4 5/8 Super Blackhawk too short?

Status
Not open for further replies.
coondogger

coondogger

Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
552
I'm thinking of getting a Super Blackhawk in 44 mag. I would prefer a 4 5/8 barrel; easier and lighter to carry. And I'll be using 44 spl in it at the range. But I might want to carry it with 44 mag. Is that short barrel too uncomfortable to run 44 mag through?
 
Long barrels/sight radius make them easier to shoot more accurately. The muzzle blast is further away , but not really much help. Buy what you like.
 
Most of my single action revolvers have 5 1/2" barrels which I think is a pretty decent length. Aesthetically speaking though I really like the 4 5/8" length.
 
I have 4 5/8 in 45 colt.. great length to carry. Heavy loasds are very manageable. I have no reason to think that a 44 mag would be much different
 
I have a Super Blackhawk .44 4/58" and the recoil is stout but controllable .

Were I do it again I would try to find one with the Bisley configuration/grip, although I might have to do some custom work to get it. The alternative is to buy the parts and convert the revolver I have.
 
I bought a Ruger Blackhawk .357 almost 50 years ago, 6.5 inch barrel. Have wished ever since I'd got the 4 5/8 barrel because I'm a short guy and the longer barrel is just unhandy to carry. I don't shoot .44 magnum much, but I'd get the short barrel. Just me.
 
My thinking is that if you're going to cary a 4 5/8" might as well get the .44 Special Flat Top. In .44 Magnum, I prefer the 7 1/2" barrel to get full benefit of the .44 Magnum round.

In 4 5/8" length, there is not really that much difference in a full power magnum load than a heavy .44 Special load, other than blast and muzzle flash, which while impressive, offers little in the way of performance.

Bob Wright
 
I bought a Ruger Blackhawk .357 almost 50 years ago, 6.5 inch barrel. Have wished ever since I'd got the 4 5/8 barrel because I'm a short guy and the longer barrel is just unhandy to carry. I don't shoot .44 magnum much, but I'd get the short barrel. Just me.
Click to expand...

While not something you would try to conceal, have you tried carrying cross draw? With the exception of a couple shoulder rigs, that's how I carry anything longer than 4 5/8".
 
BobWright said:
In 4 5/8" length, there is not really that much difference in a full power magnum load than a heavy .44 Special load, other than blast and muzzle flash, which while impressive, offers little in the way of performance.
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell a 4" .44mag will throw a 225-240gr bullet at about 1200fps. A .44 special will throw a 200gr at about 900fps. 300fps difference.

A 7" .44 mag will throw the same 225-240gr bullets at around 1400fps. 200fps faster than the 4".

The difference between 4" special and magnum is greater than the difference between 4" and 7" magnum.

It sounds like the OP's idea was to normally use specials or special level loads, but have the magnum capability in reserve. Being able to tap an extra 300fps is nothing to sneeze at.

Numbers from BBTI.
 
Not Magnum Power, but when shooting CAS I started out with a 7.5" .44 Special SAA.
I thought the 4.75" "civilian" barrel looked kewl, so I had one put on. I shot it one season and the next year had the 7.5" put back on. Less style, longer draw, but more accurate.

A friend shoots all 5.5" "artillery" barrels and does very well.
 
4 5/8 Super Blackhawk too short?
I'm thinking of getting a Super Blackhawk in 44 mag. I would prefer a 4 5/8 barrel; easier and lighter to carry. And I'll be using 44 spl in it at the range. But I might want to carry it with 44 mag. Is that short barrel too uncomfortable to run 44 mag through?
Click to expand...

In reviewing the OP, I would say that yeah, "uncomfortable" for sure, but it's a 44 Magnum. The punishment a gun can deliver at full power should not be a deal breaker, when it is not firing a load you would routinely shoot. I would concur with preferring a 44 S&W Special Flat Top for routinely shooting 44 S&W Special. That round can be amped up to serve a number of purposes. But to maintain a 44 Magnum option, the 4 5/8" SBH should serve very well. I like a gun short enough to carry, if necessary, but range fun or hunting guns like my NMBH Flat Top 6.5" 41 Magnum still have a place, and I am keeping them. That is holstered up to be a cross draw. The longer guns are too much to carry strong side unless open carried, low ride, so you can reasonably clear the holster on the draw.
 
