Lil_Rob Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 I'm looking to make a change in my shooting irons. I've been shooting a set of Ruger Blackhawks for years. I've installed springs and even put brids head grips on them. They're good Shooting guns. But I feel I need to make a change to be more competitive. I like the new Vaqueros but have heard some bad things about them. Besides after getting them short stroked that's a lot of money. Taylor Arms has a short stroke gun in the box ready to go. My question is which one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckaroo #13080 Regulator Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 It is unclear as to why you think different guns will improve your shooting? There is nothing wrong with Blackhawks, in fact, if you have older eyes, they may prove to be better for you than a fixed sight gun. Functionally they are similar to the Vaquero with the exception of the sights. Not sure what "Bad" things you have heard about the Vaqueros. They are indeed one of the more popular handguns out there. Your best bet is to find guns that fit you and your shooting style. One size does not necessarily fit all. Perhaps different grip frames are what you are looking for? Plow handle, birds head, Bisley, Schoefield etc all have very different feel and performance. I would borrow some that you are considering before buying what others think you might do better with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Save your money & practice your transitions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 1 hour ago, Lil_Rob said: I'm looking to make a change in my shooting irons. I've been shooting a set of Ruger Blackhawks for years. I've installed springs and even put brids head grips on them. They're good Shooting guns. But I feel I need to make a change to be more competitive. I like the new Vaqueros but have heard some bad things about them. Besides after getting them short stroked that's a lot of money. Taylor Arms has a short stroke gun in the box ready to go. My question is which one? Ford truck vs. Chevy Truck vs. Ram. Rugers are the toughest, most used handgun in SASS. If you have "heard" some bad things you need to specify what you have heard and from where so it can be discussed. Like a lot of guns Rugers have gone up in price quite a bit in the past two years or so. Short stroking a Ruger can cost $200+ for a cut and weld that modifies the existing parts. A kit with all new parts is $400+. For out-the-door cost getting a factory short stroked Colt clone is probably cheaper. Which one? No one can answer that but you based on what feels good in your hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Unless your stage times are in the top 15% with 95+% hits. Save your $$$$ and practice more. Rugers will outlast every other handgun used in this game. Ruger NMV are outstanding, and Ruger CS is the same. Ruger is also 100% USA made........ OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 +1 on everything said thus far. Choosing between top of the line, tuned pistols is a very personal and subjective decision. I wrestled with buying a pair of tuned Rugers from a top gunsmith or Uberti short-stroked Runnin' Irons from Taylors. I went with the Ubertis because they feel a bit better in my hand than a Ruger NMV. A well-tuned pair of Rugers are also awesome. Can't imagine what bad things you heard about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 If you want new guns then buy new guns... By the way, if your times improve you can say it’s the new guns. If they don’t...Hey, you still get some cool guns... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 A man should always buy more guns. That way he has, well, more guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major BS Walker Regulator Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 I do love that New Gun Smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Mike Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Have a pair of Vaqueros with action job by Jimmy Spurs and a pair of Deluxe Taylor's Smoke Wagons short stroked all in 44-40. I shoot out the smoke wagons most of the time as they just fit me better. But I will keep the Rugers as they are the smoothest pistols I have ever owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mongo, SASS #61450 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 If you are shooting with two hands on a gun and the weight of the gun is not the issue, I would continue to shoot the Blackhawks. They can also be short-stroked. I shoot gunfighter or duelist, otherwise I would still be shooting my Blackhawks because the sights are so much better. If the weight is an issue, you might look for a pair of 50th anniversary Blackhawks which have smaller grip frames and are a little lighter in weight. I have short stroked pairs of both guns mentioned (and like many of us, many others). I shoot both pair on a regular basis and I like them both. The Rugers are probably more durable guns in the long run. If you're only going to shoot one pair, you'd be hard pressed to beat a pair of SS Rugers. That said, I love the feel of a Colt pistol. They are lighter guns and have a slightly different grip frame. I shoot my real ones occasionally, but my Piettas offer a similar feel and I'm not worried about hurting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Friend, SASS #53635 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 What a number of respondents are missing here is the man wants new guns. It is my feeling that this desire should be supported. OP, since you already have a pair of Rugers I would get the Taylors, if for no other reason than to round out your gathering of cowboy guns. Remember, we don't buy guns we just rent them. They are a liquid asset. Life's too short not to buy new guns and to try something different if you're in the mood to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 I had a pair of Taylor's Runnin' Irons (Non short stroked). Loved them. But they weren't perfect. Switched to SASS Vaqueros. Love them and still do. Had Lassiter work his short stroke magic on them and love them even more. Love them so much I'm going to have him do a second pair. Why? Like has been said, you can never have too many. P.S. I can't imagine what bad things you could have heard about the SASS Vaqueros or any Ruger revolvers. They're incredibly well built and the guns are better than 99.99% of the people who will ever shoot them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 1 hour ago, Lead Friend, SASS #53635 said: What a number of respondents are missing here is the man wants new guns. It is my feeling that this desire should be supported. I caught it!!!!! That's just my game. I LOVE more guns. I thought we ALL did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Joaquin Shootist Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 The obvious answer is you need to buy both! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Joaquin Shootist Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Or: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil_Rob Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 I've seen this and do it along with other dry fire practice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollywood Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Just another choice of short stroked, factory tuned pistols - Cimarron (Pietta) Eliminator C's. I bought a pair when my SASS New Vaqueros had to go back to Ruger for cylinder over-rotation after shooting only 2 matches with them. Ruger customer service was, as always, exemplary. They found that the cylinder stop notches were "slightly out of specification", so they wound up fitting new cylinders to both guns. But I liked the Eliminator's so much that I never went back to the Vaqueros. And now they are going to a new SASS shooter! I'm definitely not one of the fastest shooters out there, but the Eliminator's have worked great for me out-of-the-box. My stage times have definitely gone down, especially as I found that I don't seem to short cock them as often (ever?), and thereafter have to run the cylinder. Right now I'm liking the Pietta manufactured guns a bit better than the Uberti guns, especially as Uberti is implementing their new floating "safe" firing pin (and Pietta isn't, at least yet...). Plus my Eliminators have run perfectly for me for the last 1.5 years of SASS match use. Just another one of the good choices we have out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil_Rob Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 2 hours ago, TN Mongo, SASS #61450 said: If you are shooting with two hands on a gun and the weight of the gun is not the issue, I would continue to shoot the Blackhawks. They can also be short-stroked. I shoot gunfighter or duelist, otherwise I would still be shooting my Blackhawks because the sights are so much better. If the weight is an issue, you might look for a pair of 50th anniversary Blackhawks which have smaller grip frames and are a little lighter in weight. I have short stroked pairs of both guns mentioned (and like many of us, many others). I shoot both pair on a regular basis and I like them both. The Rugers are probably more durable guns in the long run. If you're only going to shoot one pair, you'd be hard pressed to beat a pair of SS Rugers. That said, I love the feel of a Colt pistol. They are lighter guns and have a slightly different grip frame. I shoot my real ones occasionally, but my Piettas offer a similar feel and I'm not worried about hurting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil_Rob Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 S while back I got the chance to handle a pair of SASS Vaqueros. I really liked the way they felt in my hands that's where it all started. I didn't get to shoot them. I dry fire practice a lot. I'm shooting 2 handed with times in the mid to low 20's. I have only heard 1 real bad thing about the new Vaqueros the rest is just rumors. I started this to get some input from people who shoot both. I also asked some of the top shooters here in NM and they recommend the Vaqueros. I'M also looking at having Cowboy and Indians doing s short stroke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mongo, SASS #61450 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Lil Rob, NM Vaqueros have grips frames that are smaller that OM Vaqueros (similar in size to a Colt SAA). They are fine guns and think you will be well pleased. If you cock the hammer on every shot, you could pick-up a little speed on your pistols. When I shot with two hands on a pistol, I slipped hammered. While slip-hammering I didn't need short stroked pistols. Now that I shoot gunfighter and duelist, everything but my Colts are short stroked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Clark Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Don't everybody encourage Lil Rob to practice!!!!! Some of us have to posse with him on a regular basis The smaller grip profile may be why they felt more comfortable in your hands LR . