birds head single action?

[wolfe 21]

Does anyone know of a good quality bird's head gripped centerfire single action still in production. I know they used to make vaqueros with the small grip, but no longer. And I've seen some Single Sixes recently with the frame, but I'm looking for a centerfire for a Doc Holiday style shoulder rig. Any suggestions.

James.

[Hardcase]

Cimarron's Thunderer, made by Uberti, is a pretty doggone good firearm.

http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/Spe...undererStd.htm

Uberti also makes the Cattleman with a bird's head grip.

[jmortimer]

US Firarms makes one called the Double Eagle. Cost is $1,000 plus but it sure is nice.

[plumbernater]

In this picture is my 45 cimerron thunderer with the birds head grip. Ive enjoyed shooting her with no problems at all. had her for years now. Whats good about these guns are if you ever have to rebuild one parts are avalable from brownells

[Tanker6]

+1 for the Thunderer. My daughter shoots one in .357/.38 with a 4 3/4" barrel. It's her favorite pistol.

She also shoots an AWA birdshead in .357/.38. This gun is great (again, 4 3/4" barrel), but it shoots low left about 1.5". Rather than mess with the sights, I just told her to "aim for the heart."

The biggest problem I think you'll find is that it's hard to find these in anything longer than a 3.5" barrel (new). I'm not sure why that is (I do know that they're popular in that length among mounted shooters), but I've casually been looking for another Thunderer to give her a matching pair, but have not found one (that I'm willing to buy).

One other note, the "little cousin" to the Thunderer is the Lightening. It's .38 only and has a smaller frame.

Good Luck!

[arcticap]

There's the Cimarron Thunderball 8 .45 Colt made by Pietta.
Photos of the gun and a fired target can be found in post #11:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/show...ight=thunderer

Originally Posted by Swindler1

Ok I called Cimarron today and they told me indeed this is a pietta. Its not in there catalog yet as it was just brought out in January.

Thunderball colt 45.

[wolfe 21]

I am familiar with the uberti models, though I think the cattleman's birds head is more the style I'm looking for. The Thunderer almost looks like the old Colt lightning and I'm just not in love with the oddly shaped grips. As to barrel length, I was looking for a 4.75 or shorter so that's not a big deal.

James

[plumbernater]

you might look on brownells sight. they did have a birds head grip set for the colt single actions. You could make any barrel length you get your hands on a birds head grip

[wolfe 21]

I was aware of this option, having seen it for both the Rugers and the SAA Colt/clones, but plan to save this for a last resort. I think the new Ruger Montado would look good with a birdshead, if only either frame would work on the new vaquero. Thanks for the info though.

James.

[Tanker6]

If I understand your posts, you're looking for this:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=233611637

and not this:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=232558770


A simple search of "birdshead" at GB does't produce many hits....and many of them are .32's (Ruger or otherwise), and even fewer have barrels longer than 3.5". I personally don't like the 3.5" barrels, but I guess it depends on your intended use and personal tastes.

Good luck in your hunt!

[wolfe 21]

You are correct, I am indeed looking for the first rather than the latter. I find the second style to be just this side of uglier than a mud fence, so I'd prefer to avoid it. That being said, I have never held a pistol with that grip so I have no way of knowing if it will be comfortable or balanced for me or not. My decision is purely based on looks.

As to the barrel length, this will be at the least a third gun carried in a Holiday rig along with either paired 4-3/4 Italian SAA clones, paired vaqueros 5.5 and 7.5 or as a backup to a 1851 Navy cartridge conversion "Man with No Name" gun if I can ever find one locally. And I've found that Uberti makes them in that grip up to atleast 4.75 or atleast according to their website. Any more barrel than that, and I'd be wanting the plow handle anyway.

James.

[orangello]

http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f...tml#post517042

This guy in post #36 had an interesting specimen; didn't look inexpensive.

[Tanker6]

Originally Posted by wolfe 21

You are correct, I am indeed looking for the first rather than the latter. I find the second style to be just this side of uglier than a mud fence, so I'd prefer to avoid it. That being said, I have never held a pistol with that grip so I have no way of knowing if it will be comfortable or balanced for me or not. My decision is purely based on looks.

Don't worry, I won't tell my daughter what you think of her Thunderer....

Since she has one of each (the Thunderer being the one you don't like and her AWA being a birdshead you do like), I can say this -- I like the feel of her Thunderer grip better. I don't have huge hands, but I do have rather long fingers. The Thunderer grip sets my grip hand back further so I don't feel like my trigger finger is "on top of" the trigger.....of that makes any sense. In either case, however, I don't like the birdshead grips over the plow handles as far as comfort and fitting my hand.

I shoot a pair of '71-'72 Open Tops with 1851 Navy grips.....and yes, I carry one strong side and the other in a shoulder rig. I'm one of the few in SASS who does this.....I guess just cuz I like to be different.

Again, good luck on your hunt.

[wolfe 21]

I appreciate the comparison, as I am in much the same boat as you. I also have not large hands, but longer fingers and this makes most any single action a little bit of a trick to fire accurately and that is part of the reason I've tended toward more modern designed semi-autos. If my lgs had a bigger selection, I might be willing to try a thunderer style, but it would have to be a good deal.

