US Firearms Or Ruger?

[Cali-shooter]

I am just getting into Cowboy action shooting and want to buy my first set of pistols and I would like some input. I have spoken to a good number of shooters and the ones that seemed the happiest with there pistols Are either using US firearms or the Ruger Vaquero's. I have had the chance to fire both and they both seem like good guns can anyone give me some good reasons to go with one over the other. Oh and I am looking for something to be a great set for a long time as convincing my wife I need to upgrade in a couple years would be difficult to say the least.

Thanks for any help I can get on this I am trying to make a good choice for the guns then I can pick up the leather.

[Fairshake]

 The question you ask will start many a dis-agreement. If you want guns that are just like the ones carried by the real cowboys of the time period, then buy USFA. The rugers are well built and will last past your life time but are not in any way close to any gun made in that time period. I myself have one Colt now and a Long Hunter USFA on order. If you don't care about being history correct then buy the Rugers. The USFA in Premium grade will cost 900.00 ea from Long Hunter. The Rugers can be purchased for that price. In other words you can buy both rugers for the price of one USFA premium. The Rodeos are about 575 ea I think. Still Confused I hope. Later David

[Deadeye Don]

If you dont want to OR you are unable to upgrade later then buy the USFAs now and be done with it.   You have to spend more money upfront, but they will last past your lifetime as well.   If you buy the Rugers now, you will still want to buy the USFAs down the road, so why not save some money in the long run and have the added bonus of making your wife happy.   

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Hello Cali-Shooter

          My two cents worth, is buy what you can afford now, and enjoy the sport now, all three of these gun company's make there guns in the USA, and they are top notch firearms, the Ruger is stronger and safer than the Colt or USFA 1873 SAA, and can be carried with 6 rounds safely, I've offend thought that if Ruger was around in the 1800's they most likely would have been on top of the heap, Now back to the Colt and USFA, these were the guns of the period, and both are making fine Firearms today, with USFA being the new kid on the block, these guns are fun to shoot and there is something about the FOUR CLICKS, that just shouts the OLD WEST, once you understand how they work and the little things to watch out for they can be very dependable, you should only carry 5 rounds in these gun for safty, you always want the hammer down on an empty chamber, just in case you were to drop the gun on the hammer.

       To sum things up and to confuse you even more , I like both guns, and own several of both kinds, and shoot all of them, so it comes down to what do you really want, what feels good to in your hand, and how do you like the way each one shoots, no one can answer these things for you, I can only say that either make of guns will make you happy and all are good shooters.

                                                                   Happy decision making Pard 

                                                                                Regards

                                                                             tEN wOLVES 

[Leo Tanner]

Easy ta remember bein right where Cali is.  Ask what seems a simple question an blammo, ya really start ta learn.

Fairshake was correct about many disagreements.  I see you are new here.  On the main Forum Hall page there is an entire board for Ruger enthusiests (RATS), and an entire board for USAF.  There are a billion threads in both these boards, but if you have time, peruse them both.  Lots of info there.

Now I'm just holdin ma breath that the 5 rounds versus 6 can a worms don't get opened again.

[Adirondack Jack]

In the end, if ya want "status" a Colt or USFA will give ya that.  If a good, solid gun that will outlast you and yer kids is important, a Ruger will do just fine AND is just as good a tool for this job, maybe better in some respects.

[Dirty Brass]

In the end, if ya want "status" a Colt or USFA will give ya that.  If a good, solid gun that will outlast you and yer kids is important, a Ruger will do just fine AND is just as good a tool for this job, maybe better in some respects.

I dunno - there was a time when just owning a OMV was a status symbol in itself, depending on what circle you ran in. It's still just a question of preference when status comes into play, the way I see it.

As far as longevity - you'd be hard pressed to find enough unhappy Vaquero owners (at least the OMV) to fill your hand.....I don't know the history of USFA guns as far as that goes, so I'll bow out on that point. I do know they are very nice looking pistols!

[Danny Bear Claw]

I own 5 Rugers.  Four of them are old model Vaqueros... that's the big fat ones.  All are caliber 45 Colt.  All are good shooters.  I've never broken anything in or on them, and I've shot some pretty hot 45 Colt loads in two of them. 

I own 2 Colt single actions.  I got no complaints with them but I don't shoot them nearly as much as my Rugers.

I don't own any USFA guns but have shot a couple of them.  They seem like very well made, high quality guns.  Are they worth the price?  I guess they are if one is willing to pay the price.  I am considering buying a USFA in caliber 44-40 with a 4.75 inch barrel.  Right now my 44-40s are a 7.5 inch mated with a 3 inch sheriff's model.  I can't hit the side of a barn with the 3 incher unless I'm standing inside of the barn!   

[Skinny Preacher 66418]

If you want zero maintenance, smooth out of the box performance...it is very hard to beat the Ruger New Vaquero at $550.

The USFA revolvers look nice, but I am perfectly happy with an Italian Uberti at $450...all they need is a little polishing on the action and they will last you a long long time. Of course, tinkering is part of the fun for me, and I ain't no John Wayne or Lead Dispencer.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

USFA is an American maker based in Hartford Connecticut, not too far from Colt. USFA is the only American maker of a replica of the Colt Single Action Army. They use very high quality steel and give the parts inside the gun a very good going over before final assembly, to make sure everything works just right and the action is smooth. USFA does a better job than the Italian replica makers in this aspect, most Italian replicas are slapped together with very little attention to detail down inside the gun, and the parts often need some smoothing out to get the guns up to optimal performance. The difference you are paying for with USFA over Italian imports is for the extra effort that goes into the guns, and American wages. It is often debated, but the quality of USFA revolvers is probably every bit as good as Colt's. The main difference is because of the Colt name, their products will appreciate in value over time, USFA will not. Any revolver patterned after the original Colt SAA will perform fine, but it must be remembered that the design is over 130 years old. They were never intended to be shot as much as we tend to shoot them in CAS, and they can sometimes suffer from mechanical problems, chiefly broken springs.

