Round butt/Birds Head Vaquero's? Where do you get them?

[Just Duke]

I went to the Ruger website and have not found them so I am assuming they have to be made.
TIA'
Duke

[shooting on a shoestring]

Great question. I was once motivated to buy a birdshead .45 Colt. Never found a Ruger, found Uberti, but didn't buy it.

I know that the birds head grip frames are available at some of the online stores like Brownell's, and maybe Midway or MidSouth, or maybe Natchez.

I thought the grip frames were too high, seems like between $200 and $250 IIRC. Ended up with a 7.5" barreled BH that ended up with a cool brass frame after the aluminum one broke.

Bird's heads are just plain cool to look at. I don't know how they shoot, but I'd love to find out.

[Heavy lead]

Midway has the brass with a grip included for 160. Stainless with a grip for 175. That's out of their current catalog.

[EDK]

A birds head grip frame is not for the recoil shy! I bought a 4 5/8 357 Original Size VAQUERO with a birdshead and didn't like it....I will admit I didn't care much for it with a steel XR3-RED grip frame either. I sold it with both grip frames and got my money back after six months. I really like the 5.5 inch barrel and DRAGOON/HUNTER grip frames or BISLEYS.

You might consider do a little rounding on either an XR3-RED or BISLEY grip frame....There is a nice looking BISLEY in John Taffin's SINGLE ACTION SIX GUNS (a book you need to acquire, along with Hamilton Bowens THE CUSTOM REVOLVER; about $40 each AUTOGRAPHED from the authors.)

Check out gunbroker or auction arms...there are a few birdsheads showing up from time to time...ruger forum or single actions web site classifieds also. Anything on SASS net is liable to be high....some cowboy action shooters have a pocketful of money and ain't shy about spending it either! LOL

[kingstrider]

Like everything else, this is very subjective. I had a stainless birds head old Vaquero in .45 Colt and it handled very well. Recoil was never a problem and I found its smooth panel grips much more comfortable than the checkered grips the new models come with. If anything, I felt the grip frame facilitated better rolling in my hands which reduced recoil more than the typical plow handle grip. That said, I didn't like the fat grip frame and wound up trading it towards something else. I don't think the new models are available with the birds head grip though there are plenty of old models floating around. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one if the right opportunity presented itself.

[targetshootr]

Here's a Lightning grip frame made to fit Rugers.

http://www.gungrip.com/detail_RBS1__558.html

[Heavy lead]

Very subjective. Just like round butt v. square butt with Smiths. Personally I like the round butt, but heck everyone has there own style of shooting, size of hand, and other things. The birds head grip does look great though, never have shot one, but they sure look good. If I had my way I'd have Bisley grips on all of them. Although I have rounded the butt on a sbh frame, and I like it. It rolls real nice, instead of cutting into my palm.

[targetshootr]

I had a Ruger birdheads grip frame it just didn't look right, kind of puny, so I sold it. Here's the kind I'd like to have.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...lBorderSpl.jpg

[Springfield]

I have a gun kinda like that. A bit older, though!

[Lloyd Smale]

duke they discontinued them a few years back. You can still find them on gunsamerica and the auction sights. Personaly in recoil even with heavy 45 colt loads they never bothered me. the problem i had with them is that there very hard to get a consistant enough grip on to shoot them accurately.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I just picked up a pair of single six Vaqueros in 32 S&W Long for my lady friend who is starting out in cowboy and is a complete beginner. Purty lil' guns

[Lloyd Smale]

nice guns mick. I had one but there chambered in 32mag not 32 long.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Sorry, they are in 32 H&R Mag. most folk just use the longs out here as we aren't allowed to hunt with them.

I had given up on getting a set and was looking for 38s for my ladyfriend. As I went to ring off, the guy repeated himself, saying, 'nahhhh, we haven't got any 38's' and then he added, 'we only got 32s!!!' I couldn't believe it, i asked how much and he said that he could do a good deal on them as he had had them for awhile. Mick.

[Just Duke]

I had a Ruger birdheads grip frame it just didn't look right, kind of puny, so I sold it. Here's the kind I'd like to have.

Yea but they would fit the wife and she sad she liked them.
Nice gun TS.

[Just Duke]

I just picked up a pair of single six Vaqueros in 32 S&W Long for my lady friend who is starting out in cowboy and is a complete beginner. Purty lil' guns

Wish they still made them.

[Heavy lead]

There is a local dealer that had two birdseye in 32. One a ss the other a case hardened. I'll check and see if he's still got them.

[Shepherd2]

Beretta make a birds head single action called the Stampede Marshall. I think it looks better proportioned than the Ruger model. The grip on the Ruger looks too small for the rest of the gun IMO. The Beretta comes in 45LC and 357 Magnum with a msrp of $675.

[dukers65]

check gunbroker they had a beretta. i looked at them at sporrtsman warehouse just before they closed overnight and moved out of michigan, the guns felt pretty good in my hands. i do have a vaquero with a some what rounded grip