Accuracy of Ruger Blackhawk convertible in 45 acp?

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chiltech500

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Can anyone comment on the accuracy of the Ruger Blackhawk new model that you can switch cylinders - 45 acp or the original 45 long colt?

I am talking about NRA Bullsye accuracy to 25 yards lets say.

Thanks in advance!
 
More accurate than I am.

In all seriousness most Rugers seem to shoot 45colts into about 2.5" to 3" groups at 25yards and typically the 45autos slightly better.
 
Not accurate enough for me to keep the gun. I envisioned shooting mainly 45 ACP for plinking, and having the option of 45 Colt loaded a little on the warm side. Mine was decent with 45 Colt ammo. Not acceptable with 45 ACP. It went down the road.
 
Never saw the attraction of having a .45 ACP cylinder for a .45 Colt revolver. Simply no problem downloading the .45 Colt case to produce .45 ACP level loads.

Don
 
USSR said:
Never saw the attraction of having a .45 ACP cylinder for a .45 Colt revolver. Simply no problem downloading the .45 Colt case to produce .45 ACP level loads.

Don
Click to expand...
Having about 700-800 .45acp LSWC rounds since I sold my 1911 made it an attractive option for me.
 
MY RUGER OM 4 5/8" 45/45 took the first six 45ACP handloads I ever put through it at 25 yards and precisely removed the X from inside the X-ring. The group was about the size of a quarter dead center where the X-ring had been. THAT was all the load develope work I ever did with that Sa pistol in that 45ACP caliber.
The bullet was the Lyman 452460 that I cast myself and I ran it at 975fps from 7.0grs on UNIQUE.
THAT was 43 years ago and still I have not seen any 1911 pistol that will shoot anywhere like that that Ruger blackhawk 45ACP.
BUT...my COLT SAA 4 3/4" 45ACP is damn near as accurate with it's much less clear sight picture.
And so it goes...
 
I'm 66 and have been loading and shooting since I was a teenager. THE most accurate handgun I've ever owned is a 4.5 inch Blackhawk in 45Colt. 25 yard groups off sandbags are consistently one inch with hand loads.
 
I have a couple of .45 Colt NMBHs with .45 ACP cylinders. Just like the .45 Colt cylinders, my .45ACP cylinder throats were too tight. After reaming they are very accurate.
 
Had the Ruger convertable & S&W revolver in 45 acp. The Series 70N Gold Cup would out shoot both of them using cast lead. Put your money in a SBH 44 mag.
 
I don't think you can get the full accuracy with acp in a revolver. Jump to the forcing cone is not as good. There is also a reason revolvers have mostly been replaced in Bullseye competition. Shooting them accurately is a different skill set.
 
Mine is very accurate, but I should mention that I've firelapped the barrel too. Pretty much all Ruger .45 single actions have two issues, one is a restriction in the barrel right around where the barrel meets the frame and secondly, most all of the cylinder throats are undersized, which causes sub par accuracy.

Ream the cylinder throats and fire lapp out the barrel restriction and a Ruger SA .45 will shoot one hole groups at 25yds, even with the ACP cylinder. As is from the factory, no so much generally speaking.
 
These are fantastic replies. If I can read between the lines and make an educated assumption based on comments above, I would warrant that the older Rugers/Blackhaks were better made and more accurate than the current versions.

I reason this because several folks who I believe, say their Blackhawks were the most accurate guns they ever owned and other folks who I also believe say the factory gun needs some work. Those comments about the throat (and I know very little about revolvers) I have read directed at the S&W 45 acp's as well.

As to why 45acp vs 45lc, I handload and will still load for my 1911's and I am merely looking to take a shortcut if harmless. OTH if the 45lc is more accurate then I would take the bother to load them (I think :))

I'm wondering about the difference between Rugers in S&W frame size. I shot a gents 45 colt revolver and found the grip and reach small/short, which is good because I have small hands. He said the Blackhawk was a similar gun just better.