As to your coversions, how do you like them. I am really trying to find a '51 navy conversion without the ejector rod/housing as that seems to me to be the best combination of looks and function. I've heard the '51 is like an extension of your arm when you hold it, but never fired one. Also, which shoulder rig you runnin'? I've seen holiday, a version of wha would be called a tankers holster (m7) made for revolvers, a more concealled option resting back under the arm and what would be my choice for competition is the skeletonized speed rig (unsure of name) used in some western movies. Basically just a shelf for the barrel and a leather wrapped spring steel band around the cylinder.

James.

[Wildalaska]

Colt.

WildfromthecustomshopAlaska ™©2002-2011

[Tanker6]

Originally Posted by Wolfe 21

As to your coversions, how do you like them. I am really trying to find a '51 navy conversion without the ejector rod/housing as that seems to me to be the best combination of looks and function. I've heard the '51 is like an extension of your arm when you hold it, but never fired one. Also, which shoulder rig you runnin'? I've seen holiday, a version of wha would be called a tankers holster (m7) made for revolvers, a more concealled option resting back under the arm and what would be my choice for competition is the skeletonized speed rig (unsure of name) used in some western movies. Basically just a shelf for the barrel and a leather wrapped spring steel band around the cylinder.

First, realize that the '71-'72 Open Tops are not "a conversion" although they do resemble them. This was a "made in the factory" pistol and not retrofitting a cap and ball pistol to fire cartridge rounds. There is a slight difference.

My Open Tops shoot dead point of aim. I don't own any other pistol which is as accurate -- single action or modern/semi-auto. I've been awed by how well they shoot. Shortly after purchasing them, I benched them to see how they would shoot. I did so at 10 yards, shooting a steel target that I'd placed an "X" on in the middle with some soapstone. My first three rounds all touched and the splatter covered the intersection of the "X." Suffice it to say that they shoot more accurately than I can. If I miss a SASS target, it ain't my guns.

Mine were manufactured by Uberti and imported by Taylors & Co. They are a bit unique in that they have octagon barrels in 4 3/4". I've seen some others (even some by Taylors), but they all had round barrels. I like them for the look, the accuracy, and they don't look like everyone else's. Like I said, I like to be different.

I shoot duelist in SASS (one handed). Unlike many others in that category, I only shoot right handed (I have arthritis in my left thumb so much that I cannot cock the pistol effectively). This set-up caters to my own needs/wants. The Navy grips fit my hand fairly well, but us one-handed shooters usually grip the pistol higher because of the one-handed cocking required. SASS is all about speed and accuracy. Although the normal duelist shooter will never be as quick as the normal two handed shooter, I'm getting faster all the time.

My shoulder rig was made locally by a local leather guy and good friend. It is a combination of my own imagination, my leather making friend, and some design inspirations by the shoulder rigs available through other makers. In SASS, you carry two holsters. I'm a fan of the "old school" look, so I took to the Slim Jim design (especially since I shoot the Open Tops). Therefore, he made me a right strong holster in a Slim Jim. Then, he made the shoulder holster a Slim Jim in design and we "designed" a strapping system from the various types sold to "hook me up." The shoulder holster is lined, but the right strong is not. The holster rides just below my left pectoral muscle and not under my arm. That's a SASS consideration because I must turn to draw the pistol in order to keep from breaking the 170 degree rule. By being on my torso, in front and not under the arm, I only need to rotate my upper body a bit (and not my hips like cross-draw shooters). This helps some on the speed side of the house. My shotgun shells are on my pistol belt located at 9:00 to 11:00. Because of the curve of the hip, the first two sets of shells (the two sets most used btw) are very easy to retrieve. I have to reach a little further than guys who carry their shells on a shotgun belt at their navel-level, but to everything there is a trade-off.

All of this is specifically for SASS and the purpose to which I intend to use my rig. If I were a "real" cowboy back in the old west, would I do it the same? Probably not, but it would depend upon a bunch of stuff. My suggestion on the leather side of the house is to find a local leather maker near you (if possible) and collaborate on something that is uniquely designed for your intended purpose -- if you don't find anything that's available on the open market that suits you or your needs. I know I can say that it's been a great and fun experience designing this thing and making it work. I try to remember it's about the journey and not necessarily the destination.

Good Luck!

[wolfe 21]

Thank you for explaining your rig in detail. I am impressed with the amount of thought and effort everyone seems to put into their rigs for SASS shoots. Also, thank you for pointing out the difference between the "Transition" style open tops and the earlier cartridge conversions. I guess I tend to see everything pre SAA as a conversion, especially since alot of them were built from NOS blackpowder parts.
I am lucky enough to have a local leather guy who does very nice work and happens to be a SASS member.

Again, Thank You
James.

[Gunn Smithy]

If you don't mind the work and can't figure out another way to do it, you could always make your own out of your existing grip frame as I did (latest version an Old Army) on a couple of revolvers.

ONE.jpg

Some guns (like Rugers, only come to full grip frame width at the edge), others the whole piece of the grip frame is at full width but it doesn't come in far enough to cut a new grip profile. In either case you need to fill the grip frame with weld rod of the same material or similar that it is made of and bring it in far enough for the new profile. Then cut the birdshead grip profile into the grip frame and polish. You will then need to fit a set of grips to the new frame and you are all set. I chose faux Ivory for my Old Army project and it came out just fine. Smithy.