Looking for my First Single Action Revolver

jackstrawIII · January 22, 2017, 06:35 PM

Hey gang, looking for some advice.

I'd like to purchase my first SA revolver for kicking around at the range and having fun with. I've had some S&W DAs before, but have zero experience with SA revolvers.

Here's what I'm looking for:
- Classic old west type look, color case hardened would be cool
- Something decently accurate, but reliability and durability are more important
- Will be in 357 mag, and would prefer something that can shoot 9mm decently well with moon clips or replacement cylinder
- Less than $1000. Looking for a high quality toy, not a collectors item.

From what I've read, seems like Ruger and Uberti are the best options in that $500-$1000 range. Would you guys agree? Any other advice about features orbartel length, etc?

Thanks in advance.

Driftwood Johnson · January 22, 2017, 08:03 PM

Read this thread. It should answer a lot of your questions.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583388

jackstrawIII · January 22, 2017, 09:38 PM

Driftwood, thank you for directing me to that thread. Your posts especially were extremely informative. After reading through the thread I am leading towards one of the Uberti models.

Thanks again, I love this forum.

jackstrawIII · January 22, 2017, 09:42 PM

Hey, one further question,

Can any single action 357 revolver be made to shoot 9mm ammo? What's involved therein?

I ask because I have GOBS of 9mm and it would be really easy/cheap for me to plink with. Thanks.

saleen322 · January 22, 2017, 10:02 PM

I have a Ruger convertible 357/9mm. The 9mm shoots VERY well with the right load. The 9mm will group under 2" @ 25 yards. The 357 (and 38s) will shoot well with a broader range of ammunition.

Model12Win · January 22, 2017, 10:36 PM

There are the Ruger Blackhawks and I think Vaqueros that are available that come with a spare cylinder for 9mm. Neither one come in a color case finish, at least not new ones.

Hard to beat a convertible Blackhawk in blued with ivory grips. I hope to get the .45 Colt/.45 ACP version soon.

cpt-t · January 22, 2017, 11:16 PM

jackstraw111: From what I hear You saying. A Ruger BlackHawk Convertible in 38SPC/357MAG / with the extra 9MM Cylinder should be about perfect for you. I have had a 7 1/2 in barreled Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in 45LC/45ACP since 1972. And it is my favorite Ruger S/A. I am in process of looking for a 7 1/2 in Barreled Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in 38SPC/357MAG/9MM at the present time myself. And with the Ruger Blackhawk Convertibles You don`t have to mess with thoes darn 1/2 Moon and Full Moon Clips, just change Cylinders and You are good to go.
ken

jwise · January 22, 2017, 11:21 PM

I really like my Uberti 1873 El Patron in .357mag. I mostly shoot .38s out of it, which is really fun!

**Aguila Blanca** · January 22, 2017, 11:30 PM

As an owner of two Blackhawks, I feel constrained to mention that the OP stated he's looking for a "Classic old west type look." With adjustable target sights, the Blackhawk doesn't satisfy that requirement. The Vaquero does, though.

My first Single Six was a Super, with adjustable sights and two cylinders. It shot very well, but as a child of the 1950s heyday of the silver screen cowboy heroes, the adjustable sights always bothered me. To the point that I had to buy another, with the "cowboy" sights, just because that's the way God made sixguns.

Driftwood Johnson · January 23, 2017, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Hey, one further question,

Can any single action 357 revolver be made to shoot 9mm ammo? What's involved therein?

I ask because I have GOBS of 9mm and it would be really easy/cheap for me to plink with. Thanks.

In order to shoot 9mm ammunition from a single action revolver you have to have an auxiliary cylinder chambered specifically for 9mm. 9mm being a shorter, rimless round, it headspaces on the case mouth, not on the rim as a cartridge such as 357 Magnum does.

A Ruger Blackhawk seems to be your only option for this. Ruger makes several Blackhawk models chambered for 357 Magnum which come with an auxiliary 9mm cylinder. Unfortunately, as has been pointed out the Blackhawk does not fit your requirement of having the 'old west' look. All Blackhawks have adjustable sights, and they do not have a 'color case hardened' frame. The guns are either completely blue, or completely stainless.

