SmellyGuppy said:
I'll add to this though that an accurate reproduction SAA is not the way to go for his application. Vaquero, Baretta stampede, etc "based" on the SAA are right for his needs (safety is paramount here), but it scares me to see people who really don't know how to handle a true SAA buying them. They are tempermental if not downright unsafe if you don't know about the quirks to expect, and they *usually* require a bit of tweaking to keep them shooting well.
That said, the peacemaker design is a thing of beauty. I love them, and I would love a USFA Gunslinger tricked out with all the options!
They do require constant tinkering, and that same fact keeps them going. True, a proper reproduction is silly, as the metal was soft, springs weren't as good, and tolerances were poor. I have an authentic hand-made reproduction, and though it is fun, I wouldn't wish it on anyone else.
That said, the design was sound and reliable. I tend to think far in the future, if something can't survive at least 50 years with constant use, I generally don't want anything at all to do with it, and if I design something, you can bet it will take a while to complete. You can, however, rest assured that it will be completely field servicable, easy to disassemble, and able to survive countless such disassemblies while still going back together properly.
A modern proper SAA based revolver solves the issue of inferior materials and construction. You are left with a simple, effective firearm. True, there is no safety, and there are no safety features. If you have all six chambers loaded, and drop the weapon, odds are it will go off. Dropping the hammer on an empty chamber when the firearm is not in use solves this issue nicely. You shouldn't need any more than five rounds, anyway. The safety issue is then handled by the fact that you must cock it and pull the trigger to fire the weapon.
They do require real skill to use. You can't simply smack the hammer around, the trigger pull is light and nonexistant, and they behave differently. Once you cock the hammer, you had better take aim, and thats pretty much the end of it.
Many modern versions also use different methods to ignite the cartridge as well, as the old pin in the hammer method was not the best. You will stil need to spend much more quality time tinkering with it than you would other designs, but like a Rover, it will be there for you in the pinch, for years and years to come. It just loves attention.
Plastic guns are not even remotely close to meeting my requirements.
Cheers,
Kennith
