Best guns used for Womens mounted shooting?

Even with live ammo there are variables as to how much a gun will kick.

The guns arnt making your hands flip, propper lessons would teach you to control pretty much any reasonable handgun caliber and platform.
In mounted shooting it doesnt matter all guns have to be 45 colt. Recoil is going to be pretty nonexistant with the blank ammo.

I'm a little late to this party, but will throw in my two cents.

Personally, I would knock two right off your list - Uberti and Cimarron. First, they are the same gun. Cimarron, simply takes an Uberti gun, makes some modifications and resells it. It is not a _bad_ gun by any means. I just think the others on the list offer a better value for the dollar.

Taylor makes a short barrel gun for mounted shooting. I forget what it is called. I haven't seen or help one, but several people have told me very good things about it.

I have worked with Rugers and Colts. Both are excellent guns.

Colt is the Rolls Royce. Great gun, but you pay for it. Not only about $1200 per pistol, but it will also need some tuning work out of the box. You are actually paying around $1500/pistol when all is said and done. Expensive, but then again, you do have a Colt.

Ruger is my personal choice. Built like a rock. Drop it in the dirt, have your horse run over it... brush it off and it is ready for the next stage. These things are built to last.

As mentioned, you would be looking at the Ruger Vaquero (formerly known as the "new Vaquero").

If you can find one, I would recommend the Ruger "Montado." Costs a little more and is much harder to fine. It has the 3.5" barrel and a gnarled, truned down hammer. All the women shooters I know definitely prefer this gun over any other. (Note - the Taylor has some of these features and may by easier to find).

Regular grip vs Bisley or Birdshead grip - this is a matter of preference. I suggest trying each extensively to see which your hands like better. It stinks getting stuck with a grip style you don't like.


While I love the look of case color, I highly recommend getting a stainless steel model. Black powder is murder on metal. Stainless is much more forgiving and easier to clean. When my guns get really dirty, I just put them in the dishwasher. You can't do that with a blued or case color finish.

If I had to do it again, I would get the new Vaquero. The slimmer, lighter design would be nice. Also, the hammer is more like the Bisley, making it easier to single grip and cock.

I have to look for those guns you were talking about. I actually know for a fact Taylor uses a Uberti gun as well. I didnt know that Cimarron was the same though. So if I got one of the rugars or colts. As long as I get the trigger adjusted I should be good to go then right? And I do like the style of triggers that come down more. Its easier to grab.

So now the question is after I get my gun who to go to to get it adjusted? :)

First, it's the hammer you want to change. Minor point, but if you are talking to a gun smith, you don't want to confuse the two items. :)

I have used a gunsmith, Jimmy Spurs in New Hampshire - Cowboy Gun Works

I believe he only works on Rugers right now and may have a waiting list. His work is top notch. Make sure you tell him it is for mounted shooting and you don't want to change the trigger pull.

Jimmy also likes to "jewel" parts of the gun. If you don't like this look, specify that when you talk to him. If you do like it, discuss what you want done and how much it will cost.

Bob James in Arizona (I don't have his contact info handy) is also a top notch, highly respected gunsmith. He can certainly handle this job.


Both of the above smiths really specialize in action jobs. If you are only looking to change the hammers, you might look around locally. Find a SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) club in your area and ask them They can probably put you in touch with a local person who know cowboy guns. A hammer change is a pretty simple thing.


It you find a Ruger Montado (or Taylors Runnin Iron) it will already have the turned down hammer. If you find a Ruger Vaquero, you will need to change the hammer to the turned down style.

If you are getting a colt, I don't know what the hammer options are. I imagine there is a turned down hammer that will fit a Colt SAA. For Colt work, I highly suggest finding Bob James. http://www.jamesguns.com (found it). From what I have been told, he is the "go to" guy on Colts.

Most likely you will want some triger work done as well. Most of the cowboy guns I have fired straight out of the box need work. The hammer will be up to you and what you like and how you work the gun. The standard hammer on the Cimerron is fine for me but I do not like the Ruger Hammers. So you will just need to play with it. I would suggest what ever gun you buy you shoot it with blanks for a bit before you change anything.

I had a 5-shot Baby Dragoon, that I loved bc it was really lightweight.

I have seen some really cool Dragoons. You have to watch out when selecting a pistol for mounted shooting.

Some of the old C&B guns can be converted to a .45 cylinder. Problem is at least some of the conversions are 5-shot cylinders. As far as I can tell, that is not "legal" for use in mounted shooting (or cowboy action shooting). The reason is that the hammer must be down on an empty chamber when starting. Unless you want to ride with 4 in each gun instead of the usual 5, these 5-shot guns will not work for this game.

Do you still have the dragoon? Could you post a photo of it?

Ha, HA--Yes, but I'll need a good week to find it and take a picture. DH bought the gun, lent it to me for CW Reenacting, and I stole it. =b We used black powder and cream of wheat, which would break a balloon, but not make much more of a dent. "Corporal", "Ro Go Bar", "Tyke", and even my mare, "Warren's Cindy" and my gelding "Long Arm of the Law" (aka, "Sweet Cup&Cakes") were/are okay with mounted shooting.