Posted: 6/13/2005 2:06:02 PM EDT
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I am considering purchasing one of the Cattleman revolvers. The two I'm looking at are the Gunfighter and the Cattleman Millenium. Does anyone have any experience with these, or Uberti guns? Your input would be appreciated. Thanks |
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I got one for my 22nd birthday from my dad in 45 LC. Cool gun, fun to shoot. Be aware it's the original SAA action so its generally considered unsafe to carry it with the hammer on a live round. It's made to shoot cowboy action loads. From what I understand, while you can shoot the occasional full power loads, don't make a habit of it. I still haven't gotten down to sight it in by filing the front sight blade. It is pretty though. YMMV |
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The local gun shop had several Uberti's with the gray patina finish. The finish looked so good I had to buy one in 45 LC. The quality is just as good as my Ruger Vaquero. It does have the fixed firing pin, so an empty chamber under the hammer is a must for safety. |
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www.berettausa.com/product/product_pistols_main.htm Trust me, the thing just screams colt S/A. |
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They're nice pistols, but the QC can be very hit or miss. In the SASS crowd, they're very well accepted, provided you get 'em worked on first. The EMF Great Western II's seem to be nicer (and more expensive), but honestly the "New" Vaqueros are very nice and built like tanks. I emailed Hamilton Bowen and a couple other 'smiths and the general consensus is that the Rugers are the best bang for the buck. Reason being that the Colt SAA (and consequently, the clones) while being well made, was originally designed to be a "tool" and carried more than shot. It wasn't meant to hold up to the thousands of rounds (without maintenance) that SASS shooters fire. The Ruger (IMHO) is the perfect "split the difference" in styling and durability. Rich |
Pardon my ignorance on the topic, but I have been interested in the Uberti's and Ruger Vaqueros for a while. What is the diffenence between a cowboy load in say .45 and a regular .45 load? Thanks for you help! |
Cowboy handgun loads generally do not exceed 900 fps. The .45 can be loaded to extreme levels of "pussycat" or "bruiser" loads that rival the .44 mag. If you get a "New" (smaller framed) Vaquero, they're meant for "cowboy" stuff only. I have a brace of the "old" Vaqueros and they'll take anything.   Rich |
Rich, Thanks for the information. Are the older models still available? |
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Oh yeah they are and at GREAT prices too! If you're looking online the easiest way to tell them apart is that the "new" vaqueros have a black hard rubber grip (like old SAA's). Look on some of the Cowboy action shooting boards (sass.net, frontierspot.net, etc) and a lot of the dealers have specials on consecutive numbered sets (I just saw one on gunsamerica for $849 for a consecutive pair). Also look on Gunsamerica.com. There's a dealer in NE named Phil Rezac who has GREAT prices on cowboy type stuff. If you want his info let me know. Like I said, since "everyone" wants the new Vaqueros, the old ones can be had at great prices. Also, since the new vaq has a smaller frame, they are not being made in .44mag. Only .357 and .45LC. HTH Rich |
A normal "by-the-book" load for a 250gr RNFP is 7.2 gr. of 231. My cowboy load is 6.0 gr of 231. It still has recoil, but 70 or 80 rnds of it doesn't hurt my hand. I have loaded as low as 5.6 gr of 231 under a 200 gr FP, but that was kinda wimpy. |
I picked up an old model with NICE aftermarket wood grips for the piddly sum of $200 bucks. Used very little. Will shoot modern hotter loads where the new vanquero and SAA clones will not. In short, if a Blackhawk can shoot it an older model vanquero can. New ones have a smaller frame and are meant for the basic cowboy loadings. The new ones DO feel a lot nicer in the hand tho. Ubertis are hit and miss as a previous poster said and the finishes are very wear prone. As in, it will disappear quickly. [blued] USFA SAAs are an excellent choice and they seem to be making some great guns. They are becoming a fav with the old timey bunch. Check them out also. |