Ruger New Vaquero Stainless .45 Colt
Model: 5105
Ruger New Vaquero Stainless .45 Colt
Model: 5105
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Ruger New Vaquero Stainless is a single-action .45 Colt built for cowboy action competition in wet climates. It has an MSRP of $1,099, and its high-gloss stainless frame, barrel and cylinder take sweat and rain without the oiling a blued sixgun needs.
It weighs 40 oz and runs 10.25 inches overall on a 4.62-inch barrel, with hardwood grip panels, a blade front sight and a fixed notch in the top strap. The transfer bar and the gate interlock between them allow a full six under a lowered hammer. Nothing adjusts, there is no optic provision, and the polish picks up a burnish line from the holster mouth.
If you're cross-shopping, the Ruger New Vaquero is the same gun in blued alloy steel at the same MSRP with a 5.5-inch barrel, which is the more traditional profile and nearly an inch longer out of leather. The Ruger Vaquero Bisley Stainless has an MSRP of $1,199 and the same finish at 41 oz, with the straighter Bisley grip frame and a lower hammer spur in place of the plow handle.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- No bluing to wear through, so holster use leaves a polish mark and not rust.
- Nothing has to be left empty, since the hammer rests on the transfer bar and not the primer.
- Hardwood panels on a stainless grip frame need nothing beyond a wipe-down after a humid day.
- The high-gloss polish shows every scratch, and matching it again takes a buffing wheel.
- A fixed rear notch cannot be regulated, so a change of bullet weight is handled with hold-off.
- Each shot needs the hammer thumbed back, and each case needs its own push on the ejector rod.
Category Rankings
How the Ruger New Vaquero Stainless .45 Colt ranks among full-size .45 Colt handguns.
Ballistics Calculator
Calculate trajectory, drop, and energy for .45 Colt ammunition.
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Cimarron Model P .45 Colt
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Ruger New Vaquero .45 Colt
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Heritage Rough Rider Big Bore .45 Colt
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Ruger New Model Blackhawk .45 Colt
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Ruger Vaquero Bisley Stainless .45 Colt
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will one holster carry both the stainless and the blued New Vaquero?
Not well. The barrels differ by nearly an inch, and holsters are cut to barrel length. The grip frames and cylinders match, so leather cut for this barrel length fits either.
How should the polished finish be looked after?
A wipe-down with a soft cloth after handling, since the gloss shows fingerprints and salt. Abrasive metal polish cuts the surface and leaves swirl marks that do not buff out by hand.
Does the stainless version shoot any differently?
No. Barrel, cylinder and lockwork are the same as the blued gun's, cut 1:16 right hand in six grooves. The finish and the barrel length are the differences.
