Ruger Vaquero Bisley Stainless .45 Colt
Model: 5129
Ruger Vaquero Bisley Stainless .45 Colt
Model: 5129
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Ruger Vaquero Bisley Stainless is a single-action .45 Colt built for cowboy action competition. It has an MSRP of $1,199, and its Bisley grip frame stands straighter than a plow handle with the hammer spur set lower, so the thumb cocks the gun without the hand shifting on the grip.
It weighs 41 oz and runs 11.12 inches overall on a 5.5-inch barrel, with simulated ivory grip panels on a high-gloss stainless frame. The sights are a blade in front and a fixed notch in the top strap, and a transfer bar with a loading-gate interlock lets the cylinder be loaded full. Nothing adjusts and nothing is cut for an optic.
If you're cross-shopping, the Ruger New Vaquero Stainless has an MSRP of $1,099 and the same finish and 6-round cylinder at 40 oz, with the plow-handle grip frame and a 4.62-inch barrel. The Ruger New Model Blackhawk Bisley is a used buy now, and it carries the same grip frame and barrel length on a larger frame at 46 oz with an adjustable rear sight.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Stainless frame, barrel and cylinder, so sweat and rain leave nothing to touch up.
- Simulated ivory panels are a polymer that does not yellow or crack the way real ivory does, and they come off with one screw.
- A full cylinder can be carried under a resting hammer, which no 1873-pattern gun allows.
- The high-gloss polish shows a burnish line where the holster mouth rubs.
- The hammer comes back by thumb for every shot, and the cases come out one at a time.
Category Rankings
How the Ruger Vaquero Bisley Stainless .45 Colt ranks among full-size .45 Colt handguns.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same frame as the Blackhawk Bisley?
No. This is the smaller Vaquero frame with fixed sights, built around cowboy action; the Blackhawk Bisley is the larger frame with an adjustable rear sight.
Will plow-handle grip panels fit it?
No. The Bisley grip frame is a different outline, so panels have to be cut for a Bisley.
Where does the Bisley name come from?
The Bisley range in England, where Colt's target revolvers of the 1890s were shot. Ruger kept the name for the grip frame shape.
