Ruger .44 special flattop -

[mec]

The grips: The Lipsey's images i have see have these faux gutta percha grips but with the inset Phoenix medallion. Is this variation significant of anything?

 

[CraigC]

I've only seen those grips on the New Vaquero, not the flat-tops. Maybe a factory error?

 

[mec]

I've only seen those grips on the New Vaquero, not the flat-tops. Maybe a factory error?

THANKS
that puts you one jump ahead of me. These are the only ones Ive seen. Suspect they were on the Vacs to make them appear more Country /Western like the old Colt grips. This one was at a local dealer -unturned but with no box, manual or the usual extras. It's been a while since I've fooled with a ruger NMBH. I had to look around to find out why that springloaded gizmo in the breech face is there. -To quell the sturm und drang about the chambers not lining up with the ejector. All Steel is a real improvement -even to the nice retro micro sight. This one shot high with factory-level loads but there awas enough sight blade sticking up above the housing proper to get it "on" at 25 yards. I have to raise it a bit for the low vel wadcutter loads.

 

[Charlie98]

I've got a 5.5" .44 Flattop... it, too, shoots high... but also so far left I can't get the sights over far enough.

I do like it, however... a very handy and well balanced pistol, which is why I'm working with it.

 

[cfullgraf]

My Blackhawk flat top 44 Special purchased at the end of 2015 has the small round phoenix medallions in the grip panels.

 

[mec]

I've got a 5.5" .44 Flattop... it, too, shoots high... but also so far left I can't get the sights over far enough.

I do like it, however... a very handy and well balanced pistol, which is why I'm working with it.

I read a bunch of reviews when these came out and bet they shot high too. Nobody said so though. I kind of anticipated some sort of glitch with the sights. Rugers often high with the sight bottomed out or low with standing up way over the top strap. If you notice your front sight leaning to the right, you might be able to regulate it by screwing the barrel in a bit. I don't know if the ruger barrel threading would make this a home project or not but Uberti SAAs frequently shoot left and a friend regularly regulates them to P.O.A

 

[PapaG]

I've got the 4 3/4 version and it shoots fine for me with my original Lyman 429421 bullets and Unique. I'd like to find some Pachmayr or Hogues to fit it as my arthritic middle finger takes a beating. MAking do with a Tyler T adapter.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Wow that's a sweet revolver. What power level can the
44 spc. Flat tops take? Can it take Skeeter's loads?

 

[CraigC]

Keith loads.

 

[mec]

Probably. I don't plan to find out.
7.5 Unique and circa 250 gr "keith' bullet seems to be still getting 900 + fps when you see it published. Not sure though as when alliant changed Unique to "Cleaner Burning" a decade or so, i was getting higher velocities than with the older stuff. The literature on thes "357 Frames" suggests that it might be better to stay away from some of the popular traditional overloads. -Probably talking about Keith's 2400 loads. Some loading manuals have warned against these loads for quite a long time saying that the have found them to generate magnum-level pressures.

When the colt SAA flattop came out in 44 special a couple of decades ago the first thing some of the gun writers did was shoot the keith loads and if any of the guns came unlatched or developed rapid end-shake, it was not reported.

 

[BobWright]

This New Vaquero came with stag grips when I bought it, aftermarket as I bought this thing used. I bought these grips from Brownell's:



These grips were factory originals when I bought this .44 Special:



And just for fun, thses are the stag grips I kept:



Bob Wright

 

[RealGun]

Wow that's a sweet revolver. What power level can the
44 spc. Flat tops take? Can it take Skeeter's loads?

The Flat Top was also produced in 44 Mag, which should answer the question. But why go crazy with 44 Special loads. when you could just get a 44 Mag of some kind to satisfy that urge. No need to worship at the Elmer Keith altar.

 

[RealGun]

My Flat Top 4 5/8" had two chambers that wouldn't group, so Ruger replaced the cylinder, a pretty routine trip for any Ruger I have bought new. It now fires at 50 feet with the rear sight bottomed out, 6 o'clock hold, 200 grain bullets.

 

[RealGun]

I've got the 4 3/4 version and it shoots fine for me with my original Lyman 429421 bullets and Unique. I'd like to find some Pachmayr or Hogues to fit it as my arthritic middle finger takes a beating. MAking do with a Tyler T adapter.

I use self adhesive bandage wrap, the skin toned flexible stuff, on my knuckle for the magnums and for my CAS coach gun. I use enough layers to provide a little padding, and the bruising went away. The flexing allows me to grip the gun. Too tight would be a circulation and numbness issue.

 

[CraigC]

The Flat Top was also produced in 44 Mag, which should answer the question. But why go crazy with 44 Special loads. when you could just get a 44 Mag of some kind to satisfy that urge. No need to worship at the Elmer Keith altar.

Not the same frame size. A mid-frame, especially an Old Model with aluminum grip frame, is a much more packable and lightweight sixgun. The Keith load puts a lot of power into a smaller, more practical package. "Worship" has nothing to do with it.

 

[RealGun]

Not the same frame size. A mid-frame, especially an Old Model with aluminum grip frame, is a much more packable and lightweight sixgun. The Keith load puts a lot of power into a smaller, more practical package. "Worship" has nothing to do with it.

