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Ruger .44mag REAL Vaquero Stainless Price Check?


The Dakota Clay

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I'm looking to get another .44mag REAL Vaquero Stainless for a project (NOT New Vaquero). Anyone able to shed some light on what these are going for these days? I'm assuming the .44mag REAL Vaq's are going for more than the .357's or .45's, since the Mag didn't make the transition over to the New Vaq, but I'm seeing prices all over the place on the auction boards.

 

For those curious: I'm looking to convert it into a short barreled bird's head "Sheriff's Model" in .44mag for my every day carry belt gun, maybe even a little CCW on a wild hair now and then. I know I can get New Vaq's in .357Mag or .45Colt in this format, let alone used versions, but I'm a .44mag shooter through and through.

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Thanks for the head's up Buck! It might actually be an advantage that it's a 7.5", since it might mean less work removing the "surgeon general's warning" from the cut end of the barrel. Most of my barrels have the warning centered, so on shorter barrels, it reaches farther back towards the frame. That guy needs to learn a bit about photography though, I had a hard time telling by the pics whether it was a badly worn blued gun or stainless! Looks like it was built in 1994. I'll be watching that one.

 

Such is life, but it'll be hard to swallow to spend $650 on a used .44mag Vaquero. That's almost double what I spent on the 4 I have when they were NEW prior to being discontinued. At the time I was buying up .32 H&R "Vaquerito" Single Sixes had 18 of those, wish I would have put some money towards 44mag BIG Vaqueros too (Is "BIG Vaq" less sour than "REAL Vaq" :P ). I'm hard pressed to just go with a new 45colt New vaq, since it'd be cheaper or same price NEW as the .44mag Vaq used, let alone a heck of a lot cheaper than the revolver cost plus the new frame, grips, and barrel work (and probably a new unfluted cylinder :D:P ), but i'm planning to make this my EDC revolver on my belt at the ranch, so I the heart wants what the heart wants. My heart ALWAYS wants a 44mag close at hand.

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Howdy,

I just had this conversation with a good friend.

If you want a magnum and then cut down the barrel you are giving up

the bullet speed that would be generated in that barrel

The magnum rounds NEED about eight or so inches to burn that powder

in the magnum case.

I have fired .357 magnum guns with two inch barrels and there is plenty of

blast and roar and I could feel the fireball on my face and hands.

That fireball is powder being burned AFTER the bullet says goodbye to the barrel.

I sort of remember a gun magazine shooting rounds then measuring speed

and then cutting an inch off the barrel and repeating until they were down

to an inch.

The NAA folks who are famous for tiny barrels, have a number of new offerings

with 4 inch barrels.

Seems a shame to spend a bundle on a magnum and give up all that speed you

just paid top dollar for.

Hey its SNOWING AGAIN.

Best

CR

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I have 2 "original" stainless steel Ruger Vaqueros in .44 mag, with 4.62" barrels that I have been using since 1997 for Cowboy action matches. They are PRICELESS!

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Howdy,

I just had this conversation with a good friend.

If you want a magnum and then cut down the barrel you are giving up

the bullet speed that would be generated in that barrel

The magnum rounds NEED about eight or so inches to burn that powder

in the magnum case.

I have fired .357 magnum guns with two inch barrels and there is plenty of

blast and roar and I could feel the fireball on my face and hands.

That fireball is powder being burned AFTER the bullet says goodbye to the barrel.

I sort of remember a gun magazine shooting rounds then measuring speed

and then cutting an inch off the barrel and repeating until they were down

to an inch.

The NAA folks who are famous for tiny barrels, have a number of new offerings

with 4 inch barrels.

Seems a shame to spend a bundle on a magnum and give up all that speed you

just paid top dollar for.

Hey its SNOWING AGAIN.

Best

CR

 

Thanks for the input, and I know a lot of guys feel that way about short barreled magnums (a LOT of guys), but it's not my first rodeo with short barreld mags, and I'm 100% comfortable with what I'm getting into. This isn't going to be a hunting weapon, just going to be a working revolver and a fun project that I've wanted to build for about 6-7yrs. Something handy that I'll have on my belt at the ranch, do a little shooting here and there with, put down a few cows and a few coyotes, probably more rocks and stumps than anything.

 

I have .44mags in barrel lengths from 2.5" to 9.5", .357mags from 2" up to 6", and .454's from 2.5" to 7.5". For what it's worth, there's a LOT more to it than saying "a short barrel isn't smart because a long barrel is faster". Mags out of short barrels do run faster than their "weaker" counterparts can even run out of a long barrel. This particular project can't be too short at any rate, I may live with OEM or aftermarket ERH's, and I know I want enough ER stroke to get cases far enough out to get a hold on cases, or pop out with a sharp stroke. Probably looking at somewhere between 3.5-4.5".

 

Plus, I always have the option to reduce my recoil and blast and run the "shorts" in them. With this one, I know I won't, just because I NEVER shoot .44spcls in a .44mag revolver, just because I have a chip on my shoulder about them, but I often shoot .45Colts in my .454's and .38's in my .357's.

 

I figure the Vaquero will weigh about as much as my S&W Mountain Gun, and lighter and more handy than my SRH Alaskans even though it'll be longer. And naturally, it's irrefutable that a birdshead grip SA will be a lot sexier than any DA ;)

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And naturally, it's irrefutable that a birdshead grip SA will be a lot sexier than any DA ;)

 

Couldn't agree more. If only they made a modern DA with a birdshead grip! (a la Forehand/Wadsworth and Webley Bulldogs, Colt Lightnings/Thunderers, etc) I think I could make space in my safe for a couple of those...

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