Ruger BlackHawk Question

[david bachelder]

I have a Ruger BlackHawk SAA chambered in 45 Colt and I love it.

Stupid question:
If I were to buy a 45 ACP Cylinder for my pistol would I be able to shoot 45 ACP and 45 Colt out of the same gun?

 

[fastbolt]

Ruger sells Blackhawk .45Colt/ACP convertibles, which includes an ACP cylinder fitted to the particular revolver. It's not uncommon to hear of owners being able to achieve better inherent accuracy when using the .45 Colt cylinder, though.

You might call and ask if they'll fit a new cylinder to your Blackhawk, which means they'll want the gun. You'd probably be looking at the cost of the part & labor, as well as the not inexpensive cost firearm shipping, though.

As the owner of a couple of convertible Blackhawks - an old model (3 screw) Blackhawk .357/9 & a new model .45Colt/ACP, both in the handy 4 5/8" barrel length - I've seldom used the extra cylinders for either.

It's somewhat anti-climactic to shoot either gun in the lesser caliber for each model. Kind of like when I used to handload and used .44 Spl in my 7 1/2" SBH.

Why not give Ruger a call and ask?

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I have a convertible Blackhawk .357 with the spare 9mm cylinder, had it for years, don't think I have ever fired 9mm out of it. I aint no mathematical whiz, I do see how you can shoot a .38 thru the .357 as it is an old combination....can anyone explain what difference the 9mm is in relation to the .357 bore....will it have any accuracy at all?

 

[LAGS]

The 9mm is a .355 where the .38/357 is a .357.
The 9mm's shoot just fine out of the Rugers .357 barrel, and are fair accuracy at 25 yards.
But those were made back in the day when surpluss 9mm ammo was cheap, and no one shot 9mm handguns except old war bring backs.
It was good CHEAP Plinking Fun .
But when the police and the military went to the 9mm and the supply of cheap ammo dried up, there went the market for range toys like this.

 

[rcmodel]

You might call and ask if they'll fit a new cylinder to your Blackhawk

Don't bother.

They won't unless it is marked as a convertible gun to start with.

And they won't sell you an unfitted cylinder either.

If you can find a cylinder on the internet for sale you can probably use it without much fitting.

But it would probably be more cost effective to just sell your gun and buy a convertible.

rc

 

[murf]

there are no stupid questions.

suggestion: since you love your current blackhawk, don't sell it. save up and buy a convertible. shoot both then sell the one you don't want.

murf

 

[Salmoneye]

They won't unless it is marked as a convertible gun to start with.

What is the mark?

 

[murf]

convertible cylinders usually have the last four digits of the serial number scribed on the cylinder.

murf

 

[HexHead]

Don't bother.

They won't unless it is marked as a convertible gun to start with.

And they won't sell you an unfitted cylinder either.

If you can find a cylinder on the internet for sale you can probably use it without much fitting.

But it would probably be more cost effective to just sell your gun and buy a convertible.

rc

Actually, it's more like they won't if they don't offer that model as a convertable to begin with. My friend wanted to get a .45acp cylinder for his 7 1/2" Vaquero and they refused because they never offered a conversion for a 7 1/2". I should be able to get one for my 5 1/2" though. The cost of the cylinder is $60. Adding labor and shipping will probably put it in the $200-250 range.

I'm hoping o get mine done in January. I've got about 700 .45acp reloads left from when I sold my 1911.

 

[Kurastduuks]

If you did get your hands on an acp cylinder it would likely fit and time poorly in a revolver it wasnt intended for. At least thats what ive heard from those I know who've tried similar things.

 

[CraigC]

Ruger makes cylinders in batches and very little if any hand fitting goes on. So there is a very good chance that a cylinder you find will work.

Personally, I love the idea of the .45ACP in a Colt-sized single action. It's more efficient than the .45Colt and the shorter case ejects completely. I've wanted to have an Old Model .357 converted to .45ACP only.

It's not uncommon to hear of owners being able to achieve better inherent accuracy when using the .45 Colt cylinder, though.

I've always heard it the other way around. The .45Colt is more likely to have under or oversized chamber mouths and most have oversized chambers.

PS, to be precise, the "SAA" is the Colt Single Action Army.

 

[Salmoneye]

convertible cylinders usually have the last four digits of the serial number scribed on the cylinder.

I've heard that said, but still have never seen proof of it...

I have a 'Liberty' (1976) Blackhawk in .357 with the last 3 digits of the serial electric penciled on the cylinder, and I have a 1990 Super Blackhawk that also has them...

As neither is 'convertible' (was present for both original purchases) I lean towards this being an assembly number to keep an already fitted cylinder together with the frame...

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I have two Stainless 'original model' Vaqueros chambered for 45 Colt. Identical except one has a 7 1/4" barrel, the other is 5 1/2". The cylinders absolutely will not interchange, one will not even fit into the wrong gun, it is too long, it bumps against the rear end of the barrel.

Finding a cylinder that will fit another gun is a crapshoot. You might get lucky, you might not.

 

[Boxhead]

One too long is an easy fix, one too short can be TIG'd to fit or shimmed with Ron Powers shims.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

One too long is an easy fix, one too short can be TIG'd to fit or shimmed with Ron Powers shims.

I am not interested in making them interchangeable, I just wanted to illustrate that cylinders do not automatically drop into a gun.

 

[david bachelder]

I also have a 357/9mm convertible Ruger BlackHawk SAA.

Both of my cylinder's are engraved with the last three digits of the guns serial number. It looks like they were hand engraved rather than stamped or machine engraved.

 

[ClemY]

I sent back to the factory several stainless .45 Colt NMBHs which had 7 ½” barrels and asked them to fit 5 ½” barrels and .45 ACP cylinders. No problem. Now the chamber throats on one were tight like the chamber throats of many .45 Colt cylinders were tight, but after reaming, they all shoot very well. I have also had the .45 ACP cylinders modified to also accept .45 Auto Rim, which is what I tend to use in them, as well as my S&W 625s.

I did this in 2000. Things may have changed since then.