USFA Storekeeper mini review

[peacemaker]

Wow! A whole article about it. Thanks for sharing that.

Well, I'm not surprised the idea has already been done. You know that "singing highway", where you can hear a song vibrating through the tires while driving down the road? I thought of that on my own while listening to the lateral rain grooves making the tires hum in various pitches depending on their spacing. I just sat on the idea and kept it to myself and a few years later I saw some commercial on TV where the passengers in a car were listening to the William Tell Overture humming through their car. I can never seem to come up with any idea someone hasn't already thought of or does something about while it is just sitting in my head. Oh, well!

I like how the ejector can be moved as far back as possible past the base pin in order to get maximum ejection. I guess the advantage of a notch being at the rear is that it could be smaller and less obtrusive. The disadvantage is that the ejector would have to be slid back to the front for the cylinder to be able to slide out of the frame. But, that is what you are already having to do with the "three-handed" method anyhow. Just a little notch, coyote- Got a file?

[jayhawker]

Coyote,
It is a standard custom shop option. I had a feature on it in GOW. It now has one piece Eagle Grips genuine pearl. It is definitely a keeper.
Bob

[coyote]

peacekeeper - thats because great minds think alike...
i thought about your idea all last night. there is one thing that concerns me: i rarely pull the base pin so the 3-hand operation isn't much of a hassle, but what i worry about is of the notch will interfere with the current smooth ejection operation. once i have a notch, i suspect everytime i slide the ejector it will catch on it, even just a little. i'm not sure its worth that loss. i'll think on it some more...

bob - damn, i wish i had a subscription to GOW now. i'll have to corner one of my buddies and borrow a copy. can't wait to see it!

[peacemaker]

Mar 4, 2010 11:14:11 GMT -5 coyote said:

what i worry about is of the notch will interfere with the current smooth ejection operation. once i have a notch, i suspect everytime i slide the ejector it will catch on it, even just a little. i'm not sure its worth that loss. i'll think on it some more...

While you're thinking, consider that the notch only has to be as wide as the little stem on the head is thin. Also, if the corners of the notch and ejector head stem are beveled, and the notch is up say 3/4" from the end of travel, I doubt it would tend to jump into the notch while sliding past it. Besides, the tendency is usually to push the head toward the barrel, not pull it out away from the barrel while sliding it down. Maybe USFA should sacrifice a housing for an experiment.

[jamesjames]

I was just looking at the Remington 1890 and the Cimmaron replica of it. As a newbie, I didn't understand why they put the ejector button on the other side of the barrel from the Colt SAA. But this discussion illustrates the reason. The Remington ejector rod and button are all on the loading gate side so they are all in alignment with the loading gate and are out of the way of the cylinder pin completely. The Rem 1890 cylinder pin also is as long as the barrel, is mounted inside of the ejector housing, and is grasped up near the muzzle for removal.

I've suspected that the Remington 1890 may have had some design improvements over the Colt 1873. Of course, they never caught on enough to outsell the Colt, and maybe the Remington didn't shoot or handle as well as the Colt. but at least they finessed this ejector button/cylinder pin misalignment problem (which only shows up in the short barreled Storekeeper's Model).

[jamesjames]

This next post is where I either risk heresy or innovation.

If a contemporary and custom SAA maker like FA were to design and market a 3-inch barreled SAA with an ejector button on the loading gate side, it would be out of the way of the cylinder pin entirely. No notches, no cams, no horsing around.

Its no longer a SAA in the Colt 1873 tradition, but FA has taken Ruger and other contemporary styling cues and evolved past the original Colt SAA design anyway.

[bisleyguy]

beautiful sixgun and rig

[rep1954]

Mar 4, 2010 9:58:26 GMT -5 jayhawker said:

Coyote,
It is a standard custom shop option. I had a feature on it in GOW. It now has one piece Eagle Grips genuine pearl. It is definitely a keeper.
Bob

Jathawker, your article is what inspired me to purchase a gun and send it into Colt for the 3 1/2" conversion and that article on the Las Vegas 44/40 has been eating at me to.

