I’ve reached the point where I have every semi auto pistol I have any desire to own.
I’ve alway had a love of western SAA pistols and had a few a long time ago before I had the type of money that’s built my current collections.
After a couple FIE models I knew I couldn’t afford the Colts or Rugers I wanted and the SAA bug took a back seat…… until last month.

Went and put in a special order at Vance’s in Columbus for this Ruger Vaquero 4.62” in .357mag before Christmas and picked on Thursday.
Really like all the updated features of this model.
While I have a few Heritage Rough Riders in .22/.22WMR this is the first proper SAA I’ve owned.

I’d appreciate any information/ personal experience and recommendations for upgrades and accessories.
A thousand rounds of target / range ammo arrived yesterday. Now if some of that warm El Niño weather would return I’ll get out & play with my new toy !

I’ll be in my shop today giving the stainless steel a mirror polish.

I know we have some SASS shooters here & while that’s not in my future I’d like to hear your opinions on the Ruger platform.

I have the same gun except mine is blued and came with the 9mm conversion cylinder. I got nothing to add other than I think you will be happy. It’s a great gun. I love the old style guns. Personally I kind of suck with them, the sights don’t work well with my eyes but they aren’t target guns so. After getting this one I also ended up with an Uberti in 22. I still miss a lot it’s just less expensive per miss now. Lol

Nothing just seems as right as one of these. Good pickup. (I mainly shoot 38 because I’m a cheapskate)

Those are beautiful guns. I've had three Blackhawk / Super Blackhawks, but never a Vaquero.

Congrats on the Vaquero! I have one in 45LC, and it’s a blast to shoot. Very smooth and accurate. Added the faux ivories though the wood grips look nice on yours. I’ve always thought about some Birds Eye maple or burl grips.

For plinking at the range, your Vaquero will probably be everything you need it to be out of the box. I have two pair of these in .357 for cowboy shooting - the stock plastic grips were too thin for my hands so I bought wood grips from Altamont that are a bit wider. Your Vaquero has wood grips already, so you’re probably good to go (they might even be from Altamont). There are spring kits readily available online to lighten the main hammer spring and the trigger. All of my Vaqueros shoot below POA with the lighter .38 Special loads I use for cowboy matches - some file down the front sight a bit - I just compensate depending on the distance to the target. Your factory .357 loads may shoot more to POA. Probably the ultimate accessory for the Vaquero would be a short stroke kit, but they are not for the faint of heart when you reach for your wallet. Enjoy your new Ruger - 1000 rounds won’t even break it in as these pistols are built to last forever.

I’m right there with you, GB. I have added three single action revolvers over the last year or so. Nothing like Steel (blued, preferably) and wood grips.
The one I have wanted the longest - a Ruger Single Seven in .327 Fed. Mag. with Birdshead grip- is next on the list. Won’t be inexpensive but they are SO worth it.
The grand finale’ one day will be a Colt SAA. I have a 1961 Colt Frontier in .22 Mag that holds me until that day.

Do yourself a favor before you shoot it: Pull the grips, and then pull one of the action spring legs free of the spot it latches on the grip frame. It'll lighten the trigger pull to reasonable levels, but not sacrifice ignition.

I've had that exact same gun since about 2015. I think I got a bad one compared to everyone else's experience. The cylinder turn detent backed it's way out and jammed up the action a day or so after I got it, then fell out and disappeared, so it has the free spinning cylinder mod some people do, and not by choice. The hammer doesn't sit square in the notch and brushes the left side, something I didn't notice when I was looking it over to buy it. The polish is uneven, and it's nearly matte by the front sight, and various hard corners are rounded off with over-polishing. Again, something I didn't notice when I bought it. My best efforts with Flitz and a rag to even out the places where it was under-polished have at least evened the appearance out a bit, but the rounded corners will never be right.

I need to send it back to Ruger for the cylinder detent and the loose front sight. I don't know if or even what they'd do about the other issues.

