cowboy guns

Jeffly · February 8, 2000, 11:44 AM

I am thinking about purchasing a cowboy pistol and maybe a rifle. I like the Ruger Vaquero. What might the pros and cons be of the 4.58 barrel versus the 5.5 barrel be?
And are the imitatio ivory grips worth the cost? do they look good? And also can a Lever action Rifle in 30-30 be used for Cowboy action shooting? thanks for any advise. J

Angel Diamond · February 8, 2000, 12:57 PM

You'll find the Ruger an excellent pistol. Which barrel length is a personal preference. I like & shoot the 5.5. As far as the grips go, that is a personal preference also. If you like the way the imitation ivory looks then it's worth the money. I liked the look of the wood grips that came on my Rugers so I haven't changed them out. In your question about the rifle, 30-30 is a rifle caliber and you must use a pistol caliber rifle for Cowboy Action Shooting. i.e. 45LC, .38special, .44special, 44-40 It makes it easier if you shoot the same caliber in your pistols & rifle.

Angel Diamond

Jeffly · February 8, 2000, 01:54 PM

Thanks for the reply aswell as the E mail. I know a .357 pistol will shoot a 38, will a .357 rifle also shoot a 38, and also I like Winchester Rifles, the 94 comes with a 20 inch barrell aswell as a 24. which would be better for cowboy shooting? thanks again. J

Bill Mitchell · February 8, 2000, 05:09 PM

Howdy Jeffly,

As to whether a .357 rifle will shoot a .38,it depends on the rifle. It's not the shooting that's the problem,it's the feeding of the rounds from the magazine to the chamber. Cartridge length seems to be the determining factor. Some rifles will feed both .38s and .357s without a hitch,and some won't-including rifles of the same make. A good gunsmith can sometimes make a balky rifle feed both types of ammo.

Barrel length,like pistol length,is more of a personal preference than any competitive advantage. I shoot a 24" Marlin,but I also own a 20" Rossi 92.

Bellicose Bill

Ned Roundtree · February 8, 2000, 09:04 PM

I like the polymer white grips on a Ruger. Blue gun or stainless they look good. I'll ditto the comment about keeping your revolvers and lever action rifle in the same caliber.

Joe West · February 9, 2000, 01:10 AM

If you're gettin old, the longer barrel and blue finish is easier for your eyes to deal with. On a bright day those stainless sights disappear with the first shot. I'm not saying I'm getting old but I use 6 1/2" Ruger Vaqueros, these were only made in 44-40 for Friends of the NRA auctions so you know I got them cheap. The 51/2" bbl guns I consider perfect for most folks. But you might like the shorter ones. As for grips, I say go with the wood till you can save up for stags. They don't slip in your hand, they last a LONG time, and they look great. Plastic jes don't sit right with me on my cowboy stuff. As for .38/.357 I can make almost any .357 lever gun work perfectly with .38 spl EXCEPT for some MDL '94 Winchesters. I love the '94 but it doesn't like short , tiny cases. The '92 was designed for short cases as were all the toggle action pistol caliber Winchesters ['60, '66, '73]. When you go against a design, you take your chances.
Joe West

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February 8, 2000, 11:44 AM	#1
Jeffly Member Join Date: January 8, 2000 Posts: 75	I am thinking about purchasing a cowboy pistol and maybe a rifle. I like the Ruger Vaquero. What might the pros and cons be of the 4.58 barrel versus the 5.5 barrel be? And are the imitatio ivory grips worth the cost? do they look good? And also can a Lever action Rifle in 30-30 be used for Cowboy action shooting? thanks for any advise. J

February 8, 2000, 12:57 PM	#2
Angel Diamond Member Join Date: December 8, 1999 Location: GA Posts: 21	You'll find the Ruger an excellent pistol. Which barrel length is a personal preference. I like & shoot the 5.5. As far as the grips go, that is a personal preference also. If you like the way the imitation ivory looks then it's worth the money. I liked the look of the wood grips that came on my Rugers so I haven't changed them out. In your question about the rifle, 30-30 is a rifle caliber and you must use a pistol caliber rifle for Cowboy Action Shooting. i.e. 45LC, .38special, .44special, 44-40 It makes it easier if you shoot the same caliber in your pistols & rifle. Angel Diamond

February 8, 2000, 01:54 PM	#3
Jeffly Member Join Date: January 8, 2000 Posts: 75	Thanks for the reply aswell as the E mail. I know a .357 pistol will shoot a 38, will a .357 rifle also shoot a 38, and also I like Winchester Rifles, the 94 comes with a 20 inch barrell aswell as a 24. which would be better for cowboy shooting? thanks again. J

February 8, 2000, 05:09 PM	#4
Bill Mitchell Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 15, 1998 Location: Roswell,GA Posts: 433	Howdy Jeffly, As to whether a .357 rifle will shoot a .38,it depends on the rifle. It's not the shooting that's the problem,it's the feeding of the rounds from the magazine to the chamber. Cartridge length seems to be the determining factor. Some rifles will feed both .38s and .357s without a hitch,and some won't-including rifles of the same make. A good gunsmith can sometimes make a balky rifle feed both types of ammo. Barrel length,like pistol length,is more of a personal preference than any competitive advantage. I shoot a 24" Marlin,but I also own a 20" Rossi 92. Bellicose Bill

February 8, 2000, 09:04 PM	#5
Ned Roundtree Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 1999 Location: Lexington, KY,USA Posts: 738	I like the polymer white grips on a Ruger. Blue gun or stainless they look good. I'll ditto the comment about keeping your revolvers and lever action rifle in the same caliber.

February 9, 2000, 01:10 AM	#6
Joe West Member Join Date: November 29, 1999 Posts: 41	If you're gettin old, the longer barrel and blue finish is easier for your eyes to deal with. On a bright day those stainless sights disappear with the first shot. I'm not saying I'm getting old but I use 6 1/2" Ruger Vaqueros, these were only made in 44-40 for Friends of the NRA auctions so you know I got them cheap. The 51/2" bbl guns I consider perfect for most folks. But you might like the shorter ones. As for grips, I say go with the wood till you can save up for stags. They don't slip in your hand, they last a LONG time, and they look great. Plastic jes don't sit right with me on my cowboy stuff. As for .38/.357 I can make almost any .357 lever gun work perfectly with .38 spl EXCEPT for some MDL '94 Winchesters. I love the '94 but it doesn't like short , tiny cases. The '92 was designed for short cases as were all the toggle action pistol caliber Winchesters ['60, '66, '73]. When you go against a design, you take your chances. Joe West ------------------