My Many Handgun Choices- Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

[Ala Dan]

Hello Again Guy's and/or Gals-

To my fellow forum members, I'm faced with a major decision on which
firearm should be next on my "want list". I would like to solict the help
of you fine folks too help me make that decision. I have kind'a slimed
the pick'ins down to three firearms, so tell me what U think:

a) Ruger Anniversary Blackhawk in .357 magnum caliber

b) Ruger Single-Six Convertible .22LR with .22 WMR cylinder

and, c) a Browning PRO-40 in .40 Smith & Wesson

or d) Don't buy any more handguns, just learn too shoot and enjoy what
I have.


This is not an easy decision for me. First, I could use a because I don't
currently own any single-action firearms. Then, I could use b to kind'a
compliment my fabulous Browning BuckMark that I'm so crazy about.
Also, there is choice c as I don't own any .40 Smith & Wesson caliber
weapons. Or d, just have fun with what GOD has blessed me with
already. All guns are NIB, and are available at my discounted price
for working for the greatest guy in the firearms business, this side
of the Mississippi River~! So, please help me out.

A little history, choices a and b would be strictly for fun- making up
for the "plastic cowboy guns" that my mom and dad would not let
me have growing up as a young child. In other words, it would fill
a void left by a childhood dream. OTOH, I have semi-auto's runn'in
out of the yang-yang; and don't really need another; especially
since I don't like .40 caliber weapons. But, the Browning PRO-40
has caught my eye as it has much sex appeal~! I like the
design, as its much like the SIG classic P-series self-loaders that
I'm so crazy about. So, please explain what you would do and
why~! Many thanks in advance.

 

[Matt King]

If I were you I would use the money to buy ammo for the guns that you already have.

You can never have too much ammunition.

 

[Srigs]

Option D would be what I would do and doing!

 

[Dienekes]

I have just about enough toys after 45 years of accumulating, and I appreciate (and use) the heck out of what I do have.

My wife bought me one of the 50th anniversary .357 flattops last year, and it is one nice gun--much nicer quality than we have seen out of Ruger in a long time. I think it warrants being an exception when you already have some good pieces. Don't think you could go wrong with one.

 

[Chief 101]

I think you need a Blackhawk in .357. Or, maybe the 22 caliber Single-Six. Chief

 

[PO2Hammer]

A.
I bought the anniversary Blackhawk in .357 about two months ago. It's hard, but I have to admit the sizzle is quickly fading out of that relationship.
-The trigger is lousy.
-The front sight is rounded over on the sides and is nothing but glare outdoors.
-The base pin pops out without warning. I was shooting some full power handloads and they were all over the place. To my horror I discover the rear of the cylinder was completely unsupported! Those rounds must have been fighting their way into the barrel.
-Overall accuracy is mediocre.
B.
I've always liked the Single Sixes FWIW.
C.
I own a Sig P226ST .40 so anything else might be a let down.
D.
No, that's impossible. There must always be another gun on the horizon.

 

[Jim March]

The 50th 357 Blackhawk is a good gun. I have "basically" the same thing, the Ruger New Vaquero in 357 which is the same frame/barrel/gripframe/cylinder but with fixed sights. Mine has been tweaked with a much better set of sights and a SuperBlackHawk lower-slung hammer:

I put a spring kit in that helped the trigger even more, and it also came with an increased-power spring for the crossbolt base pin latch, helping eliminate the "base pin jumping out" issue that affects a few of these. The spring kits are less than $20 and user-installable. (Note that my out-of-box trigger was quite good; I wanted the spring kit to reduce cocking stroke weight because the lower-slung SBH hammer has less leverage than the stock hammer, plus I wanted the improved crosspin spring.)

I also plan on scoring a Belt Mountain base pin to tighten the action and act as a second barrier to base-pin-jump. That's another cheapo ($25) user installable mod. As was the SBH hammer ($35 at Brownells).

Here's what's really neat about this series of guns:

On the "Old Vaquero" and other 44Mag-class Ruger SA frames (all blackhawks/superblackhawks from 1973 forward *except* for the 50th Anniversary 357), the cylinder bores are drilled on machines that do all six bores in one shot with six drill bits. At various times a machine will be set up with slightly different bore bits, leading to forcing cone differences between bores in the same cylinder.

Not that often mind you, most are OK. But sometimes there are "bad batches" noted over the years. John Linebaugh notes that some Ruger SAs ship with everything "still in tolerances" but in all the wrong directions, adding up to a mess that will never shoot right without expensive work such as a linebored custom cylinder.

The mid-frame guns like the New Vaq and 50th 357 get a new cylinder construction process. Only one drill bit is used per cylinder, with the cylinder spun six times to bring each into "battery". It's not the same as lineboring but it's closer.

Consistency between bores is higher with this new process and overall frame/cylinder consistency has been reported good with this series gun. I've only tested half a dozen factory loads in mine and have gotten 2" groups at 25yds reliably.

(In lineboring you mount the cylinder blank in the frame and drill the custom cylinder right through the barrel or barrel mounting threads in the frame with a special jig. Accuracy goes up. All Freedom Arms guns are linebored; it's about a grand to do it right on a Ruger which is why FA prices aren't actually all that bad for what you get!)

