The best cowboy action revolvers of 2026 are still built on a design from 1873, and that is the whole joke and the whole point. Cowboy action takes old three-gun energy and adds a fourth gun plus a costume: two single actions, a lever gun, and a shotgun, run against the clock on close steel. It is fast, loud, social, and a hell of a lot more fun than some tactical guys expect.
The revolvers are the heart of it. You need a pair that points naturally, runs smooth, and keeps working through hundreds of rounds of cowboy loads. Italian makers Uberti and Pietta, plus Ruger, build excellent single actions at sane prices. The trap is the menu: dozens of models, frames, barrel lengths, and safety systems. A new shooter can buy the wrong thing faster than you can say “clear leather.”
Every revolver below has a GunsAmerica Digest review behind it. Some of those reviews are more than a decade old, and a few models have changed or been replaced since. Building the rest of the rig? See our best lever action rifles guide for the long-gun half.
Table of contents
- Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Best Cowboy Action Revolvers In 2026
- Best Cowboy Action Revolvers Ranked: 2026 Product Roundup
- Ruger SASS Vaquero Set: Best for Overall Cowboy Action Competition (2026)
- Cimarron Evil Roy: Best for Race-Ready Colt Replica (2026)
- Uberti Cattleman II: Best for Six-Shot Safe Colt Clone (2026)
- Davidson’s Exclusive Pietta 1873: Best for Budget Colt Replica (2026)
- Cimarron U.S.V. Artillery: Best for Historical .45 Colt (2026)
- Cimarron Model 3 American: Best for Top-Break Speed Reloads (2026)
- Cimarron Lightning: Best for Small Hands (2026)
- Ruger Wrangler: Best for Cheap Rimfire Practice (2026)
- Final Thoughts On The Best Cowboy Action Revolvers Of 2026
Buyer’s Guide: How To Choose The Best Cowboy Action Revolvers In 2026
Cowboy action rules vary by organization and category, so check the rulebook for the class you want to shoot. Here are the basics every new shooter should understand.
Caliber
Most shooters run .38 Special in revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum, because .38 cowboy loads are cheap, soft, and easy to reload. The .45 Colt is the traditional choice and plenty of shooters love it, but ammo costs more and recoil is heavier. Matching your revolver and rifle calibers simplifies your ammo.
Safety System: Transfer Bar, Floating Pin, Or Traditional
Traditional Colt-pattern single actions have a firing pin on the hammer and must be carried with the hammer down on an empty chamber. Ruger Vaqueros use a transfer bar and are safe with all six loaded. Uberti’s Cattleman II uses a retractable floating firing pin. In most cowboy action matches you load only five rounds anyway.
Barrel Length
The 4-3/4 and 5-1/2 inch barrels are most popular because they draw and holster quickly. The 7-1/2 inch barrel gives a longer sight radius and more history, but it is slower out of the leather.
Action Work And Tuning
Competitive shooters often have an action job done: lighter springs, a smoother cycle, lower and wider hammer spurs. Some factory models, like Ruger’s SASS Vaqueros and Cimarron’s Evil Roy, come with some of that work done.
Sights
Most cowboy revolvers have fixed sights: a groove in the frame and a blade up front. They often shoot low or left out of the box. Test yours with the load you will actually shoot and learn your hold, or have a gunsmith adjust it.
Buy A Pair
Most categories require two revolvers. Buying a matched pair makes holsters, reloading, and training easier.
Best Cowboy Action Revolvers Ranked: 2026 Product Roundup
Ruger SASS Vaquero Set: Best for Overall Cowboy Action Competition (2026)
Ruger built these Vaqueros as a matched set with some of the custom work SASS shooters usually pay for already done. They are based on the mid-frame Blackhawk, the .357 size, and they came in stainless in .357 with a 4.62-inch barrel or .45 Colt with a 5.5-inch barrel. The grips carry the SASS logo in place of the Ruger hawk and have checkering reminiscent of old Colt hard rubber grips. The hammer spur is lower and wider, which is one of the first changes competitors make, and the lower, wider trigger helps shave split seconds. The transfer bar means the gun is safe with six loaded, though you will load five in a match. Our reviewer found it easy to get all five shots touching at 7 yards. This review dates to 2014, so check current availability.
