True, but there’s always the chance it will become a regular production item and if not then it’s something that will go on my “Buy it now if you ever see it under X dollars” list. It’s taken many years of FOMO angst and financial soakings to get me to the point of adopting a Zen-like attitude to gun buying.
I mean come on, I bought a fricken revolver and am contemplating 1-2 more simply because I have empty brass! What can I say, I’m a slow learner.🤣
Bad ideas, brilliant execution
My Lord, whatever I done, don't strike me blind for another couple of minutes!
Bad ideas, brilliant execution
My Lord, whatever I done, don't strike me blind for another couple of minutes!
Someone mentioned going deep down the rabbit hole of Italian imports recently. @Noah, was that you? I’m curious what’s closest in size to a Colt SAA.
The Taurus Deputy is close and I think most of the Italians are (assuming they are replicating an SAA and not something else obviously) but I’m not sure enough to lay out money yet.
Bad ideas, brilliant execution
My Lord, whatever I done, don't strike me blind for another couple of minutes!
That was me!
I am quoting from memory, but Colts themselves come in more than one size, depending on the generation. It was made slightly stronger and larger at one point. Most Italian clones mimic this size, I think Uberti might be slightly larger and Pietta is the smaller size. The various importers (EMF (All Pietta), Taylors, Cimmaron, etc) are Piettas and Ubertis. The Blackhawk and older Vaqueros were larger than any of these. Caleb said in the NRAAM video that the Deputy was the size of a Colt or the Italian clones.
Different Piettas and Ubertis (and the new Taurus, not Italian) have different safety systems. Transfer bar (Ruger and some Piettas, the Pietta maverick as well as the old Cabelas, Traditions, and Heritage badges Piettas) vs mobile firing pin (Uberti) vs traditional fixed firing pin (many Piettas, a few Ubertis with the older black powder frame)
This is total spitballing, but I thinkkk that the spectrum of Pietta vs Uberti and old Colt vs New Colt was something like 1.63” cylinder diameter vs 1.67”, but I need to re do my research.
Thanks, that's pretty much what I suspected. I knew the Rugers were larger but I like I said, I wasn't 100% that anything else being made today was either Colt-sized or some kind of in between size.
If I had to guess the Colt third gens were larger thanks to the .357 and other higher pressure rounds.
Bad ideas, brilliant execution
My Lord, whatever I done, don't strike me blind for another couple of minutes!
New grip frame installed on the Vaquero. I was quickly reminded what a PITA it can be if you're not used to doing them on a regular basis.
Fits my hand better and even my non-shooting wife thinks it's an improvement in looks and feel.
Bad ideas, brilliant execution
My Lord, whatever I done, don't strike me blind for another couple of minutes!
IIRC the original Colts were cast and referred to as the black-powder frame from 1873 to 19-oh-something. The "smokeless" frames were from 19-oh-something to present. I'm not aware of the change involving a larger cylinder or frame. AFAIK it was a change to metallurgy, and the transverse pin to dismount the cylinder vs a screw. And then a proof mark on the triggerguard that is also a point of some contention.
The Colt Cowboy did, I think, have a bigger frame/cylinder from 1999-2002 or somesuch? But I don't know from first-hand knowledge. The Ubertis presumably do have a larger cylinder/frame. That was carried over by USFA when they stopped importing Uberti parts and started making their own. And carried over again by Standard Manufacturing until now. The Piettas are presumably made to the old 2nd gen Colt pattern.
But unless I'm mistaken, Colt has made 2 "sizes" which is essentially the original SAA and the Cowboy. Adding "cast" vs "forged" to the mix complicates things because the original SAAs were cast (blackpowder) then later forged. But always made to the same external dimensions. Meanwhile from 1999-2002(?) the Colt Cowboy was intended to compete with the Ruger Vaquero as a 3 (not 4) click, cast gun with a transfer bar. The Kuhnhausen manual mentions the larger dimensions but no one else does and I haven't seen one myself since they were new.