Hooray! Now I have four .45 pistols. At the bottom is my old standby, my Colt M1991A1 with matte finish. New to the family are the three above. I now have the blued Colt Mk IV Series 80 with adjustable sights, a stainless steel Springfield Mil-Spec, and a Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt.
A few issues, though. First off, with my fancy-smancy new Colt, how do I make sure I adjust the sights properly? It came with two eight round magazines (the ones pictured) but it had trouble catching the blued one when it’s fully loaded so I bought another Wilson Combat 8rd.
Also, though externally the Springfield seems identical to my 1991 (other than the finish and markings) when I stripped them for cleaning I noticed something the Colts have that the Springfield doesn’t. On the handle is an extra metal part. Correspondingly, there is an extra button on slide that the metal part would hit. Is this a trigger safety the Springfield lacks?
Finally, there are the issues with my peacemaker. How do you aim with that thing? The front sight is taller than the rear, so I’m not sure what to line up. It took a bit of trial and error before I could put all my shots on a target at 10 yards. Also, now I need to pick out a gun belt with holster and loops for extra cartridges and a cowboy hat. The belt seems easy enough, but how does one choose a cowboy hat? Or does it choose you? Not only do I need it for using my six-shooter but also for foreign travel so I can live up the stereotype.
BTW, damn does that Vaquero feel sweet just holding it. Reminds me of the first time I gripped a 1911. Takes forever to reload, though.
Next range trip, a lot of .45 slugs are going to be flying. I’ll have to pick my favorite two 1911s for my new conceal carry holster big enough to fit the both. I think with dual firing, though, you have to go more instinctive than actual aiming. I wonder if you really can train for that. Hmm–
Nice things that go boom.
About the cowboy hat, my I suggest a resistol. Best hats ever made.
The lever presses the button up which is a firing pin interupt. some say it screws up the trigger pull, i dont mind.
Those extra parts are the difference between a model 70 and a model 80. It is the firing pin block. If you look, your glocks have the same item. When you pull the trigger, it pushes up and moves the plunger out of the way.
yes, must be resistol (summer) or stetson (winter), if i recall correctly.
but please don’t take pics in your cowboy hat — seeing you in a cowboy hat, with guns, might be too much for my little Texas heart to take.
While I don’t know too much about “modern” sixguns, I know some old-school percussion revolvers used the cocked hammer as the rear sight.
Try that.
Now, as soon as he fuses those mechanical arms to his spine, Frank J. will be able to bear all four at once!
All lovely pieces Frank. Those 45 Colt Vaqueros are a joy to shoot. I did have to buy a reloading setup to feed mine though. I can reload for ~$3 a box. I’ve also got the companion carbine. What a sweet load.
BTW, I agree with other posters, go with the Resistol, it’s always summer here in Florida.
So everyone says Resistol. How do I pick a color and style?
Well, your basic choice is white vs brown vs black.
White’s for badass good guys, black is for badass bad guys, and brown is for the innocent bystanders.
Of course, I’m pulling this out of my ass.
I think I can answer your Colt 1991 v. Springfield 1911 question: Colt sucks. Springfield uses the original Browning specs, with modern improvements of course.
The front sight on your Ruger is so tall because of the way the revolver rolls up on recoil while the bullet is still in the tube. The tall front sight means that the shootin’ iron is actually pointed a bit down when you pull the trigger. You can actually change the point of impact up or down by varying your grip. Once you develop a consistant grip you can change the elevation by changing the loads. If you’re hitting high a lighter bullet will move POI down. A heavier bullet will raise the POI.
If you want to get the most out of a Ruger single action without handloading try the COR-BON .45 Colt +P loads, a 300 gr. JSP at 1300 fps or a 265 gr. bonded core hollow point at 1350.
Buffalo Bullet Co has some interesting loads, too.
Shooting two handguns at once is fine if you’re ever in a gunfight in a phone booth, the real gunfighters would shoot one gun til it went dry and then the other one. The last gunfight like that that I can recall involved a Border Patrolman back in Prohibition. He worked the El Paso District when for a ten year period they averaged two gunfights every three days. I got to meet a few of those old boys as a youngster, Charlie Askins, Bill Jordan,Sam McCone and some others that never became famous. My uncles all wore badges back then.
