Talk me out of a Super Blackhawk please.

ontarget

I have had a number of Super Blackhawks over the years, including an early model that was like new, where the serial number was penciled in on the box. All of them were great revolvers; it's just that I really didn't have much use for a .44 Magnum so I sold or traded them off for other guns that I wanted.

Currently I'm pretty well set with .45 Colts (though there's always room for more), and I would like to add another .44 Special and maybe a Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Magnum. Now this .44 Magnum may be a nice deal from a price perspective but if you don't really have a pressing need for it, chances are you're going to turn around and sell it or trade it in on something you would rather have.

So my advice would be to pass on the .44 Magnum and look for a .44 Special if that's what you really want.

Not going to try to talk you out of it. Everyone should have a .44 Mag and that is a good one.

There are 2 .44 special flat tops on gun broker right now...

Not going to try to talk you into or out of the BH.

My issue is 'Why are you using Gunbroker as a price guide?'

I never talk anyone out of anything that they really want to do. It’s not my place. How would you feel about me if I talked you out of it but you really wanted it, no, had to have it! You’d hate my guts!

No, I cannot have that on my conscience.

Buy it if you want to.

bihj said:

Not going to try to talk you into or out of the BH.

My issue is 'Why are you using Gunbroker as a price guide?'

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Seems as reasonable a place as any to research the going rates on a particular gun.

ontarget said:

So please talk me off the cliff.

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Obturation said:

Don't buy it, shooting big bore revolvers will wear out your joints and detatch your retinas . hasn't hurt me yet , but I mean, I guess it happens.

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Refer to my post in the thread called "Duplicates?" - I wrote how my wife used to run close to a thousand full-house 44 Magnum rounds a month through her Super Blackhawks back in our IHMSA days. What I didn't write about was how much the arthritis in my wife's right thumb joint bothers her nowadays.
Of course we don't know for sure that shooting those Super Blackhawks caused the arthritis, but we think that's what caused it. Not that it makes a lot of difference anyway. My wife and I share many fond memories of our IHMSA days (not to mention a shelf lined with trophies) and we'd probably just do it again. Besides, my wife's arthritis isn't that bad - all it does is restrict her from shooting handguns that kick much harder than a compact 380 ACP.

Considering how much I love my 4 5/8" SB, I really can't in good conscience try to talk you out of it. lol

Seriously, if you're dead set on a flat top in .44 Special, and you think you may not be as happy with the SB, then pass.
However, I shoot a lot of .44 Specials out of mine, and it is a pure joy. Very nice easy recoil and very accurate (probably because I'm not flinching).

I've said it before but my SBH is easily my favorite handgun. Well made, good looking and chambered in an extremely versatile cartridge. No handgun I own brings me greater joy in shooting or owning in general I'd say.

Can't talk you out of the flat top either though because those are awesome guns. Don't have one and may never but as far as I can tell my bases are covered with the sbh

ontarget said:

Stopped by a small gun shop in a town I am doing some work in and found a SBH 44 Mag. 4.5ish inch barrel. In about 80-85% condition. Some bluing wear near the muzzle but overall very nice.
I have absolutely no need for a 44 mag but I've had my eyes open for a flat top 44 Spc. lately.
Judging by the asking prices on GB this one is a steal at sub $500 price tag.
So please talk me off the cliff.

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Why?

It's your business. If you want it buy it, just don't borrow money for it.

That's all I've got.

Naw. You need to wait and get a .44 Special. Then you can overload it trying to make it more powerful.

If you want it buy it. Personally I enjoyed shooting mine for a while but I probably haven't shot it in 20 years so you may not get as much use out of it as you think. It's not a plinking gun at least with full power loads and despite its weight it's not a real comfortable gun to shoot especially with full power loads.

Real problem for me is The range I do most of my shooting at does not allow 44 magnums among other calibers because it has the potential to damage the backstop. I don't belong to an outdoor range anymore so I just don't have any place to shoot it.

If you have a place to shoot it you may well get more use out of it but I can tell you after shooting a box of even relatively light reloads in 44 Magnum your hand will feel it. I have found that under recoil the grip tends to shift in my hand so I'm constantly readjusting my hand. The grips are surprisingly small for such a big gun.

You'll shoot your eye out ! don't buy it. (let me know if that worked.)

NO!

My wife's hands are in terrible shape from arthritis and she has never shot one of my super black hawks and only shot one cylinder of 357 mag in my Dan Wesson. Don't let the arthritis thing scare you. My hands are perfectly fine except for a little finger that has a bum joint from arthritis but shooting guns certainly didn't contribute to it. It's a given that if you live long enough you are going to have arthritis, some people more than others. If you want it, go buy it. If, in the future, you become too feeble to shoot it then trade it for something more benign in the recoil department. Somebody will want it.

Tallinar said:

The most out of spec chamber throat to forcing cone revolver I’ve ever owned was a Super Blackhawk. Not saying that my experience is representative of all Super Blackhawks, but you’re asking to be talked out of it, so negative anecdotes are fair game.

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Yep. Every... Single.... Ruger revolver I've owned, I think at last count it was 8, and that includes a new .44SPC Flattop... have exhibited terrible accuracy, this including 3 7.5" models. Blackhawks, Bisleys, even my Single-Six... where I just took the rear sight off the frame and used the frame ears as the rear sight it shot so high.

I have 1 Ruger left, a 5.5" .45 Colt (old) Vaquero. No, it's not very accurate, but I sent the cylinder off to get reamed, so it's tolerable, now. It's just my knockabout pistol, anyway.

Thats $500 you won’t be spending on the gun you actually want

You're just getting sloppy seconds. Wait for the one that hasn't had some other guy's hands all over her.

ontarget said:

Talk me out of a Super Blackhawk please.

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Can't be done.

Lots of good advice here. Run, don’t walk....away from the .44 Mag. I had a BH in .45 Colt and for some unknown reason thought I needed a .44 Mag. I didn’t even have the excuse of “this one is a steal at sub $500 price tag”.

Well, that Red Hawk turned into 2 Red Hawks. Then an M77 showed up followed by a Deerfield Carbine. And let’s not forget the Henry or the two 329PDs and so forth.

Run Ontarget!!!! like your 401K depended on it....because it just might.

My SBH is one of my very favorite handguns!