Ruger single action revolvers on the other hand were completely redesigned from the ground up back in the 1950s. All the leaf type springs were changed over to coil springs, which are practically indestructable. In the mid 1970s Ruger single action revolvers were again redesigned, this time making them completely safe to carry fully loaded with 6 rounds in them. Although a modern Ruger single action revolver looks reasonably similar to the old Colt SAA, the interior lockwork bears little resemblance to the old SAA. This is part of the reason for their strength and reliability. In 2005 Ruger introduced the New Vaquero, scaling the gun down to the same size as the Colt SAA. They are no longer capable of firing the massive loads that the 'original model' Vaueros were, but they are still just as reliable and will shoot just as long without breaking down as the earlier models were.

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

[Pinto Jim]

 I have been doing the same debate in my head usfa or ruger, my 14 year old son finally made up my mind for me , since he has to shoot anything I do. That being said I have decided on the Ruger NMV just for the extra safety factor they provide. He has shot all my semi auto's and is very safe , safer then some adults I have  shot around , and the NMV's with transfer bar and free spin cylinder should keep his safety record intact. Later when he is older and can shift for himself there will definately be some usfa's in the vault.

[RRio]

Your son is wise beyond his years. IMHO, the RNVs are the way to go.
Until Ruger came out with the New Vaquero, I would not even consider the Rugers for CAS because of their size, and was using USFAs, Colts and Ubertis. When Ruger scaled down the Vaquero to Colt size, and was allowed to try a pard's RNVs, I bought my own brace of RNVs the very next week.

Even with an action job, the USFAs, Colts, and Ubertis are gonna be prone to part breakage, more-so than the RNVs. It's the nature of their design, and it's just gonna happen.

I have not regretted my decision of changing to the RNV, and you won't regret your decision of going with the RNV, either.

[Driftwood Johnson]

and the NMV's with transfer bar and free spin cylinder should keep his safety record intact.

Howdy Again

Stock New Vaqueros do not come with a free spin cylinder. They must be modified in order for the cylinder to spin either direction when the loading gate is opened.

[Leo Tanner]

It's an easy mod, but Ruger won't do it fer ya.  Not really necessary on a NM cause it indexes ta load with the chamber centered in the gate.  OMVs don't so if ya over spin it, ya gotta take another trip around the block if it's not modified.  They have the same timing as original non gated conversions in which having the cylinder index off center would not allow cartriges ta fall out.

[Pinto Jim]

yeah misphrased that meant the ability  to open the loading gate and the cylinder turn without having to be in half cock position.

[panhead pete]

Well, I suppose I will throw in my two cents.  I started with a Ruger OMV, Colt Cowboy and a 94 Marlin.  My interest in history led me to shoot Uberti 51 Navy conversions and either a Uberti 73 Winnie or an Armi-Sport Spencer 56-50 Carbine.  I also have a Uberti Millenium and a Uberti Remington New Army with a conversion cylinder that I have yet to compete with although it is a sweet shooter as well.

HOWEVER, if I was on a pack trip on horseback and had one revolver to carry it would be the Ruger OMV.  It will eat up and spit out 357 magnum rounds, it was smooth out of the box and were I in the wild, I might want that 6th round.  The OMV Stainless Ruger was my first gun purchase and I will never part with it.  Sooo, to me it is a choice between historic authenticity (and price), and a great shooter out of the box that looks as cowboy (albeit the Gene and Hoppy crowd) as they get. 

Good luck Amigo,

Panhead   

[Leo Tanner]

Hey Panhead.  Haven't shot the breeze in a while.  My 357 OMV was my first hand gun.  I'll trust it to the end fer practical purposes.  It's the one I take with me into the brush and into my tent.

[rodeo kid]

Well folks, I guess I'm weird, cuz I shoot one of each. I have a new model vaquero bisley in my strong side(right) holster and a USFA Rodeo II in my crossdraw. I switched the white grips from my USFA 12-22 to the Rodeo II and they match(sorta-but look good with the nickel and gives close to the same look as the Ruger in stainless with faux pearl grips). I thought it would be a negative effect to have two different firearms but it has not been a problem. My original idea was to shoot them both for awhile and pick the one I liked best and buy a second, but that hasn't happened, I like them both. Maybe I just like the idea of being different, I don't know, it does start conversations. Thanks.

[August]

I shoot a brace of USFA SA pistols and a brace of Rooger NMVs.  Used to own, and shoot, a brace of OMVs.  Since I've owned all these gunz for a some time and shot thousands of rounds through all of them, I'll tell you the honest-to-goodness truth about which are best and which you'll be the most happy with.  Here goes....

There is a pronounced difference in the feel of the grip frames between these brands of revolvers.  There is a bit more real estate on the NMVs then exists on the USFA gunz.  At times, that difference in grip frame design has been very important to my scores.  It might make a difference to you, too.  So, ya gotta go with the gunz what feelz the best ta ya.

Since the Roooogers are available in stainless steel, a lazy man can own them and only run into gun related issues every two or three years, which means it's time to clean them.  The USFA gunz are not so forgiving in this department because they are manufactured like real gunz, with tight tolerances.  So, you gotta clean the USFA gunz more regularly.

I have found both brands to shoot minute-of-steel-plate groups, with the Rooooogers coming from the factory needing some regulation for elevation (that's a good thing, actually).

One brand offers me a bit more pride of ownership, the other gets treated like a ball peen hammer and likes it.