By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
West of the 98th Meridian where the line which bisected Kansas and ran out to the Sierras, was labeled the Great American Desert in geography books well into the 20th Century.
The primary story told of these times is the tale of the cowboy. He preferred the term drover but history has labeled him differently.
The cowboy lived in the dramatic grinding reality of the day. Most were young and took to the hard fisted reality of the frontier. He herded cattle, mended fences, and rescued strays in all types of weather.
Rustlers and Indians were a concern. While many cowboys chose other types of revolvers, the Single Action Army .45 was by far the most respected. There have always been more cheap guns than good guns and this was true in the Old West as well as everywhere else. The SAA was the hogleg to have!
The 1873 Single Action Army has been with us a long time. Today, there are clones of the original manufactured by several makers and some are good guns and some are made as cheaply as possible.
A steady market for these sixguns exists for Cowboy Action Shooting. CAS has about 95,000 members, a goodly number needing a pair of single action revolvers to compete.
Taurus has entered the SAA game with a modern revolver called the Deputy. This revolver is available in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. At present I have seen examples in 4 ¾-inch and 5 ½-inch barrel lengths. The .357 Magnum accepts .38 Special ammunition. This is by far the better choice for most uses as .38 Special ammunition is affordable and a favorite in CAS competition. After all, personal defense and hunting are not a consideration for most folks purchasing a SAA revolver.
My Deputy is chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge. It was the first I was able to obtain so this worked out well. I like the heft and balance of the .45 and feel that it is a traditionalist’s favorite. Considering the increasingly high price of factory .45 Colt ammunition, you really need to be a handloader to choose this caliber. The .45 Colt generates low operating pressure and accomplishes much within its pressure limits.
A heavy .452-inch bullet cuts a straight wound channel and does a lot of damage. The original intent was to give cavalry troopers a handgun capable of dropping a war pony at 100 yards. The .45 Colt could do so and served as a defense against man or beast on several continents.
A favorite of Generals George S Patton, Douglas McArthur and Jonathan Wainwright, Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, Tom Threepersons, Lawrence of Arabia and others, the SAA .45 was a formidable protection handgun for more than one hundred years and in certain situations is still viable.
The Deputy features a deep bright finish, more black than blue. My revolver features a 4 ¾-inch barrel, with checkered hard plastic grips. Sights are a simple groove in the top strap and a post front sight. The ignition system is a modern transfer bar type, which allows carrying six rounds safely.
This is a single-action revolver like most of the handguns used in the Old West, with a loading gate on the right side which opens to load cartridges one at a time. The same gate is used to unload cartridges. First, place the hammer in the half cock position. Pull it back until it clicks in place, open the gate, and rotate the cylinder one loading notch at a time. (The cylinder will click into place with each turn.) Load the chambers one at a time, and after each chamber is loaded close the loading gate. Cock the hammer fully to the rear and press the trigger to fire. To unload the chambers the hammer is placed on half cock the loading gate opened and the chambers aligned with the ejector road to unload spent cartridges one at a time.
This isn’t a fast system but was leagues ahead to the cap ball and powder loading it replaced. Today many of us enjoy leisurely loading and unloading the single action army revolver.
Firing the Deputy was an enjoyable experience. I used standard pressure Performance Wheelgun 250-grain loads from Remington for most of the testing. These loads break about 750 fps and are clean burning and accurate. At 10 yards the 250-grain load struck about 2.0 inches high, which allows the shooter to connect at longer range. The 200-grain Cowboy loads clocked at 800 fps should be dead on with this fixed sight regulation. There is no need for anything heavier or faster for recreational shooting.
The Taurus action is smooth enough and the wide trigger made for good control. I enjoyed firing with one hand in some drills and using two hands at longer range.
Taurus decided to provide checkered plastic grips rather than the smooth grips often found on SAA revolvers and this makes for greater control. By allowing the muzzle to rise in rapid fire catching the hammer with the thumb and getting back on target quickly you will be able to fire the SAA fairly quickly.
I am not a CAS competitor but I am able to impress myself with the fast handling single action revolver.
If you like the SAA revolver Taurus offers a modern rendition with transfer bar action that allows carrying the revolver fully loaded. The action smoothed up a little after cleaning the packing grease away, which is par for the course with most modern firearms.
I settled into a solid bench rest firing position to test the absolute accuracy of the Deputy. I added a couple of .45 Colt loads with which I have enjoyed good results in the past. The Remington load came first, followed by Federal’s 225-grain JSP. This is a clean burning jacketed bullet ideal for use in revolvers and carbines.
Finally, I tried the Federal 250-grain Hammer Down, a stronger load well suited to hunting soft skinned game in carbines. While recoil is there, the Hammer Down isn’t painful to fire in a SAA revolver. In respect for my own ability and the Deputy’s fixed sights I fired at 15 yards, firing five shot groups.
Gunleather
A cowboy gun needs a good holster. I carried the Deputy in a Galco 1880 belt and holster rig. The holster is available in both standard and crossdraw. The cartridge belt is very nicely made. You may spend a fortune on a cowboy rig if you wish. The Galco is the best mix of quality and affordability going. I have enjoyed using this combination very much.
Accuracy
Remington 250 grain 2.5 in.
Federal 225 grain JSP 2.4 in.
Federal 250 grain Hammer Down 1.9 in.
The Deputy is a fine recreational firearm in has some utility as a field and trail gun. I have carried the SAA revolver in various guises while hiking and camping and it feels right. What it once did the .45 Colt will still do!
SPECIFICATIONS:
Taurus Deputy
Overall Length 10.25 in.
Height 5.11 in.
Capacity 6 shots
Weight 3.64 oz.
Construction All Steel
Finish Black
Average Retail $550
Taurususa.com
