I've been contemplating getting a single action revolver. I would prefer one in either .44 Special/Magnum or .38 Special/.357 Magnum. I would like to get a good value for my dollar. Can you folks recommend what brands I should look at? I would like to get one similar to the old Colt style. Thanks in advance.
Steve

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Steve

Having had few of them, you can't go wrong with the Ruger Blackhawk or the Ruger Vaquero. The Vaquero has the fixed sights, the Blachawk has adjustable sights.

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Vaya con Dios

If ya want an authentic Colt clone , then ya don't want a Ruger. Any of the Uberti made (Beretta,Cimarron) single actions are very well made and almost identical to a Colt SAA , at 1/4 the price. Cimarron has the most variety. Cimarron Firearms - Old West Guns and Cowboy Action Shooting Firearms

USFA makes some of the best , matching the fit and finish of a 2nd Gen SAA at probably 1/2 the price.

I agree. For maybe around $500 you can get a Uberti/Cimarron that looks more like an 1870's colt than a newer Colt does. And make sure you get the "black powder, or old model" frame. It just has a screw holding the cylinder pin in like the old Colts. Then comes the USAF if you have more money to spend. But you can get a real Colt for under a grand if you look hard enough. But those Uberti's are great quality wise. Just check out the "casehardening" befor you get one 'cause it can be pretty bland on these.

Just buy an actual Colt SAA. They tend to hold their value quite well. Either a classic older one or one that left the factory last week, it'll still hold its value. Modern ones are still well turned out.

Your gonna drop $500 to get a Ruger or clone..I would save up the extra $500 and get a Colt.

I recently bought a USFA Rodeo 2 in matte nickle for $450. A 4 5/8" gun and it's a beuty. Have access to another if your interested. Shippiing would add $30 though. LNIB.

FN in MT

The Cimarrons are beautiful guns for the money and look authentic. The Rugers are the most durable, especially if you are going to shoot a lot of .44 magnums, but they don't have the looks, or action clicks of a period correct gun.

Looks like opinion central. Disclosure--the wife and I have about 10 of the things, covering original 1st gen. Colt, Uberti, and Ruger. Bought my first SA in 1962.

Best for the money are the Rugers, and they don't break. Target sights are awfully nice, but fixed can work if you stick to one load. Ruger makes them high so you can dial them in. The New Vaqs are just about a dead ringer for my old 1882 Colt but better. .38/.357 is a very good, practical ctg. but .45 Colt is traditional. .44 Spl./Mag. fine but for me the .45 LC works.

We had a .44 Spl. Cimmaron on order for the wife but it showed up with a badly pitted barrel NIB. We swapped it for a NIB Uberti Cattleman. Reason we went for that instead of the NV was because she loved the charcoal blue finish. However the case on the Uberti is a bit on the dull side (typical), and IMHO the lockwork is a bit rough and the metal a bit softer than I really like. I have about three Uberti percussion revolvers and this seems typical. I would not expect the Ubertis to hold up as well as the others. I could be wrong.

Colt tends to sell the prancing pony logo for a fairly stiff price. I had a 3rd gen .44 Spl SAA in the 80s which was rough, not well fitted, and with a too-short front sight for zeroing. I sold it knowing I had been had. OTOH my wife also wanted a USFA about the time she got the Uberti (one for show, one for blasting). So she got a nickelled 5 1/2" .45 for less than a comparably set up Colt. The nickel finish was the equal of the Colt, which is very good indeed. Finish and fit of the gun was the best I have ever seen anywhere--a work of art.

Oddly enough I am just as satisfied with my bright stainless NV Ruger as I would be with the USFA because I bought it to please the eye and shoot. Still, I might someday get a USFA "just because".

Good luck on getting just one.

I'll weigh in here . . . I've owned several Ruger single actions (not any of the others) and for my money they are the best. You can't wear them out and they are safe to carry with all six chambers loaded. Fun to shoot too.

Did everyone miss this part of the man's initial question?


Everytime somebody says they want to get something , a bunch of know-betters tells them to get something else.

Surprised no one recommended a Model 29 yet.

US FireArms...

There has never been anything to match the current quality of these guns. Made under the old Blue Dome of Colt...

You'll pay more, but will have a line bored gun that is custom fit at the factory....

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Non gratum anus rodentum

Everything everybody already said is quite true. All I can add is, if you basicly want to shoot alot=Rugar.

