Thread: What to get for Cowboy action?

Been thinking about getting into Cowboy action so have been working towards getting hardware. I'm looking at Uberti El Parton vs Cimarron Evil Roy since there already "Hopped up". However theres the Rugers as well. I'm invested in .357 so not looking at 45 LC.

2 questions;

1) Who has selections of 1873 SAAs?

2) opinions on Uberti Vs Cimarron Vs Ruger (I know the Cimarron is actually a Uberti)

I have a ruger blackhawk convertible and it's a fun gun to shoot. Having the option to change between 45acp and 45lc in less that 10 seconds Is great.

At least take a look at the Rodeo made by USFA. You won't find better quality in the price range.

I think it all depends on what you’re looking for, if you want a bomb proof modern six gun get a Ruger Vaquero with its transfer bar to safely carry six rounds. If you want something a little authentic either of the other two mentioned would be a good choice. Bear in mind some authentic types should not be packed with the hammer on a loaded chamber. I could never make up my mind between the Uberti 1873 Cattleman Charcoal for that pretty look Blue or 1873 Old West for that rough and tough used well look. Most the guys I knew that were getting into it went with the Ruger 357s (running 38s) and Marlin 1894 in the same caliber.

Originally Posted by 22many

I have a ruger blackhawk convertible and it's a fun gun to shoot. Having the option to change between 45acp and 45lc in less that 10 seconds Is great.

He would not want adjustable sights so the Blackhawks are out.

OPINON: I much prefer the balance and 'feel' of a Colt copy.the rugers are clubs,imho,but they are built very very well.
As to who has some to look at,almost every shop has some,very few shops have a lot of firearms in the cowboy venue that I can think of.It was that way at the Albany gun show this past weekend also.
There is a cowby shoot at Canby this weekend,I'd say come out and talk to some of us,and get some opinions on what they like and shoot.Rugers rule,but still lke my Uberti's.
what carbine ya gonna git.The '73's rule,I use a '66 copy.Both of these have a very reliable straight-feed design vs. other carbine's feed action.

I had a stainless vaquero bisely 45, the thing was beutiful but weighed nearly 6 pounds!
You do NOT want to buy a recent prodction Marlin or any Rossi!

Best advice was given by Throckmorton. Get out to a couple of matches, talk to the folks there, see if you can try out some of their guns (most will let you) and decide what you like the best. The majority of CAS shooters would tell you to go with the Rugers. They come out of the box pretty well equipped for competition whereas most of the italian clones do not.

I went totaly off the wall with my cowboy guns and went with Cimarron Remington Conversions. Which just goes to show that there is as much to personal taste in choosing your guns as anything else.

As you already know, Cimarron is just an importer for Uberti and Pietta guns. I have been told that those sold through Cimarron are of better quality but beleive this to be a myth. The new Thunderstorms (I think that is what they are calling thier new race ready gun) looks interesting. Haven't seen a lot of them on the market yet.

I second throckmorton, come out to Canby this weekend. Check out the guns.

You can pick-up a good set of pistols for 1/2 the price of the new "hopped up" ones.. Spring kits are cheap and easy to install. PM me if you plan on coming out Sat. I have a couple sets of Uberti's you can try. And i'm sure others will have some for you to check out.

as for your questions;
1). check out sassnet.com lots of info and classifieds there.
2). each have their pluses and minuses. I use old model vaqueros, I have big hands and like the way they handle. The USFA and top end Uberti's look and feel like Colts, for half the price. New model Vaquero's are lighter than the old ones, and are very popular.

I would not buy a new set of guns to start with, i went through 2 sets before i settled on mine.. Same goes for the rifles.and shotguns,. so many to choose from.

You can go to the shoots as a visitor and see what rigs the shooters are using. I use to go the Albany shoots, great bunch of people.

Originally Posted by Throckmorton

what carbine ya gonna git.The '73's rule,I use a '66 copy.Both of these have a very reliable straight-feed design vs. other carbine's feed action.

I bought a Henry Big boy a while back fro Bimart. The shiny got to me one day when I had money in my pocket. It's real accurate, just have heard there not speedy.

Either one will work. Main thing you need is indians or robbers.

A lot of misinformation about Rugers posted above. The current production Ruger "New Vaquero" is a clone of the Colt SAA, it is built on a medium frame. The Ruger "Vaquero" is a oversize clone of the Colt SAA, built on a large frame and is available in .44mag. The "New Model Blackhawk" is not normally used as a "cowboy" gun, it's a modern SA adjustable sight revolver.

Go to a match and try a few different guns. You can probably find something used for a good price. The Vaquero well have the best resale value.

Originally Posted by madcratebuilder

A lot of misinformation about Rugers posted above. The current production Ruger "New Vaquero" is a clone of the Colt SAA, it is built on a medium frame. The Ruger "Vaquero" is a oversize clone of the Colt SAA, built on a large frame and is available in .44mag. The "New Model Blackhawk" is not normally used as a "cowboy" gun, it's a modern SA adjustable sight revolver.

Go to a match and try a few different guns. You can probably find something used for a good price. The Vaquero well have the best resale value.

