The New Vaquero

I’ve been longing for a nice single-action wheelgun for quite some time. Why? I couldn’t tell you. Part of it would be the simplicity and romance of it. It’s a design that’s endured since the 19th century, and it’s got a certain charisma to it.

I’d shot them before; a friend has an Uberti in .45 Colt (which is a nice round), but I wanted something in a more widely-available caliber, as well as something a bit more rugged. The Colts are insanely overpriced (~$1200 at the low end) and a US Patent…well that’s even more.

Then there’s Ruger. Everyone knows their autos…cheap and clunky but built like tanks and utterly reliable. The Vaquero fits the second category without the concerns of the first.

The New Vaquero also sports a number of “upgrades” to the traditional SAA design, the first being the transfer-bar safety:

Traditionally, it was unsafe to carry a SAA with the hammer on a live round, as an impact on the hammer could cause the gun to discharge. The transfer-bar intervenes between the hammer and firing pin when the hammer is down, so it’s safe to carry the Ruger on a live round.

Another nice touch is the free-floating cylinder.

When the loading gate (that flap on the right side) is open, the cylinder rotates freely, making ejection and reloading much easier.

Why is this important? Because single-action revolvers don’t have the swing-out cylinder design prevalent on modern double-actions. You have to cycle the cylinder manually and eject each round individually. Rounds have to be reloaded one by one as well.

The crescent-shaped ejector rod is a nice touch as well. The process can be laborious until you get the hang of it, and the crescent makes it easier to do by feel.

Needless to say, this isn’t a gun for fast reloads. You’ve got six shots, and this platform forces you to make them count.

In case you hadn’t guessed by the moniker, this is a single-action. That means the trigger only performs one action: dropping the hammer. Unlike double-actions, the trigger doesn’t cock it for you; it has to be done manually. The result is a much lighter, crisper trigger pull, but the weapon requires a different mindset to use efficiently.

Since manually cocking the hammer is part of the MOA, the shape of the hammer plays an important part. The Ruger has a slightly extended and backswept hammer, and it’s easy to reach with the thumb in either a one- or two-handed grip. Other enhancements include a higher front sight and a return to the thinner old-style XR3 grip used on the 1960-and-before models.

The barrel and cylinder are finished in a nice, even blue, and the frame is a gorgeous case-hardened finish. The cylinder is heavy and evenly throated, and timing is perfect. Action is nice and smooth, and the trigger breaks cleanly and consistently at ~40oz.

Offhand accuracy is what you’d expect from a .357 with a 5.5″ barrel, which is nothing short of outstanding. This is one of the few guns I’ve been able to shoot ~1.5″ groups with one-handed.

Ruger didn’t skimp on the steel on this gun, and it’s got quite the heft to it. Not only are these things able to take ridiculously hot ammo, but the weight mitigates recoil quite nicely. 125gr Magnums leave the barrel at ~1350fps, but percieved recoil is similar to a small-caliber automatic. With .38’s, recoil is so light, you have to look downrange to be sure anything left the barrel.

At the price, the Ruger is one of the best values on the market. Is it a fun gun? Heck, yes. It’s got one heck of a roar with .357’s, and you can’t beat a single-action for accuracy. It’s built solid and should provide decades of service.

Is it practical? Well, that’s another story.

Most shooters today grew up on high-capacity automatics, and the pray-and-spray mentality has become a bit too pervasive, even among “professionals” like law-enforcement. The SAA isn’t a gun to waste rounds with. It takes discipline and with use, it reinforces the wisdom that shot-placement is more important than any other factor in a shooting situation.