If you want a "Colt" look at a much lower price=Italian clone (Uberti, etc.)

If you want a really well made SA , for slightly less cash then a Colt=USFA

If you want a nice SA + a investment=Colt

US Firearms or Colt. Otherwise the Ruger New Vaquero.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

Already got 2 629's.
Steve

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Steve

Someone say US Firearms in 44 special?

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Sure you did

Only 2?

You need more of those as well. ( Y )

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

Joni,,,,

You're so bad, on just so many levels....

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Non gratum anus rodentum

.........................................me?

You never know when you'll need a dozen or so nice 29/629's.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

Dang,

I was goin' to post somethin' really important on the forum ~ somewhere else...

Lost all track of whatever it was.....

All this talk of 29's and 629's.....

Dammit....

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Non gratum anus rodentum

Since this was posted on the S&W Forum, What's wrong with S&W single actions?

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I really like the Flat Top Blackhawk in 44 Special. Nice size good caliber and handles nicely.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I think this sums it up very well. My additional two cents is that if you are only going to have one SA, it should be a Colt... My two cents.

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NRA Life Member

...and my one cent's worth is, if Ruger is even on your list of possibilities, you can also get the 357/38 with the 9mm swap cylinder. Kind of nice to shoot three calibers with one SA...

Len

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Qui me amat, amet et canem meum

Now that is sweet!!!
Steve

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Steve

Most of my life, my opinion was if it isn't Colt, it isn't. Then Colt changed and I got well acquainted with Smith. Now, in single action format, a 5 1/2 inch U.S.F.A. came to me and it is most excellent. The quality far exceeds that of Colt SAs made since the 1960s, is built like the older Colts and shoots with the accuracy that Colt and Ruger can only wish for. It is right at home with my 20+ Smiths.
Dan

John Taffin recently did a shoot in GUNS magazine where he tested 3 new Colts and found they shot very well indeed.

Its really about what you can afford. I started out 50 years ago with a ruger single six. I shot that gun probley more than I have all my handguns put together since. Right now I own about 10 various single actions. 4 colts, 2 rugers, 3 clones (2 various ubertis and a emf) a old colt scout, and a original remington new model army. One I never shot as it is a commemrative. A few safe queens.
A $350 clone will probley do. Colts are nice but exspendsive. I listed a lot here but I was fortunate in owning most of them as long ago as 40 years. The most I probley paid for a new colt was $600s.
One thing you might think about is to buy a COMEMRATIVE colt! They sell cheap yet cost the company more in labor to manufactor than the standard sa! (Higher polish etc.) You probley can find one for half or 2/3 of the standard! Something to think about!

It depends upon what you want to do with it.

If you're looking to hunt with it, get a Ruger Blackhawk or Super Blackhawk.

Personally, a couple of years ago, I was thinking about a single action revolver because I've never had one. I wanted the real Colt Peacemaker experience without spending over $1,000. I decided on a Cimarron. I wanted the real SAA action, and the Rugers and Berettas just don't have that. Given that I'd never carry it, carry related safety features were irrelevant. Got laid off and now it's a moot point.

Thanks all! I think I will give Ruger one last try. I've had nothing but bad luck with their previous handguns, but from what I'm told I must have had bad karma because everyone else loves them. I prefer to buy one from someone in Virginia to keep from doing all the long distance shipping, fees, etc.
Thanks again!
Steve

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Steve

Nice J_L !

I went this same route about 2 months ago when a like new 44 Spl 4 5/8" Flat Top came in on trade . I couldn't be happier . I've owned both Colt and USFA SAA's and while they are sweet , this Ruger is a great deal for what you get imo

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Mitch

I agree that Ruger probably makes the most durable SA but I never could learn to love the "new" post-74 action. So, I tend to stick to Colt, Colt clones and three-screw Rugers. I've owned Colt, Cimarron, Uberti, EMF and some others but the best quality I've found, by far, is the USFA in almost any flavor you like.I recently picked up a pair of the Rodeo II models in 45 Colt, 4 3/4" barrels to use for fun shooting. They are as good as any early Colt I've ever seen and better than the 3rd gen. and current production Colts at half the price. Even the high end USFA's are less than Colt and, IMHO, the quality is far better. So, that's what I'm going with these days.

Can't really add much about brand to look for, I have a Casull and it works for me, but there's lots to choose from.

