45 acp cylinder for New Vaquero?

[bagdadjoe]

Just put a "gently used" 45 Colt NV in tasteful blue on hold, any chance of finding a .45 acp cylinder to fit to it?

[contender3]

The New Vaquero is a smaller frame than the Blackhawk. While I'm not as savy about the newest offerings from Ruger,, I think any NV's that have been offered might be very limited in 45 ACP availability.
Ruger will not build a cylinder for any gun that has not been offered as a convertible as a regular production gun.
In short, the best way to get a 45 ACP cylinder will be a custom route.

[sagebrushburns]

The 45 ACP cylinder from the new Flattop Blackhawk would also fit a New Vaquero if you can find one of those.

[Shakey]

"Ruger will not build a cylinder for any gun that has not been offered as a convertible as a regular production gun."

While this was true at one time, Ruger has become much more accommodating about such things. Recently, they offered to do some "non-standard" work for me and gave me a price on the job. I decided it was more than I was willing to spend and did not get it done but they assured me they would do it if I desired.

I am pretty sure they will fit you a cylinder, ...can't hurt to call them anyway.

And, by the way, a .45 ACP cylinder is a VERY nice addition.

[Fowler]

I don't get the idea of having a 45acp cylinder on a fixed sight gun. It hard enough to get the gun to hit to the sights with one caliber and load...

[Shakey]

Or ....maybe ...with two cylinders/cartridges, you have twice the chance of finding a load that shoots to the sights.

[Paden]

I am a huge fan of the .45 Colt, specifically with heavier loads in my Blackhawk, and I routinely carry a .45 ACP 1911, but I fail to see the attraction of the ACP in a revolver. What am I missing?

[theoldredneck]

I like the 45 acp round in both semi autos and revolvers. The old Smith military surplus revolvers and ammo were abundant and cheap when I was a kid. Thought you could kill lions, tigers, bears, and dinosaurs with one if we hadn't lost them to generations of redneck kids before me. I'm much older and retired now. Don't have the belief it is a do all round now, but still love it. Own several revolvers that shoots it and enjoy the single actions not needing the moon clips. The old round works well on game up to and including whitetail with in range when. You do your part. Cast loads punch holes in small game without a lot of meat damage. Good guns do a very respectable job of paper punching. Yes, I like the 45 colt round also and load for it too, but the acp will always be a favorite revolver round for me.

[vonfatman]

Everyone has different tastes....but I have say that I recently sold my 1911....but my two 625-3s sure make me smile. I have moon clips so I can shoot my 45 ACP ammo or switch to 45 Auto Rim (reload both calibers). I expect my 625s will be a couple of my last revolvers to go, if I were in a selling mood.

In the Blackhawks, I've not bothered with 45 ACP because its my understanding the Ruger 45 Convertables are set for the 45 Colt cylinder at the factory.

Bob

[Ken O'Neill]

I can only conclude that those of you who disdain the idea of .45 ACP cylinders in single action revolvers probably haven't tried them.
It would be easy to think that they just couldn't shoot well ... what with that long cylinder jump and all ... but in fact my 3 Rugers and 1 FA all shoot extremely accurately with the ACP cylinder. One is a Birdshead New Vaquero in .45 ACP only, two are Blackhawk convertibles ('76 and '09 Flat top) and the FA 97 has adjustable sights.
Fowler's point about getting both cylinders to hit point of aim with fixed sights is a valid one ...
BUT my FA shoots 3 different ACP loads and my heavy-ish .45 Colt load into the same 2" group @ 25 yards, although the individual loads are in slightly different sub groups within that 2".
The Blackhawks each require 1 sight click difference in windage or elevation when moving between ACP and Colt cylinders. My guns might be the exception in grouping so closely together, but I'd say the odds are against that.

[barbarosa]

I saved a 45 ACP cylinder from a flattop I had while my Montado that Clements installed adjustable sights on was gone for a year. I didn't think I would leave it in all the time, but it is what I always pack because it shoots so well. Interesting enough my POI is the same for a medium 255 SWC as it is for a 200 SWC in ACP, I couldn't be happier.

[bagdadjoe]

In the Blackhawk convertible I had, I shot 45acp's loaded with 250gr bullets and there wasn't
a difference enough to mess with the sights every time I changed cylinders. One attraction is that I have tons of acp brass and when I shoot a revolver as opposed to my 1911s I don't have to pick up brass. My orthopedic surgeon says I have "one good vertebrae, the rest are junk"...that is a quote. I'll sort out the differences if I can get one fitted. I was looking for a acp or convertible when I found this one, but they seem to be in short supply, at least around here.

[derekr]

I love the ACP cylinder in my Blackhawk. It lives in the frame more than the colt load, to be honest. I don't have to adjust the sights enough to matter unless I'm hunting. Due to cost and availability I always have an ammo can full of ACP loaded and ready to go.

[doroteo]

May 5, 2013 2:31:46 GMT -5 Paden said:

I am a huge fan of the .45 Colt, specifically with heavier loads in my Blackhawk, and I routinely carry a .45 ACP 1911, but I fail to see the attraction of the ACP in a revolver. What am I missing?

For me, it's ease of changing over EDC sidearms and sticking to one specific round for my "working" guns. The .45 ACP NV stays at my side most of the time in my rural AO but the 1911 takes its place when I venture outside that familiar area. The 1911 magazine stays on the belt (it's a speed loader for the NV); only the holster and sidearm (conveniently located at the second belt loop) have to be changed out. If my 1911 could shoot .45 Colt then my NV would be shooting that round too.

(A small but additional reason that I chose ACP for the NV was because I'd never have to worry about accidentally loading up a "Ruger Only" load from the older Vaquero in it.)

[bradshaw]

When Ruger built my "Ruger 03" Bisley Blackhawk, one reason for the .45 ACP cylinder hinged on practicality were I to be in a city range where ammo must be bought on site. So far, this has not been an issue. Against that, the quick swap capability of the single action sets it apart from the convertibility of a double action, where the rimless case complicates extraction.

As for zeroing for the .45 Colt and .45 ACP cylinders, there should be no windage difference. Elevation differences are attributable more to bullet weight differences than velocity.

As Ken O'Neill says, if you ain't tasted it, you're missing a feast.
David Bradshaw