That said, it's a joy to shoot. Mine shoots to point of aim, and it's accurate. Those .357 loads you got are going to feel really mild. Shoot some .38 through it sometimes if you want to grin with every trigger pull.


LS Grips Kirinite simulated ivory. They look great, but they feel like soft plastic.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P220 Smudge,

I have a SASS pair in .357 that are in my top five of favorite handguns. It's been a while since I bought my set but I believe the SASS versions came with some trigger work already done so I can't speak to the before and after. What I really like is the Montado hammer on both. Makes cocking the hammer a lot easier/smoother for me. That would be my #1 recommendation for upgrading.

Very nice. My Vaquero is basically a safe queen but I have a bunch of 38/357 ammo if the itch ever needs to be scratched. I keep looking to complete the brace in the 511 series but that may be almost impossible. I did add Chigs grip to add a little character.

I was a 357 Mag fan for a number of years and also a Ruger 'collector' of sorts but not really their SA revolvers... I will say you made a good choice not only on the gun but the ammo, I absolutely despise the 357 sig 125gr stuff... 158gr was much kinder to me... but then except for having to clean the cylinders a lot... I'd prefer to practice with standard 38 special or even 38 wad cutters....

Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I'd prefer to practice with standard 38 special or even 38 wad cutters.

With most .357's, I get the reasoning. The New Vaquero in .357 is a hefty piece and .357 recoil is very minimal. Shooting .38 wadcutters out of mine is like shooting a .22. It's fun, but entirely unnecessary.

Very nice! The stainless Rugers have a steel grip frame in addition to a steel receiver (blued Blackhawks and Vaqueros had an aluminum grip frame), so they're hefty buggers, which is kinda nice when you're shooting a lot of magnum ammo out of them.

I've never had a Vaquero, but I own a couple of their adjustable-sighted siblings...A Blackhawk Convertible in .45 Colt/.45 ACP, and a 3-Screw Old Model Blackhawk in .357. Both of mine are blued, but I also have a stainless Single-Six which is almost as big and shares the heft and solid construction of the center-fire guns.

Shooting them always puts a grin on my face. Especially paired with a lever-action in the same caliber it definitely brings out the inner cowboy! The plow-handle grip demands a different grip technique from a center-fire handgun, or even a DA revolver, but once you figure it out you can be very accurate with it.

I found a guy on eBay a long time ago that makes custom grip panels and ordered a couple unfinished maple sets from him that I sanded to final fit myself, then polyurethaned. I was happy with the result...they go well with the darker blued guns, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
....pull one of the action spring legs free of the spot it latches on the grip frame.

Even better, just as free. https://cylindersmith.com/triggerspring.html

Stupid question. I have a New Vaquero, I have never noticed the trigger being heavy or bad in any significant way. Did they fix it or do those fixes only apply to Blackhawks and old Vaqueros?

I had an ordinal Vaquero in .45 Colt. It was just a little chunky in my hands. I still have a Ruger Old Army.

The New Vaquero in .357 Mag has long been on my want list.

I think if The vaquero had been around in 1873, Colt would have folded. Mechanically, it’s superior in every way.

But. I still love my Colt.

Got a mirror polish on it.
Might look into some different grips & put the stock ones away.

Looks great! How’d you go about it?

Looks good, That's the First thing I did to mine, The dull Brushed? look didn't do it for me. a bench grinder with polishing wheels and the correct compound makes it a mirror finish in no time. Mine is .45 colt though. My .357 is a Blackhawk from 1976 when they put Made in the 200th year of American liberty on the barrel. I've been told they only did that particular Bluing job on that year alone, It sure looks good. Like you I have a couple .22 mags, a Heritage and a Tanfoglio For cheaper shooting. Enjoy.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
Looks great! How’d you go about it?

Black & grey compounds on my high speed buffer & green compound on my slow speed buffer.

Rotary buffing fobs for the nooks & crannys !

Here’s the other pics.