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Ruger Reintroduces Vaquero 44 Magnum


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New news at least for me is Ruger announcement at the SHOT show that they are bringing back the Vaquero 44 magnum in stainless steel. The first gun out the gate will be a distributor special edition with a 3.75" barrel, polished stainless steel finish and a birdshead grip.

 

I have no interest in the birdshead grip but I will be following the later releases of different versions. The traditional grip maybe with 5 1/2" barrel (just cause I don't have one in this barrel length) will make for a rugged, weather resistant handgun suitable for CAS to hunting.

 

I will be redoing my shooting budget as I don't want to miss out on this one this time around.

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Would love to see 44 mag/ 44-40 convertible with .429 throats on the 44-40. I have made my own set to shoot with, but a factory version would be less expensive.

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Howdy

 

I heard something about this the other day. Did they say whether they are going to be building it on the old, larger 'original model' Vaquero frame? Ruger has never chambered the New Vaquero for 44 Magnum, the logic has always been that the cylinder for the New Vaquero is too small, without enough metal around the chambers for 44 Magnum pressure.

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New news at least for me is Ruger announcement at the SHOT show that they are bringing back the Vaquero 44 magnum in stainless steel. The first gun out the gate will be a distributor special edition with a 3.75" barrel, polished stainless steel finish and a birdshead grip.

 

I have no interest in the birdshead grip but I will be following the later releases of different versions. The traditional grip maybe with 5 1/2" barrel (just cause I don't have one in this barrel length) will make for a rugged, weather resistant handgun suitable for CAS to hunting.

 

I will be redoing my shooting budget as I don't want to miss out on this one this time around.

I need one, bad. I currently use a .44 Mag marlin rifle and .357 revolvers for matches, but I also have one Old Vaquero .44 Mag and with one of these new ones, in a cross draw holster, I'd switch to using .44 only inmatches.

 

I love the barrel length and the birdshead grip, so it won't need any changes for me to get one.

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Howdy

 

I heard something about this the other day. Did they say whether they are going to be building it on the old, larger 'original model' Vaquero frame? Ruger has never chambered the New Vaquero for 44 Magnum, the logic has always been that the cylinder for the New Vaquero is too small, without enough metal around the chambers for 44 Magnum pressure.

I read somewhere on the internet that it does use the Old Vaquero frame, but who knows how reliable that is.

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Now that is a looker.

I have ones like this in .357, .44 Special, & .45 Colt.

Maybe I needa .44 Magnum too!

--Dawg

 

Ruger.jpg

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Nice looking revolver. But with that barrel length and grip style it looks like it will be painful to shoot with full magnum loads. Now that they have the large frame back in production they can run off a batch of .44-40s.

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They didn't stop making that frame size , just in the Vaquero configuration. They always had the Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks in the line.

If that is wrong-headed thinking , forgive me. :lol:

Rex :D

When I talk six guns I talk fixed sight models. THAT large frame was gone from the line-up. Don't give a squat, so to speak, about Super Blackhawks. :P

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Would love to see 44 mag/ 44-40 convertible with .429 throats on the 44-40. I have made my own set to shoot with, but a factory version would be less expensive.

"Unfortunately", I don't need such, as I have a pair OMV's I had fitted with convertible cylinders just after Ruger introduced the .44-40. My .44-40 cylinders have chambers that will take Winchester brass with .430" bullets, but the throats are .425"! Since, with hard cast bullets they will group 1-5/8" at 25 yds (from the bench, and when these old eyes cooperate, I have left the throats alone! Of course, if I want to shoot .429" jacketed bullets, I just switch cylinder to the .44 Mangle-em (aka .44 Extra Long Russian)! With smokeless loads properly adjusted to produce ~950 ft/sec (depends on air temp) in both cartridges, I get the same point of impact versus point of aim with either cartridge/cylinder.

