Please school me on the ruger blackhawk.

[DunRanull]

Happy Birthday! I touched off a .44 magnum many years ago. What a blast! Too much gun for me, though. I share your affection for .44s--have a few "cowboy load" conversion cylinders for my 1858 Remington replicas.

I'm butting in just because of my love for Ruger. Y'see, I bought a 50-year-old Bearcat from Red's Trading Post on Gunbroker. Red's said it was in perfect condition. Ruger just informed me that it's beyond repair. But here's the thing--because Ruger didn't want me to be sad, they're sending me a brand new Bearcat to replace the paperweight I bought from Red's Trading Post. I've never before received such awesome customer service.

Can't advise you on the Blackhawk particularly, but you're sure on the right track with a Ruger.

(Single Six convertible x2, Birdshead Wrangler, Bearcat and now TWO of them!)

That kind of customer service was my experience from Ruger also. Good company, IMO..

 

[tkdguy]

I have a 1983 Super Black Hawk in 44 mag; perfect.

 

[Jonnyuma]

Im not the first to mention it, but about the only knock l can make against the Blackhawk family of revolvers isn't even about Blackhawks (or Super Blackhawks)... it's the plow handle grip. I've got fairly big hands and, even though these (and most SAA "replicas") are upsized somewhat to account for modern-sized shooters, l have a helluva time keeping my grip on em.

The solution is easy, but exceptionally unattractive, imo... Pachmyer or Hogue rubber grips. I think they ruin the beautiful lines and silhouette of the guns, and l stupidly don't use them myself... but they do work.

Then there is the equally beautiful Bisley models... a better grip design, but sometimes harder to find.

I sold my .44 SBH years ago to finance a .454 Casull Super Redhawk, also now gone to fund some lesser piece... or maybe a house payment... who can remember such things...?

This is my pet .357 New Model. I have others, but this is my favorite. It's favored status could be displaced if l find an affordable .41. Also, a slippery little sucker w sweaty or oily hands.


I really need to use that holster more... it needs some patina.

 

[orygun]

Blackhawk doesn't come in 44mag, only the super Blackhawk, which is a little bigger.

This is true.

An Official Journal Of The NRA | Ruger .44 Mag. Blackhawk Single-Action Revolver

A great revolver in an awesome caliber.

www.americanrifleman.org

The Blackhawk most certainly did come in 44mag.

I have a Ruger Blackhawk in 44 Magnum. It is a 50 year anniversary model and is in a red plastic case.
View attachment 1300685View attachment 1300686

Yeah, I'm kinda late. But the first Ruger 44 Mag was certainly a Blackhawk. It's also known as the Flattop and is super desirable, with collectors hoarding most of them. They are built on a larger frame than the original 357 Blackhawk. It wasn't until '62 (I believe) that the frame was changed to add the sight ears and that's about the time the 44 became the Super Blackhawk. I also think that's the time the 357 was moved to the larger frame. The 50th Anniversary Flattop 44 is also not a Super. As a side note, the 50th Anniversary 357 was made on a smaller frame, more like the original.

Nope, far as I know only the Ruger Buckeye was made in 38-40/ 10mm.

And rare as Hell, they are! My friend tried to order one from Buckeye and they were already sold out! He did get the ammo he ordered to go with the gun, but then had nothing to shoot them from. I've never seen the 10mm/38-40 convertible in person.

 

[Mike_M57]

All-original 1971 3-screw SBH inherited from Grandpa. Well used but slicker'n owl poop. Never needed any Special loads or fancy grips.

 

[orygun]

Nice gun, @Mike_M57 .
I had a very similar gun to yours. When I bought it, I bought it cheap because the guys at the gun counter thought it had been re-blued. Their mistake! I sold it for a nice profit later.

The point of some grips (stocks), especially Hogue is to keep the plowhandle from rolling in your hand. The Hogue will most definitely increase the recoil to your shoulder, but I liked the way I didn't have to reposition my hand after each shot. I think the Hogue looks like crap and called it the Batwing. Hard to fault the looks of the original stocks.

