One of my well-worn Vaqueros on top, New Vaquero on bottom.
The first thing you notice is it is smaller than the Vaquero. But, of course, that is its reason for being. Picky CAS shooters said it was too big. It is clearly smaller and lighter, but that isn't all. They took the opportunity to improve things. I note that the cocking pressure on my well-broken-in, slicked up Vaquero with an 18 lb. Wolff mainspring is about what the new Vaquero is stock and un broken in. Remember the ones I have haven't had the "Ruger tune up." Never heard of a Ruger tune-up? You get your new Ruger, make sure it's unloaded, take the grips off, spray gun scrubber through the innards to degrease and de-oil it. Dry it out. Put the grips back on. Put that ring that came in it between the cylinder and frame back in place. Now, sit down and watch network news with the UNLOADED New Vaquero in hand. Dry fire it a few thousand times. It'll be easier watching network news, or a Handgun Control rally on C-Span, something that'll make you WANT to shoot out the TV. Then spray it with Gun Scrubber again, oil it properly with your favorite lube. If you've measured trigger pull before and after, you'll see an improvement.
Trigger pull was lighter on my old gun, but it wasn't out of the box. It had the full Power Custom package and Wolff springs, and the trigger was 40 oz. or so, my preferred competition setting. I don't think it would tame much to get the new ones there.
Comparison
Here are the two cylinders. The old one is .45 Colt, obviously. The chambers are highly polished because we used to have complete reloads on the clock. As that sort of nonsense has gone from important matches, I wouldn't do it to a new onw. It is clearly bigger in diameter and longer.than the new one. The new one was designed for CAS, not hunting Cape Buffalo.
Woith the hammers cocked, you can see that the New Vaquero hammer ends up further back and lower, which makes them easier to cock for most people. Tequila said it was harder for him. You can't. Fit everyone. The old Vaquero has a crescent ejector, bought in a weak moment. It seems immaterial to me, but I'm sure someone will tell me the advantages of the crescent for CAS shooting.
Base Pin Improvement:
The top base pin is from the New Vaquero. The bottom is a stock one from an old Vaquero. I've been using a Belt Mountain base pin in the gun with the Ultra Ivory grips. It had been there for a while. I needed a padded vise to get it out. All of us with Vaqueros are familiar with that little flange. You have to line up the crescent shaped cut out, or you jam the pin against the barrel. Getting it in and out isn't all that easy. Going to a Belt Mountain pin, tighter, makes it more difficult.
I was pleasantly shocked at how easy the new pin is. Without that flange, it becomes a snap. Short of sticking it in backwards, I can't think of a way to do it wrong. It's slick. I like it. Additionally, the Vaquero base pin can't be removed from the gun without removing the ejector housing. The new one, about 1/4" shorter, will come out easily. Believe me, Black Powder shooters want to get those pins out of the gun, not just partly out.
Conclusions, 2:
I still haven't found anything I don't like about the new gun. Yes, it has an internal lock. Yes, it came with an envelope with a fired case in it for the silly states. I thought it might have the key to the lock and opened it. Sorry, Tequila. Though I have no idea what you'd do with the envelope in Texas.
Shooting them is in the next section:
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