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Old March 20, 2002, 10:47 PM   #26
Jim March
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BTTT for any newbies
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Old March 20, 2002, 11:32 PM   #27
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Thanks Jim! I was searching for this very thread yesterday because someone was looking for advice on a Vaquero. I couldn't find it for the life of me, I don't think I went back far enough in time for the search.

I have done the "poorboy" trigger job on my Vaquero. It now has a very sweet and light pull.
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Old April 19, 2002, 10:48 AM   #28
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I'm looking at getting into SA revolvers.
Somebody enlighten me.
What is a base pin?

Thanks
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Old April 19, 2002, 10:52 AM   #29
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What is a base pin...

the pin that holds the cylinder in the frame, and around which the cylinder rotates.
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Old April 19, 2002, 10:59 AM   #30
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Thanks Fred,

That brings up my next question;
What do you gain by upgrading this?
I think someone mentioned tighter lockup?
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Old April 19, 2002, 12:24 PM   #31
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You may get tighter lock up. If the pin is oversized and fills the hole in the cylinder better, you will have less wobble in the cylinder. It may or may not help align the cylinder with the barrel.
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Old April 19, 2002, 02:10 PM   #32
Jim March
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Exactly.

The biggest name in aftermarket base pins is Belt Mountain. Most of the people selling aftermarket base pins (incl. Brownells, Qualitas) are re-selling Belt Mountain stuff.

Most Belt Mountain variants have a small set screw through the head, that allows you to lock it firmly down so that it cannot pop loose under major recoil. Tightening that is recommended if you're going to shoot hot .44Mag, .45LC+P or custom chamberings like the Linebaugh calibers, .454Casull, etc.

Some Belt Mountain pins have nicer heads that are easier to get a grip on than the Ruger part.

Finally, they sell a "Sheriff's model" base pin that has an abnormally short head, which lengthens the ejector rod travel. Ruger has a base pin for their factory "Sheriff's model" 3.5" barrel guns that has an even shorter head, but it doesn't have the set screw - the Belt Mountain short-head pin still has a set screw.

That particular pin, the Belt Mountain short-head with set screw, is of particular interest to me. Now that I've *finally* got money coming in soon, a stainless 4.6" .44Mag Vaquero is in my future. Only reason for .44Mag is flexibility in ammo selection and flatter long-range trajectories. It'll give up a bit of peak power over .45LC but...that's OK.
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Old April 21, 2002, 10:38 PM   #33
Jim March
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Hey, found a good one.

Want a grip frame that allows use of grips designed for Colt SAAs on your Ruger SA?

See also:

http://www.singlesix.com/coltgrip.html
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Old April 22, 2002, 12:08 PM   #34
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Jim, I've only handled Vaquero and BH single actions. What's the point of that conversion? Are the Colt grips Longer?
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Old April 22, 2002, 07:31 PM   #35
Jim March
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The Colt SAA grip is basically smaller in every dimension, and in most cases thinner. It is similar to the very earliest Ruger grips.

Some of the CAS/SASS people are shooting expensive genuine SAAs or fixing up Italian critters of the same size because they're faster-handling. With this grip choice on a Vaquero, and a 4.6" barrel in .45/.44cal for less weight than a .357, you should be able to get something that handles VERY similarly, but much tougher and with the modern transfer bar for six-up carry.

Cost on a Vaquero with that grip and maybe minor additional mods (free spin pawl, poor-boy trigger job and a Belt Mountain basepin) would be FAR less than an SAA, and comparable with some of the high-end Italian guns that are tuned up by good US gunsmiths and sold that way, or you had it done. And the Vaquero could shoot over double the horsepower levels.

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Old May 24, 2002, 02:18 PM   #36
Jim March
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I thought I'd put this in here as well, for the hell of it:

Gents,

As you know, I've been trying to figure out how to put a GOOD rear sight on a Ruger SA, one that doesn't overhang the rear and screw up hammer access.

Front sights are easy. Ashley sells a universal revolver barrel front base that takes a variety of heights of dovetailed front sights of whatever height and type you're into.

It's the rear that's tricky.

So:


Waddya think?

Inspired sorta by:

http://www.oneraggedhole.com
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Old May 24, 2002, 03:59 PM   #37
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Jim
Somehow I don't think CAS is gonna go for it...
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Old December 31, 2002, 08:33 PM   #38
Jim March
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It ain't for CAS .

Anyways, there's good info in this thread and it's continued here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...=&postid=17436
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Old October 29, 2006, 11:24 AM   #39
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Homebrew modifications for Ruger s/a

I had to go with oversized grips on my new Blackhawk .45 conv. big, arthritic hands.) Now I can't reach the hammer with either thumb without changing my hold. I would like to install a Bisley hammer and free-spin pawl. How involved is fitting these parts?
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Old January 3, 2013, 06:21 PM   #40
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Aligning the cylinder witht he loading gate problem

Anyone have any tips/tricks/part(s) info to help the cylinder better align with the loading gate on an "old" Ruger Vaquero???
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Old January 3, 2013, 06:32 PM   #41
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Quote:
Anyone have any tips/tricks/part(s) info to help the cylinder better align with the loading gate on an "old" Ruger Vaquero???
You probably should start a brand new thread. This one is nearly 12 years old.
And welcome to the Forum.
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Old January 3, 2013, 09:58 PM   #42
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I don't do a lot of tuning to my Rugers, but do sort of customize them. Here is my three-screw Super Blackhawk, cut to 5" and with the Blackhawk hammer, which I prefer, and color cased byn Doug Turnbull:



And here is a .45 Colt Blackhawk built up as a Bisley:



Contrary to what most other shooters say, the Bisley didn't work for me with heavy loads, so this gun is now back to a Blackhawk.

Here it is converted back to Blackhawk, with my very favorite .45 with the Super Blackhawk grip frame, my favorite for heavy .45 Colt loads:




You can do so much with a Ruger, or any other single action, for that matter.

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Old January 4, 2013, 08:54 AM   #43
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Quote:
I don't do a lot of tuning to my Rugers, but do sort of customize them.
Bob,
I admire your taste in handguns. The Bisley has never worked for me either. Beautiful work on both of those pieces. And nice photography.
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Old January 4, 2013, 09:09 AM   #44
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Bob,
Nice, but, where's the magazine go?
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Old January 7, 2013, 02:44 PM   #45
Bob Wright
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Hal asks:........Bob,
Nice, but, where's the magazine go?

I keep current magazines under the end table next to my end of the couch. Ones that I want to keep for future reference I store in the attic. Others I donate to the Senior Center or my doctor's office for patients to read while they wait. Gives them a little more man stuff than Good House keeping or Better Homes and Gardens.


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