Just picked up an ANIB USFA Revolver

[dale53]

I was at my local gun club meeting tonight and a good friend offered me a LNIB USFA Rodeo .45 Colt Revolver (Model US 9001) complete with all papers at a VERY nice price (definitely a FRIENDLY price). I brought it home with me.

I have been reading about how great these revolvers are. I am aware that the Rodeo is the "entry level" revolver but I have little knowledge about the various models of the USFA and when they were made. I wonder if this one is an "All American" made revolver or not. I'm thinking that it is.

I am quite impressed with it's apparent precision. It has a very narrow barrel/cylinder gap, nice smooth action, and all in all a very nice single action revolver. The cylinder throats may be a bit tight but they seem close to perfect (without using a plug gauge to check). There is no cylinder line (action seems to be perfectly timed).

I should add that it has a 5½" barrel (my favorite barrel length for a Single Action revolver) and has a color cased hammer.

Anything anyone can tell me about this one will be welcomed.

Dale53

[mworkmansr]

Sounds like you got a winner. What I like about the USFA revolvers is that they are American made, and the barrel and cylinders are line bored. That way, all the cylinders line up perfectly with the barrel. Also, the precision of the barrel and cylinders is wonderful. My 44 Spl's mike 429 in the bore and .430 in the chamber mouth. That way there should never be any leading. The only other revolvers like that are the old S&W N-frames.
Enjoy.

[coyote]

and having a CH hgammer, it appears to have been made 2006 or before.

the only diff between your rodeo and USFA's fancier guns is the finish. fit and quality are the same.

you found yourself a winner.

for more USFA info, check out their forum: forum.usfirearms.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=1

[derekr]

I think you can go to the USFA website and get your gun's date of manufacture.

[dale53]

Derek;
I have been all over USFA's website and can find no information regarding date of manufacture. If you can give a link I would be appreciative.

Dale53

[coyote]

www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?board=36.0

another forum for doing USFA research.

[Frank V]

Dale53, contratulations, I think the USFAs are very well made. I don't have one, but the ones I've seen & handled at gun shows are well made.
Frank

[taffin]

Aug 6, 2010 9:34:26 GMT -5 mworkmansr said:

Sounds like you got a winner. What I like about the USFA revolvers is that they are American made, and the barrel and cylinders are line bored. That way, all the cylinders line up perfectly with the barrel. WELL DONE? YES! PERFECT? NO!!



Also, the precision of the barrel and cylinders is wonderful. My 44 Spl's mike 429 in the bore and .430 in the chamber mouth. That way there should never be any leading. THERE ARE A LOT MORE FACTORS INVOLVED IN LEADING THAN THIS!


The only other revolvers like that are the old S&W N-frames.
Enjoy.

HAVE YOU EVER ACTUALLY MEASURED OLDER SMITH & WESSONS? MANY OF THE .44s HAVE .432" CHAMBER MOUTHS. I KEEP CAST BULLETS ON HAND IN .429", .430", .431" AND .432"; THE LATTERS ARE FOR OLDER SMITH & WESSONS AND NEWER COLT .44 SPECIALS.

[taffin]

I have been reading about how great these revolvers are. I am aware that the Rodeo is the "entry level" revolver but I have little knowledge about the various models of the USFA and when they were made. I wonder if this one is an "All American" made revolver or not. I'm thinking that it is.



THE RODEO IS NOT "ENTRY LEVEL"! IT IS MADE WITH THE SAME PRECISION AS THEIR TOP OF THE LINE SINGLE ACTIONS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS TH EFINISH. CHEAP ITALIAN MADE SAs WITH BRASS GRIP FRAMES ARE ENTRY LEVEL. ALSO ALL RODEOS ARE AMERICAN MADE.

[derekr]

Aug 6, 2010 10:31:15 GMT -5 dale53 said:

Derek;
I have been all over USFA's website and can find no information regarding date of manufacture. If you can give a link I would be appreciative.

Dale53

Dale, I appologize! I must hav been thinking of another website (Ruger?) My Rodeo came with a fired cartridge case in a small envelope that had the date on it. Did yours have the cartridge?

[CraigC]

IMHO, you can't appreciate the quality of a USFA until you take one apart and more importantly, put it back together. The fit and finish on the inside is as good as the outside. As precisely as they are machined, they go back together effortlessly. No monkeying with the screws to get the seams to line up properly. Just screw it together. Compared to anything else (but FA), it is night and day.

