Blackhawk differences..?

[azmark]

I've been reading in other forums about people's experiences with their Blackhawks.  It seems that folks find their .44 caliber guns to be their most accurate.  I assume these are all Super Blackhawks.  Do you guys here find that the SBH seems to be more accurate than the smaller-framed variety?  Are there design differences that would account for this?

[BlkHawk73]

  For years, the .45 cal Blackhawks had undersized throats which in theory would effect accuracy.  I find mine shoot great.  The SBH and BH's use the same cylinder frame and aside from some being unfluted, the cylinders are the same as well.  Grip frames differ.

[azmark]

I do like the versatility in possible loads of the .45 Colt but from what I've read, people generally seem to have problems with the cylinder throats.  Also, it seems that the smaller frame size would make the .45 a little 'handier' than the SBH for a big-bore gun. 

Nobody seems to talk much about the .357 model; I guess it's not as popular as the big-bores.

[BlkHawk73]

 

Also, it seems that the smaller frame size would make the .45 a little 'handier' than the SBH for a big-bore gun. 

  Ahhhh, with the NM flat tops being the exception, all those NM .45 cal Blackhawks have the same sized frame as the SBHs.  The New Vaquero uses the medium sized frame and is available in .45 caliber but all those  .45 BH's and .44 mag SBH's are the same size.

[azmark]

What you said about the frame size made me curious, so I checked the Ruger website.  The overall length of the SBH and the .45 Blackhawk are 1/8 inch longer than the .357 Blackhawk.  Interesting.

[BlkHawk73]

  All of which are appox.      Regardless, a 1/8 of an inch is pretty negligible isn't it?  Even ounces isn't a big deal IMO.  If "handy" is what you're looking for, it's not difficult to swap parts around amongst the Ruger SA's to get the configuration you'd want.   I'd choose a chambering first.  One more suited for your requirements and then see what platforms in that chambering work for you.  With these Ruger's it's a pretty broad choice.  Pick, chambering, pick finish and then bbl length. 

[azmark]

The chambering is the hardest decision.  I already have a GP100, so another .357 could share ammo.  45 Colt has a coolness factor all its own, plus my wife really wants a Taurus Judge so that would be 2 in a common caliber there if we each got a new gun.  Of course, the .44 speaks for itself...except shooting 44 mag isn't my idea of fun after the first few shots.

Luckily I've got plenty of time to think about it.

[bluecow]

azmark  the 44 can be loads of fun.  we all get into the drity harry thinking.  its a 44 mag so its got to be pushed to the limit every time the hammer falls.  get off the gas and slow her down,  we all shoot 38s in a 357 why not the 44spl in 44 mag?  seems like we all forget the 44spl unless we are hot rodding that for hunting.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Blue, you have mentioned something that to me is very important. It is quite possible to get 1000 fps. loads for most pistols. Lighter pleasant to shoot loads that really do 99 percent of all we do with our handguns. But for the 44 mag. a light pleasant load is almost impossible to loacate. Sure we can use .44 spl. brass and that is mostly what I have gone to in my S & W's. It shoots well, and hits as hard as I need for most of my shooting. But for some reason the loading books do not list many if any current loads at about 1000 fps. for the mag. case. Especially with jacketed bullets. I have a pal that is a very knowledgeable shooter, infact he is one of the top custom pistolsmiths in the country. While he makes many very powerful handguns, his favorite is a .45 Colt. Often in an S & W. He feels a cast bullet at 850 fps. is enough for the game he hunts in Wy. Now he does have a heavy load for traveling in grizzly country. But he told me the 850 fps load would shoot though both sides of an elk like it was cheese. Elmer wanted the 1200 fps. load for the .44 to make long range shooting easier, but most of us long shots at rock are  fun, but not something we would feel comfortable doing on game. Most of the game I took with a handgun was just a fairly warm 44 spl. load.

[Travis Morgan]

I do like the versatility in possible loads of the .45 Colt but from what I've read, people generally seem to have problems with the cylinder throats.  Also, it seems that the smaller frame size would make the .45 a little 'handier' than the SBH for a big-bore gun. 

Nobody seems to talk much about the .357 model; I guess it's not as popular as the big-bores.

.357's just aren't as interesting to me; I finally came up with two loads that make it more fun than just the factory loading. Before those, I just shot a few rounds out of it now and again to not feel guilty about never shooting it.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

az, Over the years I have fooled with quite a few Blackhawks. Many were 357's several have been very accurate. One of my favorites was a  4 5/8's inch model that I shot very heavy .38's out of. I remember it as being the most accurate of all Blackhawks I have every owned, and over the years it has been a bunch. I still own only one Blackhawk and it is a .357 that belonged to a friend who has passed on. Mostly these days, I have switched to S & W's. I just shoot them better.

[blhof]

I used to hunt with a 357, but carried some 38 wad cutters for small game and snakes.  Out to 20 yds the wc's got more game than any gun I got.  It took squirrels, rabbits possum, armadillos, a few rats and even a small pig.  The 40 or so lb. pig was a surprise while following a rabbit, it jumped squealed and became a freezer wt.  I placed a low behind shoulder shot from 10yds and it dropped, no exit hole, but dead.  The wc's are very accurate in my pistol and extremely pleasant to shoot.  If it hadn't been so close, I wouldn't have ventured the shot, but it did work.

[Tallwalker]

The Blackhawk, and Super Blackhawk cylinder frames are the same. Slight differences in overall length come perhaps from the different grip frames offered. Cylinder lengths are different for each caliber however with the smaller calibers being shorter. That is done so that if someone has two guns apart for cleaning at the same time, the cylinder with the larger caliber chambers can't be put into a gun with smaller barrel dimensions by mistake. The new Vaquero's, Anniversary models, and the Flat Top .44 Specials are smaller, and I can't tell you for sure if the Flat top frame is the same size as the New Vaquero, or not since I have retired. The Blackhawks have aluminum grip frames, and ejector rod housings which makes them lighter, if less desireable in the eyes of some. A 41 mag, or .45 Colt in the Blackhawk weighs about the same as a K frame Smith, or lighter than your GP-100.

[Travis Morgan]

Hollow based wadcutters loaded upside down are supposed to be awesome for one shot stops from a revolver. I've been intending to load some up for my .357 for some time, just for that use. If I move to Montana this summer, they'll probably be tested on porcupines; they oughta be perfect for that use.