Can anyone verify that remark? Thanks
 
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Sorry for my ignorance, what do these abbreviations mean as to current models? Thanks

MY RUGER OM 4 5/8"

BUT...my COLT SAA 4 3/4" 45AC

.45 Colt NMBHs with .45 ACP cylinders
 
ClemY said:
I have a couple of .45 Colt NMBHs with .45 ACP cylinders. Just like the .45 Colt cylinders, my .45ACP cylinder throats were too tight. After reaming they are very accurate.
Click to expand...
Did you buy the reamers or farm out the work? I'm trying to decide. After paying for the work and postage both ways, I could almost pay for the equipment from Brownells and do it myself, especially with 2 45 cylinders in the BH convertible. Any thoughts?
 
chiltech500 said:
Sorry for my ignorance, what do these abbreviations mean as to current models? Thanks
Click to expand...

MY RUGER OM 4 5/8": Old Model

BUT...my COLT SAA 4 3/4" 45AC: Single Action Army (Air Cooled?:))

.45 Colt NMBHs with .45 ACP cylinders: New Model BlackHawk

Numbers refer to barrel lengths in inches, which Shall Not be even numbers on Single Action Revolvers .

I do have a 5 1/4, which came with nice slim plastic grips. After initially thinking they would improve on the roundish wooden one, i found that they actually make the gun painful to shoot by leaving the frame's edges unprotected...:rolleyes: Due to primer shortage, the jury is still out regarding accuracy.
 
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I have an old Three Screw model 45LC Blackhawk Convertible with the 45 ACP Cylinder and a 7 1/2 barrel. I bought it in 1972, and have shot it 1000`s of times. The gun will shoot off a rest, a group the size of a golf ball at 25 yds. The 45 ACP Cylinder`s group will be about a 1 to 2 inches higher than the 45 LC Cylinder. But the accuracy and the size of the groups are about the same with both cylinders. This is my favorite, SA Ruger and I have several. It is a really a special gun to me, and one of my personel treasures. And I have carried this old gun many a mile Hunting or just out walking the river Plinking. And it still shoots as good now as it did the day I bought it 42 yrs ago.
ken
 
I bought one of the Lipsey's flat-tops in 45 convertible, I absolutely love it, and it hits! I haven't had the chance to work up a load for it yet, but I betting it is cable of 1" groups at 25 yards. I'm a cast boolit shooter, and this gun shoots lead very well, for whatever reason, and I'm not sure why, the barrel just doesn't lead, even around the forcing cone.

If you reload, you know .45 ACP cases are like 100 times more available than .45 Colt, and about 1/2 the price. Same for the loaded ammo, I really don't know how the cowboy shooters do it these days.

Anyway, I really like mine, and having the ACP option is icing on the cake. Ask any Model 25 shooter how they like theirs.

Have fun.

Dave
 
Mine is extremely accurate with the .45 acp cylinder. I load more .45 acp than .45 colt by far as I shoot 1911's and several other .45 acp pistols all the time.
I think the undersize cylinder bores is a function of Ruger's tooling wear and replacement practice, and it happens when the cutter is at the end of its life cycle. My gun does not have an issue the chamber mouths and barrel are in spec. I have shot some of the smallest groups with my convertible of any .45 acp I own. I highly recommend it if you reload and even more so if you do not as factory .45 acp is much less expensive than .45 colt.
 
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i have a newer convert blackhawk. maybe 4 or 5 years old. nice gun, good quality. but the cylinder throats are way undersized. very accurate with my home cast loads untill yu shoot about 10 of them, then it starts to lead badly at the forcing cone.

it can and will be fixed by simply reaming the cylinder throats to the proper dia.

just be aware of this prob.
 
Thanks, this is what I am gathering. Where do you guys get your cylinders reamed and barrels lapped as I am reading folks do.

I am not familiar with these terms/processes.

Thanks
 
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