Rodeo's in 44-40

Fairshake · November 17, 2009, 12:43:31 PM

USFA has agreed to start making the Rodeo's in the same calibers that are offered in the Premium's. I own a pair of the Premiums in 45 Colt and wanted another set in 44-40. My cash flow is limited at this time and I was ready to buy something else instead of the USFA brand. I love my 45 Colts and think they are the best gun sold today. I called Jim Finch to discuss my options as I also have great respect for his work and knowledge. During the discussion he advised me that Doug has agreed to offer the Rodeo's in the 44-40, 38-40 and so on for a extra charge of $100 per gun again. The factory offered this at one time and then quit. Well pards the wait is over and you may purchase these guns again. I placed my order that day. Contact Long Hunter for further information. Later Fairshake

Grogan · November 17, 2009, 01:56:35 PM

Hmm...seems like I just SAW a pair of .44-40 Rodeos over on the SASS Classifieds yesterday and the pard was asking <$1,100 for the pair.

Fairshake · November 18, 2009, 09:27:15 AM

You did see them and they are for sale by Sour Mash Jack. He purchased his pair when USFA first offered them and then they stopped. If you look at the pictures of them you will see one of them has a bbl installed from a premium gun and the other a std bbl. The one from the premium gun has Frontier on it. If you research the history of USFA you will see that I'm correct. I posted this so that if some one wanted one they could find it.

Fairshake · January 13, 2010, 09:55:34 AM

Well I received my USFA 44-40 Rodeo's and they are perfect in every way. Of course I really did not expect anything different. They shoot to point of aim,as I fired over 50 rds of Warthog ammo through each. I have taken some Never Dull and went over the guns to give them more of a used but not abused look. One thing that was kind of neat was the serial numbers. I guess that Doug decided to start a different number system with this run of special order Rodeo's. My guns have a S and then a three digit number that is low on the totem pole. The new lower hammer is also a nice addition. You can see the sights both front and rear with the hammer in the down position. USFA is by far the best revolver made. Later Fairshake

J.D. Yellowhammer · January 16, 2010, 11:15:02 PM

Those Rodeos that are for sale might be the same ones posted on the Open Range. They've been "antiqued" (probably had the finish buffed off) and have 5 1/2 barrels. They look pretty good.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/TusacJack2/100_0765.jpg

I'm probably gonna buff mine like that. BTW, a couple of years ago I got my Rodeos direct from USFA in .44-40, just by asking. Same price as the standard ones. It's not a big deal for USFA to do the Rodeos in other calibers. Since they're the same guns as the Premiums, they just get diverted to the Rodeo finish station instead of the blueing/case-hardening one.

J.D. Yellowhammer · January 17, 2010, 03:47:25 PM

Correction--the ad for the USFAs that I mentioned above is for Premium SAAs, according to the seller. He had a hissy fit when I wrote to him to ask how he got the antique finish on the "rodeos." He went to great pains to make sure I knew they were Premiums. All I was trying to do is to suggest something.... Oh well, looks like he sold them (for something like $475 apiece!)

Now I'm left wondering why anyone would strip the beautiful Turnbull bluing and case-hardening off a USFA Premium....? For that matter--can you completely remove traces of the case hardening off a Premium....? $:-\$
(pics of the guns below)

Marshal Deadwood · January 17, 2010, 03:57:53 PM

QuoteNow I'm left wondering why anyone would strip the beautiful Turnbull bluing and case-hardening off a USFA Premium....?

Head trauma ?

MD

Old Doc · January 19, 2010, 09:11:25 AM

Quote from: J.D. Yellowhammer on January 17, 2010, 03:47:25 PM
Correction--the ad for the USFAs that I mentioned above is for Premium SAAs, according to the seller. He had a hissy fit when I wrote to him to ask how he got the antique finish on the "rodeos." He went to great pains to make sure I knew they were Premiums. All I was trying to do is to suggest something.... Oh well, looks like he sold them (for something like $475 apiece!)

Now I'm left wondering why anyone would strip the beautiful Turnbull bluing and case-hardening off a USFA Premium....? For that matter--can you completely remove traces of the case hardening off a Premium....? $:-\$
(pics of the guns below)

I usually don't care for these new guns that have been "antiqued" but I do like the looks of those. I wonder if you start with a Rodeo can you get that effect and I wonder how the grips were made to look like that. They are obviously one piece and somehow made to really look like old grips.

J.D. Yellowhammer · January 19, 2010, 10:02:05 AM

One of the reasons I thought those were Rodeos is because I've seen ones that were similar. (I also thought they were Rodeos because I couldn't even imagine someone stripping the bluing off a Premium SAA, it's so beautiful).

Have you looked at the examples in the Gunsmithing forum in the "antiquing" thread? As I recall, those guns were stripped with vinegar (or similar) and then had plum brown or other antique finishes applied. I've also seen Rodeos that looked pretty good just by buffing most of the finish off with a cloth wheel. I plan on doing that to mine, someday. Maybe put a coat of flitz on, too.

Edit: By the way--the reason I wrote to the guy selling those guns was to ask him how he got that look, and where he got the grips. Instead of an answer I got a semi-hysterical pm about how they were NOT Rodeos. And he never answered my question.