Maybe a Bisley is the answer?

If you can stand the looks of them?

They handle heavy recoil better.

rc

if you have any interest in black powder, the 1858 new army grip is very comfortable in my opinion... something to consider. Most every single action on the market is based on the colt grip, or the bisley. Ruger had a few differences, there is a slight difference between the blackhawk/vaquero, and the new vaquero, but not much. good luck thou

I prefer the recoil of standard Blackhawks over the Bisleys. I like the roll.
With Bisleys the recoil is straight back into the hand.

The only single action grips I like on a big bore are the Bisley, and the grips on my Freedom Arms M83. Both allow for your whole hand to get on the grip, and both are more vertical than a traditional SAA grip frame. The FA does allow for a bit more roll than the Bisley, but that isn't bad thing with a .454 Casull since it allows some of the recoil to act in another direction. Both styles roll much less than a SAA grip frame, and for me are more comfortable to shoot.

I think the best of the single action revolvers are the originals--the cap and balls. I've been very impressed with the Colt Navy design and the Army. The recoil issue only starts arising with hotter smokeless loads. So one answer is to simply avoid hotter smokeless loads.

The revolver was designed to roll back in your hand to aid in cocking the hammer to fire the next round. It's supposed to be there and if you ever tried to shoot a SA revolver fast you will appreciate the hammer being right there and reachable by your thumb.

I haven't shot much of the standard grip, but I have a .45 Colt Bisley that handles Ruger loads quite comfortably in my opinion. I think the Bisleys are also heavier which helps dampen recoil.

Bisley

I have a Beretta Stampede Bisley..38/.357 ,4 5/8".I love it.

For most big bore shooters, yes, the Ruger Bisley is the answer. Most find it to be much more comfortable for dealing with heavy recoil than any other grip profile, with some preferring the FA 83. For me, with proper grips (factory grips are too thin and poorly shaped), it does not get any more comfortable than the Ruger Bisley. Which is probably why I have four of them with more to come.






The Colt Bisley design is very different. It takes some time to get used to but is also very comfortable, for me anyway. It is also very comfortable with the heavy Keith 1200fps .44Spl load. Here's a Uberti I shouldn't have let go.

The revolver was designed to roll back in your hand to aid in cocking the hammer to fire the next round.

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I have to strongly disagree with this oft-repeated sentiment. The sixgun should roll with your hand, not in it. It should not slide through your grip like a wet bar of soap. I've been shooting SA's for 26yrs, own nearly three dozen of them and have never had to shift my grip between shots or to reach the hammer. If it's sliding in your hand, tighten your grip. Your grip should be firm but not a white-knuckle death-grip.

CraigC said:

I have to strongly disagree with this oft-repeated sentiment. The sixgun should roll with your hand, not in it. It should not slide through your grip like a wet bar of soap. I've been shooting SA's for 26yrs, own nearly three dozen of them and have never had to shift my grip between shots or to reach the hammer. If it's sliding in your hand, tighten your grip. Your grip should be firm but not a white-knuckle death-grip.

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Who the hell said the revolver would "slide through your grip like a wet bar of soap" ???

Anyone who has shot one knows exactly what I meant. Play your word games using with and in somewhere else.

Anyone who has shot one knows exactly what I meant. Play your word games using with and in somewhere else.

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Don't get hostile, I'm not playing word games. I'm simply saying that your hand should roll upwards WITH the sixgun. The grip should not slide IN your hand. There's a BIG difference between the two and YES, I knew exactly what you meant, as I've heard it 100 times before.

If that's not what you meant, then maybe you need to be more clear. I can only assume that you meant what everybody else means when they use the EXACT same wording.

Just relax dude, we're talking about shooting single actions, not politics or religion.

Love my Bisley (Vaquero). Wish I had 4 or 5 of them like Craig. I like the plow handle types too, but the Ruger version of the Bisley grip and hammer just light my fire. It was my first revolver and still my favorite. It definitely don't roll.

Howdy

Gotta agree with Craig, when I fire a single action, if it is a heavy recoiler, I allow the gun to move my hand and raise my arm a bit at the elbow. I hold it firmly enough so that the gun does not slip in my hand, but I do not have a killer grip on it either.

I will add, I NEVER try to cram my entire hand onto the grip of a Single Action revolver. I ALWAYS allow my pinky to curl under the grip. (Been shooting them this way for over 40 years.) This accomplishes two things. First of all, it allows one to grip the gun a bit lower on the handle. Yeah, I know, everything you have always read says to grip it as high as possible. Cuts down on muzzle rise. But that is for semi-autos. Almost everybody I know who has tried firing a heavy recoiling SA revolver and tried to cram their entire hand onto the grip complains about their knuckle being whacked by the trigger guard. Here is the secret. If you grip low enough to allow the pinky to curl under the grip, that allows about 1/4" of space to appear between the rear of the trigger guard and the knuckle of your middle finger. That 1/4" of space will keep your knuckle safe from being whacked. Try it, you might like it. I can shoot a 45 Colt loaded with full house Black Powder loads this way all day long. No knuckle whacking.