 

I'm not sure I'd want to shoot full-power .44 Mangle-em loads from the short barrel, however. Interestingly it looks like they are using Super Blackhawk hammers in the new gun! I wonder if later editions will go back to the larger gripframe or use the Colt's size grip of the New Vaquero? I'd like to see the original Colt's grip shape now used on the New Vaquero, but with grip panels that match the Colt's. The current New Vaquero panels are thinner than the Colt's!

 

GOOD ON YOU, RUGER! :):) :)

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I have a blue/case hardened OMV in .44 mag that has seen lots of field use, primarily in the holster while horse back in bear country. I shoot full loads out of it, Hornady factory with 240 gr XTP. It is as solid as the day I bought it, dead on accurate and probably 20 years old. I would upgrade it to a SS model, that have just been impossible to find. Thank you Ruger! My OMV in .45 shoot some hefty 250 gr XTP's also, great mountain gun but the .44 mag is better, unless you give me a .41 magnum.....long live fixed sights and plow handles!

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If you are used to shooting .44 mag, then the Vaqueros are not hard to handle. I have had all three barrel lengths at one time, but right now just have the 4+5/8, and the 5.5. I would love to put a 7.5 inch tube on one of them and sell the other, using the 7.5, for hunting and as backup for my Colts when shooting CAS. Hopefully I can send one in and get a barrel put on.

 

Nimbles

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If you are used to shooting .44 mag, then the Vaqueros are not hard to handle. I have had all three barrel lengths at one time, but right now just have the 4+5/8, and the 5.5. I would love to put a 7.5 inch tube on one of them and sell the other, using the 7.5, for hunting and as backup for my Colts when shooting CAS. Hopefully I can send one in and get a barrel put on.

 

Nimbles

I like my 4 5/8 barrel. I might go for a 5.5, but if I was going with a barrel any longer, or using it for a primary hunting gun, I'd want adjustable sights, too, so I'd just go with a Super Blackhawk.

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I saw an article about this gun a couple of weeks ago and was very confused because the rollmark on the frame appeared to say "Ruger New Vaquero" and it was generally accepted that the medium sized New Vaquero frame would not handle .44 Magnum pressures.

 

Thanks to Travelin Kid, the clouds have parted. I visited the Gunbroker auction and in the description it says:

 

"The auction is for a Ruger Vaquero - factory new in the box! Ruger hasn't built a 44 Magnum Vaquero in years and I have the first available on Gunbroker! Marked "New Vaquero" but built on the original Vaquero large frame to handle the mag caliber."

 

Assuming the information in the description is correct, this answers my question about this new animal.

 

But let me get something straight:

 

The Vaquero was built on the large cylinder frame. When Ruger introduced a fixed sight revolver on the medium sized frame they changed the model name to New Vaquero. So far we're good.

 

Then Ruger produced some .44 Special revolvers on the medium frame and rollmarked them as "Ruger Vaquero". (Supposedly because the Vaquero had never been produced in .44 Special so there was no need to differentiate a .44 Special as a New Vaquero.

 

Now Ruger is making a .44 Magnum revolver on the large frame and they call it a New Vaquero.

 

Simple, right?

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but right now just have the 4+5/8, and the 5.5. I would love to put a 7.5 inch tube on one of them and sell the other, using the 7.5, for hunting and as backup for my Colts when shooting CAS. Hopefully I can send one in and get a barrel put on.

 

Nimbles

 

Hmm, why don't you send them both to me and I'll have my gunsmith put a 7.5" barrel on one and send it back to you? I'll have to check his prices, but I think I could do that for you.

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Wow Ramblin Gambler, that's an offer I can easily refuse as I am sure a new 7.5 tube from Ruger will go for between $100 to $200 installed and i am seeing that these pistols are usually valued at around $400, but thanks for the offer!

 

And Bad Jeemes Kelly, when we go hog hunting down here in Florida, the hogs are big enough and close enough that open sights are just fine for knockin them down, although I will agree with you if I was going deer hunting at a distance of 50 yards or more.

