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Old September 18, 2011, 01:37 PM   #1
jakeLC
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beretta stampede

i have been looking for a good single action revolver for quite awhile, and i think i may have found one. The beretta stampede 45 colt seems like a nice gun. does anybody have any experience with these revolvers and what is the transfer bar safety system.

thanks
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Old September 18, 2011, 02:17 PM   #2
gak
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Some have said they like it a lot. Others have indicated especially under heavy use (such as that given cowboy action shooting (CAS)) the bits that make up the transfer bar system don't hold up--especially compared to tranfser bar'd Rugers--which are all Ruger SAs since 1973. The transfer bar is a plate that is actuated up or down by hammer movement to block (or permit as the case may be) hammer follow-through and strike of the firing pin and hence cartridge primer. It is designed to only lower enough for firing (ie, completing that process) when the trigger is pulled--and NOT, for instance, with a slipped hammer or an unintentional blow to the hammer (when already back) such as dropping the gun.

Most Beretta-made guns via Uberti have the traditional (Colt SAA style) hammer-mounted firing pin, with no transfer bar. This "requires" (strongly suggests for safety) that only five cartridges be loaded, leaving the empty chamber under the hammer/firing pin. IIRC, among the Uberti-made guns, only the Beretta-labeled ones such as the Stampede have the t-bar. The Brazilian-made Taurus Gaucho--now all but defunct--also has a transfer bar mechanism.

Last edited by gak; September 18, 2011 at 02:25 PM.
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Old September 19, 2011, 09:02 AM   #3
Jim March
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What he said.

Another way to look at it is like this: the Beretta Stampede series and the Ruger New Vaquero are both "basically the same gun" - both are close size/heft/feel clones of the post-WW2 Colt SAA, and both have a transfer bar ignition. What that means to you is that you can load and carry them "six up" - doesn't matter if you drop it or slam the hammer, it won't go boom unless you fully and deliberately pull the trigger.

The Taurus Gaucho is also in this category but it had horrible quality control issues. Avoid at all costs.

The Berettas will look better than a Ruger, but the Rugers will perform better, out-last the Beretta and the Rugers are much easier to modify. If you want a lower-slung hammer fr'instance the hammers off of the Ruger SuperBlackhawk and Bisley models can be easily adapted by an amateur gunsmith (read: you for fairly cheap). You can also swap grip frames and other parts.

If you can afford it, there's a special run available of Ruger NewVaqs with "dual cylinders" in 45ACP and 45LC.

http://ruger.com/products/vaqueroDE/models.html

You'd order that through Davidson's. Highly recommended, if you want a gun in this category in 45.
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Old September 19, 2011, 07:13 PM   #4
Crunchy Frog
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Remember that cowboy action shooters put LOTS of rounds through our guns. The Ruger is a veritable tank and stands up well to that pounding. The Beretta is reputed to be a little less durable than the other Uberti-built single actions that don't have the transfer bar ignition. You'll find them occasionally at cowboy matches.

They look good and are available with the birdshead grip if you like that.
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