Vaqueros

[Dagga Boy]

Thankfully, a request was made for some Vaquero pics and a major tragedy is now a minor tragedy. First up is my custom built for me Bespoke Sheriff's Bisquero. Before there were Sheriff's models, I had this one built. Ejector rod removed, barrel shortened, and a Bisley frame and hammer fitted with Eagle Gunfighter grips. It was carried a ton and was my "Door Answering" gun for years. I shot loads out of it that will light you on fire. When I removed it from it's Cape Buffalo hide case, a rust baranacle was growing out of the "Q" in Vaquero. Broke my heart as the blue on this gun is stunning. It now has a little ugly spot. Luckily it should polish out down the road and I can get it blued again. It is a beast and a neat gun.

[Dagga Boy]

Next up is a Gary Reeder gun. I sent it to Gary for some work and it got messed up. He made it right and put in a custom match barrel, rounded corian grips and action work. Another near tragedy. Last time I shot it I was using some black powder stuff. I obviously didn't get it clean enough around the barrel. It was ugly. Cleaned up good, but again, my bad for not getting these out of the safe often enough. My plan is for a display vault to avoid storage in cases in the future.

[SLG]

Which display vault are you looking at?

Nice Eagle grips.

[Lyonsgrid]

DB....you revolver output on here is awesome. I keep checking several times per day. Keep 'em coming.

[Dagga Boy]

Which display vault are you looking at?

Nice Eagle grips.

It is getting built into the house. Essentially, an armored room with wood cases to display my "steel" guns and a safe door installed. It will allow me to have friends over and have easy access to the revolvers and 1911's. The other stuff can stay in my other vault in bags.

[Robinson]

It is getting built into the house. Essentially, an armored room with wood cases to display my "steel" guns and a safe door installed. It will allow me to have friends over and have easy access to the revolvers and 1911's. The other stuff can stay in my other vault in bags.

THAT is awesome.

[Dagga Boy]

THAT is awesome.

My man room has a Globe bar in it, bookcases full of classic hunting and gun books, my almost 15lb. Bass and a Warthog skull....the walk in revolver and 1911 room should make it perfect....:cool:

[SLG]

That is the way to do it.

[serialsolver]

Here's a vaquero I hacked up a couple of years ago. The this is version 1.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/serialsolver/shooters014-1.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/serialsolver/media/shooters014-1.jpg.html)

I shot some black in it once. After 50 rounds of black power you need an ejector. That's the technical name for the stick.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/serialsolver/dirtyguns001.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/serialsolver/media/dirtyguns001.jpg.html)

The current version now has a alloy grip frame for weight loss.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/serialsolver/P4220571.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/serialsolver/media/P4220571.jpg.html)

Just a day at the office.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/serialsolver/IMG_0554_zps722fa552.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/serialsolver/media/IMG_0554_zps722fa552.jpg.html)



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[Lester Polfus]

Very, very nice.

What "black powder" did you put in your Door Answering Loads? Actual black powder, T7, pyrodex?

[SecondsCount]

Nice Vaquero's! I especially like the blued one nyeti posted. Something about a high polish blue that really catches the eye. :cool:

[Coyotesfan97]

3570

My Ruger Vaquero birdshead with the 4 5/8 barrel in 45LC


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[45dotACP]

I'm not sure why, but to me, a 4 5/8" SAA is one of the coolest looking guns extant

[Dagga Boy]

Very, very nice.

What "black powder" did you put in your Door Answering Loads? Actual black powder, T7, pyrodex?

Custom loaded stuff. 250 grainer at a 1000 fps with black powder........it is literally a fire breathing dragon. Fired one round I an indoor range and they thought the range had blown up. It is like being in a thunder cloud during a lightning strike. It makes Odin smile.

[Lester Polfus]

Custom loaded stuff. 250 grainer at a 1000 fps with black powder........it is literally a fire breathing dragon. Fired one round I an indoor range and they thought the range had blown up. It is like being in a thunder cloud during a lightning strike. It makes Odin smile.

Beautiful. I'm going to get a .44 Mag soon and play with some T7 and Pyrodex loads. Partially for the sheer unmitigated Hell of it, partially because when all the other powder dries up, I can always find Pyrodex and T7. Won't be as much fun as real black powder, but still cool.

It's a shame one can't figure out a way for the first round to coat the miscreant with jellied gasoline, then the fire the second blackpowder load...

[SeriousStudent]

It is getting built into the house. Essentially, an armored room with wood cases to display my "steel" guns and a safe door installed. It will allow me to have friends over and have easy access to the revolvers and 1911's. The other stuff can stay in my other vault in bags.

And leather chairs. And cigars. And Bourbon.

[DiscipulusArmorum]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, as I know next to nothing about revolvers, particularly single actions, but what's the rationale for getting rid of the ejector rod? Is it just to get a lighter, smaller gun? How do you unload fired cases without the ejector rod? Do they just fall out if the loading gate is open and the gun canted in the right direction?

[Jeep]

It's a shame one can't figure out a way for the first round to coat the miscreant with jellied gasoline, then the fire the second blackpowder load...

I like the way you think!

[Dagga Boy]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, as I know next to nothing about revolvers, particularly single actions, but what's the rationale for getting rid of the ejector rod? Is it just to get a lighter, smaller gun? How do you unload fired cases without the ejector rod? Do they just fall out if the loading gate is open and the gun canted in the right direction?

