Ruger Vaquero value question

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pyscodog

Active member
Went to the gunshow this morning and got a wild hair and bought a Vaquero. I need some help in its value please. Standard walnut grips with what tape measures 7 1/2 inch barrel with a case hardened frame, 44magnum caliber. It does have a small hickey on the ejector rod but other than that pretty clean. I looked on Gunbroker for a value but in four pages, only one was a 44 magnum. Did I get lucky and find a gem or is it just a 44 mag Vaquero??

Re-measured the barrel correctly-7 1/2"
 
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Did you try the auctions that had ended they had about 14 but some were Bisley Vaquero's they went anywhere from $360 to $599, your barrel length does not sound standard they were usually 4 5/8", 5 1/2", 7 1/2" yours could be a special run made for one of the bigger distributors, nice guns I would do some reserch on that barrel length it could be a shortened 7 1/2" which would make it worth less or a special run
 
Double check that....

The .44mag Vaquero was discontinued in 2005 when the old model vaquero was replaced by the new vaquero. I have a few still, and I have been thru 4 pairs for cas. My current pair were born end of 2003 and mid 2004.

Do you have the original box with it? If the test cartridge case is still there, then you can see your guns birthday signed on the pouch.

Are the grips walnut or rosewood? Anything in the later age would be rosewood if they are original grips.

I spent a few years in therapy accepting that there would never be another .44mag vaquero, was a sad day, but I guess I understand the move to better replicate the SAA.

What people are asking versus what they're getting are very different things. They generally will be in the $400-500 ballpark depending on the condition, bisley, stainless, etc...
 
Good info, guess I didn't research enough. No box or papers and the grips may be rosewood.

Did some more reading and still reading that the "Old" Vaquero in 44 mag was discontinued. There are new Vaquero's but not in 44 magnum?????
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More research- I just got off Rugers website. The only 44 mags offered are Blackhawks and a New Model Bisley Hunter. All Vaquero's are 357 mag and 45 Long Colt. Now I'm really confused.
 
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Sorry, I didn't answer this one a couple weeks ago...

No, the New Vaquero is not large enough to handle the .44mag, so they are no longer offered. The New Vaquero is only offered in .357mag and 45 Colt.

Again, there have been TWO frame-sizes of Vaquero's, the larger framed "New Model Vaquero", which is the "old vaquero" that was discontinued in 2005, and the "New Vaquero", which is the smaller framed current production version that matches the original Colt SAA frame size better than the New Model Vaquero.

When Ruger shrank the Vaqueros in 2005 to lighten them up and fit them into Colt friendly holsters, they realized the smaller cylinders wouldn't handle the power of the .44mag, and considering that the .44mag vaquero was the lowest selling version of the NM Vaquero anyway, there wasn't any motivation to continue the .44mag NM Vaquero.

If you're looking to get a .44mag single action Ruger, you're either looking at a rarity of an NIB NM Vaquero from 2005, a used NM Vaquero, or a Super Blackhawk.
 
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