Ruger will overnight parts if you volunteer to pay the shipping charges. Contrast that with the Uberti, which is made in Italy and getting a repair part may prove to be challenging.

Second aspect is Safety and ease of handling. With a Colt or Uberti you cannot get sloppy with your technique when reloading. Try and force the cylinder to turn without the action at half cock and you put a big ugly turn ring on the cylinder. Forget that you have to go to full cock before lowering the hammer and you'll be dropping the hammer on a live round and that isn't safe.

With the Ruger as soon as you open the loading gate the cylinder is unlocked. If you get out of sequence on the load 4 skip one procedure you'll still be 100% safe because the New Vaquero features a Transfer Bar design.

See if you can find a colt cowboy, just slightly larger than a SAA

If you are doing CAS you don't have to worry about having an extra-strong Ruger.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

For CAS, you will shoot a lot. The Ruger will hold up better. The Uberti is more like the Colt. There are some improved models of the Uberti now, but I am not familiar with them.

The Ruger warranty is better. I would go with the Vaquero.

I thought I would throw in my two cents. I spent about 3 months comparing these SAA's and decided on the Uberti Cattleman. Here is why. I would like to share my opinion. I started like everyone else I wanted a Colt SAA. Its a Colt, It's the original cowboy gun and I want to be Clint Eastwood after all I am a guy and nothing is cooler than an original Colt SAA. But I also needed to be smart. Do I need to drop a grand or more on a cowboy gun or would I rather have a new lawn tractor? So with that my story begins. Why do I need a thousand dollar colt? What am I buying for? Am I buying to shoot and have fun or am I buying it to pass down to my son who will pass it down to his and so forth and so forth and 100 years from now will my grand children's grand children will have a an original Colt SAA that will be worth three grand? (the days of having a 20k+ colt are gone as they are mass produced now, your investment will not be worth what you think it will be). Okay so I scratched off the colt. I want the tractor and a gun. Okay so now its down to Uberti and Ruger Vaquero. Now do I want to spend $600-$650 for the Vaquer or do I want to spend $400-$500? Lets begin with the Uberti. So Uberti makes the cattleman. Well what about Taylors and Cimmaron? Im confused. Oh I see. Uberti is the manufacture and Taylor and Cimmaron are importers. So Uberti, Cimmaron and Taylor are the same gun and Taylors and Cimarron use different names for the Cattleman like the Cimmaron Model P and the Taylors Ranch hand. Uberiti uses the name Cattleman. Make no mistake they are the same gun made by Uberti although Cimmaron has a better oversight of the quality and a higher standard of the product they get from Uberti. Kinda like Uberti makes 100 guns. Cimmaron gets the best of the bunch and the rest go to the others (yes Cimarron has oversight at the Uberti factory in Italy)

Okay so now we know they are all the same with just different names now I will put them side by side with the Vaquero.

The Vaquer is a great gun. Hands down better quality. But also around $200 more. So now its Do I want to spend $200 more or do I want a new pressure washer to go with my new tractor?

Both guns are pretty close to each other. Some of the things I like about the Ruger are the built in safety devices. The Ruger has a transfer bar which allows the safe loading of 6 (still not recommended) where as the Uberti does not (same as the Colt). It also allows you to load without having to pull the hammer back. You can spin and load by simply opening the loading gate. Very nice feature. The Uberti requires the hammer pulled back in order to spin ( the same way the colt is done).

So the the Ruger is better quality, safer and more modern but some of my cons on the Ruger. You can get it in Black or Silver. No other variations. Thats sucks because the Look of the Uberti's is whats getting me. They just seem to look better to me. If Ruger made some "cooler looking" versions I would get the Ruger. Just a way better quality and way better gun. So now the Uberti The cattleman just looks better to me and I want a pressure washer, a new lawn tractor and a gun. But Do I want to spend $450 bucks for "copy" made by a company in Italy? Are they good? Reputable? Oh wait... Uberti is an independent manufacture who was purchased by Berretta. Well I know Berretta is good and I can't see them attaching their name junk.. Oh wait Berretta sold Uberti to Bennelli? Now I know Bennelli would not attach their name to junk either.

So bottom Line.. Uberti is cheaper and good quality with the backing of Berretta and Bennelli with a better look. The Vaquero is great and has modern safety features but $200 more. So what do I do? Well the simple fact is this. I want a SAA that I can shoot and shoot and shoot. Do I need the transfer bar in the Ruger? Im only going load 5 anyway and still follow the safety of 5 no matter what. Do I want a plain black of silver Ruger or do I want the authentic looking old west SAA that I can abuse and destroy targets all day? Well $450 bucks later plus a new 2800 PSI pressure washer and a 23 HP 46" deck lawn tractor I am loving my Uberti Cattleman. Now the only question is Which Winchester 92 and I going to get? I'll save that for another day.