[dale53]

JT;
>>>THE RODEO IS NOT "ENTRY LEVEL"! IT IS MADE WITH THE SAME PRECISION AS THEIR TOP OF THE LINE SINGLE ACTIONS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS TH EFINISH. CHEAP ITALIAN MADE SAs WITH BRASS GRIP FRAMES ARE ENTRY LEVEL. ALSO ALL RODEOS ARE AMERICAN MADE. <<<

Perhaps I should have rephrased that. What I meant was that I realized it was their "bottom of the line". I am aware it is the finish that allows them to be sold for much less than the higher finished revolvers.

It IS extremely well made. I appreciate the information that mine is all American Made. It appeared to be but since I have never owned one, I didn't know how to interpet either the Model number or serial number.

Derek;
Mine did not include the empty cartridge case (gone by the wayside, no doubt).

CraigC;
I probably won't take mine apart for a while but it is good to know the quality is not just on the outside.

I was disappointed by one thing. I took it to the range this morning and it is shooting way low and left - it was nearly off the paper, but the group was tight (I CAN shoot so I was not the problem). That's my complaint with many fixed sighted guns, they don't shoot to the sights. Add in the fact that we all see a bit differently from one another, and it becomes aggravating.

However, my Ruger Vaquero was perfect for windage and I only had to file a bit from the top of the sight to put me dead on at 25 yards. My Bisley Vaquero was dead on at 25 yards right out of the box. Now THAT was impressive.

It appears that something drastic will have to be done with the USFA to get the sights regulated.

Thanks to all who replied. It is appreciated!

Dale53

[peacemaker]

Aug 6, 2010 18:12:23 GMT -5 dale53 said:

I was disappointed by one thing. I took it to the range this morning and it is shooting way low and left - it was nearly off the paper, but the group was tight (I CAN shoot so I was not the problem).

Well, if it isn't shooting to the point of aim, you have the best case scenario. Sights can be filed down and barrels tightened better than they can grow longer sights and go with loose barrels.

Are you shooting off the bench, or offhand? If off the bench, your groups should come up some under offhand field conditions.

[dale53]

I was shooting offhand at 25 yards. I only had a very limited time to work with it but will try the RCBS 45-270-SAA bullet in a few days. I'll first shoot it off a rest, then try it offhand. I'll work with it. I have regulated fixed sighted guns before but consider it a "pain in the tuckus". The one thing that concerns me is that the barrel will need to be tightened. The barrel cylinder gap is about as close as it can stand. The forcing cone end of the barrel will have to be relieved, etc. This could get to be more of a problem than it should be.

I again reminds me why I MUCH prefer adjustable sights.

One thing I neglected to mention. This revolver has an EXCELLENT trigger right out of the box. No more than three pounds and NO creep. THAT I appreciate.

Dale53

[peacemaker]

Aug 6, 2010 23:39:51 GMT -5 dale53 said:

The one thing that concerns me is that the barrel will need to be tightened. The barrel cylinder gap is about as close as it can stand. The forcing cone end of the barrel will have to be relieved, etc. This could get to be more of a problem than it should be.

I'd be surprised if it was a problem

I don't know what thread pitch USFA is using on their barrels, but it probably matches one of ther Colt pitches. Let's go with the one that would change your cylinder/barrel gap the most per turn, and that would be the 20 tpi pitch.

For each full turn of the barrel, the barrel would move forward or backward .050" (1"/20 tpi=.050").

You have a 5 1/2" barrel on yourt Rodeo, which most likely gives you a sight radius of about 6 3/8" (6.375").

25 yards is 900 inches.

Your sight radius is .00708 of 25 yards.

If your group centered 6" to the left at 25 yards, then your front sight would have to be moved about .042" to the left (6"x.00708=.0425").

Assuming the tip of your front sight is about .700" from the axis of your bore, you would need to turn the barrel about 3.4 degrees.

3.4 degrees is .0094 of a circle (3.4/360=.0094).

So, you would have to turn the barrel .0094 of one turn to move your point of impact 6" at 25 yards.

Now, back to the distance the barrel moves back for each turn, which was .050". Turning the barrel .0094 of one turn would set the barrel back about .0005" (.050"x.0094=.00047).

In other words, shifting your group six inches at 25 yards would narrow your barrel/cylinder gap by less than one half of one thousandths of an inch (<.0005"), or .000078" for each inch you need to move your group.

What is your barrel/cylinder gap now?