[coyote]

Mar 6, 2010 17:31:07 GMT -5 @rep1954 said:

Mar 4, 2010 9:58:26 GMT -5 jayhawker said:

Coyote,
It is a standard custom shop option. I had a feature on it in GOW. It now has one piece Eagle Grips genuine pearl. It is definitely a keeper.
Bob

Jathawker, your article is what inspired me to purchase a gun and send it into Colt for the 3 1/2" conversion and that article on the Las Vegas 44/40 has been eating at me to.

damn! seems everyone has read that article but me. is it available on-line anywhere???

[jamesjames]

I've been looking at the USFA Storekeeper and the Double Eagle lately, both in .45lc. The difference between them is the birdshead grip frame on the Double Eagle. I'm looking for a lower recoil, big bore for hiking and fishing and possible concealed carry. I have a Smith 329pd (.44 magnum), but really love the feel and shootability of the Colt 1873 SAA.

Coyote, could you comment on the feel and performance of the Storekeeper? Is is faster out o the holster (not for quick draw, but just for an "urgent" business) than a 4 5/8 barreled SAA? Is it a joy to shoot? Does it put a smile on your face? Does it fondle any better in the easy chair at night with a single malt by your side?

[coyote]

when i was a younger man (just a few short years ago) and hiked everywhere, i too finally ended up packing a S&W 329. its perfect for that use: exceptionally lightweight, fast to load/dump spents, carries a full cylinder worth, hi-viz front sight is very quick to pick up, uses easy-to-locate fodder even in the sticks, has a number of grip options, can handle extra heavy loads (if you can), pretty rust-proof, well made and reliable...

but that said, i never felt an affinity for it. it was just the best tool for the job.

the older i get, the more important "feel" is to me.

there is something special about sitting around a campfire (or overstuffed bunkhouse chair with a nice Old Tom Gin in the other hand, thank you very much) while fondling a SAA, hearing the hammer click as its cocked, that is so much more soothing than doing it with an N-frame. yes, i do smile a lot at times like that.

now that i spend more time horseback, on an ATV, or in a pick-up, the extra weight of a reasonably-lightweight all-steel SAA isn't so bad. its no longer a problem to pack and it sure helps dampen recoil.

and i do find the 3.5" handles quicker than a Civilian model. partly because it comes out of a holster quicker. i don't have to lift/twist my elbow as much to clear leather. and because its lighter it also swings into position faster and stops moving faster. a SAA fits my hand better so my grip doesn't require re-adjusting as it often did with my 329/629-Mountain/629/29/25/25-5/et al... and not having a huge sharp-edged rear sight allows me to thumb-cock the hammer about as fast as taking up the slack in a double-action trigger. the Storekeeper, being shorter, doesn't dig into the cantle or seat as much as a long barrel, so its more comfortable for everyday carry. and it doesn't require i twist the holster out of position to clear a car seat, thus i know right where the grip is, should i need it. plus it hides better under a short-jacket when using an outside-the-belt holster, like the Milt Sparks i just bought.

and that stunning Birdshead (Bisley-style) hammer is faster for me to access too. it falls right under my fairly-short thumb. smoooth cocking too.

i find the shootability of a 265gr 45LC @ 900fps much easier to handle than any mid-power 44 mag, yet i still feel that the slower round can handle an angry cougar, or fatally injured pony/steer, equally as well. its also easier on my old ringing ears if i must shoot without protection. i enjoy the roll of a SAA verses the painful thump on the web of my hand from a heavy-loaded N-frame. again, its all about the joy.

but that's just me....

[jamesjames]

Thanks for all of your insight. Here's why I asked the question. I now have a civilian Colt SAA., 3rd gen. It has great fit and finish and the first time I ever shot it, I had a "religious" experience.

I had been shooting my recently-acquired 329pd and still getting the hang of a big bore, just using .44 specials. My shooting buddy saw me struggling and said, " here, do you want to try this?" and handed me a SAA. Never having fired one before, I grasped it with a 2-handed, white-knuckled, death grip and braced for the awful recoil.

