Looking at a Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt, 5.5" SA

I've got one and love it. The Blackhawk is a woods gun -- I carry mine while riding or hiking in the woods.

What am I missing in the SA world?

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Howdy

No idea what that question is supposed to mean.

I bought my 45 Colt/45 ACP Blackhawk back in 1975. Never regretted it. It cost $150 brand-spanky new. Don't expect to pay that price today.

I have a lot of handguns, practically every style and caliber there is. I go shooting often. My favorite handguns to shoot are unquestionably my Ruger single actions. I love the feel of the plow handle grip, the way the recoil rolls up, the nice sights, the excellent accuracy, and so on and so forth. Your only regret will be not getting one sooner.

I love blackhawks. Here is a new model blackhawk in .44 special. Lipsey's flattop bisley 4.5" with a pair of Tim's grips in maple.

Every 'Merican male needs a SA revolver in .45 Colt. It's in our blood, it's in our genetics!

Yes, you need to buy it!

About 3 months ago I bought my first single action. It was a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in 45 Colt. I absolutely love shooting it, and it will not be my last single action, and likely not my last Ruger in 45 Colt. From the first shot I was all grins. They are really a sweet shooting handgun. I feel like I've discovered something that I had been missing all these years.

Jeff


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Howdy Again

Here is a little eye candy, my 2nd Gen Colts.

My question pertained to the fact that I have never shot a SA revolver before. I like the "concept".
Would like to give it a try, given that I shoot most of my DAs in a SA fashion................Looking for something new. Are SA-only more fun than a DA?

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Entirely in the eye of the beholder, or something like that.

I must confess, I am a Cowboy Action Shooter and I have quite a few Single Action Revolvers, Colts, Rugers and some antique Smith and Wessons. Frankly, I seldom take one of my single actions to the range because I usually shoot them with Black Powder, and I am too lazy to clean them after every trip to the range. So my single actions usually get shot only at matches. But every time I take a double action revolver to the range, the most enjoyable thing to me is knocking a tin can around at the 25 yard berm single action. Just last week I had a ball knocking a tin can around with a K-38 from 1950.

P.S. Unique is a terrific powder for 45 Colt (if you insist on shooting Smokeless ) I prefer it because it bulks up pretty well in the huge 45 Colt case and does not leave as much empty airspace as many other powders do.

I've got the 5.5" 45 convertable. Makes 45 acp feel like a puppy pushing against your hand for a scritch. Mine Makes it out for a shoot maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Colt cowbow loads have a little more uumph than 45 acp, but you can still shoot them for hours. Now 45 Colt +P can start to get interesting.

There are plenty of good reasons why Ruger has been able to sell them for a bunch of decades.

If you do get it, spend a little bit on a Triple K hooster and belt. They are serviceable, but nothing fancy, and you'll be able to trot around the range with a real rig.

it is possible that single actions are more fun than any other action.

Cheesemaker

While I don't have a Blackhawk in .45 Colt (yet), I do have a couple in .357 and .44 Special. Great guns; both are extremely reliable, accurate, and just plain fun to shoot!

I do have several other single actions in .45 Colt: a Ruger Vaquero, a Beretta Stampede, and an EMF Hartford U.S. Cavalry model. They all go perfectly with my Rossi Model 92 carbine, which is also in .45 Colt, and make for a great deal of shooting enjoyment every time I go to the range.

For a defense gun, I think I'd rather have a DA, but for range use, plinking, or whatever, I seem to always grab a SA from the safe. Something about loading one at a time through a gate, and the feel of the SA is just different in an appealing way. And the accuracy is awesome. My .45 convertible is one of the most dead-nuts accurate guns I have, and that's saying something when it stacks up against a S&W Performance Center 627. Try one. If you're anything like me, you'll have two or three or six before long.

Are SA-only more fun than a DA?

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They are to me. Which is probably why I own 40 single actions and only 13 double actions. I just spent untold thousands on a custom single action .500 with engraving, ivory and Turnbull finishes. I'd never do that for a double action.

Cheesemaker

Really strongly disliked the cheap black plastic stocks that came with my Flattop Blackhawk. Immediately ordered a pair of Ruger's rosewood grips until I could find something better, which I did with a set of American Holly grips from Private's Custom Grips. Looks like ivory, fit my gun perfectly (and without my having to ship the frame to him), looks great with the Ruger medallion, and were very reasonably priced.

Have a Blackhawk Bisley convertible. The 5.5" barrel is perfect for a carry gun. Accurate & just a lot of fun to shoot with either 45LC or 45 acp.

Let us know how you like it.

I have had a Blackhawk convertible 45 Colt 45 ACP 5 1/2 for a while now and it is one fine fun toy! Brought out one time on range among some young fellas with their Glocks and whatnot and got grief for it...until a couple of them shot it and said WOO this is fun!

If (ie. when) I ever get another revolver, it will be a SA Ruger, either 45Colt (which I already reload for) or .357. I miss shooting/reloading for .357.

I let my very first firearm, a S&W 586, get away from me about 15 years ago... only firearm I ever regretted selling . I almost always shot it SA rather than double. It was a tackdriver. I think getting a SA revolver makes most sense, especially if it's not going to be a primary defensive handgun.

I have a 7.5" Ruger New Model Super Blackhawk, bought new in 1980. It truly is one of the very last guns I would part with. Tough, extremely accurate, action work, undercut front sight, has handsome bluing and wears the ugliest set of Pachmyers made. I prefer it just the way it is. To me it is a sporting, recreation and hunting tool. It is quite competitive in Hunters Pistol Silhouette.

I don't shoot it often, typically at the onset of hunting preparation, occasionally for a therapeutic range session. Never had to rezero it and am very confident with it.

I have had a Blackhawk convertible 45 Colt 45 ACP 5 1/2 for a while now and it is one fine fun toy! Brought out one time on range among some young fellas with their Glocks and whatnot and got grief for it...until a couple of them shot it and said WOO this is fun!

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Everybody at my club knows I am the guy who shoots old revolvers. Some of them are really old.

Like this:





Or this:




The Glock guys are usually curious to see what I am shooting, some of them have never seen such things before. If I have enough ammo I always ask them if they want to try them. They usually say yes and they are usually amazed at how great the old revolvers are. Most of them have never seen a cartridge revolver firing Black Powder before either.

Not a revolver, but just last week I was shooting an old Winchester '94 made just before WWII. I had plenty of ammo, and everyone wanted to try it.