Yep, or you can use a pen. You can only go so short with the barrel with an ejector rod in place. Plus, removing the cylinder for cleaning with a short barrel and the ejector is a problem. This was the issue with the Reeder gun. You have to remove the ejector rod housing to remove the cylinder. I didn't do that when I last shot it......this, a mess between the cylinder and barrel. I won't make that mistake again. In the case of my Bisquero, I used outstanding quality ammunition cases and they would fall free for the first few cylinders, which is all I cared about.
In any case, with the Bisquero and the Odin loads, I can guarantee that nothing is going to be standing in front of it for more than six rounds in any sort of close range encounter. Other folks love the big bore super short SIncle actions for snake guns as they fit good in a pocket with snake shot.

[Dagga Boy]

And leather chairs. And cigars. And Bourbon.

I believe the Bourbon and Cigars came from you. It is why you are the Student of the year....again,..at HiTS.

[Malamute]

Excellent thread, I really like your blued gun.

There was in fact a story about a guy whose clothes were set on fire by a shot from a 45 with black powder loads. I think it was Deadwood on the 70's, I dont recall the participants, but one was well known I believe.

I have a few rounds of 45's loaded with black, I havent shot any in ages. I noticed when shooting percussion guns out at my regular spot, that instead of the flat crack of modern loads, the report and echo from the nearby hills was more like rolling thunder. I love that sound.

[SeriousStudent]

I believe the Bourbon and Cigars came from you. It is why you are the Student of the year....again,..at HiTS.

I have accumulated something else you and Wayne might sip while you gaze with pride on your heirlooms. I'll bring it to the revolver summit.

[Lester Polfus]

Y'all ever drink any Pappy Van Winkle?

[Hambo]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, as I know next to nothing about revolvers, particularly single actions, but what's the rationale for getting rid of the ejector rod? Is it just to get a lighter, smaller gun? How do you unload fired cases without the ejector rod? Do they just fall out if the loading gate is open and the gun canted in the right direction?

It was done to make them more concealable. Original snubbies were often cut down from longer barreled models. I've seen original Colt Navy and Army percussion revolvers chopped down to 2-3" barrels. The problem with chopping percussion is that you lose the loading lever. I've also seen Colt SAAs chopped (you can tell because there is a base for the extractor housing) as well as what collectors call Sheriff or Storekeeper models that came from the factory minus the ejector rod housing. On factory models the frame had no base for the rod housing. Colt made ejector-less frames for the SAA, 1877, and 1878 models.

[Dagga Boy]

To add onto that....in older times "pocket carry" was a very popular means to carry in "town" or around people. Something many today cannot understand is that "open carry" in urban areas has always been socially unacceptable, even in the 1800's. Many coats in older eras had big deep pockets. Things like storekeeper and sheriff models were really the first means to conceal "service size" revolvers. Only the equipment has changed, not the need. What is kind of funny is that when doing a lot of protection work I often wore a big chore coat. I had a special pocket holster made for it so I could carry a HK P7 in the pocket. I usually greeted people with my hands in my pockets. It was very non-threatening and low profile. Again, only the equipment has changed and not the equipment or need.

[serialsolver]

On my vaquero I cut notches in the cylinder so one can use a finger nail to flick the cases out.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/serialsolver/shooters013-1.jpg (http://s233.photobucket.com/user/serialsolver/media/shooters013-1.jpg.html)
It works really good except for the before mentioned time I shot a lot of black powder.

Black powder is cool to shoot. The mess and fouling is terrible. The smoke, wow a lot. Two guys firing ten rounds in a saloon, they would have to open all the doors and windows and wait for the smoke to clear just to see what happened.

Last rambling, I shot a quail course with a sa loaded with pyrodex (i don't remember why I guess just to say I did it) after the 3 yard stage I had to pat out the small fires and embers on the target.


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[Drang]

Black powder is cool to shoot. The mess and fouling is terrible. The smoke, wow a lot. Two guys firing ten rounds in a saloon, they would have to open all the doors and windows and wait for the smoke to clear just to see what happened.
In John Wayne's The Shootist, during the final scene (the epic shootout in the saloon, everyone against The Duke), theres a lot of smoke, and The Duke is using the enhanced reflections it causes on a shot glass on the bar to track one of his opponents.
The original novel by Gendon Swarthout goes into a lot of detail.

/digression

[LHS]

3620

This is my old, large-frame Vaquero in its new EPS Wes Hardin holster. I haven't played around with any black powder loads (it's a .44 Mag), but I have had a lot of fun blazing away with a powderpuff cowboy load I worked up. Given the mass of the gun, it's like shooting a .38 wadcutter in terms of recoil. Very pleasant.

[Malamute]

One of my regular carry guns (out of town).

3631

3632

[StraitR]

Malamute, that is a fantastic piece, both the Vaquero and it's leather. So much character, and you know at a quick glance that there are stories it could tell, which always sends my mind wondering like a child. These are the types of firearms I appreciate the most. Thanks for sharing.

[DEG]

Great thread and beautiful pistols. I recently picked up my first Vaquero with leather. It is almost too much fun to shoot.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/30/66d7e6c67577e3537ac57a1d197f3c41.jpg

[richiecotite]

I feel like lead bullets are a requirement for a six shooter ammo belt, but that getup is super sweet.

[newyork]

Thats sweet as hell

[blake_g]

I feel like lead bullets are a requirement for a six shooter ammo belt, but that getup is super sweet.

I'm late to the game but that was my thought also - both the "lead bullets" and the "superb leather" parts...

[DEG]

Thanks all. Agreed - need to get some lead to fill that belt!