What I'd like to do is to mention grip options for your SA.

There's:

Cavalry

Plough Handle

Bird's Head

Bisley

IMO, the Bisley is the best and the plough handle a close second.

I can't get a proper grip on a cavalry and the bird's head is for smaller frames.

If you want one similar to a Colt, why not get a Colt?

$$$$$$$
Steve

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Steve

Definitely, go for a new Colt SAA ! Twenty years from now you won't be sorry you bought a Ruger BUT twenty years from now you will be thankful you bought a Colt and money ahead (they will appreciate in value much more than any other SAA).

USFA makes a nice gun but if I were doing it again I'd look harder at Colt's.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

I'm just a lowly DA shooter but curious. What shape does a cavalry grip have?

Gil

if you want to shoot everything form powder puff to atomic, get the ruger or freedom arms. Depending on your budget, if you want authenticity get a real colt. if you want something for CAS or just plinking nothihng worng wit hteh italian copies.

Why not just steer him to one of these?

BFR: Magnum Research

K22fan, I had the same wonder.

He left out a few, also.

Now, this bottom one is the birdshead, and it's not comfortable, for me. The top one is the Thunderer grip, and it is very nice to shoot, in 45 Colt or smaller. I don't know how it would do with a magnum.



He mentioned Bisley, which I presume to be the Colt Bisley. This one is also quite unconformable, to me. The Ruger Bisley, which is quite different in shape, is, to my hand, the best feeling.



The plowhandle is the standard Peacemaker grip. Far as I know, it's what's on the original 1873 Cavalry models, as well as what's on the civilian guns.

The 1860 Army had a larger (although still the same shape) grip than the Peacemaker. I've heard people on the SASSwire, who have large hands, talk about switching the 1860 grip onto their SAAs, for more control. Maybe that's the grip he meant.

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I always take precautions

I was tossing out a general consideration, not the complete list of grips.

IIRC, a plough handle is larger than a cavalry but smaller than a Bisley.

I second the Lispey's (or now Ruger is listing them as a stock item) 44 Special flattop Blackhawk. The frame/grip are very close to a Colt.

If you want fixed sights, more traditional in appearance to the Colt, and which is receiving raves from most Ruger folks about quality of fit and finish, the new Sheriff's Model Vaquero is a winner. They are real shooters too! Accuracy is outstanding.

Here are a couple of links:

Ruger Vaquero 44 Special - RUKNV44S - LIPSEYS.COM

Lipsey’s Exclusive Ruger Vaquero 44 Special Sheriff’s Model

There is, of course, nothing like a genuine Colt and there are many clones out there, but you are putting a lot of money into a name more than quality imho. The USFA would be my choice over a Colt.

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" I said, good DAY! "

I just bought a Ruger Bisley Vaquero in .357 and it is a lot of fun to shoot. I really like the Bisley features on this gun, particularly the lower hammer spur, the wider trigger and the grip angle. The Colts are nice but for $1300, I'll have to save up. This Ruger cowboy gun has the fixed blade sight and is very accurate. Uberti makes a fine pistol and so do several others. The Ruger has the tranfer bar. These single action pistols are fun to shoot, accurate and hard hitting. They would not be a bad trail gun at all. Buying a leather rig for your new pistol is like picking out a purse for a woman. They cost from $200 on up.

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Local sporting goods store has the Ubertis for $299 in .45 Colt. I personally have no need or use for a SAA, but they sure did look nice. Even the CCH looked pretty nice.

Nobody has a need or a use for a single action revolver. They are just fun to shoot. I grew up watching cowboy movies and playing cowboys and indians.

Say what? Many if not must hunters might disagree with you on that one! The right single actions are usualy stronger than a double action. Also we dont need a DA to hunt with and you dont need the faster loading. A SA can also be a defense gun, but it wouldnt be my first choice, still they will and have done the job.

Yep, a lot of the residents of Boot Hill owe their demise to a single action revolver!

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Steve

What was I thinking! The Ruger Blackhawks are great hunting revolvers as well as plinkers. When I posted the above statement I was thinking of the Vaqueros, the Colts and Ubertis with the fixed sights. Although my Vaquero is as accurate as any pistol I own, even with fixed sights.

I also have a USFA 4 3/4" blue/case .44 Special. It is a FINE shooter and the quality is the equal of a 2nd Generation Colt SAA, at a much lower price.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!