Like most kids born in the 1950s, I grew up on a steady diet of Western movies and cowboy TV shows. As a result, I developed a love for the Colt Peacemaker. Yielded by the likes of John Wayne, Randolph Scott, James Arness, and many more, the iconic single action revolver earned a spot in my young gun-laden heart. So, I was excited to see Taurus introduce the Deputy at the 2024 SHOT Show.
Taurus Deputy .45 Colt Single Action
The all-steel single action revolver has been reengineered by Taurus engineers for safety. Likewise, it provides a lifetime of rugged service while maintaining the classic lines and appeal of the 1873 Colt.
When I examined the Taurus Deputy samples at SHOT, I was impressed with their flawless, glossy polish and deep black finish. Cocking the hammer back I found the lock up solid and with very little play.
I noted the new gun has a transfer safety bar that allows for the safe carry of six rounds, including the one directly under the hammer. The hammer even has four clicks as it’s cocked.
Colt aficionados often say that spells C-O-L-T. But a Taurus representative informed me with a laugh, the Deputy’s hammer spells out B-U-L-L. In any event, I was impressed enough with the Deputy to order a sample for an upcoming event at Gunsite.
About Gunsite
For the uninitiated, Gunsite is the country’s oldest and largest private academy devoted to training responsibly armed citizens. Founded in 1976 by retired Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC, Gunsite continues to practice mindset and pistolcraft developed by Cooper over 50 years ago.
Starting with just 250 acres, Gunsite has grown to 3200 acres and features numerous ranges and shoot houses. But Gunsite’s greatest asset is its instructor cadre, most of whom possess military or law enforcement experience. A majority possess both!
A few times a year Gunsite hosts gunwriter Dick Williams and his band of Irregulars. They are a group of gunwriters willing to pay their own way to Paulden Arizona, for four action-packed days of training and range time.
At each of these events, we devote one day to training with single-action revolvers.
The Deputy in Detail
Taurus sent me a sample Deputy chambered for .45 Colt, and it sports a 4.75-inch barrel. The Colt 1873 Peacemaker possessed a 2-piece frame with the trigger guard and front strap connected to the backstrap.
Taurus designed the Deputy to have a steel, one-piece frame for strength and durability. A leaf spring is used to power the hammer, just like the original Peacemaker, and it is smooth for easy thumb-cocking.
My test gun possessed a flawless finish without any tool marks. I’m certain Taurus has developed some sort of machine polisher. The gun couldn’t be affordable if Taurus had to pay someone to stand at a buffing machine all day. The glossy black finish looks great and should stand up to hard use.
Taurus designed the Deputy to use a transfer bar safety. This means it can be carried safely with six rounds in the cylinder without fear of a blow to the hammer or a dropped gun igniting the round under the hammer.
Loading the Deputy involves thumbing the hammer back to half-cock and opening the loading gate on the right side of the revolver. Empty rounds can be ejected by pushing back on the spring-loaded ejector rod before a loaded cartridge is dropped into the chamber.
Sights on the Deputy are fixed, just like the original Colts. Fortunately, the sights shoot to point of aim.
Accuracy of the .45 Colt Single Action Revolver
I set up my DOA Tactical bench on Gunsite’s South Range and my target stand at 15 yards. Then, I fired five shots to a group and three groups with each ammunition. The group reflected in the accuracy chart (below) is the best of the three.
My best group, which measured under an inch, was produced by one of my handloads. I used a Laser-Cast 250-grain bullet and enough WW231 powder to propel it at 800 feet per second. The load is mild and fun to shoot but not too meek.
It is 100 fps faster than the Winchester Cowboy Action lead flat point round and yields 83 more foot-pounds of energy. As you can see, the Deputy possesses plenty of accuracy. My average group size for the five loads tested was just 1.5 inches at 15 yards.
Exercises and Shoot Houses
Lew Gosnell, our rangemaster, has a long and storied history. The former Marine and southern California veteran cop is also the winner of the very first End of Trail match. When it comes to single actions, he knows quite a bit. His tips on quicker reloads, fighting the gun back on target, and thumbing with the support hand were incredibly helpful.
