Single Action Army (SAA), Model P, Peacemaker—whatever you want to call it—the revolver introduced by Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company in 1873 has one of the most recognizable profiles in the handgun world. Now made by a variety of manufacturers, it’s popular for everything from cowboy action competitions to packing in a holster for trail carry to self-defense. Taurus, known for quality firearms at an affordable price, recently tossed their hat into the SAA ring with the Deputy.
With the Deputy, Taurus re-enters the Single Action Army market. The Deputy is available with either a 4.75" (shown) or 5.5" barrel.
The Deputy isn’t Taurus’ first rodeo when it comes to single-actions. As cowboy action shooting was exploding in popularity in the early 2000s, the company introduced the Gaucho, a SAA clone named after the famed Brazilian cowboys. The Gaucho was made in a variety of finishes (including matte and polished stainless steel), barrel lengths and chamberings before it was discontinued around 2007. The Deputy takes up right where the Gaucho left off.
Its frame, grip frame, cylinder and barrel are all made of steel. The cylinder is loaded through a swinging gate in the right side recoil shield and a manually-operated ejector rod, located in a housing attached to the barrel, is used to remove cartridges from the chambers. A spring-loaded, cross-frame latch holds the cylinder’s base pin in place. Sights are a fixed front blade and a rear U-notch cut into the top strap of the frame. There are two chamberings and barrel-length options: .45 Colt or .357 Mag., and 4.75” or 5.25”.
The Deputy uses a transfer bar safety system that does not allow for the hammer to contact the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.
One feature that sets the Deputy apart from many other SAA-style revolvers is its use of both a transfer bar safety system and the traditional four-click SAA action. Here’s a quick explanation of the four-click system as used in Colt’s original model 1873: When pulling the hammer back, the first click is the trigger sear locking into the safety notch of the hammer. This is not a “safety” in the sense of allowing the revolver to be carried safely with a cartridge under the hammer (a drop or blow could still cause the gun to fire), it’s merely a safety feature designed to catch the hammer, should it slip during the cocking process, to prevent an accidental discharge.
A second click means the hammer has locked into its half-cock notch, and the bolt is retracted to allow for the cylinder to be turned freely by hand for loading and unloading. The third click is not a function of the hammer, but the sound of bolt moving against the cylinder. A final click is the simultaneous sounds of the bolt locking into the cylinder notch and the hammer locking into its fully cocked position. Using this type of action means the Deputy has the same manual of arms of an original Colt single-action.
The Deputy is a traditional solid frame revolver that loads through a gate in the right recoil shield.
While most double-action revolvers, or single actions like Ruger’s New Models, that use a transfer bar safety system can be safely carried with a cartridge under the resting hammer, the Taurus manual clearly warns against doing this with the Deputy. This is due to the fact that after loading the Deputy, the hammer must be lowered while holding the trigger, meaning the transfer bar safety is disabled and if the hammer should slip, the revolver will fire. According to the manual, the Deputy owner should follow the “load one, skip one, load four” method to ensure an empty chamber ends up under the hammer for safe carry. On the range, all six chambers can be loaded, as the hammer will be brought from the half-cock loading position to the full-cock firing position without the trigger being touched.
The Deputy uses a traditional leaf mainspring and has a two-piece grip frame composed of a separate trigger guard, frontstrap and backstrap.
The Deputy has near perfect original Colt external dimensions and a quick check with some spare grips and holsters I had lying around confirmed that it should be compatible with most accessories designed for a Colt SAA. Replacement stocks might be the first order of business, as the fit of the two-piece checkered polymer stocks wasn’t perfect and left some sharp areas of the grip frame exposed. The Deputy’s two-piece backstrap and trigger guard would allow for the fitment of a classic one-piece grip. While the Deputy’s polished deep black oxide finish on major components and matte black hammer and trigger isn’t exactly traditional bluing and case hardening, it promises to be more durable and gives the revolver a blacked-out Have-Gun-Will-Travel look.
The dimensions of the Taurus Deputy allow it to accommodate most accessories designed for the Colt SAA, including holsters and grips.
On the range, the weight of the all-steel revolver combined with the traditional grip design handled recoil of the heaviest magnum loads with ease, the curve of the backstrap allowing the Deputy to roll back naturally in the hand when firing, placing the hammer near the thumb for cocking. While loading, it could be difficult to find the hammer’s half-cock position without going past to where the bolt begins to engage the cylinder (the “third click”), but this process was made easier by allowing the hammer to “rest” after each click.
The profile of the Deputy’s front sight is visibly lower than a standard SAA. While the elevation was perfect using a 6-o’clock hold on the bullseye of an NRA 25-yard slow-fire pistol target, the revolver consistently grouped approximately 3" to the left with all types of ammunition that we tested at 25 yards. While this is easily corrected by a good revolver smith, and shots from 7 yards were nearly point-of-aim (good enough for ringing steel in a cowboy competition), it’s convenient for a fixed-sighted revolver to have its windage regulated from the factory. The trigger breaks crisply at just under 4.5 lbs. and the Deputy’s wider than traditional trigger made it easy to press.
Accuracy for the Deputy averaged around 3" at 25 yards, although the shots grouped to the left of the point-of-aim.
The Deputy’s cylinder base pin is longer than standard. When sliding the pin out of the cylinder, it contacts the ejector rod extension, presumably to prevent it from being removed entirely from the frame and misplaced. Its length, however, shortens the stroke of the ejector rod, which can hamper ejecting full-length .357 Mag. cases, especially as the revolver begins to get dirty with shooting. Another quirk is that the cylinder bushing slips easily in and out of the cylinder. While this makes the bushing simple to replace as it wears, it may surprise the unsuspecting the first time the cylinder is taken out of the frame.
The Deputy's cylinder base pin is secured by a spring-loaded cross frame latch. The extended length of the pin prevents it from being removed from the frame.
With an MSRP of $607 and a street price of under $500, the Deputy is one of the most affordable SAA clones currently on the market. It combines traditional looks and a classic four-click action, with a modern safety system and durable finish, all factors that make it easy to get this iconic handgun design into your holster.
A modern finish and safety features are paired with a traditional form in the Taurus Deputy.