The first shot was an epiphany. It shot exactly to point of aim. The next four shots were a revelation. I had a nice tidy group within 2inches at 50 feet. I was dumb-founded. How could an old-fashioned, obsolete, antique gun be such a joy to shoot? I came to learn that Single Action shooting was the antithesis of hi-tech, hi-cap shooting. No matter how good I was with a Beretta 9 mm or the Smith 329pd, shooting the Colt transported me to another plane of existence.

And its not just about shooting. I learned from a very wise man that a big part of the appreciation and joy of ownership is the feel of the gun when you are not shooting it. Sitting at a desk or in an easy chair in the evening with it in your lap. Working the action, the loading gate, the ejector. Dry-firing (with snap caps). Savoring that 4-click hammer, cocking it slowly and deliberately through full cock. Feeling a thing of rare and historic beauty and precision in your hand. Its round contours and its radiused edges. Cool blued and case colored steel slowly warming as you handle it. A grip that anchors squarely into the palm of your hand and pony medallions that index precisely to your thumb as you sight down the barrel. I'm not a cowboy and I don't share the cowboy mystique that inspires Mr. Taffin's writing. But I sure get some feeling of transcendence from the SAA that I don't get anywhere else.

Which brings me to your Storekeeper. The 3.5 inch barrel and Bisley hammer seem to compress the sensual SAA experience into a compact, jewel-like, one-handed wonder, at least in my imagination. Some CAS enthusiasts may think it wrong to mix a Bisley hammer with a standard gripframe. To me, if it makes for a more pleasurable shooting and handling experience, so much the better. Thanks for sharing your Storekeeper here. I am inspired by the beauty of that little gem, and know that someday I'll have to get some version of that for myself.

[coyote]

you said: "....Storekeeper. The 3.5 inch barrel and Bisley hammer seem to compress the sensual SAA experience into a compact, jewel-like, one-handed wonder..."

i keep an old 5.5" original model Varquero 45LC in the pick-up for my wife when she needs something more powerful than the 38 snubbie she daily carries. yesterday i took it out just to be sure is was still in good-working (and ready) condition. i couldn't help but to compare it side by side with the Storekeeper. OK, not a fair comparison in many respects but the biggest impression was how HUGE the Varquero is next to the Storekeeper. it was like they weren't even related... i'm now even further impressed with that little gem.

[coyote]

UPDATE:

The more I fondled my little Storekeeper the happier it made me. My only real concern was the fact that it shot to the left quite a bit.

The same day I posted my original thread above, I was contacted by Gary at USFA. He asked me to contact him to discuss fixing this problem. So I called the next day and we spent a fun hour discussing everything USFA and SAA.

He was more than happy to correct the problem.

A few days later I received a pre-paid FedEx return label so I shipped the Storekeeper off on March 11th.

On March 24 it was delivered back.

I immediately grabbed a handful of 45 Colt fodder and stepped out the backdoor to test it.

DEAD-ON! Cylinder after cylinder as hitting exactly to point of aim. Shooting pretty rapidly, unsupported from a standing position, I was getting groups the size of my fist at 50'. What more could I ask for?

This beautiful Storekeeper has become my favorite pistol, which I carry 24/7.

Kudos for making a great single-action and for standing 100% behind it. Thank you Gary (and Peter who sighted it in for me).

[jefats]

Coyote,

Just found this thread and I too appreciate your indepth review of the Storekeeper.

I rec'd mine in May (44 Special) and now after putting 233 shots downrange I still don't have the rub areas on the hammer. Close examination, albeit with aging eyesight, cannot discern any unsightly gaps along the sides, so maybe this ones fit is the new style.

Now that you point it out, the hammer does have two sharp east/west end points on top but they don't come into play for me. However, if they were blunted just a bit it would be take care of any problem.

Out of the box, mine is regulated about as good as you can get. It shoots nice clusters to POA at 25 yards and will stay in a 6" bulls eye at 50 if I do my part (all from the bench with wrist supported only).

I haven't measured throats or bore and I probably won't given the performance I've had to date.

This is the second USFA in the stable, the other being a Flattop Target model I lucked into last year. Both (44 Special) shoot better than I can hold so I'm indeed a happy camper.

Good luck with yours. I'd be interested in a range report when you get it back.