 

Very excited to see this come from Ruger.

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So now we have a "New Vaquero" built on the OMV frame. Does that make the new production gun a "Newer Old Model Vaquero"...an "NOMV" for short???? This is something like the situation with the S&W Russians. There was an "Old Model Russian" and an "Old Old Model Russian". :blink::unsure::wacko:

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Yep, Bill must be rolling in his grave with the lack of intelligence his successors have in naming single action revolver models! They'd be better off naming one Ginger and putting it in a strawberry blonde colored box.

 

Good luck, GJ

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Sure hope the new ones are not marked "New Vaquero." Hopefully that is just a PhotoShop rendering. Engineering and marketing often aren't on the same wavelength. It's bad enough that we have the "Vaquero" and "New Vaquero" and then Ruger's advertising department dropped the "New" from its advertising and from the Ruger website. (Although the guns are still marked "New Vaquero.") Makes things confusing for a lot of people that are not die hard Ruger fans.

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I have a pair of the Old Model Vaqueros in .44, they are short stroked and have been fitted with 44/40 cylinders. I love those guns, fun to shoot. Have shot them with .44 Russian using the original cylinders as well.

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The New Vaquero 44 Mag Birdshead's just arrived. They look great! They are marked "Ruger New Vaquero" on the first line and "44 MAGNUM" on the second line. The stainless steel finish is very nice. The Ruger bible is still out of sight on the underside of the barrel. The rear sight groove is wide, and the front sight shape has been angled slightly, and is now serrated, nice touch in my opinion. The hammer is a Super Blackhawk hammer, and the grips are checkered black laminated wood with a Ruger medallion on both panels. They have a 59 prefix serial number.

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  • 1 month later...

Howdy, all.
I'm late to this thread, but I just acquired an OMV in .44 mag.
I can't find cowboy load data for the magnum case.
If anybody would like to share some recipes, for 200 grain LRN, I'd be obliged.
I'd add a picture, but I can't figure out how.

Flint

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Howdy, all.

I'm late to this thread, but I just acquired an OMV in .44 mag.

I can't find cowboy load data for the magnum case.

If anybody would like to share some recipes, for 200 grain LRN, I'd be obliged.

I'd add a picture, but I can't figure out how.

 

Flint

Hodgdon lists loads for W231/HP-38, Trail Boss, 700-X and Clays among others. Take a look there. The 44 mag cartridge can be loaded with BP and subs too.
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Howdy, all.

I'm late to this thread, but I just acquired an OMV in .44 mag.

I can't find cowboy load data for the magnum case.

If anybody would like to share some recipes, for 200 grain LRN, I'd be obliged.

I'd add a picture, but I can't figure out how.

 

Flint

I shoot 213.5 gr bullets in the .44 Extra-Long Russian (aka .44 Mangle-em), loaded to identical ballistics as my .44-40 loads. NOTE: THAT'S THE SAME VELOCITY, NOT the same charges! I use Hodgdon's UNVIERSAL. The .44 Magnum charges shot in Remington brass are reduced by 6.25 percent from the charges in the .44-40 in Winchester brass. My loads in both are about 950 ft/sec from a 7.5 inch OM Vaquero. Since I don't list the charge weights, I guess this info is SASS Wire legal. (The data furnished is for general interest. I can assume not responsibility for the use of this information in guns other than my own.) And, NO! I don't think I'd want to shot full-power .44 Mangle-em loads from a 3.25" barrel with a birdshead grip!

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Let me chime in here……..THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A COLT!! THE REAL ORIGINAL COWBOY GUN!

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Let me chime in here..THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A COLT!! THE REAL ORIGINAL COWBOY GUN!

You are so right, the balance, the feel, the sould stirring history..........especially when held by the barrel, they are a very classy way to drive a nail.

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