 

[bluto]

I say that d) is not an option. Especially considering that you're going to get a great deal on your choice.

a) Might make a great choice if you haven't already got a .357. But it sounds like it may need some work to make it "fun".

b) This sounds like the fun gun. You like .22 and this pistol gives you the option of .22WMR. Plus, you can fullfill your childhood dream of owning a cowboy six-gun that shoots pretty much like the ones I used to watch Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger use on the bad guys. I don't think it's gonna' keep pace with your BuckMark though.

c) I took a look at the Browning PRO-40 and it IS one sexy gun. I'm not much on the .40 either. But I do own 2 pistols in that caliber. I like shooting my Sig 226 in .40 and the PRO looks very similar. I also think it's good to have at least one pistol representing that popular caliber.

For me, the choice would be between b and c. I wish I had more tough decisions like this!

 

[Jim March]

"A" doesn't *usually* need help, although tiny bits of tuning go a long ways with these.

That smaller-framed Blackhawk is something special, something Ruger isn't producing any more of and claims they won't, that all new mid-frames will be fixed-sight Vaqueros instead of adjustable Blackhawks.

 

[1 LT MPC]

Why not buy all three?

 

[Pixsurguy]

Forget "D"

You can't go wrong with the Ruger Blackhawk, but my personal preferences run to a S&W M57 (.41 Mag) - the classic no-longer-made 8-3/8" like I used to have. :-(

While it may be true that you can never have too much ammunition, my firm (and fun) rule is that I can't have too many toys. So - go with A through and including C.


***********************

For sale cheap - French military rifle. Never fired and only dropped once.

 

[rbernie]

b) Ruger Single-Six Convertible .22LR with .22 WMR cylinder

That'd be my choice.

 

[lesjones]

I don't see the point of a single action, gate-loading .22. Part of the appeal of a .22 is the ability to shoot tons of cheap ammo. I've got a BuckMark and a NAA Black Widow. When I take the Black Widow to the range (which is rare) I shoot two or three cylinders through it and I'm done.

 

[Robereno]

Single Six



Hello, gee, my first post.

At 56 I’ve just started getting into handguns and I went with the Single Six as my first. I was looking for something for cheap target practice but that was also interesting (to me). I grew up on the old TV westerns so it was an easy choice. I went with an old model pre 1973 and am enjoying it immensely. Of course I’m already looking to my next purchase which will be an old S&W model 36. I love revolvers.

Now if I could just get used to shooting with these blasted bi-focals.

 

[jamz]

Welcome to THR, Robernero! New guy buys the beer and ammo, I'll take Guiness and .22LR for MY single six. Have fun with that 3-screw, and don't carry it with a round under the hammer!

Ala Dan: I don't know what to say. I used to respect you, look up to you. Now I learn that...that...you don't own a Single-Six!!! I thought everyone had to have one or you had to sit on the "hobby" side of the gun-nut fence.


Get the damn single six.

-James

 

[depicts]

Ala Dan, another vote for the Single Six here. I have it, and a New model .357 Blackhawk. The anniversary model is slimmer and lighter than the regular New Model .357, and I like it more, but the Single Six or Super Single Six is sort of a ZEN gun to me. The time it takes to load the cylinder and empty it one at a time allows my mind to get into my shooting. It slows me down, and I get some terrific accuracy from my Single Six. I've had it for 20 years, and I can hit anything I can see with it.

I very seldom use the .22 magnum cylinder, but it's there. After paying for a box or three of those shells, I went back to the .22 long rifle, and it does the job for me.

If you're hands aren't too big for the gun, you'll like it. Seems I've heard you say your a big guy. (I'm 5'3" so everyone's a big guy to me *S*) If that's the case you might like the New Model .357, but not the anniversary model.

Buy the way, after about two years of weekly shooting of my Super Single Six, it got so smooth, and I got so used to the trigger, it is like part of me. I dry fire it a lot, almost every day back when I got it. Can't say enough about them.

Bill

 

[gbran]

Single Six

I really enjoyed my Ruger .357 Blackhawk and will someday buy another, but I also like this Single Six. Do yerself a favor and get both.

 

[Ala Dan]

Many thanks folks for the good suggestions. Looks like the Ruger Single-Six
is winning by a large margin. I'll take a'bout a week, and make up my mind;
as there is NO need too be in a hurry. My current inventory is just about
evenly divided between semi-auto's and double-action revolvers; but I
don't have a single-action revolver to fill the gap. As for the slow, one
at a time gate loading .22LR; I think that would be just what I need, as
most of my range time is divided between teaching others and shooting.
Many years ago, I had a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible .357 magnum that
I use too shoot the heck out of; but after enjoying it for many moons, I
use it as trade bait on something else I wanted. If memory serves me
correctly, it was traded towards a 1959 era 2.5" Colt Python? Later on,
the Python developed bad timing problems; and once repaired, it would
never run the same so it was eventually traded off as well.

At any rate, I thank you all for your suggestions. I will take a few days
and hash it over, then make my decision. I will return with the verdict
once the deal is completed.

 

[Ala Dan]

OK Guy's (and or Gal's?)-

The votes were counted, and the decision is in. It came down to the
two Ruger's, the super single-six and the 50th anniversay Blackhawk.
Well, the 4-5/8" Blackhawk won out this time as it followed me home
this afternoon. I kind'a like the looks, the feel, and the quality of this
model. And besides, they arent going too be around forever~!

 

[22-rimfire]

I think life is all about fulfilling childhood dreams as you get older. Go for it!!!