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Solo Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 I talked about this issue last winter with a couple of seasoned cowboys. One of them told us that that you could probably buy a pair of tuned short stroked Ubertis from Taylors for about the same as untuned Vaqueros that then have to be worked on by a quality smith. I think he bought the Short Stroked Runnin' Irons. He is a much better shooter than I am and being retired is on a fixed income. His thought was the quality of the Colt clones has improved over the last decade so the argument about Ruger NMVs being stronger than a Colt Clone doesn't mean as much. These days Rugers are still strong but the clones are almost as strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 3 hours ago, Lil_Rob said: S while back I got the chance to handle a pair of SASS Vaqueros. I really liked the way they felt in my hands that's where it all started. I didn't get to shoot them. I dry fire practice a lot. I'm shooting 2 handed with times in the mid to low 20's. I have only heard 1 real bad thing about the new Vaqueros the rest is just rumors. I started this to get some input from people who shoot both. I also asked some of the top shooters here in NM and they recommend the Vaqueros. I'M also looking at having Cowboy and Indians doing s short stroke. Please tell us the bad you heard about Ruger. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.S. Brady, SASS #63699 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Vaquero all the way. If you shoot two handed and shoot fast they are the only pistol that will take the abuse, especially when short stroked. Mine have Boogies short stroke in them and have yet to fail me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil_Rob Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 The one that I head was second hand and they just told me that a club member got a set of the new Vaqueros and he was having trouble with them. Everything else is just some rumors that the Vaqueros are not as good as the older ones. I didn't pay that much attention because I was happy with my Blackhawks. Not that I am still not happy with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 5 minutes ago, Lil_Rob said: The one that I head was second hand and they just told me that a club member got a set of the new Vaqueros and he was having trouble with them. Everything else is just some rumors that the Vaqueros are not as good as the older ones. I didn't pay that much attention because I was happy with my Blackhawks. Not that I am still not happy with them. Rob, 100% not picking on you so please do not take this wrong. Just using this as a teaching/learning tool. This statement conveys no useful information. It is second hand, i.e., hearsay, about a totally unidentified "trouble" some unindentified shooter is purportedly having. This cannot form the basis for any kind of conclusion about Ruger revolvers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Eye Jim Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 I got a pair of the Talo Exclusive Short Spur Vaquaros in .357 and love them. I finally got my hands on a pair of SASS matched Vaqueros at a match a couple weeks back and found I'd likely had preferred those when shooting Duelist, but since I'm currently shooting 49er until I can calm down enough string some clean matches together, I'm good with the Vaqueros I have, and I'm not going to worry about short stroking anything until my clean speed is actually in the 20's... Now if my wife ever decides to start shooting, then I will be getting the SASS matched set. Although once I can think about buying more guns again, it'll probably be something in 45 colt so I can think about shooting Classic. But that is just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil_Rob Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 In no way am I trying to bad mouth Ruger. I have 5 Rugers. That is why I have said it was second hand. I was hoping someone would tune in with their troubles if any. I have send done some looking into it and have found that they have had some trouble with transfer bars breaking. Some called transfer bar pinch. Again in no way was I ever bad mouthing Ruger or the Vaqueros. I was just looking for as much input as I could get 13 minutes ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said: Rob, 100% not picking on you so please do not take this wrong. Just using this as a teaching/learning tool. This statement conveys no useful information. It is second hand, i.e., hearsay, about a totally unidentified "trouble" some unindentified shooter is purportedly having. This cannot form the basis for any kind of conclusion about Ruger revolvers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Yes the t'bar in either Vaquero can break. We have had it happen to ours. Call Ruger and ask for a spare. The NMV and the original Vaquero T'bars are not interchangeable. OLG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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