Ruger does not at this time offer a 357 Magnum/9mm convertible model in the Vaquero line.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/index.html

Searching the Uberti website, I do not find any mention of any convertible 357 Magnum/9mm models.

http://www.uberti.com/

tallball · January 23, 2017, 11:28 AM

I believe that the OP could get either the Ruger Vaquero or the Ruger Blackhawk in 357 with a spare 9mm cylinder. The Vaquero is more "authentic" due to the fixed sights. On the other hand, the big adjustable sights on the Blackhawk help a LOT with accuracy. I have had a Single Six and a Blackhawk with spare cylinders. They both worked very well. I still have the Blackhawk "convertible". I usually shoot 45acp out of it, rather than 45colt, due to availability. It shoots both equally well. Either of the Rugers would be well below the OP's price point.

dgludwig · January 23, 2017, 12:46 PM

Quote:

...would prefer something that can shoot 9mm decently well with moon clips...

I'm not sure what you're asking here but the biggest reason most people use moon clips in a double-action revolver do so in order to get a speedier reload. To use moon clips on a single-action revolver would require removing the cylinder from the frame first, not exactly a faster way to accomplish a reload.

Driftwood Johnson · January 23, 2017, 01:32 PM

Howdy again

I don't think you understand moon clips. You load a single action revolver one round at a time through the loading gate. How are you going to load rounds that are clipped onto moon clips?

Revolvers that can be fired with moon clips are a different story. These are double action revolvers that you load by swinging the cylinder out to the side, so you can dump all your rounds in at once, clipped to their moon clips.

Basically, the cylinder needs to be relieved enough to make room for the moon clips.

This is the case with the classic S&W Model 1917 Double Action revolvers. In order to fire 45 ACP cartridges with moon clips, the cylinder had to be relieved at the rear by .030 to clear the clips. These revolvers can be fired with or without moon clips, since the cartridge head spaces on the case mouth anyway. Without the moon clips in place, the case heads merely protrude back without support where the moon clips would be. What moon clips do in a Double Action revolver is give the extractor something to grab, since the 45 ACP case is rimless.

Completely unnecessary in a single action revolver. There is no extractor, the empties get poked out from inside by the ejector rod. So moon clips would be useless even if you could figure out a way to get them into a single action cylinder. You would simply load your 9mm rounds separately into your 9mm cylinder without any clips. The rounds will headspace on the case mouths. When you go to dump your empties you open the loading gate and shove them out with the ejector rod, no different than any other cartridge.

jackstrawIII · January 23, 2017, 07:38 PM

Thanks guys, and you're all correct. I don't have much experience with revolvers and it never occurred to me that I couldn't use moon clips or something similar in a single action revolver... duh.

So it sounds like my only option if I want to shoot 9mm's will be the Ruger Blackhawk. I think the look and feel of the "vintage" 1873 type revolver is more important to me than shooting 9's, so I'll probably still go with an Uberti/Taylors and just start reloading 38 spl. Could be fun!

fourbore · January 23, 2017, 07:50 PM

I suggest you reload using 357 brass to the 38 performance level you want. That will make life easier in the long run. More accurate, less critical to keep cylinders clean, etc..

tallball · January 23, 2017, 09:28 PM

I was wrong. I looked at the Ruger website and I didn't see any Vaquero convertibles.

Crunchy Frog · January 25, 2017, 10:29 PM

Pietta makes some nice reproductions of the Colt SAA as well. There are several importers but I'd start with EMF (Early and Modern Firearms).

ShootistPRS · January 25, 2017, 10:58 PM

The big drawback with the Ruger Blackhawk is that the hammer and rear sight are not configured for quick draw. Trying to thumb the hammer as you draw the gun will result in a scraped thumb more often than not. I am a Ruger fan - I like the over-built quality of their guns - but I would have to put a different rear sight and hammer spur on the Blackhawk before I would consider it a "cowboy gun".

jackstrawIII · January 30, 2017, 02:53 PM

Just wanted to thank everyone for the input. After reading this (and another similar thread on the forum here) I decided on a Taylor Smokewagon. Will be purchasing soon.

Thanks all.

Driftwood Johnson · January 31, 2017, 12:56 AM

Quote:

The big drawback with the Ruger Blackhawk is that the hammer and rear sight are not configured for quick draw. Trying to thumb the hammer as you draw the gun will result in a scraped thumb more often than not. I am a Ruger fan - I like the over-built quality of their guns - but I would have to put a different rear sight and hammer spur on the Blackhawk before I would consider it a "cowboy gun".

Howdy

Cocking the hammer while pulling a single action revolver from a holster is a good way to shoot yourself in the leg.

