Used Vaquero prices

[wulfman92]

I’ve been looking around for used old style Ruger vaqueros and have been a little surprised at the prices. Seems like the value has went up in the last few years. What should I expect to pay for a nice old style blues vaquero in 45 colt with a 4 5/8 barrel?

[Outpost75]

The older large-frame Vaqueros in blue finish with case-hardened frame cost more than a new gun, if you can find one.

I bought two .44 Mags, 5-1/2" and 7-1/2" ANIB off GunBroker several years ago in the $600 range and they cost more than that now, used ones with no box are $500+ and I would expect .45 Colts to run about the same. Great sturdy guns for heavy hunting loads and more comfortable to shoot with "Buffalo Loads" than the smaller flat-top frame.

[wulfman92]

Are all the older models case hardened? Or just some?

[jmort]

Mine was stainless

[DougGuy]

Are all the older models case hardened? Or just some?

Actually none of them are~ It's a proprietary inked process that just looks like case hardening, and it doesn't wear well at all in the field.

[wulfman92]

I suppose I should clarify my question, were all blued vaqueros case hardened, but it seems I’ve seen plenty of just blued pistols. Now that I’ve been told that none are, it really makes my question silly!

[Beagle333]

In the .45 Colt, I say you should expect to pay $450-550+ for blued, $500-600 for stainless. If you want one unfired, they are out there, but they run $750-850 from what I have seen.

I have been watching the old model Vaqueros for a while, specifically the 44 mags, and am now considering a brand new one since Lipseys has put out a limited run of large frame Vaqueros in stainless 44mag for around $610.

[shorty500]

Just paid $500 locally for a 5-1/2 inch Bisley Vaquero in .45 Colt, nice clean used but unhurt and unmodified gun still in box with original papers and lock. And on the really super plus side it has minimum diameter chambers and the throats are on the tight side- so less wear and tear on brass plus can precisely size the throats

[Greg S]

What was the serial# cut off between the old NM large frme and the new NM medium frame. Looking for a carbon steel base gun to build a 4.5"octagonal bisley in 480 and a source for a barrel. Thanks, G

[Walks]

One of my Cowboy Shooting Buddies has been shooting a pair of C/H Blue .44Mags for 20yrs. In & out of the Holsters a couple thousand times a year for 20+yrs. They look better than My COLTS. I just did a total stripdown & heavy cleaning of them. They show no more wear than the the Blued .45Colt 7 1/2'' VAQUERO'S I shoot about twice a year. I bought the first two 7 1/2'' guns that came into CA in 1995. Still fine clean looking guns. Of course I haven't abused then either.

[Outpost75]

What was the serial# cut off between the old NM large frme and the new NM medium frame. Looking for a carbon steel base gun to build a 4.5"octagonal bisley in 480 and a source for a barrel. Thanks, G

Older large frame original Vaqueros will have a two-digit serial number prefix,
starting at 55-0001 in 1993 and ending at 58-91296 in 2005

and the later small-frame models have a 3-digit serial number prefix starting at 510-0001.