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New Ruger Vaquero 357


FunnyRunner

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Will it handle regular 357 ammo pressures? Or is one limited to the cowboy load 357's?

It's a .357 - It'll handle SAAMI spec loads - no problem.

 

Shadow Catcher

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The NewVaq357's cylinder is beefier in all directions than a GP100 or S&W 686. The action parts (bolt, cylinder ratchet teeth, pawl, hammer, transfer bar and trigger) all share the same size and strength as the Ruger large-frame series (and most of the action parts interchange with a large-frame). Because the cylinder weighs less, they might hold up under rapid-fire of light loads better than a large-frame Ruger SA, although it'll take you a hell of a long time to note the difference!

 

A NewVaq357 will handle a near-unlimited diet of the wildest E-ticket-ride fodder that the sick minds at Buffalo Bore, DoubleTap Ammo and Grizzly Cartridge can come up with. There's even a fair margin of error for reloading mistakes, although not quite as much of an overstrength margin as the large-frames. You'd have to really screw up good to blow up either one.

 

The NewVaq357 may be the strongest gun available that's basically the same size and heft as a post-WW2 Colt SAA.

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Howdy

 

As a matter of fact, the Colt Single Action Army was chambered for 357 Magnum soon after the cartridge was developed by Smith and Wesson in the 1930s. Since the cylinder was the same diameter as a 45, but the holes correspondingly smaller, the original SAA is also massive enough to digest factory strength 357 Magnum ammo with no problem. Incidentally, the very first 357 Magnum revolver was a large frame S&W. It too had a large diameter cylinder, with small holes. That was what the cartridge was designed for, an N frame sized cylinder with 38 size holes.

 

The original 357 Magnum was simply an outgrowth of an earlier large frame 38 Special revolver. Called the 38/44, they were large frame revolvers built on the 44 size frame. The chambers were bored for 38 Special cartridges. The ammo was specially marked as 38/44 ammo. Because of the possibility of accidentally loading one of these high velocity cartridges into a standard 38 Special revolver, with disastrous results, the cartridge case was lengthened by about 1/10". The longer cartridge would not seat all the way in a standard 38 Special revolver and the 357 Magnum was born.

 

Ten points if anybody knows why it became known as a 'Magnum'.

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Bingo! Yes, Douglas Wesson was a wine aficionado.

 

I seemed to recall reading that somewhere years ago, and have long known what a "magnum" was in regard to wine. Sometimes it pays to have a trivial mind!

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Will it handle regular 357 ammo pressures? Or is one limited to the cowboy load 357's?

 

FunnyRunner,

The current New Ruger Vaquero/Blackhawk revolvers are arguably the strongest handguns made today in 357 caliber. Though the cylinders have been lightened a bit from the old model guns, they are still hugely strong and can withstand ANY ammo loaded to SAAMI specifications and still have a large amount of safety factor built in.

 

For instance, the thinnest measurement on the Cylinders is .125 thick. Compare that to the large N frame Smith and Wesson revolvers, where the 41 mag cyl. measures approx. .090 and the 44 mag cyl. will measure approx. .080. Hardly any comparison in the strength factor.

 

The strength of Ruger Single Action Revolvers is legendary. That hasn't changed with any currently produced Revolver.

 

RBK

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