I see your point, but if wanting the smaller frame, indeed keeping the same gun, it has its intended load range. I have Flat Tops in 44 Special, 41 Magnum and 44 Magnum, and all three are the same except for the shorter cylinder window on the Special by 1/16. The 41 is one ounce heavier than the same barrel length in the 44, likely due to smaller holes in the common platform. All three use the same grip size. Granted the 41 and 44 are 6 1/2" barrels, a rather different gun than the 4 5/8", more portable version. Yes, moving to a 44 Magnum would more commonly be to a SBH.

 

[bannockburn]

mec

My Flattop Blackhawk .44 Special came with the same sort of grips as are on Bob Wright's Flattop: silver medallion with the black Phoenix. The first thing I did after I got it was I got a pair of Ruger's rosewood grips til I could order a set of American Holly grips from Private's Custom Grips. Very well made and a perfect fit on my Flattop .44 Special.

 

[RealGun]

mec

My Flattop Blackhawk .44 Special came with the same sort of grips as are on Bob Wright's Flattop: silver medallion with the black Phoenix. The first thing I did after I got it was I got a pair of Ruger's rosewood grips til I could order a set of American Holly grips from Private's Custom Grips. Very well made and a perfect fit on my Flattop .44 Special.

View attachment 770122

So many threads become about the grips. Nice tuxedo gun.

 

[bannockburn]

RealGun

So many threads become about the grips.

I kind of thought that this thread was about the grips, if I read the original post correctly. I really didn't care for the black plastic grips that the gun came with and always liked the look of ivory grips on a blued revolver. Couldn't afford real ivory so I went the more affordable route with the American Holly.

Not sure what a tuxedo gun is. To me it would be something like a small .380 I could slip into my cummerbund while I'm sipping my vodka martini.

 

[RealGun]

RealGun



I kind of thought that this thread was about the grips, if I read the original post correctly. I really didn't care for the black plastic grips that the gun came with and always liked the look of ivory grips on a blued revolver. Couldn't afford real ivory so I went the more affordable route with the American Holly.

Not sure what a tuxedo gun is. To me it would be something like a small .380 I could slip into my cummerbund while I'm sipping my vodka martini.

Yep, sorry. When a thread gets effectively hijacked in a number of ways, one can lose track of the OP. A tuxedo gun to me is black and white (or blue and ivory as the case may be).

 

[bannockburn]

RealGun

A tuxedo gun to me is black and white (or blue and ivory as the case may be).

Ah, now I get it! I was thinking more along the lines of James Bond and formal events when one would want to be discreet with their concealed carry choice.

 

[Charlie98]

I read a bunch of reviews when these came out and bet they shot high too. Nobody said so though. I kind of anticipated some sort of glitch with the sights. Rugers often high with the sight bottomed out or low with standing up way over the top strap. If you notice your front sight leaning to the right, you might be able to regulate it by screwing the barrel in a bit. I don't know if the ruger barrel threading would make this a home project or not but Uberti SAAs frequently shoot left and a friend regularly regulates them to P.O.A

The folks with the 4 3/4" barrels seem to have better shooters than we with the 5.5" barrels... not sure why. I have had the cylinder throats reamed (they were all over the map, according to the machinist,) and a barrel check is next. I'm guessing it's either got the torque bulge, or the forcing cone needs reamed. I don't believe the barrel is off-center.

As far as the grips... so I can get back to the OP... my .44 has the black and silver Ruger medallion.

 

[CraigC]

I see your point, but if wanting the smaller frame, indeed keeping the same gun, it has its intended load range. I have Flat Tops in 44 Special, 41 Magnum and 44 Magnum, and all three are the same except for the shorter cylinder window on the Special by 1/16. The 41 is one ounce heavier than the same barrel length in the 44, likely due to smaller holes in the common platform. All three use the same grip size. Granted the 41 and 44 are 6 1/2" barrels, a rather different gun than the 4 5/8", more portable version. Yes, moving to a 44 Magnum would more commonly be to a SBH.

They're not the same. The .44Spl is built on a smaller frame, not just with a shorter cylinder. The large frame flat-top .41 and .44Mag's are the same size as the Super Blackhawk. Always have been.

 

[Charlie98]

They're not the same. The .44Spl is built on a smaller frame, not just with a shorter cylinder. The large frame flat-top .41 and .44Mag's are the same size as the Super Blackhawk. Always have been.

I agree... I would not hotrod the New Model Blackhawk frame... at all. In fact, one of my reloading manuals specifically warns against hot loads in the new model. Truth be told, if you want to hotrod the .44SPC, just go get a .44MAG and be done with it. The value of a pistol like the .44SPC flattop is the general handiness of a smaller pistol.

 

[BobWright]

The Flat Top was also produced in 44 Mag, which should answer the question. But why go crazy with 44 Special loads. when you could just get a 44 Mag of some kind to satisfy that urge. No need to worship at the Elmer Keith altar.

Be aware the the .44 Magnum Flat Top, both Three Screw and New Model are built on the .44 Magnum frame, originally designated the MR-44 frame. The current New Model Flat Top .44 is made on what was called the MR frame, slighter smaller, and the same as the .357 Magnum medium frame.

Bob Wright