I've owned several older model Vaquero's and they have all been excellent. My current favorite is my stainless 3.5" .45 Colt with a birdshead grip frame. I sent it to Ruger to have the finish converted to satin stainless and am swapping the grip panels to black. To me, a SA revolver should be American made. But that's just me.

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I'm a single-action guy. My preferences are OM Rugers and Colt SAAs. I have "OM" Vaqueros, NM Blackhawks, Colt SAAs (all 3 generations), Colt Bisleys, 1878 Colts, 1877 Colts, original Ruger flattops and NM Ruger flattops. I have also had Ruger Bisleys, Jaegers (Sauer & Sohns), Ubertis, Cimmarons ("BP" frames). Also a Schofield clone and "baby" Russian.

Size wise, the clones will be closest to Colt's. I learned on OM Rugers, so carrying 5 is not a problem. My hunting and field guns are big magnums or 45s. I used the clones (Cimarron's) in CAS until I inherited some money and got Colt SAAs. My wife prefers Vaqueros. I replaced the springs in the clones and my Colt's and unhooked one spring leg on most of the Rugers. Some of the Rugers have a couple of coils removed also.

Here's the wife's Rig. I got her the polished stainless to resemble nickel-plating.Two Vaqueros in 357 with stags by Grashorn and leather by Mernickle (Holy Terror rig):



Here's my rig. Colt SAA with real ivory by Boone Trading. Leather by Galco (customized by me). Knife is ivory and watch fob is wart-hog ivory. hat band is real bone.



Vaquero with faux Ivory from Western Wildlife and Wonders. Back-up gun.



My clone that I used to use. An Artillery Model with BP frame and cartouches. They were a sweet pair.

I have both , 3 Blackhawks in .45 colt and .44 Mag, and 3 Ubertis in .45 Colt. I don't Cowboy shoot or come close to shooting the amount of rounds these competitors run through. That said in comparing the two brands I appreciate the quality of the Uberti's, and their faithfulness to the original design. I feel that the quality of fit and finish is far above Rugers. They are much tighter in terms of cylinder lock up also. Where Rugers jump ahead is in strength(ability to handle the higher pressure Ruger Only loads (if not the New Vaquero)). I would also agree with other posters that that Rugers will afford better durability, as springs are all coil and internal parts like the sear and cylinder bolt are built heavier and with more durable design. I love to carry the Uberti's and when it comes down to packing out game in bear country I grab a Blackhawk... a little gratuitous picture display..




james

My buddy and I did the same thing with the Old Model Rugers in .45 Colt back around '73-'74. Lee Jurras was a hero to us back then, and we thought, well, if he can do it, so can we! We had our own range out in the woods, so we didn't have to worry about other people. I don't remember the load data, but we were seeing flames out the end of the 7.5-inch barrel in broad daylight. I do remember thinking at the time, maybe we oughta drop down a grain or two. We might have been loading with 2400, but just honestly can't remember. Looking back on it now, Lee Jurras would have told us to leave well enough alone.

Me too! Italian is fine for semi's, but SA is strictly an American invention.

Uberti's licensed by Colt to build replicas. I know a lot of guys use them in CAS, their lever action rifles too. If I were into that, I'd go Ruger, but that's me.

Ruger hands down
I have a few Rugers that I've had for over 50yrs. I have a Super Black Hawk
That has countless thousands of rounds thru it. The biggest part of these
were 240JHPs/ 22 1/2 gr. of 2400, these loads are over the recommended
maximum load. ( don't use this load in your gun) The gun likes this load and
is sighted for 100yds. Point of story is Ruger is far superior to the foriegn
SA copies. I've owned most of them and had minor troubles with them all
before they got to 2000 rds. The Super Black Hawk sheared a lower frame
screw, this was before Nyloc screw inserts.

I am in a little late in this thread, but here goes. I have a pair of Ruger New Vaquero Bisleys in 45 LC that I use for CAS. I think they are great and they shoot a lot better than I can.

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RudyN
NRA Patron Life Member

I will go for the Uberti. The New Uberti is much more sturdy than the old build one. Why? It is simple the have a better handspring now. Is is indestructeble now. Before the new one it was a bent leafspring wich easely could break. Now the have drilled a hole in the frame put a smal stift, a colilspring and a very tiny screw to put things on place. The revolver works very good. They have replaced the hammersafety to. The new one's do have an long cilinder ax with two stops. Ofcource the first stop will held the cilinder Ax on place when in use. You can push the ax true till the second stop and put the revolver on safe. Nice. But this dous not work all the time. For one stupid reason the ax gets stock and could not pushed trough. Never mind you will need the first stop anyway. The Uberti is a good shooter and I have good results with it. You can shoot nitro or blackpowderloads with it. I love thise revolver.