Ed Ames:

As far as I can tell a 4" .44mag will throw a 225-240gr bullet at about 1200fps. A .44 special will throw a 200gr at about 900fps. 300fps difference.
Click to expand...

My .44 Magnums get around 1200 f.p.s. from a 4" barrel, factory loads. I easily get 1200 f.p.s. with a 240 SWC from my 4 5/8" .44 Special, though most of my Special handloads run in the 950 f.p.s. range.

The OP was referring to the shorter barrels. As I stated, I can get near magnum performance from a .44 Special, with less blast and flash.

And, using the lighter bullets, of 180 gr. ~200 gr. vicinity, in a 7 1/2" barrel, the .44 Magnum is velocity champion at velocities rangeing just over 1700 f.p.s.

Bob Wright
 
I wouldn't tote around a 7.5" gun just to get those extra FPS. If you want all the FPS, get a 24" levergun.

With a 4.5" gun, yeah, you will give up some velocity on the lighter end of the spectrum. But if a 240gr bullet at 1200fps is not enough power for you, going to 240gr at 1400fps is probably not the fix you need. I'd go more towards a heavier bullet like a 300gr+. And the nice thing about heavy bullet loads is that they tend to be less affected than their lighter counterparts when fired from a short barrel since there is less powder to burn and more time to burn it when fired. They also don't rely on high velocity to do their work.
 
I have both 4 5/8"" and 7.5" Super Blackhawks in .44mag. The 4 5/8" points better for me. The 7.5" is a little front heavy, but shoots better and has a long enough barrel to hunt in Ohio. YMMV
 
For carry, I prefer the 4 5/8" guns. I had a 5 1/2" Super and had it cut to 4 5/8", as I liked them better and had holsters I liked.

Most of the longer guns I've had rarely get carried if a shorter one was available, most of mine were traded off or cut down. A 4" Smith 29 or 4 5/8" Ruger are about perfect all around for me. Very nice to carry.
 
I bought a 629-3 S&W Classic 6.5" but the thing was so nose heavy I didn't enjoy shooting it. I had the barrel shortened to right at 4.5" and it has suffered no loss of accuracy at all and it is now a real joy to shoot. I really like barrels under 5". I think you will really like the 4 5/8" barrel.
Stu
pymh4j6.jpg
 
Lots of mention of longer barreled guns being nose heavy, but in working with my longer barrels I find I just need to practice with the gun more. If most of my carry and shooting is with shorter barreled, more balanced guns, these barrel lengths that get more performance are going to feel odd. I have a couple at 6", one at 6.5", and one at 8 3/8" with scope. I missed 7.5" but might get a Uberti Outlaw in that length, since I like my 5.5"" so much (44-40).

I have a 629-1, 6" and a 629 Classic, 5". The 5" gun seems so right to me and makes me look like a better shot than with other guns.
 
I like my 4 5/8 inch Blackhawk in 45LC for boony banging down here in the SW. The first two chambers I have shot shells in for snakes and the next four Ruger/TC Contender only handloads for two and four legged critters that would be a problem. That length is great if you want to carry it.
 
I tend to gravitate toward sub 5" barrels for carry. For me, I don't think the extra performance would outweigh the inconvenience of the longer barrel. I have a 6.5" .357 Blackhawk, and while I love it, will never give it up, and would certainly probably pick it as a hunting revolver, it gets next to no action. Sits in the cabinet and usually only comes out when I have gun-less buddies go with me to the range since it's a total pussycat when you shoot .38 out of it.

My next blackhawk is going to be 4 5/8". Love that length on my Vaquero.
 
Yeah, I'll probably go with the Super Blackhawk.
It's a little more substantial (particularly in the grip) and certainly less crowded behind the trigger guard.

LGS is selling one for $610. I might shop around a bit.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
Curious about folks pros/cons on the 41 vs 44 Sp or even 45 LC.
2 3
Replies
69
Views
4K
CraigC
CraigC
S
  • Locked
Ruger SBH, .45Colt, 4 5/8"
Replies
8
Views
711
saltydog452
S
I
  • Locked
New Ruger .44 Super Blackhawk
Replies
15
Views
1K
no.5enfield
N
F
  • Locked
Ruger Bisley Coversion?
Replies
7
Views
826
winter1857
W
.455_Hunter
  • Locked
What to buy- .45 Colt Blackhawk or .44 Mag Super Blackhawk?
Replies
19
Views
1K
BlkHawk73
B
Back
Top