Read our full Ruger SASS Vaquero review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .357 Magnum or .45 Colt
- Barrel: 4.62 in (.357) or 5.5 in (.45)
- Frame: Mid-frame, stainless
- Safety: Transfer bar
- Features: Low wide hammer spur, SASS grips
- Price: $1,618 for the set at time of review
Pros
- Competition features from the factory
- Safe with six loaded
- Ruger durability
- Matched pair
Cons
- Not historically accurate
- Pins instead of Colt-style screws
- Review dates to 2014
🛒 Check Current Price for Ruger SASS Vaquero on GunsAmerica
Cimarron Evil Roy: Best for Race-Ready Colt Replica (2026)
Evil Roy is the alias of SASS world champion Gene Pearcey, and Cimarron built this Colt 1873 replica with his input. It is made in Italy by Uberti, which our reviewer considers the best of the Italian replica makers, and comes slicked up for competition. He tested it in .357 with Fiocchi cowboy loads, and low velocity .38 wadcutters shot best, under 2 inches at 10 yards off a rest. It shot a couple of inches low and slightly left, which is common with fixed sights. It uses a fixed firing pin like the original Colts, so carry it with the hammer on an empty chamber. He said a new shooter who wants the right gear the first time cannot go wrong with it. This review dates to 2012, and our review lists no price.
Read our full Cimarron Evil Roy review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .357 Magnum / .38 Special (as tested)
- Maker: Uberti for Cimarron
- Action: Single action, competition tuned
- Firing Pin: Fixed, Colt style
- Price: Check current GunsAmerica listings
Pros
- Built for SASS competition
- Uberti quality
- Accurate with cowboy loads
Cons
- Must carry on an empty chamber
- Shot low and left out of the box
- Review dates to 2012
🛒 Check Current Price for Cimarron Evil Roy on GunsAmerica
Uberti Cattleman II: Best for Six-Shot Safe Colt Clone (2026)
For 140 years, the rule with a Colt Single Action Army was the same: hammer down on an empty chamber. Uberti fixed that with the Cattleman II. Its internal safety disengages the firing pin when the gun is not cocked, letting it float free in the hammer, like a Glock-style safety inside a revolver hammer. You get a traditional Colt look without a transfer bar. Our reviewer tested a 7-1/2 inch .45 Colt that weighed 39.5 ounces unloaded and was well balanced with standard grips. The trigger averaged a light, crisp 3 pounds 9.4 ounces, and hammer draw was very close in feel to a Colt. It came in .45 Colt, .44-40, and .38/.357 with 4-3/4, 5-1/2, or 7-1/2 inch barrels, and matched pairs were available. This review dates to 2016.
Read our full Uberti Cattleman II review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .45 Colt (tested), .44-40, .38/.357
- Barrel: 4-3/4, 5-1/2, or 7-1/2 in
- Weight: 39.5 oz (7-1/2 in, unloaded)
- Trigger: 3 lb 9.4 oz average
- Safety: Retractable floating firing pin
- Price: $549 to $559 MSRP, matched pair $1,159, at time of review
Pros
- Safe to carry six with Colt styling
- Light, crisp trigger
- Affordable
- Matched pairs available
Cons
- Not a pure Colt mechanism
- 7-1/2 in barrel is slow for matches
- Review dates to 2016
🛒 Check Current Price for Uberti Cattleman II on GunsAmerica
Davidson’s Exclusive Pietta 1873: Best for Budget Colt Replica (2026)
Davidson’s teamed up with Italian maker Pietta for this exclusive 1873, a reproduction of the Colt Single Action with a deep blued frame, cylinder, and barrel and polished brass trigger guard and straps. It comes in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt, both with 4.75-inch barrels, and uses the traditional four-click hammer. Our reviewer shot the .357 offhand. At 5 yards it put all three loads into five-shot groups of an inch or better. At 10 yards his best group was five shots in 1.15 inches with Black Hills Honey Badger, four of them in .45 inch. He tested it mostly with defensive loads, not cowboy loads, but that kind of accuracy from a fixed-sight single action is impressive. The grips are checkered polymer, not wood. This review dates to 2021.
