Used values and cloning YOUR conversion!

[maxcactus]

I was at a shop near home recently and the good man behind the counter had two items of interest. The first was a blued Single Six, 5 1/2" bbl, adj. sights, stock Ruger grips, nothing fancy. Condition overall seemed quite good but the alum grip frame looked as if it needed some polishing and/or acetone. He was asking $219.

The second item was an all stock blued Bisley Vaquero in .45 Colt w/5 1/2" bbl (the original large frame BisVaq). I think he was asking $450 for this item. This item appeared to be in exc to like new overall condition.

Both prices seemed fair to me, esp the Single Six, but feel free to comment as I'm curious. I'm really interested in the BisVaq as I don't have any fixed sighted Rugers, with the sole exception of an Anniversary Model SS that I bought my daughters a few years ago.

Now, I've seen a conversion on this forum that was right up my alley for what I'd like to have done to one of these sixguns - nothing fancy, just simple, practical work. Would any of you gentlemen feel slighted if I "cloned" one of your sixguns? I know this isn't the same as a couple of high-society women showing up a cocktail party wearing the same dress, but would you feel the uniqueness of your sixgun was infringed if I sent a smithy a picture of your tool and said "like this, please!"??

Thanks,
Max.

[500fksjr]

Max...Both seem priced right if you can afford them grab both....on th Vaquero here in Ohio they will go from 500.00 to 600.00 in our local shops....as to anyone being offened I Think not !these people are great at assiting and helping one along on this slippery slope of customs... ;D

[CraigC]

Mar 4, 2012 3:48:23 GMT -5 maxcactus said:

Would any of you gentlemen feel slighted if I "cloned" one of your sixguns?

I know I wouldn't! That is, unless you did it and didn't post some good pics of the finished project.

[JM]

Here's a pic of my SS Bis-Vaq (I hope).



It has a few custom touches by Clements & grips by SK.

~JM~

[Aggie01]

Feel free to copy anything I have had put together.
Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

[whitworth]

Mar 4, 2012 13:57:16 GMT -5 JM said:

Here's a pic of my SS Bis-Vaq (I hope).



It has a few custom touches by Clements & grips by SK.

~JM~

Very nice, Jim!

[kings6]

If you are "twisted" enough, feel free to copy any of the ugly old conversions I've had put together. ;D

[maxcactus]

Thanks, y'all for the encouragement and info. To be honest, I'm not thinking of anything fancy - just a better front sight and maybe some work on the rear, grips, action job and....?? It's not that I lack imagination. The wallet is just thin with 3 in college atm.

And JM, that is positively stunning! You're making me think of having the ulgy chemical case coloring removed and have the whole tool bead blasted and hard chromed!

[dale53]

Ugly chemical case coloring?



While mine is NOT equal to a Turnbull case colored job, I definitely would NOT rank this as ugly...

Further, my as issued (except for a trigger job and after market grips) Bisley Vaquero has won it's share of matches and shoots to the sights at 25 yards with both a full black powder load and a factory equivalent smokeless load using the Lyman 452664 cast bullet. That's not bad for a fixed sighted handgun, in my book.

I normally MUCH prefer adjustable sights on ANY handgun. However, the matches I was shooting at the time required fixed sights and black powder. The Ruger fixed sights give a really decent sight picture (that's why I picked a blued Vaquero over a stainless one - the sights can be seen in sunlight).

FWIW
Dale53

[akray]

I have a hard time seeing the sights on my stainless Vaquero, but I'll fix that this summer with some flat spray on paint. If I don't like the results, I'll just remove the paint with Berryman B12 Chemtool and go for it again.

[2 Dogs]

If it was mine, and since the chambers on the Ruger 45's tend to be on the "generous" side, I would start by finding a take off unfluted cylinder from a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 mag. Have it fitted with a oversize bolt and rechambered to tight 45 Colt. Put a good barrel on the gun, I prefer extractor rod length. Dovetail in a front blade ala Dustin Linebaugh. A nice trigger job and some pretty stocks and you will be done. Zero it for your favorite load and refinish.

I have a sixgun just like that only a 44 in the stock shop right now. It was intended to be an understudy to my old 500 shown here.

[whitworth]

Mar 5, 2012 0:04:32 GMT -5 dale53 said:

Ugly chemical case coloring?



While mine is NOT equal to a Turnbull case colored job, I definitely would NOT rank this as ugly...

Further, my as issued (except for a trigger job and after market grips) Bisley Vaquero has won it's share of matches and shoots to the sights at 25 yards with both a full black powder load and a factory equivalent smokeless load using the Lyman 452664 cast bullet. That's not bad for a fixed sighted handgun, in my book.

I normally MUCH prefer adjustable sights on ANY handgun. However, the matches I was shooting at the time required fixed sights and black powder. The Ruger fixed sights give a really decent sight picture (that's why I picked a blued Vaquero over a stainless one - the sights can be seen in sunlight).

FWIW
Dale53

Most definitely not ugly in the least!

[JM]

Mar 5, 2012 3:37:11 GMT -5 akray said:

I have a hard time seeing the sights on my stainless Vaquero....

I had the same problem until I had mine bead blasted. You just need to knock down the glare by roughening up the surface.

~JM~

[JM]

Mar 4, 2012 23:26:03 GMT -5 maxcactus said:

...And JM, that is positively stunning! You're making me think of having the ulgy chemical case coloring removed and have the whole tool bead blasted and hard chromed!

Thank you. It's one of my favorite revolvers & was my first semi-custom. Hard chrome or one of the NP3 type of finishes would look real nice.

~JM~