When I first started loading 45 Colt with Black Powder I was convinced I needed a Bisley grip to contend with the heavy recoil. So I ran out and bought a Bisley Vaquero. Brought it to exactly one match and never shot it again. Just did not like it and I soon discovered that holding a plow handle grip the way I have just described I was not getting whacked anyway. Sold the Bisley, never looked back.

Except for this puppy. I always wanted a real Bisley. Bought this one last year. Made in 1908. A heck of a lot more fun to shoot than the Ruger version of the Bisley. But it does take some getting used to. This grip was originally designed as a target grip in the era when most target shooters held their pistols with a slightly bent elbow. With a slightly bent elbow this one points where you think. Hold it with a straight arm and it tends to point down a little bit.

To me it feels a lot like a DA revolver. A friend of mine who hunts with large caliber revolvers swears by the Ruger Bisley. I only shoot light to medium loads in my .44 Special Bisley Blackhawk.

CraigC said:

For most big bore shooters, yes, the Ruger Bisley is the answer. Most find it to be much more comfortable for dealing with heavy recoil than any other grip profile, with some preferring the FA 83. For me, with proper grips (factory grips are too thin and poorly shaped), it does not get any more comfortable than the Ruger Bisley. Which is probably why I have four of them with more to come.


The Colt Bisley design is very different. It takes some time to get used to but is also very comfortable, for me anyway. It is also very comfortable with the heavy Keith 1200fps .44Spl load. Here's a Uberti I shouldn't have let go.

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WHY did you sell that pistol?!?!? When I started CAS I wanted SO bad a pair of Uberti Bisley's in .44 Special; a 4 3/4" and a 5 1/2". My impatience finally caught with me and I bought a couple of standard SA's in .44 Special. Been having a BALL with them and lately have been shooting a 250 gr. SWC at 100 yds. Amazing how accurate a revolver designed 140 years ago can be.

To me, the Ruger Bisley's are Bisley's only in name as their grips are different than the original Colt's.

Craig, what load did you use for 1200 fps in the .44 Special? I've done some load development with the Lyman 429421 250 gr. SWC and working up with Blue Dot reached 1132 fps in the 5 1/2" and about 1100 in the 4 3/4". I put the project on the back burner because I found some really accurate lighter loads that I've been using for targets at 100 yds.

Beautiful revolver Driftwood. I have one exactly like it in a Uberti, but don't shoot .45 Colt, so it's languishing in the safe until a buyer comes along.

Didn't mean to hijack/redirect the thread....

35W

Beautiful revolver Driftwood. I have one exactly like it in a Uberti, but don't shoot .45 Colt, so it's languishing in the safe until a buyer comes along.

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Actually, this one is chambered for 44 Special. Not originally, there were no Colt Bisleys chambered for 44 Sp, this one was rebarreled and had a new cylinder fitted at some point. I usually shoot it with 44 Russians loaded with Black Powder.

Craig, what load did you use for 1200 fps in the .44 Special?

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I used the old standby Keith 2400 load.

If anybody is looking for .44Spl Colt-style Bisley replicas, Dixie Gun Works and Cimarron have them. I don't think any other importer carries them in .44Spl.

i don't think a bisley grip is the answer. i think mr. johnson has the answer in post# 14.

i shoot all my ruger single-action pistols that way (pinky finger under the grip). even my bearcat

i find the sights line up perfectly, the sight picture is not disturbed at the shot, and heavy recoil from full-house loads in my super blackhawk don't draw blood from my fingers.

and, if you use this grip all the time, it becomes natural right out of the holster. don't even have to think about it.

murf

For me, the standard SAA/Ruger XR3 grip (pinky under) is fine for loads up to 1200fps. I prefer it and the 1860 Army grip for mild to moderate loads. Move up to heavy .44Mag, .45Colt or anything bigger and the Bisley is vastly more comfortable. Again, for this shooter, no pinky under hold for grip frames long enough for all my digits like the Colt 1860, Colt and Ruger Bisleys or the Super Blackhawk.

Some folks are able to get comfortable with the pinky under hold, some are not. I've been shooting them since childhood so it's entirely natural for me.

Crag, that is a beautiful revolver. Is it hard chrome or electroless nickle or what?

Thanks! It's a satin nickel USFA Rodeo II in .38Spl.