A useful sixgun.
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
A useful sixgun.
I’ve been shooting a Ruger New Vaquero in .45 Colt/.45ACP for some time now. When I took it to the Confederate Sixgunners shoot in Arkansas this year I also took a bastard mill file and I filed down the front sight to coincide with the point of impact.
Fortunately all the loads I use tend to group in much the same place.
Fortunately all the loads I use tend to group in much the same place.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
Very accurate too.
270SAA over 8 gr Unique 837 fps
255gr Hornady swaged RNFP over 8 gr Unique 826 fps
454121 RNFP over 8 gr Unique 885 fps
Remington factory 250 gr load 788 fps
Garrett 265 gr Hammerhead. 982 fps
270SAA over 8 gr Unique 837 fps
255gr Hornady swaged RNFP over 8 gr Unique 826 fps
454121 RNFP over 8 gr Unique 885 fps
Remington factory 250 gr load 788 fps
Garrett 265 gr Hammerhead. 982 fps
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
If I do my part the 270 SAA will stay on an 8 inch plate at 50 yards which is better than I shoot with a lot of guns.
Re: A useful sixgun.
Scott, I have a nearly identical sixgun except that it's blued. I have the front sight regulated to shoot 250 gr cast bullets like the Lyman 452664 with 6.2 gr of Titegroup (at 860 fps) to point of aim at 50 yards. It's a good shooter and most of my shooting these days is at steel gongs varying in distance from 35 to about 65 yards. It's a handy little devil.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
I only dislike the hammer on my gun. It just doesn’t look right.
Re: A useful sixgun.
I agree with you on that. I have replaced the hammers on all but one of my Ruger Blackhawks with Super Blackhawk hammers and I find them to be superior both in use and in appearance. I did put a Bisley hammer on a Blackhawk .357 and as much as I like them, I'm not looking forward to doing another.
Re: A useful sixgun.
Scott Tschirhart wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 4:22 pm I only dislike the hammer on my gun. It just doesn’t look right.
Walt wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 7:43 pm I agree with you on that. I have replaced the hammers on all but one of my Ruger Blackhawks with Super Blackhawk hammers and I find them to be superior both in use and in appearance. I did put a Bisley hammer on a Blackhawk .357 and as much as I like them, I'm not looking forward to doing another.
Do the standard full size frame old style hammers drop into the new medium frame vaqueros?
Ive been a little put off by the hammer shape also, I didnt know if the regular ones fit.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
- Old Savage
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 16751
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:43 pm
- Location: Southern California
Re: A useful sixgun.
This might be the best shooter I have in a Ruger.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: A useful sixgun.
"Do the standard full size frame old style hammers drop into the new medium frame vaqueros?"
Malamute, yes, the hammers for full-size Blackhawks fit all Blackhawks and Vaqueros including New Vaqueros. They do not work in Single Sixes and of course the Bisleys arre different. Using a Blackhawk hammer in a Bisley works but leaves a large gap between the rear of the hammer and the grip frame. Bisley hammers used in Blackhawks require lots of grinding and shaping.
Malamute, yes, the hammers for full-size Blackhawks fit all Blackhawks and Vaqueros including New Vaqueros. They do not work in Single Sixes and of course the Bisleys arre different. Using a Blackhawk hammer in a Bisley works but leaves a large gap between the rear of the hammer and the grip frame. Bisley hammers used in Blackhawks require lots of grinding and shaping.
Last edited by Walt on Sun Jul 30, 2023 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: A useful sixgun.
Nice Old Model, Old Savage! Great finish, no holster wear and no cylinder line.
Thanks for the picture.
Thanks for the picture.
Re: A useful sixgun.
Walt wrote: ↑Sun Jul 30, 2023 2:39 pm "Do the standard full size frame old style hammers drop into the new medium frame vaqueros?"
Malamute, yes, the hammers for full-size Blackhawks fit all Blackhawks and Vaqueros including New Vaqueros. They do not work in Single Sixes and of course the Bisleys arre different. Using a Blackhawk hammer in a Bisley works but leaves a large gap between the rear of the hammer and the grip frame. Bisley hammers used in Blackhawks require lots of grinding and shaping.
