Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Cowboy Action Shooting SAA colt clones????

I have cowboy SAA shooting fever bad and have been looking at a cimmarron stamped U.S.7th calvery case colored colt clone SAA with 71/2in.barrel 45lC..Is this one of the best clones and what should i expect for accuracy?Also what is a good cost/price?Should i hold out for a real colt or the usfa? colt type?There are so many choices right now and there are some nice looking units...AWA,Uberti,beretta stampede,ruger vaquaro.....Also will the nickle finish wear quicker useing a leather holster?I plan on useing the unit a lot/not a safe queen & have no idea what to expect from the nickle finish but they sure do look nice!
Any help,input ,experiances appreciated

A good fitting leather holster is the easiest on gun finishes, the Ubertis are made by Beretta and a better deal, the New Model Vaquero is one of the best if you don't want the "four clicks" that th Colt & Colt clones have. One of the best out of the box single actions is the Taurus Gaucho but supplies are drying up fast on them. Cimmerons are also made by Uberti as are the Taylors & Company offerings. The USFA is the best non-Colt SAA on the market and are built in the old Hartford plant.

If you are going to shoot CAS matches the 5� and 4 3/4 inch guns are more competitive.

Thanks

I would still recommend paying a little more and get a Colt. I have 7 of them 4 of which are 1st generation guns. I shoot 1000's of rounds/year and have had NONE That's 0, ZERO, NADA problems with any of these Colt's.

I also know where you could get a very unique 2nd generation .45 owned by Mike venturino and it has an action job done on it. I also believe it has custom 1 piece wood grips too. I believe I could get it for $1600.00, and he also has a nickel .45 3rd generation gun that is tuned as well for about $1300.00.

Either way, I have never been sorry for owning a colt.

"Is this one of the best clones"

No.
The nickel finish is the most durable. The least is CC. If you can afford a first generation Colt then go that route but expect to pay 2-3x as much, minimum. The third generation Colts are less authentic than the USFA which are actually made in the USA, in the old Colt plant. IMO it's a choice between Ruger and USFA.

I think the Cimarron is a very good representation of the old Colt Cavalry model. It should be as accurate as any. IMO it is as good as a Colt and approaches the USFA. I've never owned a USFA but by all accounts, they are the best going today. I have owned several Cimarron (Uberti) firearms and they are all good. I would think anything at or below the $450 mark would be a solid buy.

I have to disagree with Stetson on the assertion to get a 1st Generation. If you want one for a collector's piece, then by all means go for it. The newer 1st generations are certainly safe to shoot if they are in good shape, however they are so collectible that you shoot value off of them. I wouldn't hesitate to fire one a few times if it was a common variation and not in mint shape, but I wouldn't shoot one as much as you describe for cowboy action. Also, the guns being made today have much better steel in them and while not designed for the heavy loads that a Blackhawk or Vaquero (not necessarily the New Vaquero but its predecessor) can handle, they are still made of better materials than the old Colts. The 2nd and 3rd generation Colts are less of the same thing-having better and better materials but still more expensive than need be and no more original than any other firearm of the same design.

I agree with him on USFA and the New Vaquero, one of which I own but had forgotten about. I think the Cimarron is a bit closer replica than the New Vaquero as is the USFA. You will probably pay $50 or so more for the Cimarron, so it's kind of a toss-up as they are both great guns.

You guys - I'm so excited because I put down some money on a brand new Uberti 1873 Cattleman in .357 and can't wait for it to show up. This is gonna be a fun gun - no CAS, no self defense, so I think it should be good to go right outta the box, but I read somewhere that maybe some new springs might be in order.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Get yourself a set of Wolf springs, you will like what they do.

Stock No. 32325.....Colt SAA & EMF Hartford, most clones..... $23.99

http://www.gunsprings.com/Revolver/Colt_RvNF.html

The one I like.
Uberti

Terry is probably right but there is no harm in shooting it first and seeing what you think. You may luck out and get an exceptionally good example and not need to spend the extra dinero. You can always order them later. Congrats on the new iron.

Ethan, I have to agree with you about dissagreeing with me! How's that for a change?
I just meant to say that the third generation Colts are not my first pick. You make some very valid points. Doug Turnbull often has first generation Colts that have been completly re-done, new barrels etc that would be reliable and safe to shoot on a regular basis. Their is a little pucker factor in the price however if I was bent on an "authentic" Colt that's the route I would go.
I still think the best overall shooter choice is between Ruger and USFA but honestly I like just about all SAA's.

Ivan congrats! Now you just gotta figure out where to shoot in LA!

we are very lucky in the Cowboy community to have many fine guns to chose from. Ruger has long been noted for workhorse guns at a fair price. Many of the guns imported are well made but sometimes parts and service are a problem. I have six real colts and enjoy each one. Last December I was lucky to spend so,e time in Hartford. I took a tour of the USFA plant and was so impressed that I ordered two Bisley Colts. Recieved them a month ago and am VERY HAPPY. A new shooter migh be wise to attend a few matches and handle some of the pards guns to see what is best. The SASS wire often has some guns for sale on the Wire. It would pay to watch it for a few weeks as I have purchased several fine cowboy guns there.
It is a very fun shooting sport. I am happy that my wife will be my shooting partner this year. Should be fun!
Good luck

Just a quick range report on my new Uberti 1873 Cattleman .357 with 5.5" barrel - it was AWESOME. I am a Glock kinda guy and this is my first revolver, and I couldn't be more pleased. Other .357s I've shot (snub nosed) packed a significant perceived recoil. The weight and barrel length of this Cattleman mitigated that perceived recoil to almost less than a 9mm from a medium frame auto loader. It didn't take me very long to get accustomed to the cowboy style rear sights. Between my lady friend and I, we put 100 rounds of .357 through her without a single hiccup of any kind. Using factory ammo (Remington I think)At 10 yards (I think) I was getting like 2.5 to 3 inch groups shooting offhand. I think that's tolerable given it was my first time shooting a Single Action Army type revolver. Bottom line - this is one fun shootin' iron that's also pretty easy on the eyes and the wallet.

