Strength of New Vaqeros

[awaveritt]

I've got a pair of Ruger New Vaqueros which get a steady diet of cowboy action 38 special loads. I've read much about how the New Vaqueros are NOT "old" Vaqueros when it comes to high pressure. But practically speaking, this should only come into play if one were to play outside the rules of loading manuals, right?

I'm wanting to stoke them with full power 357magnum loads for occasional range practice and for when they're sleeping in the night stand. I would also think them capable of handling the classic handload of, say, 14 grains of 2400 over a 158 gr. jacketed hollowpoint. I'm talking about working up to that, of course, and staying within the range of published data.

I guess what I'm asking is, are the New Vaqueros robust enough for a steady diet of full power magnum loads or is there some cause for concern?

 

[kraigwy]

14 grains of 2400 over a 158 gr. jacketed hollowpoints arn't supper hot, I wouldn't see where they would hurt yuour New Vaqero.

 

[rclark]

NO CAUSE for CONCERN. The .357 Magnum New Vaquero is a true (very robust) .357 Magnum. You can give it a steady diet of hot .357 loads all day/night long .... within SAMMI pressures of course .

Where there is a concern is talking about .45 Colt and Ruger Only Loads.

 

[BlkHawk73]

Staying within SAAMI specs is the key.

 

[PetahW]

Only loads for New Vaquero's chambered to .45 Colt are restricted, in comparison to the original, larger-framed Vaquero's.

.357 NV's have no such restrictions because there is much more "meat" around the .357" bore/chambers than there is around the .45 NV's.

.45 NV's are restricted to Colt SAA level loads.

.45 Vaquero's have no restrictions.

.

 

[zxcvbob]

I wouldn't hesitate to feed a .357 New Vaquero a steady diet of CIP max loads (European standards institute, much higher pressure than SAAMI)

As others have said, it's the .45 Colt NV's that you shouldn't abuse too much because their cylinder walls are so thin -- especially at the lockup notch. Even there, keep .45 Colts under about 20000 psi and the NV should be fine.

 

[gak]

+1 What everybody else has said. Load 'er up.

 

[Jim March]

The NewVaq357 cylinder is beefier in all directions than a GP100 cylinder or S&W L-frame (686 or the like). You can shoot near-unlimited diets of the gnarliest full-power-and-then-some stuff that Doubletap Ammo, Buffalo Bore and Grizzly Cartridge brew up.

No - problemo.

Now, if you try and handload "edgy" loads to match the very best Buffalo Bore loads, you'd better be damned good. There's no room for error when you do that - in any strength gun. It has nothing to do with the gun and everything to do with how pressure can spike when you're "dancing at the edge". I personally wouldn't go there myself - I have a small remaining stock of carry loads by Doubletap if I need real boost.