^^^ Great advice

I had the Old Vaquero in 44-40, 45C and 44m. I eventually settled on the 45C. There are some other choices all depend. The speedy guys seem to like light .38 Sp loads. I tend to be more of a traditionalist, I enjoy history and re-enacting is a good way to get the feel for how things was like. In my mind, SASS should be fun.

Going to the matches, and trying is the best advice, IMHO. A person can spend a fortune on getting a setup. SASS was more designed to keep it simple and affordable. Knowing guys, there are always some one who want to tweek their stuff. They got rid of the reloading during the shoot, a guy with a SAA could not compete with a Schofield pistol on reloads, or a Winchester against a Henry's.

O>P> I know this started as a handgun thread,but what shotgun u thinking of? Most use model '97 pump guns,I use a double barrel as I think they are way more 'cowboy' looking.YOu could time my shotgun reloads with an hour glass,but then they already time me with a calendar,LOL.

While it is true that the New Model Vaquero is a COLT SAA clone that is based on the size and shape of the gun. The internals and mechanisms are not the same.

The original Vaqueros are larger. I find (that with my small hands) the new vaquero fits me better. Some prefer the larger grips. A lot of what you want will come from how you want to play the game. As others have pointed out, there are those that enjoy the tradition and those that enjoy the competition (many enjoy a combination of both) and this will lead you in a direction towards what you want to shoot.

I went to a couple of matches just to watch and ask questions before I got started and wow was I given a lot of information. Lots of folks will tell you that you need to do this or that to your guns and have this modification or that new wiz bang thing done to them to be competitive. But you need to determine what you want. Along with what you can afford. Here is what I currently shoot:

Cimarron New Model Army (remmington 1858) factory conversions in .38, they have been slicked up and worked on to work for black powder cartridge and are very smooth but definitely not the norm for pistols in CAS.

1851 Navy and 1861 Navy cap and ball revolvers. Not much really done to these but I love to shoot the cap and balls, adds that authenticity factor that is really neat for me.

Rossi model 92 in .357/.38. Had it slicked up by a local guy to run smoother. Too many feeding issues and a hard lever throw when it was stock.

Uberti/Cimarron Winchester 1873 in 44-40. Bought this used and it has all the wiz band stuff done to it. A really fun gun to shoot.

Cimarron/TTN 1878 hammered double .12 gauge. I love the functional hammers on the shotgun. Only required in one category and I don't even shoot that category. It is slower but like Throck I am not a speed demon by any means.

Everything I shoot was bought used from other shooters. (except my shotgun) Definitely get to shoots and see if anyone is selling. Get some good deals that way.

The thing I really enjoy about Cowboy action shooting is that there is such a variety out there of equipment and ways to have fun. You can go as full tilt or minimalist as you want and still have a lot of fun. And there is always something new to try and something new to buy.

So get on out to a shoot, try some guns, meet some people, have fun.

My personal set up is a Rossi 92 octagon barrel, Fox B(stevens 311) double in 20 gauge, a 4 5/8 Super Blackhawk and a 6 1/2 Super Blackhawk Bisley. I actually really like my Rossi, I've got about 800 rounds through it now and it is a LOT smoother than it was but I'm going to do an action job before too long. The Fox is my quail gun, so it still has 26 inch barrels but I already had it and I picked my Rugers up at gun shows.

My advice would be this, don't spend a ton of money on gear. Just get started and figure out what you like as you go, most guys in the sport will let you try their stuff out and it's a great way to narrow down your choices. Heck, my gun belt is a 3 inch tool belt from Sears, it cost $14 but I didn't want to spend a lot on a looped gun belt until I was sure I'm sticking with .44 mag.

Originally Posted by Joey Coyote

1851 Navy and 1861 Navy cap and ball revolvers. Not much really done to these but I love to shoot the cap and balls, adds that authenticity factor that is really neat for me.

Cap and ball revolvers well need considerable modification to be truly competitive. The open tops more so than the top strap models. Biggest problem is caps, keeping the fired caps from causing any jamming. They can be as reliable as a cartridge revolver, just slower to reload.

Originally Posted by madcratebuilder

Cap and ball revolvers well need considerable modification to be truly competitive. The open tops more so than the top strap models. Biggest problem is caps, keeping the fired caps from causing any jamming. They can be as reliable as a cartridge revolver, just slower to reload.

I have been pretty lucky so far. Although I have only used them in one full match. A comment was made about half way through by another shooter that I must have prayed to the cap and ball gods because I hadn't had a cap jam yet. Then.....I ran out of Remmington #10s and switched to CCIs. Then the problems began. That was more of a caps not seating issue as well as a fired cap being pulled back in the hammer safety knotch and getting stuck there, causing the hammer to not fire the next cap. I have filled the safety slot in the hammers so we will see if that helps from keeping the hammers from pulling the fired caps off.

Sorry to the OP for hijacking the heck out of his thread.

Going to Canby this weekend to check it out.

@ Joey Coyote

I shot a cap and ball Pistol once. Don't think I have that kinda patience. That and filling the ends with crisco to keep adjacent cylinders from firing was kinda messy. Think I'll save blackpowder for the Hawken.