I'm slowing gearing up for cowboy action shooting, and am in the process of pistol selection now. I've narrowed it down to two brands: Colt SAA or US Fireams, who supposedly make thier version of the Colt SAA in the old Colt factory. Between these two, what is the consensus? The Colt is a little pricier...both are pretty pricey when you consider that you have to buy a pair. I'm leaning toward the Colt. BTW, I'm not interested n the matte finish US Firearms model that is cheaper, I want it blued and color case hardened.

OK, I'll take a stab at answering my own question! I think maybe that the US Arms is the better piece. It's built in the old factory, using the original tooling, while the genuine Colt is merely resting on its laurels, hiring out much of the process overseas, overlooking quality control, and overcharging!!!! Anyone disagree?

If I had to choose I would take the Colt just for the resale value. The other revolvers drop in value hard, but at least with a Colt, you won't take a bath if you ever wanted to sell or trade. My best shooting six gun is a Cimmeron Custer 7th cav. replica. It outshoots my Colt and Vaquaro. If you like Rugers, I personally don't think you can go wrong with a pair of Vaquaros and the price is cheaper than a pair of Colts or other clones.....just my 2cents.

OK, I'll take a stab at answering my own question! I think maybe that the US Arms is the better piece. It's built in the old factory, using the original tooling, while the genuine Colt is merely resting on its laurels, hiring out much of the process overseas, overlooking quality control, and overcharging!!!! Anyone disagree?

I have a USFA premium grade SAA in 45 Colt that I use for CAS. It is significantly lighter than my ruger vaquero and far more accurate out of the box. Last weekend my club hosted USFA's first annual shooter appreciation day. I got to shoot a number of their guns including the SAA in 38 cal. In terms of quality, workmanship, and appearance they cannot be beat (IMHO). USFA's president Doug Donelly is a great guy and his guns carry a lifetime warranty. I guarantee you'll be glad you chose the USFA over the Colt.
jack

I have been spending a lot of time researching the topic both on the internet, in gun shops, and at gun shows. Unfortunately, I don't have any trigger time on either so take this for what it's worth:

The Colt is considerably more expensive, but many people will argue that the USFA is actually built better than the Colt. I've seen no evidence to support the Colt (construction-wise) is deserving of the substantially higher price tag.

Both have beautiful finishes (real color case hardening & blue).

The Colt will definitely have superior resale value. Maybe this is why the price is higher.

I've come to the conclusion that if I want an investment safe-queen, I'll buy a Colt. For a SASS "shooter", I'd lean towards the USFA.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Gotta vote for the US given the choices. However, you'll find that Rugers are built like tanks, are easily slicked up and can be had with slimmer grips more suited to your shooting requirements. The Bird's Head design really works for me, and most CAS folks have a Ruger or two as back up when other brands break. Also, the Cimarron Model P's have the look and feel of the SAA, and are easy to personalize and slick up, very sturdy, and will save you some start-up money that you might want to put elsewhere, like into your leather or guncart. Gotta put in my recommendation for the Marlin 1894 Cowboy Comp. as well. I went through two rifles, one Winchester and one Marlin before I traded up to the CBC, and it is a great CAS gun, made even a little nicer with a drop in Marlin Magic Spring.
Anyway, glad to meet a fellow shooter, and be sure to update us on your experience.
Regards;
SFT, SASS#35973
San Antonio, Texas
Tejas Caballeros
BOLD
SASS
TSRA
TCLEOSE certified
PS- the new Ruger "Medium frame" revolvers nearly duplicate the look and feel of the original Colt SAA, although a bit heavier, so they might become the new must have for cowboy shooters.

Hey y'all,
I don't know much about the one, but the Colt is a Colt, the real thing and resale value is good. But unfortunatly they have about priced themselves out of the working man's range. So I have an Uberti Colt SAA .45 that I absolutly love. It is beautiful, handles and functions perfectly and the workmanship and finish better than a real Colt I bought in '79. I have yet to shoot it though.
Just my two cents.
Freebooter
Millbrook, Al.
k98@bellsouth.net

Most of the responses to your post have been based on Colt vs. USFA because these are your two top choices but before you get locked into either one, I hope you've checked into some of the better made imported clones. Since you're just starting out in CAS, I would suggest you look at Cimarron, Navy Arms, Uberti or EMF as a starter. Some of the top CAS shooters, ie. Evil Roy and China Camp, are endorsing imported single action clones made to their specifications. I shoot both Cimarron and EMF single actions regularly and find them to be both accurate and sturdy guns. Others will say the same about their Navy Arms and Uberti guns. I am not suggesting you should not buy top of the line equipment, but rather that there are some decent guns around that will shoot just as well and not require a second mortgage on the ranch. This is the same advice that I hope others would give to me if I were starting out on a new shooting venture so listen to all suggestions and go with your own choice.

