Pistolsmith to Bisley-ize my Blackhawk?

My local gunsmith easily swapped a bisley frame and hammer onto my .475 Linebaugh Blackhawk conversion. What sort of work are you thinking?

Milt Morrison at Qualite Pistol and Revolver
if they're still around

It looks easy enough. I'd like to do this to my 44mag SBH at some point.

Hamilton Bowen

I am wanting to get my Blackhawk tuned up and a trigger job. He's who I want to send it to.
He's not cheap though, as quality work rarely is. So it may be a while before I'm able to do it.

drband said:

It looks easy enough. I'd like to do this to my 44mag SBH at some point.

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Here's a video of ron Power fitting a grip frame.

I went the other way, Bisley to Blackhawk. The mechanics are pretty much plug and play but you do need at least a new hammer and trigger. It is handy to replace a pin or two in the grip frame and the trigger spring as it is easier to install new than remove them from the old frame.

The grip frame does need to be worked to match the frame of the revolver. Filing and polishing and the such. Work slow so as to not take off too much material too fast. Check the fit frequently.

If it is a steel frame, it will need to be blued or finished in some other manner. I Duracoated mine.

Have the Ruger manual and some other reference material to aid in the disassembly and assembly of the grip frame. There are some tricks and hints that are needed to make the job easier.

It is not difficult if you are handy with tools. If not, any gunsmith familiar with Blackhawks should have no problems making the change.

RKRCPA said:

Here's a video of ron Power fitting a grip frame.

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What a great video! I'd have to work up some skills with files on scrap stainless stock before doing this, but it looks like it's possible. Thanks for sharing.

The Bisley frames from Brownells, midway, Ruger, etc are just a touch cleaner than raw castings, and do require fitting, sanding, and polishing, but it is nothing difficult for any gunsmith - ANY GUNSMITH - to accomplish. Or really, even any gun owner. Just a matter of progressive filing, sanding, and polishing to bring it from rough to gloss. I've done a bunch of Ruger grip frame swaps, would reckon over 20 of them in the last 5-6yrs alone. Whether I start with a raw casting or a take-off part, I almost always do the fitting and refinishing to make the grip panels fit up properly, so it all takes time, but none of it is actually difficult.

They are rough, quite rough. Even rougher than they used to be. If you want it to look like it was made that way, I'd suggest professional help. It's best to sand the grip frame to the receiver and that requires refinishing the whole gun. It won't be cheap but it will be right. I suggest Jack Huntington. Have him tune the action and whittle you some grips while he's at it. His grip work is among the best in the industry (think Fishpaw) but his prices are very affordable.

Everything Ruger builds is "rough" on the inside. I don't think they even have a de burr operation in their factory. Every single one I have worked on needed serious de burring ad cleanup work. Don't get me wrong here - Ruger builds very fine firearms at very reasonable prices. I own quite a few and like them very much. They just leave them full of burrs because "most" customers cannot tell the difference and they are attempting to keep the price down.

I had MagNaPort fit a Bisley grip frame hammer and trigger on my 44 Blackhawk very happy with their work.

Drail said:

Everything Ruger builds is "rough" on the inside. I don't think they even have a de burr operation in their factory. Every single one I have worked on needed serious de burring ad cleanup work. Don't get me wrong here - Ruger builds very fine firearms at very reasonable prices. I own quite a few and like them very much. They just leave them full of burrs because "most" customers cannot tell the difference and they are attempting to keep the price down.

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Apples and oranges. In this case, you are buying a raw part that has never been fitted or finished. The rough machine work has been done but that's it. They're rougher now than they were 20yrs ago.

Fruits and vegetables.....

Who makes Bisley grip frames that will fit Ruger Blackhawks?

Does Ruger not sell them to the public? Ron Power offered them for a while.

Here's one in stainless...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/69...ey-bisley-vaquero-large-frame-stainless-steel

and the steel version...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/62...bisley-vaquero-large-frame-steel-in-the-white

Midway & Brownells both sell them. I believe Brownells also stocks a Power Customs Colt-type grip frame for the large frame Rugers. (Remember it)

I had Andy Horvath of Diagonal Rd Gunshop in Lagrange, OH do mine. Fitted the metal, fitted the Hogue stocks to the gripframe, polished and blued everything and added a removable front sight blade as well. Did a trigger job too. Very reasonable and looks factory.

Gary reeder in Arizona. If it can be done to a pistol, he can do it. Quick turnarounds too, I gave him a mangled colt python to restore and expected him to call me in 6 months. 3 weeks later I got something back that looked better than factory.

I did my Super Blackhawk myself. Not as good a job as a smith might do, but I like it.

69Precision said:

Gary reeder in Arizona. If it can be done to a pistol, he can do it. Quick turnarounds too, I gave him a mangled colt python to restore and expected him to call me in 6 months. 3 weeks later I got something back that looked better than factory.

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Don't want to start a fight but I wouldn't let Reeder fix my lawnmower. Not only is he legendary for losing his cool, pitching a hissy fit on his forum and scaring off potential customers but his work is subpar as well. I've seen him go off on people asking if they can keep their own leftover parts. He over-polishes everything, his guns looking like there's a 700lb angry gorilla at the buffing wheel. His "engraving" is atrocious, not only distasteful but poorly executed. His five-shot conversions don't receive half the attention of other gunsmiths. No oversized cylinders, no opening of the frame window, no blocking of the action and no lineboring of the chambers. I figured out all of this before visiting his shop back in 2012. Where I looked at an old Colt Officer's Model Match that had been heavily polished over severe pitting and then he tried to cover up much of it with his hideous "engraving". It was shameful.

69Precision said:

If it can be done to a pistol, he can do it.

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That is just patently false. There's a handful of gunsmiths I could say that about, Reeder isn't one of them.