Read our full Davidson’s Exclusive 1873 review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .357 Magnum (tested) or .45 Colt
- Barrel: 4.75 in
- Weight: 40 oz
- Sights: Fixed rear, blade front
- Grips: Two-piece checkered polymer
- Price: $519.99 MSRP at time of review
Pros
- Excellent accuracy offhand
- Handsome blue and brass finish
- Affordable
Cons
- Polymer grips
- Traditional hammer requires an empty chamber carry
- Distributor exclusive, availability varies
🛒 Check Current Price for Davidson’s Exclusive Pietta 1873 on GunsAmerica
Cimarron U.S.V. Artillery: Best for Historical .45 Colt (2026)
The Artillery model has a great story. Light artillery troops complained that the 7.5-inch Colt Single Action was too long to wear while riding the caissons, so the Army studied shorter barrels and settled on the Artillery pattern. Those .45s went on to serve with Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and in the Philippines, where the new .38 revolvers proved underpowered. Cimarron’s U.S.V. Artillery recreates that gun in .45 Long Colt with an early black powder style frame and a reproduction inspector cartouche on the grip. Our reviewer found the sights properly regulated at 15 yards and the trigger broke clean at 2 pounds 8 ounces. From a rest at 15 yards, Hornady Cowboy 255-grain loads averaged 2-inch six-shot groups and Winchester Defender averaged slightly over 2.25 inches. Empties mostly fell free, with a few needing the ejector rod. Our review lists no price.
Read our full Cimarron U.S.V. Artillery review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .45 Long Colt
- Barrel: 5.5 in
- Frame: Early black powder style
- Trigger: 2 lb 8 oz
- Sights: V groove rear, blade front
- Price: Check current GunsAmerica listings
Pros
- Great history and detail
- Very light, clean trigger
- Sights regulated out of the box
- Mild with cowboy loads
Cons
- .45 Colt ammo costs more
- Some cases needed the ejector rod
- Traditional carry rules apply
🛒 Check Current Price for Cimarron U.S.V. Artillery on GunsAmerica
Cimarron Model 3 American: Best for Top-Break Speed Reloads (2026)
Not everybody wants a Colt. The Smith & Wesson Model 3 top break was carried by lawmen and outlaws alike, and Cimarron’s Model No. 3 1st Model American brings it back in .45 Long Colt with an 8-inch barrel. You break it open and all six empties eject at once, so reloads are fast. Our reviewer loaded it two at a time like a modern revolver. The smallest five-shot group was 0.76 inch with Federal American Eagle, and Choice and Hornady cowboy loads shot 1.05 and 1.66 inches, with most groups between one and two inches at 10 yards. The trigger is a crisp 4.5 pounds, and the gun curls in your hand under recoil so your thumb lands on the hammer. The slim grip made support-hand cocking awkward. Our review lists no weight or price.