The world will not see their like again. They were men with the bark still on. Charlie Askins got ambushed while eating lunch, killed two people without dropping his sandwhich. Sam McCone got into a long gunfight with people ducking and dodging and reloading. When it was over one of his pals noticed that his right front pocket was bulging. McCone was an old handloader, he’d saved every piece of empty brass. He’d even picked up brass that others had dropped.
My explanation is very technical…
The tall sight has a practical aspect. One day you might be shooting at superman. if that happens, more than likely you will exhaust your supply of bullets and end up having to throw the gun at him in desperation. The tall sight is so that, as it spins, it hits him in the eye.
Resistol or Bailey!
If you go with a felt hat and it looks too “rodeo’d up,” soak the brim in water and let it neutral itself out or shape it to your liking. It will assume its new form when it dries.
If you check the link, the hat (Resistol) I’m wearing standing next to Texas Jack is “rodeo’d up” and the Tombstone Reenactment Mafia gave me a lot of sh%^ about it. The Brown Bystander Bailey has settled out after a few Arizona monsoons. Bad Bob #2 is wearing a vintage Resistol that was actually worn by a Mexican extra for the High Chapparel TV show. He didn’t make it into the movie but he lent me the hat.
Picking hats is easy. Resistol makes a nice straw hat, not a Huck Finn one, a Cowboy hat, which is why they are considered summer wear, they are usually white or off-white. Go to the Western store and pick the one that fits and looks good on you. Being in Fl, you should have no problem finding a Wetern Store. Especially if you head inland a little bit, there are lots of cowboys in Okechobee and Kissimmee. Good luck on the hunt for the proper hat.
Mike
I already know of a local western store.
I don’t know if I want a straw hat…
Well Frank, now that you’ve got 4 .45’s the only think left to do is buy enough ammo to successfully take south america.
I’m thinking, 6000 rounds… which is 12 cases. A case is about…180 dollars. Which sets you back $2160.
But just think of all the ammo you’d have!
The button is a firing pin interrupt, it prevents the pin striking unless the trigger is pulled. Thus, there’s no possibility of the gun firing if it’s dropped with a round chambered. It is not a standard M1911A1 feature, but considering the benefits it provides I’d approve.
Remember Jamie Lee Curtis wiping out a hangar full of terrorists in True Lies by dropping the Mac-10 or Uzi or whatever down the stairs? Won’t happen with the new .45.
By the way, what kind of terrorists were they in that film? I seem to remember some controvery at the time because they were a completely unrealistic and racist stereotype of a peaceful group which has never, in the entire history of history itself, committed an unkind act…
As for the hat, I myself just don’t fele comfortable in a cowboy hat. I do have a Stetson, but it’s a fedora style hat (kinda like Indiana Jones wears). My favorite wide brimmed hats are both Aussie – one is a Jackaroo, the other an Akubra. Go watch Quigley Down Under and The Man From Snowy River and widen your horizons.
straw hat doesn’t mean it looks like a farmer jim straw hat, Frank. it’s tightly woven, you don’t even know it’s straw by looking. and really, that’s your only choice in the summer. you can’t wear a felt hat in the summer, or i will have to bring my Rainbow Brite self down to Florida and kick your butt.
Straw, 100% in the summer. The only reason you would wear a felt hat in the summer is if you were in your Sunday-goin-to-meetin clothes.
LOL! I wanna watch Rainbow Brite kick Frank’s butt!
Buy yourself ten (10) GI contract 1911 magazines as a cheap hedge against ever running out. They only hold 7 rounds, but Tom Forrest commonly sells ’em cheaper by the ten so you are getting 10 really good mags for the price of one Wilson or two Chip McCormick mags. the last ones I bought were $35/10, but that was several years back.
If you want a really nice (but rather expensive) felt hat, I suggest a Resistol 20X Black Gold. Or a Diamond Horseshoe if you want a Silverbelly. I own one of each and both are very comfortable and durable. My Diamond Horseshoe survived 8 years worth of rodeoing and ranch work before I had to recondition it. Ive always thought Straws were kind of throw away hats, but if you want one Baily used to make a decent one called the Bangora.
btw, i can’t stop looking at the picture – i’m riveted to the 2nd one from the top, it’s just beautiful.
