Ruger Blackhawk aficionados

[meatballs]

Hi there. I was wondering about the Ruger Blackhawk .45 convertibles. What are your thoughts on this particular revolver? Is it the same frame as the standard Blackhawk .45? How is the accuracy and function of this revolver compared to the standard model? I kinda like the idea of being able to shoot .45 ACP out of it because I own two .45 autos. I am mainly interested in shooting .45 Colts, but having the flexibility of shooting the ACP would be cool. It's my understanding that you can only swap cylinders in the convertible models, so is it worth the extra money? Or should I just pick up a standard Blackhawk .45? I guess I would be happy either way, so your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
meatballs

 

[greenmtnguy]

I own a couple Blackhawks, one of them is a 4 5/8" convertible in 45Colt/45ACP. I bought it brand new in 2014 and only have a few hundred rounds through it, but it handles well, shoots straight and is plenty accurate - at least after I reamed out the undersized throats in the cylinder. Some of the Ruger blackhawks have this problem, and some do not - it seems to be mostly an issue with the .45 caliber models. If one is shooting jacketed bullets the throats issue probably won't affect things much, but if you want best accuracy for hunting and accuracy with lead bullets, throat size is an important consideration. If you happen to get one with undersized throats, any gunsmith should be able to ream them out to the proper .4525" DIA. Or, you can get a reamer from Brownells and with a drill chuck and spare 45 Colt case with the head cut off, ream the cylinders yourself with patience and some cutting oil.

I am still working out best loads to use with the ACP and Colt Cylinders to get them close to POA/POI at short distance. Either will make decent sized groups and I consider the gun to be very versatile. And, loading for 45ACP stretches the number of rounds per pound of powder, and 45ACP bullets are cheap.

The hard plastic grips on the new models are not nice, IMO for shooting any sort of "warm" loads. I have alot of fun with the revolver, and it is handy enough for packing in the woods. I have a 7 1/2" bbl 45Colt Blackhawk that I use for short distance deer hunting, too.

These revolvers will outlast your grandkids, if you take care of them.

 

[au_prospector]

I own a Ruger 3 screw 7 1/2 inch BH convertible in .45/.45ACP.
It is circa 1972 and does not have the transfer bar modification.

I will say this, it is the most accurate revolver I ever shot.
Very smooth. The cylinders are numbered to the serial number of the frame.

Seems more enjoyable to me to shoot .45LC out of it than .45ACP, plus it is more accurate for me in the .45LC configuration. I would guess because of the longer jump from the cylinder to the barrel with ACP plus .45LC is 0.452 and .45ACP is 0.451.

Buy and enjoy!

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I bought this 45 Colt/45ACP Blackhawk brand-spanky new in 1975. To tell you the truth, I did not really want the 45 ACP cylinder back then, but this was all the dealer had in stock, so I bought it. It cost all of $150, which was a lot of money back then for a guy in his twenties.



The truth is I did not fire the 45 ACP cylinder for many years, never had much use for it back then. But when I finally did shoot it, it worked fine.

Yes, it is the same full sized frame as all the standard 'New Model' Blackhawks and I see no reason why the new ones would not use the same frame. Yes, if you have any intention of shooting 45 ACP, spend the extra money now. If you try to pick up a 45 ACP cylinder separately, there is no guarantee it will fit the revolver. If you buy the convertible model, both cylinders will fit.

Too bad about the plastic grips, if they are the same as on the New Vaquero they will be thin. But there are plenty of after market grips available for Rugers.

 

[cpt-t]

meatballs: In early 1972 I bought a new 7 1/2 inch barreled Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in 45LC/45ACP. This is both my favorite and my most accurate S/A Ruger, it is stock except for a set of really nice Stag Grips that a very good friend made for me. I shoot more 250/255gr hard cast LRNFP bullets in the 45LC cylinder and 230gr hard cast LRN bullets in the 45 ACP cylinder, than anything else. And the 45 ACP cylinder will group about an inch higher than 45LC cylinder using the same POA at 25yds. I with out dought have shot more 45LC`s than 45ACP`s in my old S/A Ruger. But shooting the 45ACP cylinder is such a pleasant pleasure. And now that I am getting older I find my self shooting more and more 45ACP`s out of my old gun. Like I said this old S/A Ruger is my favorite, and carrying it is like going hunting with a trusted old friend. Good Luck To You:
ken

 

[huntsman]

I've owned a BN-455x for 4 years now and I love it. The .45acp cylinder is why I bought this gun so the bulk of my shooting is with .45acp, I also wanted .45C for a bit more thump with +P.

