Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Single action advice

If I want a single action 45 that I can shoot and use for a long time what's a good choice? I want a lighter one than a blackhawk. Was told the cheaper ones don't hold up well with extended use

New Vaquero maybe?

No price concern, Freedom Arms 97


Price concern, sorry but it's Ruger.

Cimarron or uberti? Those aren't quality?

There's a sale on Cimarron right now, can't recall the seller. Gunbroker? $395?

A lot of it depends on the power level you want to use. If you're OK with 250-grain bullets at 900 fps, then you have lot of options. For more power, you need a Ruger Blackhawk or Bisley.


Okie John

Uberti/Cimmaron are good quality though not as robust as the Ruger. If you're limiting your loads to factory or moderate reloads, a Uberti is a fine choice. If you're wanting to shoot heavy loads go with the Ruger.

Get a Flattop convertible.

This. And get the convertible model with a .45 ACP cylinder (for all the reasons you already know). The gun will outlive you, your kids, and your grandkids.

https://ruger.com/products/vaqueroStainless/specSheets/5144.html

Ha! 'flave and I were posting at the same time!

Genius minds and all that...

I have a Ruger 44 spec flat top. It is a hammer with cast loads and Unique. Suspect the 45 is the same
I was surprised at the nice finish on this pistol. Lipseys special edition as I remember

Blackhawk has the aluminum grip frame. 37.4 ounces.

The newer Ruger's with three digit SN Pre-fixes will not handle as stout of loads that the older Two digit pre-fix numbers will handle. However, the newer frames are trimmer and are well balanced. My advice is to Ruger over the import stuff. Do check out the older Rugers against the newer ones and make your decision.

You talkin’ Vaqueros or all of them?

Flattop or new vaquero. I am too lazy to look up weights, but I believe both come with a steel grip frame vs the Blackhawk aluminum. The bigger gun may weigh less.

I just picked up one of the Lipsey’s stainless Blackhawk Flattop convertibles in 45LC/45ACP with the 4 5/8” barrel. It weighs right at 40 oz, and being a mid-framed model (as all the New Model Vaqueros and Blackhawk Flattops are now), you cannot use the Tier 3 Ruger Only loads like you can with the large framed models. That’s fine with me, it will still handle Tier 2 ammo which works fine for deer hunting at reasonable ranges, and as I have a truckload of 45 ACP, it will primarily shoot that through the second cylinder. Haven’t had it out to the range yet, buy it feels great in the hand, and is a great looking revolver.

Ruger now uses their medium frame on both Vaqueros and Blackhawks. The medium frame will have a three digit pre-fix in the serial number. I am not positive, but medium frames are offered in 44 special, 45 Colt, 45 ACP and 357 Mag. I don't know which frame is currently being used for the 41 Mag, 10MM, or 30 carbine.

The super Blackhawk frame is being used for 44 mag, 454 Casull and 480 Ruger.

Ruger Super Blackhawks are still a heavy frame.

Note the three digit SN pre-fix which denotes this Ruger as a medium frame.

Lots of good info posted already. As noted, it depends largely on whether you want authentic Colt operation and handling, or a little more strength and far better durability from a mid-frame Ruger.

Modern Colts and clones are good strong revolvers capable of sending the RCBS 45-270-SAA (which drops about 285 grains) from 900 to 1000 fps while staying within 14,000 PSI. Brian Pearce has done considerable load development with this bullet for the various pressure levels of 45 Colt loads.

https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

Colts and clones are more prone to breakage of small parts such as the bolt and hand springs, but they are cheap and it pays to keep spares on hand. This applies to heavily-used blackpowder Colt clones as well. Music wire bolt springs are available (from Dixie Gun Works etc) which essentially eliminate breakage of that part, but they often lighten the trigger pull by at least a pound. This is fine but if your Colt/Clone has a three pound pull to begin with, take that into account.

As noted it is hard to beat a 4 5/8" New Model 45 Blackhawk for a lightweight, powerful single action. I've had several and with their aluminum ejector rod housing and grip frame, feel lighter in the hand than my 4 5/8" New Vaquero. But the NV balances better and while it's limited to Tier II.20,000 PSI loads, I like it better than any Ruger SA I've ever had. Ruger came very near to duplicating the Colt SA grip with the three-digit guns and they point and handle far better for me than any other New Model.