Accu Sport Blackhawk

[okiehunter123]

Acusport Blackhawk

I have what I believe is an AcuSport .41 magnum in stainless steel. In talking to Ruger, they said it left the factory blued with brass grip frame and couldn't explain it's current configuration. Does anyone know if Accu Sport would have manufactured and used an identical serial number to a Ruger factory gun? Ruger said I had a mystery on my hands.

 

[CraigC]

Acusport (one "c") is a distributor, not a manufacturer.

Something weird going on here. It has been a very long time since Ruger shipped any brass grip frames. What is commonly known as an "Acusport gun" is any of several distributor special stainless steel Bisleys with 5½" barrels and rollmarked cylinders. These guns were produced in .357, .41, .44Mag, .45Colt and later as .45 convertibles. If your gun matches this description, that's what it is. What information are you looking for?

 

[EddieNFL]

Paperwork error.

 

[okiehunter123]

Gun serial number is 40-21591, 6.5 inch barrel, stainless, "XR3" Alcoa grip frame, RUGER BLACKHAWK, .41 MAGNUM CAL. inscription but no engraving on cylinder. I was wrong about barrel length, it measures 6.5 inch not 5.5. Any info would be helpful.

 

[bannockburn]

According to Ruger's website, your serial number would place your gun as being built somewhere around 1972 to 1973. From 1962 to 1972, Ruger did build blued Blackhawks with brass frames but they are somewhat rare. The problem with your gun is that at that time, they were not building them out of stainless steel. It could be that Ruger later made a limited run of .41 Magnum Blackhawks for Acusport and somehow made a mistake with the serial numbers but that would seem unlikely. Why do you believe the gun is from Acusport Distributors?

Are you sure the gun is stainless, or could it have been hard chrome plated? Your description of the grip frame would make it aluminum; it could be possible that the original brass frame was replaced with an aluminum one and the gun was later plated.

 

[okiehunter123]

Thanks for info. I will post pics today. The finish is identical to other factory stainless finishes I've seen or I would think it had been plated.

 

[Red Cent]

"Redesigned and replaced the original 1953 XR3 frame, marked “XR3-RED,” also had the maker, “Alcoa,” on early frames. Used on Single-Six, Super Single-Six, Blackhawk, Hawkeye, Old Army. Hawkeye frame had wider trigger slot to accommodate Super Blackhawk trigger."

 

[okiehunter123]

hERE ARE A FEW PICS.

 

[okiehunter123]

Someone tried to PM me but I lost it somehow. Resend PM if you want, didn't catch the name.

 

[CraigC]

That's an Old Model, looks like hard chrome. Definitely not stainless. Old Models were not produced from stainless steel.

 

[okiehunter123]

a few more pics.

 

[CraigC]

Trust me, it's plated. Even if it were not for the fact that Old Models were not made in stainless steel, the "silver" front sight is a dead giveaway.

 

[Red Cent]

Ruger used SS for the Blackhawk series starting in 1972.

"......built somewhere around 1972 to 1973."

Ruger redesigned the three screw to the 2 pin w/transfer bar and some were produced in stainless steel. The last of the 3 screws was in 1972.

Chance it could be stainless.

 

[BlkHawk73]

Played the Ruger game a looong time and have yet to hear of ANY stainless "Old Models". For the OP, go over and ask at RugerForum.com - if anyone knows, the folks there surely will.

 

[CraigC]

Chance it could be stainless.

If so it will be one of the rarest Rugers in existence. As I've said three times now, NO STAINLESS OLD MODELS!!! Also again, it will also be the only Ruger Blackhawk in existence with an all stainless front sight.