Decisions, Decisions...

Too Many Guns, Not Enough Cash!!

Well, I managed the impossible.

I visited the local firearms emporium, and managed to exit without emptying my bank account. Didn't even put something on layaway.

Not for lack of trying, though. I was flummoxed by a sheer abundance of shiny goodies, so much so, my brain went into a endless loop of "I want... I want... I want..."

I'm pretty much decided on the .45 Long Colt caliber as the cartridge of choice for any future purchases. I've got the gear to reload for it, and it's a versatile cartridge for everything from bunnies to buffalo.

This choice will drive my brother-in-law berserk, as he's been trying to get me to buy the plastic-fantastic Glock for a while now.

Well, when they make one in .45LC, we'll see. Until then, it looks to be wheelguns.

Oh, I suppose you could make an autoloader in .45 Long Colt. They made it work in .44 Magnum with the Desert Eagle. Still, if I wanted to haul around a 5 lb firearm, I'd just pick up a rifle.

I've never been shy about my appreciation for the aesthetics of a well-designed pistol. Yeah, it's got to be dead-nuts reliable, but if you can make it pretty at the same time, why the hell not?

And therein lies the dilemma. There's a whole bunch of pretty revolvers available chambered in .45!

Let's take a tour, shall we??

The Rossi Ranch Hand (not a revolver, admittedly) has a gee-whiz factor to it, but it's even bulkier than a Desert Eagle. It's manufactured as a pistol, not a short-barreled rifle, so you don't have to jump through any BATFEIEIO hoops to own one.

I've already got a lever-action rifle in .45LC, so I kind of doubt I'll ever spring for this one.


I've lusted after the Smith & Wesson Model 1917 for years. They can get pretty spendy, though. 20 years ago, you could buy a Brazilian police model for peanuts, but even those are hard to find now. This one's been kitted out as a custom target model, and is quite reasonably priced.


Beretta entered into the Cowboy Action Shooting market a few years back with their Stampede series. I'm not too wild about them, but I have to admit, their reboot on the Colt Bisley model is striking. Alas, a pair of cracked plastic grips (and a lack of easily-found replacements) put this one on the back burner.


Ruger also makes a version of the Bisley target model. Ooo! Shiny!!!


Another Ruger, and one that would make a fine companion to my Ruger Vaquero in .45 LC is this 3 1/2 inch barreled model.


Uberti makes a replica of the old Smith & Wesson Schofield model. It's a top-break revolver, which would limit my handloads to standard velocities. Putting a bear-buster round through this might send parts flying through my forehead. It surely is graceful, though!


Another Uberti that's intriguing is this replica of the 1875 Remington. From what I've read on the Intertubes, though, you really need to have a action job and spring replacement done before you start shooting it. With a Ruger? Not so much...


The one I'm really all "SQUEEE!!" & recklessly giddy over is this Uberti replica of a Richards-Mason conversion. Following the Civil War, there were a metric assload of percussion revolvers around, and as self-contained cartridges gained prominence, no one wanted a front-stuffer in their holster. Enter Charles Richards and William Mason, who figured out how to take all those Colt Army & Navy revolvers and convert them to a rear-loading cartridge pistol.

This keeps the elegant feel of the Colt percussion, and adds the convenience of a more modern revolver. Well, modern in the late 19th Century, anyway.

To quote some of my female blog buddies: "Oh My!" (Fans myself!)



Any of these strike your fancy??