Single Action Appeal?

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roy reali

New member
Why does the Single Action Revolver appeal to so many of us?

I like most types of firearms. I believe I have an example of most types in my collection. But my favorite guns are Single Action Revolvers. There is something about the way they look and operate that fascinates me. Then again, I look at some of my other handguns and realize the handicap Single Action Revolvers have.

My semi-auto pistols and double action revolvers are much faster to load and operate. They are also easier to pack around. But, I'll grab a single action over any other type of revolver 90% of the time when I head out. If I am hiking through some narrow box canyon, having a single action on my hip seems natural. Maybe I watched too many cowboy shows as a kid.

So, to all you other single action fans, what is it about these guns that appeals to you?
 
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madcratebuilder

New member
Maybe I watched too many cowboy shows as a kid.
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I think that's it.:D

Something about that iron on your hip, drawing it from it's holster and the clicks as you draw back the hammer. It sets off a Marty Robbins song in my head.:)
 
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mavracer

New member
Single Actions is something you just get. The heft, the feel, the way the sights jump right into your line of sight and sometimes the simplistic raw power from a packable package. gotta quit before the drool shorts the keyboard:D
 
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Daryl

New member
My semi-auto pistols and double action revolvers are much faster to load and operate. They are also easier to pack around. But, I'll grab a single action over any other type of revolver 90% of the time when I head out. If I am hiking through some narrow box canyon, having a single action on my hip seems natural. Maybe I watched too many cowboy shows as a kid.
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Semi-autos are faster to load and operate...unless you get a jam. By the time you clear a jam, you can empty a SA revolver.

And while I realize that most semi-autos are VERY reliable these days, I've had my share of problems with a few (good ones, at that). I had a Springfield Armory "micro-compact" .45 ACP that broke to the point of being inoperable twice getting through the first box of ammo. I also had a CZ 75 in .40 S&W that couldn't get through a single magazine of ammo without jamming. It did it with both factory magazines that came with it. I got rid of both of these firearms soon after getting them. Traded the CZ for a SA revolver, and traded the SA for a new '92 Winchester. Niether of them has ever malfunctioned.

Have I mentioned that semi-autos are slower to reload than a SA revolver if you don't have an extra pre-loaded magazine?

I definitely watched too many cowboy movies as a kid, and still watch them often enough as an adult. Hey, they're better than talk shows and soap operas by a long shot (pun intended).

Daryl
 
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EdInk

New member
There is the obvious fun factor of SA, which ties in with the childhood cowboy nostalgia. Also, some like the delibrate controlled action
of shooting a SA. The feeling of loading the cylinder (individually) gives a "ready for business" feeling, like a knight would get
sharpening his sword. Then there is both a physical and mechanical beauty to SA revolvers, especially cowboy style revolvers.

That said I don't carry SA revolvers for defense. The reasons are the obvious shortcomings (having to pull the hammer and the slow loading on cowboy guns.) However, I don't knock those that do carry them.
 
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Jim March

New member
The ergonomics. The design was done by people who still used hand tools daily, and hence knew how a tool should feel in the hand. That's why most point so well. The Ruger Bisley, not quite as much for most folks BUT it handles really big power levels so we forgive it :).

Here's the really interesting part. Once the horsepower level goes up enough, the shot-to-shot fire speed disadvantage fades on the SA. This can start to happen around the outer reaches of the 357Mag power spectrum (read: REALLY hot loads) and by the time you hit strong 44Mag power it's a real issue. In other words, in two guns that weigh the same, the improved recoil coping of the SA will let you cock it and get another shot off as fast or faster than somebody else can crank off another shot DA.

SAs are fundamentally tougher than a DA revolver (no delicate crane for starters) and inherently more accurate from the fixed-in-place cylinder.
 
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batmann

New member
For those of us that grew up in the 50's with all the Westerns on TV, there is no other hand gun that fits!
I can pick up my SA Rugers and they just point naturally. Yes, they are slow to reload, but I'll trade that off for solid reliablity and feel. The mid-frame Ruger Blackhawks of mine, one in .357 and the other in .44 Special have become my favorites.
 