Thanks, good to know.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt-
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
The truth is that the current hammer works just fine. It just looks strange to my eye. I should not try to fix what isn’t broken.
- Paladin
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1891
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:55 am
- Location: Not Working (much)
Re: A useful sixgun.
Very fond of my (slightly modified) Ruger New Vaquero.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
It is not the critic who counts
Re: A useful sixgun.
Interesting gun!
Who did the sights and the interchangeable cylinder? I've been thinking of a birdshead grip; how do you like it?
Who did the sights and the interchangeable cylinder? I've been thinking of a birdshead grip; how do you like it?
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
Agreed! A very interesting revolver!
- Paladin
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1891
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:55 am
- Location: Not Working (much)
Re: A useful sixgun.
It was a package deal back in the 90s with both cylinders and a friend (who left Van Comp and lives a few miles from the winter house) worked on it for me. I had him put a Ruger Birdshead grip on it, S&W rear sight, a good blade front sight, and a new trigger. Shoots really well and with the warmer loads in Alaska feels pretty good.
It is not the critic who counts
- Sixgun
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 18799
- Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:17 pm
- Location: S.E. Pa. Where The Finest Winchesters & Colts Reside
Re: A useful sixgun.
Wow! I sure was fooled by your subject line! I’ve been told my whole life that I’m useless but at least Scott thinks I have some use.
I just can’t get by the thinking that 6 grains of Bullseye OR 7 grains of 231 is the perfect load for the 38-40, 44-40, 45 Long Colt, 44 Spl, 44 Magnum, 41 Magnum ALL with standard bullet weights for all around plinking or play loads and work well in any gun, modern or antique.
Scotts 8 of Unique is mighty close, maybe a 100 fps faster.
This thinking came to me 45 years ago when I had a box of 100 years old U.S. military 45 L.C. that was rubber stamped “6 gr. Bullseye” and “250 gr.lead bullet” on the box.
I just can’t get by the thinking that 6 grains of Bullseye OR 7 grains of 231 is the perfect load for the 38-40, 44-40, 45 Long Colt, 44 Spl, 44 Magnum, 41 Magnum ALL with standard bullet weights for all around plinking or play loads and work well in any gun, modern or antique.
Scotts 8 of Unique is mighty close, maybe a 100 fps faster.
This thinking came to me 45 years ago when I had a box of 100 years old U.S. military 45 L.C. that was rubber stamped “6 gr. Bullseye” and “250 gr.lead bullet” on the box.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
No doubt that I could push this load a lot harder but I don’t know why. That’s interesting about that old box. I’ve never used Bullseye in the .45 Colt and that goes back to the 1980s when we were seeing PPC shooters blowing up revolvers in .38 Special with tiny charges of Bullseye.
On another note:
In my 20 inch Winchester 73 this load gives me the following with 8 gr of Unique.
270 gr SWC 1075 fps
255 Hornady Cowboy 1086 fps
Remington factory load 1031 fps
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
This morning I was gifted a hammer.
Let’s see how this works out.
Let’s see how this works out.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: A useful sixgun.
That's gonna look good.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
Much more better! There’s a hint of creep before the hammer falls but I’ll bet it polishes out quickly.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by Scott Tschirhart on Sat Aug 05, 2023 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: A useful sixgun.
Very nice! That looks like a Power Custom hammer that's already been converted to fit a Blackhawk.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
There’s a little gap but not bad.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: A useful sixgun.
That looks a lot better than the Vaquero hammer.
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
- Scott Tschirhart
- Advanced Levergunner
- Posts: 4094
- Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 2:56 pm
- Location: San Antonio, Texas
Re: A useful sixgun.
As expected, no change in the point of impact and no problems with ignition with either cylinder. But it is easier for me to shoot because I can still see the front sight as the hammer falls.
The factory hammer obstructed the sight picture when in the forward position.
The factory hammer obstructed the sight picture when in the forward position.