This has been fun Walt, Starting from an economic point of view: Cap-and-ball revolvers can be had for $90 apiece, a used rossi '92 can be had from pawn shops, and gun shows for $225-250. A used stevens sxs can normally be had for $250 (ballpark figures) 2 Oklahoma Leather holsters $40 bucks for the pair and your in business.
Wanna up grade a little? Cabela's sells Uberti Mellinium revolvers for $219 These are some seriously plain pistols, but they shoot as good as any!!
Used Clones seem to start around 225 and go up from there.
EMF has a new pistol they are marketing, I think it's a Great Western, I've heard that they are a quality gun at a reasonable price. The Uberti clones seem to vary somewhat in fit and finish from one distributer to another. NOT from first hand experience, but many people say that Cimmeron has the top of the line.
American Western Firearms has become an american company, and from what I've seen their work is really good.
USFA has been said by many to be the best single action made, as good as any colt and a price to match, not much less than a third generation Colt (but it is STILL A CLONE)
Then there is COLT, second generation seems to be where all the fal-de-ra is heard most, but you pay for that too
No, I didn't forget Ruger's, they seem to fall in the Uberti clone price range, or Freedom Arms=Colt prices
Probably more matches are won with Ruger, Marlin and '97 than any thing else. The Ruger and marlin are both built like a tank, strong tough, reliable, and economical.
Winchester made enough '92's that they normally don't achieve collector status, so you can have an original at a reasonable price. While Uberti rifles ie Henery, '66, and '73 may cost more than an original winchester '92, they look great and shoot wonderfully, and you don't have to spend the $10,000 an original Henery would cost you!
I don't like to recommend against anything, but the 94 Winchester is not made for short pistol caliber cartridges, take that for what it's worth.
'97's, I won't discuss them, even against probably 90% of the SASS community, I don't think they are cowboy, and I won't use them.
Stoger makes a really slick sxs, as do a couple of others, must be getting late if I can't think of a cowboy gun manufactures name!!
Be careful when shopping for old mule ear sxs's, I will personally stay away from damascus barrels, I don't trust them. But Winchester and Remmington both made hammered shotguns with fluid steel barrels. Several others as well. Hammerless opens your options. I use a Browning BSS with the ejectors disabled. I know, not really Cowboy, but I spent years trying to find one of these at the same time that I had the extra money to spend for it, and I just like shooting it!!
So I guess we can go from 5-600 to 5-6000 to 50-60,000 if your pockets are deep enough!
Just take what yu've got and go to a shoot!!!! I garontee you'll have fun!
Butler Ford