In Cowboy Action Shooting, shooters are not allowed to cock the hammer until the gun is safely pointed down range.

In Cowboy Fast Draw, which is a completely different sport, the competitors are mostly shooting wax bullets, so an accidental discharge while pulling the gun will not be quite so serious.

rodfac · January 31, 2017, 09:22 AM

Saleen, your comments regarding the accuracy of your Ruger Convertible are appreciated. I'd be interested in the 9mm load that's doing so well for you. It's been my experience that Ruger bores their 9mm/.357 revolvers for the larger .357 bullet, making the smaller 0.355" dia. 9mm a tougher nut to crack accuracy wise. Are you using a cast 9mm bullet of larger dia. to achieve your success?

Driftwood, you beat me to it...a VERY truthful statement there. Friends who come out to shoot on our farm range, and produce SA's for the afternoon's fun, get an earful before we start busting caps...I view the practice as akin to riding a motorcycle (I have three in the shed at this moment); it's not IF you're going to fall off, it's WHEN, just a matter of time. An oily thumb on that hammer is an accident waiting to happen. Best regards, Rod

Quote:

Cocking the hammer while pulling a single action revolver from a holster is a good way to shoot yourself in the leg.

January 22, 2017, 06:35 PM	#1
jackstrawIII Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2016 Location: Upstate NY. Posts: 901	Looking for my First Single Action Revolver Hey gang, looking for some advice. I'd like to purchase my first SA revolver for kicking around at the range and having fun with. I've had some S&W DAs before, but have zero experience with SA revolvers. Here's what I'm looking for: - Classic old west type look, color case hardened would be cool - Something decently accurate, but reliability and durability are more important - Will be in 357 mag, and would prefer something that can shoot 9mm decently well with moon clips or replacement cylinder - Less than $1000. Looking for a high quality toy, not a collectors item. From what I've read, seems like Ruger and Uberti are the best options in that $500-$1000 range. Would you guys agree? Any other advice about features orbartel length, etc? Thanks in advance. __________________ In God we trust.

January 22, 2017, 09:38 PM	#3
jackstrawIII Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2016 Location: Upstate NY. Posts: 901	Driftwood, thank you for directing me to that thread. Your posts especially were extremely informative. After reading through the thread I am leading towards one of the Uberti models. Thanks again, I love this forum. __________________ In God we trust.

January 22, 2017, 09:42 PM	#4
jackstrawIII Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2016 Location: Upstate NY. Posts: 901	Shooting 9mm Hey, one further question, Can any single action 357 revolver be made to shoot 9mm ammo? What's involved therein? I ask because I have GOBS of 9mm and it would be really easy/cheap for me to plink with. Thanks. __________________ In God we trust.

January 22, 2017, 11:16 PM	#7
cpt-t Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2012 Location: South Central Kansas Posts: 125	jackstraw111: From what I hear You saying. A Ruger BlackHawk Convertible in 38SPC/357MAG / with the extra 9MM Cylinder should be about perfect for you. I have had a 7 1/2 in barreled Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in 45LC/45ACP since 1972. And it is my favorite Ruger S/A. I am in process of looking for a 7 1/2 in Barreled Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in 38SPC/357MAG/9MM at the present time myself. And with the Ruger Blackhawk Convertibles You don`t have to mess with thoes darn 1/2 Moon and Full Moon Clips, just change Cylinders and You are good to go. ken __________________ THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS NOT FREE:

January 23, 2017, 07:38 PM	#14
jackstrawIII Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2016 Location: Upstate NY. Posts: 901	Thanks guys, and you're all correct. I don't have much experience with revolvers and it never occurred to me that I couldn't use moon clips or something similar in a single action revolver... duh. So it sounds like my only option if I want to shoot 9mm's will be the Ruger Blackhawk. I think the look and feel of the "vintage" 1873 type revolver is more important to me than shooting 9's, so I'll probably still go with an Uberti/Taylors and just start reloading 38 spl. Could be fun! __________________ In God we trust.

January 22, 2017, 08:03 PM	#2
Driftwood Johnson Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2014 Location: Land of the Pilgrims Posts: 2,033	Read this thread. It should answer a lot of your questions. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=583388

January 22, 2017, 10:02 PM	#5
saleen322 Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2010 Posts: 778	I have a Ruger convertible 357/9mm. The 9mm shoots VERY well with the right load. The 9mm will group under 2" @ 25 yards. The 357 (and 38s) will shoot well with a broader range of ammunition.