Hey y'all,
I finally shot my new Uberti .45 Colt (5 1/2" bl). It functions, shoots, and feels wonderful and flawlessly. It might very well be the most smoothest single action I have owned so far. Dang I love it. AS for accuracy, I shot standing up at a white spot I picked out on the burm 100 yrds away. All six rounds hit within two or six inches of the two or three inch white piece of debris I was shooting at. The rest of the time I just plinked at cans, etc, just a few yards away.
Jut thought I would share that with y'all.
Take care,
Freebooter
Millbrook, Al..

Appreciate you sharing w/ us indeed. Have you checked into having an action job done on your Uberti, or is the trigger/hammer good for your tastes?
Hey y'all,
I finally shot my new Uberti .45 Colt (5 1/2" bl). It functions, shoots, and feels wonderful and flawlessly. It might very well be the most smoothest single action I have owned so far. Dang I love it. AS for accuracy, I shot standing up at a white spot I picked out on the burm 100 yrds away. All six rounds hit within two or six inches of the two or three inch white piece of debris I was shooting at. The rest of the time I just plinked at cans, etc, just a few yards away.
Jut thought I would share that with y'all.
Take care,
Freebooter
Millbrook, Al..

I handled the new Ruger "medium" framed revolvers this past weekend at the local gun show, and I think Ruger has a hit on their hands with the smaller frame and better feel/balance as opposed to the regular Vaqueros. Surprisingly, they aren't much more expensive than other SA models, and for an extra $30 or so they might start flying off the shelves. Unfortunately, the dealer only had the 5 1/2 inch barrels, and I prefer shorter barrels for CAS, or I might have bought one. Now that I've been shooting the bird's head Vaquero, the plow handle, stock grips where postively huge in my hands, and felt awkward.

Hey SFT,
I like the trigger pull and action and all just fine. It is so smooth and fun to "play" with. I practice quick drawing as a hobby, empty until recently, and it is smooth as silk. I would not want it too smooth or slight a trigger pull or I might have an accident.
I went yesterday and tried fast drawing with live rounds at a target about 15 feet away. The target was one of those 1 1/2 foot square things with the orange circle and a very small one in each corner that I stapled to a big target stand I made. Some I got in what you might calle a "kill zone" sized area on the paper target and others were wild, some not even hitting the target, only the wooden backboard. I would draw and fire with one hand and immediately fire two more shots by fanning. AS long as I did it all real slow I did alright. But when I tried to do it real fast my shots went all over a three foot area. But it is still fun though. In time I might get better.
Take care,
Freebooter
Millbrook, Al.

I agree that some action jobs make the trigger too light, and if one of your pistols has a lighter pull than the other, you'll only end up frustrated shooting CAS, which requires two pistols normally. Believe me, I've tried it that way. Sounds like by just working the action you've got your Uberti right were you want it, but don't continue to dry fire it without using snap caps, if you're not doing so already. I'd also like to caution you when practicing fast draw w/ live rounds. Competition shooters in this sport use wax bullets, with safety always the primary concern, and even then they can be lethal at point blank range. Just want you to have fun and be safe, so you can continue to share your experience with us here on the board.
Shoot safe, shoot often, and keep them in the 10 ring!
Hey SFT,
I like the trigger pull and action and all just fine. It is so smooth and fun to "play" with. I practice quick drawing as a hobby, empty until recently, and it is smooth as silk. I would not want it too smooth or slight a trigger pull or I might have an accident.
I went yesterday and tried fast drawing with live rounds at a target about 15 feet away. The target was one of those 1 1/2 foot square things with the orange circle and a very small one in each corner that I stapled to a big target stand I made. Some I got in what you might calle a "kill zone" sized area on the paper target and others were wild, some not even hitting the target, only the wooden backboard. I would draw and fire with one hand and immediately fire two more shots by fanning. AS long as I did it all real slow I did alright. But when I tried to do it real fast my shots went all over a three foot area. But it is still fun though. In time I might get better.
Take care,
Freebooter
Millbrook, Al.