Vaquero 45C -- Ammo

[Cinco Peso]

Can my vaquero (mfr 2914) handle +P ammo?
Going Hog hunting.

[King Medallion]

no

[Mustang Gregg]

You mean 2014.  No, do not use anything that you wouldn't use in an old Colt.  Just to be safe.

MG

[Cinco Peso]

Thanks, and yes it was a typo. 2014

[Professor Marvel]

As previously stated by King, the new, small vaquero's are no more robust than a modern Model P.
hth
prof marvel

[wildman1]

I believe that. However when I called Ruger and asked about NMV vs OMV I was told that the NMV will handle the same loads. wM1

[Professor Marvel]

I believe that. However when I called Ruger and asked about NMV vs OMV I was told that the NMV will handle the same loads. wM1

Ooooh I stand corrected.
If you aren't planning on burning a lot of cartridges, Buffalo Bore is a good choice

prof marvel

[wildman1]

Ooooh I stand corrected.
If you aren't planning on burning a lot of cartridges, Buffalo Bore is a good choice

prof marvel

Not trying to correct you PM, I said I believed your first statement. wM1

[Trailrider]

I believe that. However when I called Ruger and asked about NMV vs OMV I was told that the NMV will handle the same loads. wM1

This is what I was told by a Ruger engineer when the New Vaquero first was introduced. Ruger will warrantee the New Vaquero for Colt's SAA loads ONLY, however.  The way they did this was to reduce the diameter of the imaginary index circle that passes through the center of all chambers. This means the wall thickness of the chambers is increased in spite of the cylinder diameter being similar to the Colt's SAA. They can do this because of the narrow rim of the .45LC round. It is also the reason you can't chamber the cylinder in .44-40.    The rims would overlap. But, to repeat...Ruger warrantees the New Vaquero for SAAMI standard pressures for the .45 LC cartridge. In other words, exceed these at your own risk.  The thing is, the .45 LC is not the best choice for hunting heavy game, though it has been done. If you want a real hunting pistol cartridge, trade off your New Vaquero for an Old Model Vaquero in .44 Mangle-em!

[Cinco Peso]

Thanks for the info,

[Professor Marvel]

Not trying to correct you PM, I said I believed your first statement. wM1

No worries my Dear Wildman!
I have been wrong before, and I expect to be wrong again :-)  i consider it a learning process and I only hope that
I manage to remember more and make fewer mistakes going forward :-)

Trailrider - thanks for the i fo, it is always ecouraging to get the straight poop from someone who spoke to the mother load
original source!

yhs
prof marvel

[mehavey]

Someone correct me, but the only place I see 45Colt "+P" pressures defined is in this Wiki entry -- which look suspiciously like "Ruger Only" and 92Win/94Marlin loads.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overpressure_ammunition

Now literally doubling SAAMI standard is not how I'd define +P,  In fact that's more like 45Mag in my parlance.

But fear not, "+P" in my estimation is more like the +50% Table-II in Brian Pearce's excellent article HERE:
https://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/PDF/HL%20246partial.pdf

20ksi loads in the New Vaquero using the RCBS 270gr SAA/933fps are now my standard;  not "too" unpleasant to shoot in my (New) Vaquero;  and superbly accurate.

[SimmerinLightning]

Feel free to correct me, but I believe Ruger (or any other manufacturer) only warrantees any gun, including the original Vaquero, for SAAMI-spec'd factory ammo, at least officially. I have never handled a New Vaquero and don't hot load my originals, but I have read numerous places that the New Vaquero is less robust than the original and will not handle the "Ruger only" loads safely.

The way they did this was to reduce the diameter of the imaginary index circle that passes through the center of all chambers. This means the wall thickness of the chambers is increased in spite of the cylinder diameter being similar to the Colt's SAA.

If you do this, aren't you basically putting the chambers closer together, thereby making the walls between the chambers thinner?

[Cinco Peso]

This is a reply Igot from Ruger:

"NO, All of our Firearms are designed to handle all US Industry Standard Ammunition made to SAAMI Spec including +P. We cannot recommend using the 45 Colt +P in our guns as it is not a SAAMI cartridge.

If you have specific questions as to whether a type of ammunition meets SAAMI specs.  We recommend you contact an ammo manufacturer such as Federal at 800-322-2342.  Thank you for your email."

[Mustang Gregg]

That pretty much tells it. 
Thanks for posting it.

Mustang