January 22, 2017, 10:36 PM	#6
Model12Win Junior member Join Date: October 20, 2012 Posts: 5,854	There are the Ruger Blackhawks and I think Vaqueros that are available that come with a spare cylinder for 9mm. Neither one come in a color case finish, at least not new ones. Hard to beat a convertible Blackhawk in blued with ivory grips. I hope to get the .45 Colt/.45 ACP version soon.

January 22, 2017, 11:21 PM	#8
jwise Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 677	I really like my Uberti 1873 El Patron in .357mag. I mostly shoot .38s out of it, which is really fun!

January 22, 2017, 11:30 PM	#9
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,459	As an owner of two Blackhawks, I feel constrained to mention that the OP stated he's looking for a "Classic old west type look." With adjustable target sights, the Blackhawk doesn't satisfy that requirement. The Vaquero does, though. My first Single Six was a Super, with adjustable sights and two cylinders. It shot very well, but as a child of the 1950s heyday of the silver screen cowboy heroes, the adjustable sights always bothered me. To the point that I had to buy another, with the "cowboy" sights, just because that's the way God made sixguns.

January 23, 2017, 11:28 AM	#11
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	I believe that the OP could get either the Ruger Vaquero or the Ruger Blackhawk in 357 with a spare 9mm cylinder. The Vaquero is more "authentic" due to the fixed sights. On the other hand, the big adjustable sights on the Blackhawk help a LOT with accuracy. I have had a Single Six and a Blackhawk with spare cylinders. They both worked very well. I still have the Blackhawk "convertible". I usually shoot 45acp out of it, rather than 45colt, due to availability. It shoots both equally well. Either of the Rugers would be well below the OP's price point.

January 23, 2017, 01:32 PM	#13
Driftwood Johnson Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2014 Location: Land of the Pilgrims Posts: 2,033	Howdy again I don't think you understand moon clips. You load a single action revolver one round at a time through the loading gate. How are you going to load rounds that are clipped onto moon clips? Revolvers that can be fired with moon clips are a different story. These are double action revolvers that you load by swinging the cylinder out to the side, so you can dump all your rounds in at once, clipped to their moon clips. Basically, the cylinder needs to be relieved enough to make room for the moon clips. This is the case with the classic S&W Model 1917 Double Action revolvers. In order to fire 45 ACP cartridges with moon clips, the cylinder had to be relieved at the rear by .030 to clear the clips. These revolvers can be fired with or without moon clips, since the cartridge head spaces on the case mouth anyway. Without the moon clips in place, the case heads merely protrude back without support where the moon clips would be. What moon clips do in a Double Action revolver is give the extractor something to grab, since the 45 ACP case is rimless. Completely unnecessary in a single action revolver. There is no extractor, the empties get poked out from inside by the ejector rod. So moon clips would be useless even if you could figure out a way to get them into a single action cylinder. You would simply load your 9mm rounds separately into your 9mm cylinder without any clips. The rounds will headspace on the case mouths. When you go to dump your empties you open the loading gate and shove them out with the ejector rod, no different than any other cartridge.

January 23, 2017, 07:50 PM	#15
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	I suggest you reload using 357 brass to the 38 performance level you want. That will make life easier in the long run. More accurate, less critical to keep cylinders clean, etc..

January 23, 2017, 09:28 PM	#16
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	I was wrong. I looked at the Ruger website and I didn't see any Vaquero convertibles.

January 25, 2017, 10:29 PM	#17
Crunchy Frog Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 591	Pietta makes some nice reproductions of the Colt SAA as well. There are several importers but I'd start with EMF (Early and Modern Firearms).

January 25, 2017, 10:58 PM	#18
ShootistPRS Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2017 Posts: 1,583	The big drawback with the Ruger Blackhawk is that the hammer and rear sight are not configured for quick draw. Trying to thumb the hammer as you draw the gun will result in a scraped thumb more often than not. I am a Ruger fan - I like the over-built quality of their guns - but I would have to put a different rear sight and hammer spur on the Blackhawk before I would consider it a "cowboy gun".

January 30, 2017, 02:53 PM	#19
jackstrawIII Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2016 Location: Upstate NY. Posts: 901	Just wanted to thank everyone for the input. After reading this (and another similar thread on the forum here) I decided on a Taylor Smokewagon. Will be purchasing soon. Thanks all. __________________ In God we trust.