In the pictures you find the cilinderax of the Uberty even with the first revolver from about 1973 who used this first. The Hammerli Virginian. Both revolvers wit extrract cilinderax , the new handspring and I could not resist. My Colt 3th generation .45 colt.

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You MAY want to go lurk around the Colt forum and see what Jim Martin says about coil springs. I have coils (Rugers) and leaf (clones and Colts) both, so "I got no dog in this fight". Jim was shop supervisor and gunsmith for Colt for MANY, MANY years and has very definite opinions on coil spring replacements on Colts. Just to get another opinion.

I have a unfired used vaquero in 45 LC with a 7 1/2 polished stainless. It's discontinued. What a sweet piece it is. I been eyeing the Cimarron guns too? There open top revolvers look good.

Bear Bio. I do know that you do not strip the revolver in the field. If so al the tiny parts are gonne. You have to be a patient man to assemble the tiny screw under coilspring tension in its place.
Beside that. I do own a lot of single action revolvers, My experience is that this devise is working great and dous not break. I am aware that this is used in custom Colt SAA aswell. I fired several when I was in the States. (To long ago)

I don't do CAS or any competitive shooting, so can't comment directly on that aspect.

With that said, I've had a Uberti Cattleman in 45 Colt for about a year, and have shot the snot out of it. It just feels "right" in my hand, and I can shoot it great. I only shoot handloads out of it(I think I bought one box of factory ammo at the same time I bought the gun-mostly just to get some brass to start with). I mostly use Unique and PB(a great, underrated powder in 45 Colt) and stick to the middle of the SAA sections of the loading book. I've even shot black powder out of it occasionally.

I also have a NM Blackhawk in 45 Colt. It's "chunky" and ugly, but also very strong. I shoot the same loads out of it as I shoot out of the Uberti, but also sometimes run a "Ruger only" load through-especially when someone else is being obnoxious at the range . I don't generally use it and the Uberti in the same range session, as it takes me a few minutes to adjust to the different operation of the two.

I have another Ruger Single Action-one of the new Single Sevens in 327 Magnum. It was the first new Ruger I'd ever bought. Out of the box, I had problems with it-it was extremely inaccurate(even at short ranges, I couldn't get a discernible group) and had a "catch" in the cylinder rotation. I sent it back to Ruger(completely on their dime) and they had it back to me in about a week and a half with both problems fixed. The repair statement indicated that they had recut the forcing cone and replaced the pawl, and also included a 15 yard test target. I've had no issues with it since then. I was disappointed at the initial quality, but nothing but blown away by Ruger's service.

To each his own. The New Vaquero is the obvious choice if you want a better built clone and the rock solid reliability of Ruger. Personally, I like having a sixth round available. I'd suggest that the OP go to a range where he can rent both models for comparative purposes. I've owned a Cattleman. Of the two, the NV is a better fit and feel for my hand, but it simply comes down to a matter of personal choice.

I did the SASS thing for a couple years and then lost interest in it. I used a pair of Uberti Cattlemans. They held up well to my loads of .45 Colt 250 gr LRN bullets at about 800 fps...I'm not sure how many rounds they fired but I bought 1000 nickeled cases and went though them and reloaded them at least six times. I also used this ammo in my Henry Big Boy.

I have one of the Ubertis and a SS New Vaquero and a Colt New Frontier. The Colt is a Colt and has not had more than a couple hundred rounds through it since I bought it in 1981. The Uberti is very close in feel. The Ruger has a very different feel. For SASS, I would likely use the Uberti. The Colt is mainly a safe queen. For practical field use, the SS Ruger in a flap holster is the pick. The best way to choose would be to go to some SASS shoots. Watch the action and what actual shootists are using. Handle both and hopefully shoot examples. A pair of revolvers, rifle/carbine and a shotgun as well as all the clothing, leather, boots and ammo is a considerable investment and its worth taking plenty of time to do research and try out the stuff...As with most things, most will opine that whatever THEY have is the best.

I have had several Uberti Cattlemans and have loved them all. Regretfully traded a couple away. One of the best single actions I owned was a USFA .45LC, they don't make them anymore. The fit and finish was awesome. I don't think you will regret either, but my vote for authenticity is the Uberti. And oh, that for click cocking sound! Get 'em up pardner!"

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Endeavor to persevere. <><

While I have never owned an Uberti the Birdshead .357 Vaquero is an interesting piece.

I have four .357 mag Vaqueros. One pair has at least 20,000 rounds through them and never a problem. The other two are newer but far less rounds. So a Vaquero cost a little more but with the success I have had with mine it's worth it.
A comment was made about a Colt Cowboy; It died in the South.