D'oh!, why'd I go back to the gun store tonight....

[MacTech]

I stopped off at my local gunshop (Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine) tonight to see if they had any Hogue or Pachmahr grips for my GP100....

While I was there, I stopped off at the used handgun counter, specifically, the single-action counter, perusing the guns, I've always loved the crisp feel of a single-action trigger, I'm not really a fan of DA in either revolver or semi

As I scanned the guns in the counter, one called out to me....

a blued Ruger New Model Blackhawk, in .45 Long Colt/.45ACP!, it had nice ?maple? grips on it, and was in great shape, aside from the ubiquitous turn line that all revolvers get, lockup was solid, the trigger was light and crisp (and tasty ), it had the long 6" barrel, the grips were a *tad* short for my wide palms, but I also checked out a Pachmahr gripped .357 NMBH, and those grips fit better, so grips are really a non-issue here, it pointed well, not as truly instinctive as my GP, but that's probably because I have never shot a full-size SA revolver before and I'm probably not gripping it right....

I'm tempted by this NMBH, *seriously* tempted, to the point that I'm considering trading back my GP100 for the NMBH .45.....

the .45 has a lot of advantages to me, I love single-actions, I love the clicky noise the loading gate and cylinder makes when spun, heck, I even like the slower pace of one-at-a-time loading/unloading, takes me back to simpler times, but most importantly, the *REAL* reason I'm tempted by the NMBH......

I reload for my Kimber 1911 .45 ACP, which means I *ALREADY HAVE AMMO* for it, it also means I won't have to stock another caliber or two (.357/.38Spl), and considering that .357/.38 is *impossible* to find in my area, (KTP has bulk .38SPL +P but it's more than I want to pay, and i really prefer shooting .357 in a .357)

then again, I *love* how overbuilt the GP100 is, it looks and feels indestructible, it's modular and easy to break down for detail cleaning, and it's quicker to unload/load

that said, I'm seriously tempted by the NMBH .45

Which gun is more rugged/durable, the GP100 or the NMBH?

Advantages of the GP;
I already own it
Overbuilt construction
*this one* has a trigger that's smoother than a S&W 686 in both SA and DA
points naturally
Stainless

Disadvantages of the GP100
Ammo is difficult/impossible to find right now
.357 is a painful round to shoot (shockwave/muzzleblast and recoil), admittedly, I haven't shot the GP yet, but I have shot .357 in the Taurus 689 I used to have, that was an unpleasant experience
I have to stock two new calibers in my ammo stores

Advantages of the NMBH .45
I already have plenty of ammo for it (I reload .45ACP) and have a decent amount of components to build more ammo
I've heard good things about .45LC and would love to try it, all I'd need is a set of dies for my press to reload for .45LC
I love the clicky sounds it makes when loading and drawing the hammer back
SA is a simpler internal design, less to go wrong, easier to fix in the field/at the renge if something does go wrong

Disadvantages of the NMBH .45
I don't own one yet
Single action makes it less useful as a personal defense weapon, but that's what my 1911 would be for
6" barrel makes it hard to carry around just to have on me, but then again, the 1911 fills that role

since the GP100 would just be a range toy anyway, I think I'd have more fun with a range toy I can actually shoot, and have sufficient ammo stocks for....

So, trade the GP for the NMBH, or keep the GP, I'm not financially able to own both at the moment
Simply put, the only thing making me consider keeping the GP100 is the rugged, overbuilt feel of it, feels nigh-invulnerable

 

[Racinbob]

I'd vote for buying the Blackhawk AND a set of dies to reload .38/357. Now you'll have both. Bad idea??

 

[Gunfighter123]

I've owned more then one Ruger BH in 45LC/45acp ----- ALL of them have been VERY accurate and trouble-free ----- like you , I first got one to use up up "scrub " surplus and reloads in .45acp --- not very long after , I learned to love the .45LC ---- so much in fact , I hardly ever shoot either of my .44mags .



EDIT ---- I would do the trade !!!

 

[MacTech]

Right now, finances are not conducive to owning both, I went back to the shop this evening, tried the Blackhawk again, and fell in love, the SA trigger is just so bloody *crisp*, it's the proverbial "glass rod breaking", the grips are gorgeous, warm wood, and the .45ACP cylinder looked basically unfired, the .45LC was pretty clean as well

The grip fit me quite well, once I realized I was holding it too far down and my pinky was hanging off the butt of the grip, once I shifted my grip up, it settled in naturally and pointed dead-on, the balance was nice and neutral

So, I made the trade, and I'm happy, I *always* wanted a .45ACP revolver, in fact, had I seen this gun when I was looking at the GP100, I would have chosen this one in the first place anyway

this gun even came in the original yellow and black box, with the original Ruger grips, and the spare cylinder in a little red bag inside a Ruger box, the only thing missing from the box was the owners manual

I have shot Single Action before, and I've always loved it, I had lots of fun with Dad's Single Six growing up as a child, it was rare when he'd let me shoot it, so it was always a treat, he doesn't shoot it much anymore, and I'm a grown man now, but the Ruger Single action has always reminded of happy summer days on the farm in Maine, plinking at tin cans, or punchin' paper targets on our little .22 range out in the woodlot

The timeless design and simplicity of the Ruger Single Action has always had a special place in my heart, the GP100 was a nice revolver, but it just felt like nothing more than a "tool" designed for slinging lead at high speeds

I know I'll eventually end up with a GP100, as they *are* nice guns, but right now, the Blackhawk is just a more practical revolver for my purposes

Besides, "Blackhawk" is just a cooler sounding name than the Alphabet Soup-esque "GP-100", that sounds more like a car name

 

[Quoheleth]

Nice gun; beautiful grips.