Gosnell had us shoot a modified School House exercise, which included two rounds to the head box from 3 yards. Likewise, we shot a modified failure drill at 5 yards, which consisted of one shot to the upper chest followed by a shot to the head.
He also had us top off our single actions as we shot them. Shoot two rounds and reload two rounds. At 7 yards, we practiced two shots to the upper chest followed by another failure drill and then two shots to the chest at 10 yards and the same at 15 yards.
One of the more fun exercises we got to do was called the 5 X 5 drill. It involves drawing from the holster and placing five shots on a playing card at 5 yards in 8 seconds. For this exercise, Gosnell used turning targets. It was quite a challenge, and I was finally successful in placing five shots on my Jack of Spades card on my third attempt.
Our day with the Taurus Deputy also included a fight with a robot. Gosnell drove the RC target stand toward us and away from us while we plugged it with our single actions. I connected with a high chest hit with my first shot. However, that didn’t stop it, so I used a headshot to drop the bad guy for the count.
The Taurus Deputy in Gunsite’s Playhouse
I also had the chance to run through Gunsite’s Playhouse. This shoot house is a challenge for even the most seasoned tactician, with doors that open both in and out, rooms with alcoves, hallways with no cover, mirrors, windows, and uneven lighting.
Gosnell had us use the modified failure drill for the bad guy targets. This involved a round to the upper chest and one to the head. After neutralizing each target, we had to seek cover to eject the empty shells and reload the revolver. It’s a lot of work to clear a house with a single action, but it is not impossible.
While a single action revolver may not be my first choice for self-defense, I wouldn’t feel helpless if it was what I was limited to. In fact, to a person, everyone on the firing line said something to the effect that they could make it work if they had to.
For my range work at Gunsite, I used my DeSantis Butch Cassidy holster and money belt. They proved to be the perfect complement for the Deputy. Two layers of premium steer hide make for a rugged gun bucket that should last as long as the Deputy.
Parting Shots
One thing I should note is that the gun I tested initially had a 3.25-pound trigger. After a full day of shooting and over 300 rounds, the Deputy’s trigger pull measured 2.3-pounds. Likewise, it felt cleaner and crisper than it had originally.
I’m very impressed with the Taurus Deputy. It is well-made and accurate and worked well without fail. Taurus has captured the flavor of the Old West with a ruggedized version of Colt’s 1873 Peacemaker.
The Deputy is offered in both .45 Colt and .357 Magnum, with 4.75- and 5.5-inch barrel lengths available.
Taurus Deputy .45 Colt Single Action Specs
| Action | Single Action Revolver |
| Caliber/Capacity | .45 Colt/6-Shot |
| Overall Length | 10.25” |
| Height | 5.11” |
| Weight | 36.4 Ounces, Unloaded |
| Width | 1.65” |
| Barrel | 4.75”, 1:16.5” RH, 6-Groove |
| Frame | One-Piece, Steel, Medium Size |
| Sights | Fixed |
| Finish | Polished Black |
| Grips | Black Synthetic |
| Safety | Transfer Bar, Safe to Carry 6 Rounds |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime |
| MSRP | $606.99 |
Performance
| Federal 225-grain SWC Hollow Point | |
| Velocity | 817 |
| Energy | 333 |
| Group | 1.80 inches |
| Federal 250-grain Hammer Down | |
| Velocity | 742 |
| Energy | 305 |
| Group | 1.61 inches |
| Hornady 255-grain Cowboy | |
| Velocity | 786 |
| Energy | 349 |
| Group | 1.85 inches |
| Handload 250-grain Laser-Cast, WW231 | |
| Velocity | 799 |
| Energy | 354 |
| Group | 0.93 inches |
| Winchester Cowboy Action 250-grain LFP | |
| Velocity | 699 |
| Energy | 271 |
| Group | 1.48 inches |
| Average | 1.53 inches |