Read our full Cimarron Model 3 American review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .45 Long Colt
- Barrel: 8 in
- Action: Top break single action
- Trigger: About 4.5 lb
- Price: Check current GunsAmerica listings
Pros
- Fast top-break reloads
- Very accurate in our test
- Long sight radius
- Authentic look and feel
Cons
- Primitive sights
- Slim grip for two-handed shooting
- Long barrel is slow from a holster
🛒 Check Current Price for Cimarron Model 3 American on GunsAmerica
Cimarron Lightning: Best for Small Hands (2026)
No mystery here. The Cimarron Lightning is a smaller-framed single action with a rounded bird’s head style grip that eliminates the heel and adds a small spur on top. Our reviewer tested a .38 Special with a 4-3/4 inch barrel that weighed 1.83 pounds. The loading gate was tight and crisp, the action cycled perfectly, and the trigger averaged a crisp 2 pounds 3 ounces. Most ammo hit about 2 inches low and 1 inch left at 10 yards, typical for fixed sights. It was offered in 3-1/2, 4-3/4, 5-1/2, and 6-1/2 inch barrels, in .38 Special, .41 Colt, and .22 LR with a 10-round cylinder. The light weight and rounded grip suit smaller hands, and the .38 keeps ammo cheap. This review dates to 2019, and our review lists no price. Check your category rules before buying for matches.
Read our full Cimarron Lightning review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .38 Special (tested), .41 Colt, .22 LR
- Barrel: 4-3/4 in (tested), 3-1/2 to 6-1/2 in available
- Weight: 1.83 lb
- Trigger: 2 lb 3 oz average
- Price: Check current GunsAmerica listings
Pros
- Light and compact
- Very light, crisp trigger
- Cheap .38 Special ammo
Cons
- Shot low and left
- Small frame may not suit big hands
- Review dates to 2019
🛒 Check Current Price for Cimarron Lightning on GunsAmerica
Ruger Wrangler: Best for Cheap Rimfire Practice (2026)
No mystery here. The Ruger Wrangler is not your match gun. It is the gun that makes you better at your match guns. It is a .22 LR single action with an aluminum cylinder frame, zinc alloy grip frame, chromoly cylinder, and steel pins and screws, which is how Ruger kept the price so low. Our reviewer shot six-shot groups from 1.6 inches to just under 3 inches off sandbags at 25 yards, and the trigger let off cleanly just under 5 pounds. He called it a pure joy on the range, whether shooting sighted or slip thumbing from the hip. For a cowboy shooter, that means hundreds of rounds of single action manual of arms, draw, and cock practice for the cost of a box of .45 Colt. This review dates to 2019.
Read our full Ruger Wrangler review here.
Key Specs
- Caliber: .22 LR
- Capacity: 6 rounds
- Frame: Aluminum cylinder frame, zinc alloy grip frame
- Trigger: Just under 5 lb
- Price: $249 MSRP at time of review
Pros
- Cheap to buy and shoot
- Accurate at 25 yards
- Great single action trainer
Cons
- Rimfire only, not a centerfire match gun
- Alloy construction
- Review dates to 2019
🛒 Check Current Price for Ruger Wrangler on GunsAmerica
Final Thoughts On The Best Cowboy Action Revolvers Of 2026
If you want to show up and compete, the Ruger SASS Vaquero set is the best cowboy action revolver pick on this list, with competition features from the factory and Ruger toughness. The Cimarron Evil Roy is the race-ready Colt replica, and the Uberti Cattleman II gives you Colt styling that is safe with six loaded. The Davidson’s Pietta 1873 is the budget buy, the Cimarron U.S.V. Artillery and Model 3 American bring real history, the Lightning suits smaller hands, and the Ruger Wrangler is the cheap way to put in reps.
Whatever you choose, buy a pair, shoot your cowboy loads to learn where they hit, and go to a match. Somebody there will loan you whatever you forgot.
Related reading: see our guide to the best cap and ball revolvers.
More reading: see our guides to the best Smith & Wesson revolvers and best Colt revolvers.
Also worth a look: our single action vs double action revolver guide.
You can find single action revolvers, lever guns, and cowboy rigs from sellers across the country at GunsAmerica.com. Train hard, shoot straight, and stay dangerous.
Billy the kid was photographed with a SAA, not an 1877…
I wanted to know if Great Western firearms made in the USA were a good for cowboy action shooting.
The nib rodeo has the original grips. It’s The two I shoot that have the imitation ivory,, a nice touch.