I've got the same thing in .41 Magnum, and the 6.5" barrel. Yep, a bit heavy & long for CCW/HD, but I guarantee (or, as Justin Wilson used to say, I gay-wron-tee) if someone hears those three clicks and can see, he'll know you're not running a bluf with a water pistol. If he's a man with any common sense, he'll lay down right there and be very still.

Good deal. Hope it is all you want it to be.

Q

 

[DC3-CVN-72]

I bought the same gun LNIB last year & love it ! made in 1983. Mine has a 7.5 in. bbl. It looks like yours dose to.

 

[Gunfighter123]

I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Good looking grips and it looks like the 7 1/2" brl. to me also.

 

[340PD]

I had a convertible Blackhawk and sold it. One of my more stupid decisions.

 

[Motodeficient]

Hello to a fellow Mainer

 

[jmortimer]

I favor single action Rugers and that is one nice gun. The .45 Colt is a beautiful caliber - load it light or hot it shoots bigger bullets at lower pressure than the .44. With the right ammunition it will take any game on earth. As for self defense, no one recommends a single action but if someone is a SASS nut then it would be a good choice as they shoot so much. Bob Munden the fast draw shooter could shoot any three men before they were even able to draw their gun let alone think about shooting back. it is all about practice.

 

[mesinge2]

I bought one in 44 magnum, and the weight being set toward the muzzle greatly helps with recoil; plus the 44 special is fun to shoot. I reload also, so I don't have to worry about expensive 44 special ammo.

Nice choice BTW. Instead of buying the GP-100 again down the road, you should buy the Security Six. I have found that they carry better.

Also, I think you'll like the name better.

They're nice guns:

View attachment 113727

 

[MacTech]

I just got back from the range, running some of my .45ACP reloads through my BH (5.1Gr Win231 under a Better Bullets 200Gr LSWC), and I can sum up my experiences quite succinctly....

I *LOVE* this gun!

This was the first time I had shot a big-bore single action revolver, I was expecting a whippy, strong recoil, much more of a handfull than my Kimber Custom II, after all, all that recoil energy from the cartridge isn't going into working the slide and loading the next round, that energy has to go *somewhere*.....

I loaded up six cartridges, took my place on the line, lined up my sights and..... *BLAM!*, the gun fired the cartridge, and smoothly *rolled* backwards and slightly up, it had the *push* of the 1911, but it also had a smooth controllable roll, no upwards snap, no whippy, torquey recoil, just a nice, natural, smooth push back with a slight upwards roll

It was also noticeably quieter than my 1911, I'm sure that the 2.5 extra inches of barrel has something to do with that (7.5" NMBH, 5" Kimber Custom II), it still had the throaty *BOOM* I love, but there was a noticeable lack of pressure/shockwave, if I could sum up the whole experience in one word, it would be *smooth*

I then fired off the next five cartridges, and made another pleasing discovery, without even trying too hard, the gun grouped incredibly well, four rounds through one ragged hole (20 feet) and two fliers, not bad for my first cylinder of cartridges

I then fired off the remainder of my reloads (about 30 rounds for this gun), and on a whim, I took the last six rounds I was going to put in the BH into my Kimber 1911, just to see how much of a difference there was....

Oh man, what a difference, the Kimber had a much more insistent, *sharper* push backwards, it actually had more felt recoil than the BH, even though it used the recoil energy to cycle the slide, and should, in theory, have *less* recoil, *amazing!*

I then used some of my lighter-loaded rounds from my original reloading session when I first got my press, 4.5Gr W231 under a 230Gr LRN, and moved out to the 25 foot line, the groups opened up a bit, but it was still quite accurate, especially for a new-to-me gun

I LOVE the whole experience of shooting single-action revolvers, and can definitely see more of them in my future

While I was shooting, one of my fellow shooters was shooting his passel of S&W .22 revolvers (a couple 6" barrels, a couple snubbies, and a Ruger Single Six), he asked what I was shooting, I let him look over the BH, he was intrigued with the fact that it shot .45ACP, so I let him try a couple cylinders full, he was as amazed as I was, how smooth, controllable and tame it was

He then let me try his six shot S&W 617, Oh man!, I fell in love with that beauty, the trigger was ball-bearing slick in both SA and DA, and I shot the *tightest* groups I have *EVER* shot in .22 with that gorgeous piece of shooting art, dime-sized groups, it pointed perfectly, balanced perfectly, and these dime-sized groups were shot in DA mode to boot!

I think I know what my next .22 revolver is going to be, if I can find a good used one, if I can find a 10 shot, i'll be trading in the Ruger Mark II bull towards it

So, to sum up, I *LOVE* big-bore singe actions, and I've fallen in love with my next .22 revolver

I'm starting to cool off on semiautos now, I'm not going to get rid of my Kimber Custom II, but I don't see adding any more semiautos to the collection, at least not in the near future

I think it's clear I'm a revolver guy at heart, it's good to be home

 

[The_Shootist]

Nods - my first handgun 12 yrs ago was a 6 shot 6" bbl 617. I still have it. Its a REAL keeper.