Thought I'd add one more report. My same lady friend and I went to the range again with that Uberti Colt Clone, but this time we fired 100 rounds of factory .38 special. With these loads the recoil felt like a .22 Ruger (almost none!). At 10 yards, I could put the rounds almost on top of each other - push out the target another 5 yards and the groups started to open up again. My lady friend had trouble being consistent with the fixed cowboy style sights and shoots much more consistently with my Glock 19.

Regarding those .38s - there were a few occassions where I had fired all the rounds in the revolver, pulled back to half cock, opened the loading gate, and tried to turn the cyclinder, but it wouldn't turn because the .38 shell casings were not seated forward properly. This was easily corrected by seating them properly. However, I don't recall having this issue with .357 ammo. Have you guys had a similar experience?

I finally get what you guys mean about the four clicks... maybe I'm a bit pedestrian, but what is the big deal about the four clicks???

CAS sure seems like it would be fun, and I'm sure I'll make it out to an event to at least check it out, but I've been doing some pricing of guns, leather, and western wear, and I don't see how I will be able to justify the expense for the whole get up (any time soon).

The dressing up part appeals to me, and I obviously like the shooting part, but I'm unsure how I feel about the speed draw part - it seems kind of unnecessarily unsafe.

Also, historically, didn't folks typically carry only one revolver? Isn't the pistol something we've always used to "fight our way to the long guns?" Aren't twin shootin' irons kind of a Hollywood thing?

The sticking cases, quiet common when shooting .38's in a .357 gun. I load .357 cases to .38 velocities for my Gaucho's, solved that problem.

The two guns are for MORE SHOOTING!

The HOLY 4 CLICKS....... that is what the original Colt 1873 Single Action Army had, therefor that is the Holy Grail to many reenactors including the SASS crowd, however I have never seen a disqualification for the Rugers and others that don't click 4 times when cocking.

The duds at the local level really don't have to be ALL that authentic. Many of us do not aspire to shooting in the regional & national matches, just go and have good clean shootin' fun a couple times a month. I started out with a pair of blue jeans that I took the belt loops off of and sewed on suspender buttons, a pair of surplus west German field suspenders, the boots I normally wear with the spurs I really used when still chasing cows through the palmetto's, a couple of collarless shirts from Old Navy and a cheap Resistol hat (they do frown on straw hats even at local matches) from Tractor Supply Company. I bought a pair of holsters from Western & Wildlife Wonders, an SASS mercantile for $117.00 shipped and put them on an old Hunter cartridge belt I also already had. All of this probably cost $200.00 and I am still wearing this stuff. The rifle is a used Navy Arms (by Rossi) stainless .357 I bought for $300.00 and the shotgun is an old Stevens 311 that can be found in lots of pawn shops for a hundred bucks or so. The big bucks were the pair of stainless Taurus Gaucho .357's I bought new, THEY cost me $700.00 through the shop! Had to sell a few little items out of the safe to buy them. You can find all manner of deals on leather on Ebay as well as boots and clothing, no need to spend big bucks with the CAS merchants till you know you want to stay in the game and go for the big shoots & matches. Also check out the classifieds on the official SASS site, there are usually lots of items listed for sale there as well.

The fast draw also is not necessary, hitting all the targets as fast as you SAFELY can is. But that comes with practice, time, practice, patience and practice.

I am now into cap & ball revolvers and BP cartridges, bought several C&B revolvers over the past 6 months for 100.00-175.00 or traded some already in the safe each in excellent to new condition.

Go to a couple of local matches and watch, ask questions and see what the other Pards are using and wearing. If you show a real interest don't be surprised if a few people offer to let you try their rigs and shoot a stage or two. Check it out but be aware it can be quite addictive.

I think if a person has a re-done or smokeless era Colt that they want to shoot and they've got the bucks to do it, go for it. Then again if it's a particularly endangered species, .45 Boxer or some such, please think twice before doing so.

I agree with you that the Ruger and USFA are just excellent.

One thing I kinda wish would happen is some of these newer replicas that have come out with "gutta-percha" type grips...I wish they would refrain from putting their own logo on them. This includes the Vaq. Plain walnut or plastic grips would be preferable. After all, we are trying to replicate Colts here and not a 1969 Hawes or something. lol

And as an addendum to the above...new grips are expensive and then the old ones get given to the dealer or lost or lay around in the box waiting for the day you decide to get back into 1911's or whatever. I'd like to see usable grips. Even though Uberti's are pretty red, at least most of them have wood grips.

Doug Turnbull has some nice grips but they come at a dear price. Just as soon as I hit the Lotto I'm buyin a first generation colt from DT. Until then I'm thrilled with my USFA.