I mainly use my 4 3/4\” 45 colt rodeo. Very reliable ,accurate and indeed the closest modern copy of the original 1873 colt. It\’s given me the confidence to call and Nail the third and sometimes fourth targets in a row on the Texas star. I also have a taurus gaucho that I do use At times as my second. I too somehow lucked out and had an idea to stick with another rodeo as my second pistol for consistency and ordered it before the catastrophic closure U S firearms . I too have it stashed in the safe unfired in the original box and sleeve. Since the closure I decided to keep using the gaucho( a fine pistol itself) and leave the new rodeo as is.,It\’s also a 4 3/4\” 45 colt, I might be persuaded to part with it for the right price though to help out another sass shooter.they both now wear the slightly aged imitation ivory grips from western wildlife wonders and the fit was perfect right out of the box. It\’s a nice touch that I like and have even rec\’d positive comments on them.
I am just beginning and don’t want to make a mistake in what I buy for my first single six. I am a large man with a big hand. Most of what I try seems like the grip of a toy cap gun. I need a large grip; what single six would you recommend? Thank you for any advise that you can give me.
You need an Army grip, which is bigger than the standard grip. This is from the 1860 Army Colt, which is black powder, or smokeless with a conversion cylinder. For a Colt clone cartridge revolver with Army grip, see the Alchimista on emf.com. The old Ruger Vaquero also is a bigger gun than the new one.
Neither Cimarron nor Taylor’s are manufacturers, instead selling Piettas and Ubertis, as does Dixie gun Works. I find it shocking that the Pietta is not mentioned at all. The new Piettas have a solid transfer bar safety and the same sturdy main spring designed by Ruger, plus their case hardening has far more color than the Ubertis. If you want a Ubertis with a “transfer bar” safety, you have to get the Horseman model–and I can’t say that the one I handled (but did not shoot) did not impress.
I have never been a fan of the Rugers, but only for reasons of style. They make the toughest frames and the best main spring, and there is good reason they are probably the number one pistol in SASS. But they don’t look just like a Colt–and that has always turned me off.
The colts are beautiful guns–but they also cost at least twice what a slicked up Italian clone costs. For a gun they have been producing for a hundred years, you’d think the price would be more competitive.
I know it’s a Uberti, but the Cimarron Model “P”, is pretty popular in our circles. The Cattleman had or has that little folding safety thingy on the hammer that just mucks up the looks of the hammer. Also, don’t forget the older “New Model” Ruger Vaquero, which is still around though now made anymore.
Four out of five an’t bad, These SAA are just so cool.
I have a Blackhawk conversion in 45LC/45 acp. awesome gun! I also own a Cimarron Richards-Mason conversion in 44 colt and one in 45 LC. These are the open type design “Colt Clones” that were in use before the ’73 Colt. They are a lot of fun to shoot. The SASS max distance is 7 yards, and it can be a challenge if you don’t practice with them.
The SASS minimum distance for pistols is 7 yards (21′) and 10 yards maximum distance. Most shoots are somewhere in between. With most Clones shooting low and to the left, you have to know your gun, aim right and shoot fast!
Jimmy Spurs (aka Jim McMahon) in Derry, NH is not only a superb shooter, but he does a wonderful job “slicking up” the Rugers. Check him out on .
SASS shooting is great! Ruger offers a matched-pair set of new generation Vaqueros approved by SASS, although any other new-gen Vaquero is great for SASS shooting. http://ruger.com/products/vaqueroSASS/models.html. I don’t like the original Vaquero for SASS shooting as it seems too large and heavy for this purpose…more like a Dragoon.
Check out Texas Jack’s. texasjacks.com They have a great assortment of reproduction “cowboy” guns, clothing and accessories at fair prices. They have discounts on blemished firearms.
Thanks for the source.