A fine selection to be sure…
Although Ruger makes fine weapons (their GP 100 is one of the finest wheel guns out there), I’ve decided that if I get a ‘retro’ 6-gun, I’m getting a copy of the S&W Schofield [ http://www.armchairgunshow.com/Schof-info.html ]. Looks cool, shoots great, and reloads fast…what more could a man ask for in a pistol!?!
I’m not sure I understand your question about adjusting the sights. You simply move the rear sight in the direction you want to move your shot pattern. If the gun groups high and to the right, move the rear sight down and to the left. Most sights are click-adjustable, meaning that 1 click will move the point of aim 1″ at 50 yards (or something like that – check the manual). The clicks are repeatable, and should be the same for both elevation & windage. They also keep the sight from moving while firing.
Hope that helps
BTW, nice guns! Kill a commie for me!
Springfield also has a new finish called “black stainless steel,” and it looks sweet.
http://www.springfield-armory.com/images/pistols/PX9152LLarge.jpg
Frank,
A hat (I don’t call it a cowboy hat because I don’t wear any other kind and baseball caps are CAPS) is a very important investment, not to be taken lightly. I would advise almost as much research for a hat as I would a gun. Think about it…..you don’t carry a hat concealed do you? Seriously, Resistol is a good brand. You should be made aware of the fact that beaver felt hats (the best kind) are graded by “X” for their quality. Much like a quality movie, the more X’s the better the hat. I personally would never consider a hat under 6X, but some feel that a 4X is adequate.
As for the high front sight on the Vaquero, one of the reasons it was made that way on the orignal pistols was to allow the end user to file the height down to aquire the optimum point of impact for their personal style. I believe that you would be correct to sight it just like the iron sights on your other pistols. That is to say place the front sight level with the edges of the notch in the back sights and SQUEEZE.
Thanks for all the laughs over the past months. I hope this is helpful.
MD from the great state of TEXAS (So I know whereof I speak about guns and hats.)
Reagan wore a straw hat when it was hot so real cowboys do wear them:)
I agree with MD. If you think it out, consider your options, and are prepared to spend a little cash (my resistol, a George Strait signature, cost around 180-200, depending on where you get it,) you can select a quality hat that will give you many years, perhaps your life, of good looks and service.
Don’t order online, though. You need to get yourself to a western wear store and try them on. Style, and not to mention finding the right size, is VERY important. Why spend 2 c-notes on something you will later decide doesn’t look good on you.
I’ve been meaning to get a picture of me in my NTM tee for your gallery of guns, and I think I have decided on how to take it. Me in my hat and cattle drover full length jacket, sportin my Winchester 94 and, as a reluctant replacement for the Peacemaker I SHOULD have, my Desert Eagle.
My broher has a stainles vaquero. It is beautiful to fire. The .45 colt just feels like a little push against you and there is hardly any muzzle climb. Now all he needs is the extended hammer and performance spring kit to try to imitate Bob Munden fon American Shooter. Well, that and talent, of course.
😀
Bunch of my fellow Texans in here sure know their hats. Good advice to go to a local western store – they can mold the brim for you if you are so inclined.
I have a few, but my favorite is still a white straw Resistol I bought almost 15 years ago.
Straw is the way to go anywhere south of Montana. Here in Houston, I tend to buy replacements right after rodeo time when they’re on sale. I try to keep a new-looking one for Sundays and special occasions, and a beat-to-shit one for everyday. Replace ’em when the wife starts to complain. That means you should get a fair bit of wear out of ’em.
All I have to say is, you would look totally bad in a black hat. (Bad as in good.)
Never wore a hat, myself. Always did have the dinner plate belt buckle though.
I don’t know much about the 1911, I tend to carry .40’s. Less knock-down than a .45, but a tad longer effective range than a 1911 and more rounds to a magazine (my H&K holds 13).
I second taking a look at an Akubra hat (Australia.)
Before you get too far afield on the Vaquero, get a copy of Sixguns by Elmer Keith, Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting by McGivern and a copy of No Second Place Winner by Bill Jordan. Get Jeff Cooper’s To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth. Round it out with Unrepentant Sinner by Askins and we’ll make ye a pistolero yet.(Peter’s story about Sam McCone is in Jordan’s book along with lots of first-person information on gunfighting.)
Now that cowboy action shooting is all the rage, you can find lots of good gunleather once again including the 120 Lawrence Keith holster. (I about had a panic attack when George Lawrence Co. disappeared, later to resurface.)