 

[gclarkso]

Early 80's I took a SBH cut it down to 4 5/8 and switched to an XR3 grip frame. Wonderful balance. Comfortable to shoot except for some insanely hot loads I made. Shoots like a 22 with lighter loads and 44 sp.

This was before Ruger started making a 4 5/8 .44 again.

 

[Knobgoblin]

What's the least desirable barrel length for a square trigger guard SBH ? I assume the 7 1/2 is most common, but does that make it less valuable?

 

[solv3nt]

What's the least desirable barrel length for a square trigger guard SBH ? I assume the 7 1/2 is most common, but does that make it less valuable?

6" is considered average.

 

[Knobgoblin]

6" is considered average.

You'd be packin on Jeju island.

Definitely underweight in most of the Caribbean tho.

 

[gclarkso]

Im not the first to mention it, but about the only knock l can make against the Blackhawk family of revolvers isn't even about Blackhawks (or Super Blackhawks)... it's the plow handle grip. I've got fairly big hands and, even though these (and most SAA "replicas") are upsized somewhat to account for modern-sized shooters, l have a helluva time keeping my grip on em.

The solution is easy, but exceptionally unattractive, imo... Pachmyer or Hogue rubber grips. I think they ruin the beautiful lines and silhouette of the guns, and l stupidly don't use them myself... but they do work.

Then there is the equally beautiful Bisley models... a better grip design, but sometimes harder to find.

I sold my .44 SBH years ago to finance a .454 Casull Super Redhawk, also now gone to fund some lesser piece... or maybe a house payment... who can remember such things...?

This is my pet .357 New Model. I have others, but this is my favorite. It's favored status could be displaced if l find an affordable .41. Also, a slippery little sucker w sweaty or oily hands.

View attachment 1339257
I really need to use that holster more... it needs some patina.

Back when Ruger didn't make a 4 5/8 SBH, I took a 7.5 incher and had it cut down. Then I replaced that god awful gripframe for an xr3red. To me, it's perfectly balanced. I'm having another one cut down and doing the same thing right now so I have a matched pair. The gun, gripframe, and smithing was still less than a Bisley or Vaquero (plus you still get adjustable sights).

The key about ammo is to reload. You can dail a .44 round down so it shoots like a .22. A ton of fun. Of course tou can still load it hot to where it'll let you know you set something off.

 

[solv3nt]

You'd be packin on Jeju island.

Definitely underweight in most of the Caribbean tho.

Why is it that you're so knowledgeable about average length in various parts of the world?

 

[Knobgoblin]

Why is it that you're so knowledgeable about average length in various parts of the world?

I love slutty chicks. They talk a lot

 

[Ura-Ki]

I love slutty chicks. They talk a lot

Hey, everything past the Muzzle is all braggin rights' RIGHT?

 

[Knobgoblin]

1977 , honest wear. Nobody's going to cry if I butcher this thing I reckon.

 

[Knobgoblin]

 

[sikhed]

Im not the first to mention it, but about the only knock l can make against the Blackhawk family of revolvers isn't even about Blackhawks (or Super Blackhawks)... it's the plow handle grip.

Understood. Although I own several plow handle grips (mainly on Colt and Remington repro percussions) I just am not fond of them. But especially am not fond of the mule ear like hammers on most single action revolvers. I've got average size hands and must shift my grip to cocktail them.
Not so with the Bisley or low spur hammers.
A bonus is that the low spur or Bisley hammers never seem to come with a plow grip

 

[sikhed]

LOL
Just proofread my previous post and it seems this site prohibits the use of (the old word) for rooster
It autocorrected the pulling back of a revolver hammer to: "cocktail"

 

[Knobgoblin]

Kock the hammer, it's time for act-shunnnn

 

[malakajim]

1977 , honest wear. Nobody's going to cry if I butcher this thing I reckon.

@gclarkso

So what's the results look like?