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SilentHitz

New member
For those of us that grew up in the 50's with all the Westerns on TV, there is no other hand gun that fits
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I'm in that old phart club too LOL. Loved the toy guns of that time, I had the fanner 50, and Paladin have gun will travel set among others.

My 1st 3 real pistols were all SA revolvers...a solid design that will never go away, too much kewl factor.:D
 
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shafter

New member
They may be slow to load but who needs more than six shots anyway?(at least most of the time)

Besides single action revolvers along with lever action winchesters and flintlock kentucky rifles just reek of history. They're just so.......American
 
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rickyjames

New member
i'm not sure i feel knightly with a saa 45, maybe a little like paladin. i grew up watching cowboy movies, there was no jam you could get into that a colt 45 and a winchester couldn't solve. that pretty much remains true today. I had all the toy guns when i was a kid so it was only natural to buy real ones when i was an adult.

the single action colt 45 (in my case uberti clones) are the most natural feeling, the most natural pointing and natural shooting handguns i own. i have modern double action revolvers and a variety of semi auto pistols and nothing i own feels so natural in my hand except for maybe my 1911's. ol sam colt was a genius his design must have started with the human hand and worked outward in order for the gun to feel so natural. the saa 45 revolver draws easily from the holster, once it fills your hand everything you need is right there just the hammer and the trigger. the balance is superb, it is the most natural pointing gun i own. no 2 hand hold with these guns, no worrying about the sights. point and shoot wasn't invented by kodak for cameras, sam colt invented it with these revolvers. if i could find a good holster i wouldn't mind carrying my thunderer as a cc gun.
 
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SundownRider

New member
Single Actions are guns designed to convey a simple message: DO NOT MESS WITH THIS ONE!
If I strap on a single action, I know I have only 5-6 shots so unless I really know what I'm doing, I'd better go with more firepower. If you see a man who chooses a SA as his sidearm, chances are he really knows how to use it.

Plus, the sound of the hammer cocking on a quality SA is as potent as the racking of a shotgun. Especially if you do it slowly.:D
 
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Daryl

New member
I know I have only 5-6 shots
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Only? In the mid-late 1800's, after having mostly single shot muzzleloaders through the civil war, 5-6 shots would seem like quite an advantage.

10+ shots would seem to be a liability if a person can't hit their intended target. Hitting an innocent person would get one into some major problems.

It's all in one's perspective. :)

Daryl
 
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tlm225

New member
For me the SA is a chance to slow down and enjoy shooting just to be shooting. I have semi-autos and DA revolver for protecting me and mine. The SA, while it can be used in that role, is primarily for relaxing and taking my time enjoying the hobby.
 
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freebirdfb

New member
For some of us it can be taken another step back. My first sa was an 1851 navy black powder. I enjoy the black powder as well as the more modern peacekeeper. If I have an afternoon to relax and shoot then I have the time to clean the BP, but maybe thats my own opinion.
 
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Cool_Hand

New member
I dont own a SA yet but I have always wanted one. The appeal for me besides being a huge western fan is just the feel of the gun itself. I like the heaviness and rugedness, that SA revolver sound it makes when you cock the hammer or turn the cylinder, oh yeah and did I mention I am a huge western fan:D
 
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rickyjames

New member
"Not to pick, but it's SAA. Single Action Army, made by Colt"

damn! i know that :mad: what can i say, brain fart, clumsy fingers, need second cup of coffee :eek:
btw, my saa are made by uberti, damn fine guns :)
 
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The Tourist

Moderator
I find that taking a "step back" oftens solves a problem. For example, if I have a rifle that wants to shoot, I go home and load the same bullet and brass into a charge with one less grain. It's old reloaders' wisdom, and it works.

(As for any discussion on defense, the SAA was considered to have the fastest first shot capability of any handgun. Let the flames begin.)

I have had the pleasure of seeing Ruger Bisley products, but I never owned one. After reading an article by Ross Seigfried on single actions and basic farm and ranch chores, his arguments made sense.

I'm not in the market right now (I have a 25th wedding anniversary coming up) but if I was, I'd buy a stainless Ruger 4 5/8 Bisley Vaquero in .45 Colt without any further discussion.

Perhaps even keep those grips...
 
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