Just remember to keep the retention strap flipped over and tucked under your belt when you’re not climbing, crawling or running and you’ll find the Lawrence 120 to be one of the best single action holsters around.
El Paso Saddlery makes some of the finest gunleather out there, including an original 1911 cavalry rig. They’ve been at it since 1889, so they must be doing something right.
(There are a lot of other makers. Email me if you want my list.)
Peter’s correct. You can markedly vary the impact of a single action by shifting your grip. If you absolutely have to, you can have a gunsmith take a few swipes off the front sight or screw the barrel in or out of the frame to adjust windage. (That’s why the front sight on your Vaquero is tilted, BTW. Ruger usually tries to get the windage dialed in at the factory.)
Keep in mind what he mentioned: In handguns, the greater the recoil, the higher the point of impact. (Recoil is transmitted as the bullet begins moving down the bore, moving the muzzle skyward.) This can be a bit confusing when you shoot a high velocity, light bullet and find it hitting lower than a slower, massive bullet.
Single actions are slow to reload, but nothing is faster on the first shot. You can speed the process up a bit by carrying ammo in hand-rolled paper tubes. Flip open the loading gate, dump your empties and drop the rounds in from the tube.
Interestingly, the single action design is best suited to a left-handed shooter – the position of the gate is a holdover from the cap and ball days when capping (which required dexterity) was best done with the right hand. (Ironically, Samuel Colt was a southpaw and never lived to see the introduction of metallic cartridges in the single action.)
Just to be obnoxious, have someone load up a few black powder cartriges for the Vaquero. Aside from slinging lead, you’ll lay down a smoke screen that would blind your target and set his clothing on fire (assuming you miss, of course.) If you do this, make sure you clean the revolver thoroughly afterward with black powder solvent.
The Vaquero is about as reliable as gravity. Just don’t fan it unless you feel like replacing parts.
BTW, I’m not a Cowboy Action shooter. The 1911A1 is still my first choice as a defensive pistol. Move the rear sight in the direction you want the rounds to move on the target. On the MilSpec Springfield, you’ll have to drift the rear sight with a brass punch and a hammer and carefully take file swipes off the top of the sight to get your elevation, if needed. (Place a couple of layers of duct tape on the slide and carefully clamp it in a padded vise so you don’t mar the finish with either the vise or file.) Most of the time this is unnecessary. Usually the sights are close enough for elevation from the factory and a few careful whacks with a drift will take care of any windage problems.
So-called “instinctive” shooting is covered in Rex Applegate’s classic Kill or Get Killed and Fairbairn and Sykes Shooting to Live. (Stand by for controversy.)
Frank,
Aiming the old .45s is a little tricky. Well, actually, aiming them isn’t all that tricky but getting to be proficient is. It can also be quite frustrating.
You will experience alot of head scratching and wondering “how the hell do I get a good group”.
As I’m sure you have noticed, when you have the hammer cocked, there is a V groove running down the length of the top strap of the frame. That’s your rear sight.
When aiming, you want the tip of the front tang to set just a hair up out of that groove. It’s hard to explain but, as your looking at the back or your piece, you want the tip of the front sight to look like a little bump interrupting the side to side curvature of the top strap.
When your aiming, don’t be alarmed if it seems like you’re aiming low. I shoot a 7 1/2″ .45 colt and sometimes feel like I’m aiming into the ground, but it works.
That should give a good starting point and you will be able to adjust as necessary for your piece. As you well know, they all have their quirks.
Hope that helps, ya.
My father has the exact same ruger. Not a bad weapon, but a little larger than what I prefer. I’m happy with my S&W sigma .40
Picking a hat is a very personal thing.
Don’t go cheap — it won’t last and it’ll look like sh**.
Be sure to look in a mirror and think about it — too many people look like total goobers in Western hats.
Be sure it’s comfortable.
Most every pistol shoots differently. Be prepared to spend time and ammunition figuring out where your weapon shoots at different distances.
Frank-
Get “Mecgar” mags- best in the business, and makers for many “factory” brands. And ya, get a BIG pile of ammunition.
Mmmm.. ammo…
A concealed carry holster for two 1911s? Like the one Castor Troy(Nic Cage) used in the movie FaceOff? That was so cool!
castor troy rules… that scene was so cool… i wish man! those pistols r 2 sweet…