I found this;
http://www.texasjacks.com/guns-n-stuff/cartridge-revolvers-1/model-p-sa-1/model-p-3/model-p-7-1-2-357-magnum-7-1-2-in-model-mp405.html
I own an Alchimista II by Pietta and right out of the box this thing is just awesome! It is an 1873 Colt Replica but for those that don’t like the small grip of the 1873 this gun has incorporated the Checkered Handles and grip frame from the Colt 1860 Army. I have the 5 1/2″ Blued, Brass and Case hardened 357 mag. It also comes with the trick springs and a trigger job, as well as a lowered and wider hammer. They may have left it off this list but it is sure well worth looking at and I think Sam Trisler would agree if he ever got his hands on one.
I have competed in SASS for about 6 years now, using a pair of the Ruger SASS vaqueros. Anyone who hasn’t tried a Ruger owes it to themselves to try them. Out of the box they were smooth and above all, reliable. Over the years I’ve given in to the customization bug and installed new springs, etc, in the interest of that little bit more speed capability, but honestly I was happy with them the way I received them.
What happened to USFA? These were very fine six guns, and they are gone?
Tom
Long gone
They are out of business. I heard about them closing up about 6 months ago but I think they had been gone for a while longer. If they were still around they would be on this list. They made some damn fine guns.
Sorry but the bad news is that they no longer exist. I have and use a pr. Of these in 4/34″ 45colt that are awesome and reliable. These came out the box ready to go and at the time I got them I found them to be the closest copy of a real colt model p at a far better price, right down to the 4click cocking they are accurate too ; I can call my hits on the Texas spinning star. Plus weight is right on ,not an anchor like my long gone ruger vaquero one in stainless, I am so glad I sold the ruger and ordered a spare rodeo and have it stashed new in the box safely hidden in my safe. Being on a limited budget I got these after seeing the rodeos and usfa recieve the highest reviews from both mike venturino and john taffin Both highly knowledgeable sixgun afficinados. I too am very sorry and sad to hear of their demise, keep looking a nd maybe place an ad . Maybe just maybe you’ll find someone willing to part with a good example at a fair price.
The usfa rodeos were made for sass competition and are great guns I’ve used mine for @8 yrs now with no problems round count well over 1000 and the only thing I changed were the grips , only for looks. I got some slightly aged ivory look from western wildlife wonders shop and they are a perfect fit right out of the package. I still use mine and even used it to qualify for .45 caliber revolver for my ccpermit I somehow had a premonition of just a blind stroke of luck and ordered a second one just 6 months before disaster struck usfa and they closed . I have it new unfired in the box sitting in the safe now I doubt the first will ever give out its a solid accurate dependable cowboy gun that I enjoy showing and shooting . Last week at the range a fellow stepped over from the next lane and asked to see it saying he was admiring it from over there and had to ask. Unfortunately I had to give him the bad news -no longer made! I’m getting better grips for all 3 of my cowboy pistols next month when they arrive!
I was a dealer for USFA for 10 years. Uberti made the frames for the early USFA and they were superior to what Uberti was exporting under their own name. At approx SN 2000 USFA made their on frames in the USA . the quality of a USFA SAA rivals that of any factory production 1st or 2nd gen Colt. They are far superior to any 3rd gen Colt. None of the Italian imports comes close to a USFA . The Rodeo was made for several of the big box stores like Cabela . They do NOT have the fit or finish of a regular USFA \gubn. Almost all of the case coloring on standard guns was done by Doug Turnbull, who ended up with a good quantity of unfinished guns when USFA closed their doors. . These USFAs sold from 850 to 1200 dollars in 2005. Today these guns are bringing $2200 to $4000 and up.(f you can find one.) I kept one in every caliber that USFA made. 22 LR 22Mag 32-20 327 mag 38-40 41 LC 44 Colt, 44 special . 45 ACP 45 LC and 455 Eley.. They are treasures. The market wouldn’t support those prices but the real reason was management. USFA were making $2000 guns and selling them for $900