I'm not a reloader so this was a economical way to replace a .44mag that I sold because I couldn't afford to feed it.

 

[mavracer]

There is a run of mid framed 45 convertables which aren't as strong as the large frame standard Blackhawks and should be kept to tier 2 loadings. they are identifiable by their flat tops (no raised protection around rear sight like DJ's).
here is a flat top

 

[meatballs]

mavracer
That is an interesting question. I wonder if the new ones will handle the hot .45 Colt stuff? I do not reload however, so I guess what I mean by hot is +P.

 

[Master Blaster]

I have a .45 acp .45 colt model in 4 5/8" barrel and I love mine very accurate with the .45 acp cylinder, I rarely ever shoot .45 colt out of it. The heavy .45 Colt loads are not sold commercially except maybe the Buffalo Bore as there is a risk that folks will shoot them in guns that cannot handle the pressure. My personal feeling on this is that I own .44 magnums including a Super Blackhawk so I do not load heavy .45 Colt rounds for my Blackhawk.

 

[BullRunBear]

I bought a used New Model Blackhawk 45 Colt/45 acp convertible in the mid-80s. Blued with 7.5" barrel. It has been wonderfully accurate with both cylinders. I've lost track of how many rounds have gone through it. It's also a great teaching tool with the 45 acp mild loads. I don't know if the newer flattop versions are as strong but never needed or wanted the "Ruger and Contender only" power levels. I have several Blackhawks and they are great revolvers.

If you decide to start reloading, the 45 Colt and 45 acp are good rounds to begin with.

Jeff

 

[mavracer]

Meatballs,
There is no established spec for 45 Colt +p, some ammo manufactures use 25k some use 30k. Conventional wisdom says it's probably good to 25k but IMHO I'd limit it to Colt safe levels. Buffalo Bore loads a 255 to an honest 1000 fps.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

There is no established spec for 45 Colt +p

That is correct. There is no official SAAMI spec for anything called +P for 45 Colt.

Many of the loading books used to carry loads that were rated as 'Ruger Only'. This was kind of misleading because there was seldom an actual pressure listed for those loads.

Any large frame Ruger like mine will be safe to fire with the Ruger Only loads published in the manuals.

SAAMI Max for 45 Colt is 14,000 psi. At that pressure, the 45 Colt pushes a 250 grain bullet out at pretty respectable velocities. Pretty much the same as the old Black Powder loads. Don't forget, the old Black Powder load for 45 Colt would take down a horse if placed right. After all, the SAA was originally a Cavalry weapon and a horse was a much bigger target than the man riding it.

So standard pressure 45 Colt loads do not deserve the bad press they often get. A standard velocity 45 Colt would put a man down with one shot if placed correctly.

Regarding Buffalo Bore; they often get painted with a brush they do not deserve. If you go to their website and look up the data for each of their loads, they very specifically list which ones can be fired in a standard Colt SAA or replica. This will include the medium frame Rugers. And they also specify exactly which guns can safely fire the heavier loads.

 

[CraigC]

Many of the loading books used to carry loads that were rated as 'Ruger Only'. This was kind of misleading because there was seldom an actual pressure listed for those loads.

They still do. Hodgdon has the best data.

 

[Tallball]

Here is mine. It is my most accurate centerfire handgun. If there is any difference in accuracy between 45colt and 45acp, I am not a good enough shooter to notice it. Due to price and availability I have shot much more 45acp out of it. The small amount of extra money for the convertible is very much worth the investment - I have saved much, much more money on ammo than that extra cylinder cost. I have three Blackhawks and two Single Sixes - they are my favorite range toys. My next handgun purchase will almost certainly be a Super Blackhawk 44 magnum.

 

[5.7Man]

I have a 4 5/8 flattop convertible and it is a great woods companion, I just picked up one of the new SBH 5 shot 480s. I suspect that my flattop will get a lot more use with the ACP cylinder now. The nice thing about the ACP cylinder is that you can walk into any Walmart and buy a box of Ammo.

 

[dbmjr1]

I have three Blackhawks, including a 7 1/2" .45 Convertible. I love the Convertible because I can load .45 ACP all day long on my progressive press, or handload some very warm .45 Colt rounds for it.

All of my Blackhawks are very accurate, and with their adjustable sights, shooting POI/POA is not an issue. The only exception being with the convertible. I keep the irons on that regulated for my ACP loads, and it shoots to a considerably different elevation with my Colt loads. I just use a bit of windage to compensate for this.