P. Plainsman
Member
I've been shooting a new mid-frame Ruger Blackhawk Flattop in .44 Special, from the current limited run by Lipsey's.
http://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail.a...hawk+Flattop&type=Revolver&caliber=44+Special
I'm really enjoying this revolver. I am a DA revolver man, but I have owned a couple of Ruger single actions before this one. One was a rimfire Bisley model. Beautifully blued gun that was surprisingly inaccurate and HEAVY for a .22. No longer in production. The other was a Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter in .44 Magnum. OK, I can't be too negative about that well engineered hunk of stainless. You could lob nasty 300 gr magnum loads through the thing without drama. The only problem was its weight, esp. at the muzzle. I would get unsupported groups that were tight horizontally, strung vertically. An accurate gun that was just too big for me. Both got sold.
The Lipsey's mid-frame .44 Special is more of a mediumweight. Even at 43 oz, my 5.5" Flattop is over half a pound lighter than either Ruger discussed above. It balances well. The 4 5/8" version would be just about perfect in balance. I've concluded that the hardest thing about shooting single action revolvers is the long lock time. They demand exemplary trigger technique. When I do my part, this .44 rewards it to a degree my previous Ruger single actions would not. Last week I put five Winchester 240 gr cowboy loads in a 2" group at fifty feet, unsupported. Trust me, that is a major leap forward in my single action sixgun shooting.
The fit and finish of the Lipsey's .44 Special are excellent -- about as good as mass produced revolvers get these days. The gun has an even, dignified off-black finish. The warning label is imprinted on the bottom of the barrel, not the side, and it is amazing how much aesthetic difference this makes. A long overdue improvement, Ruger! The barrel/cylinder gap is visibly tight -- Brian Pearce measured his at 0.004" in a recent Handloader magazine feature on the Lipsey's .44 Special. I have experienced zero spitting, binding, or other functional problems of any kind. This sixgun has the improved New Model lockwork pioneered by the New Vaquero and 50th Anniversary Blackhawk. The chambers line up neatly with the loading gate at each click of the cylinder.
The trigger pull was usable out of the box. It was slightly creepy until I removed one of the legs of the trigger return spring (the famed "Poor Boy's Trigger Job" of Gunblast.com and elsewhere). DISCLAIMER: Not recommended by Ruger or me; do it only at your own risk. This worked out very well for me. The trigger is now somewhere under 4 lbs. release and pretty crisp. Overall, the revolver's action feels limber and nicely broken in.
My only functional concern involves the two-piece springloaded "button" in front of the cylinder that releases the cylinder base pin. At one point, after a 50-round shooting session, this button looked loose, and it almost came apart in my hands when I removed it. I then reinstalled it, trying to tighten the two halves together as much as possible. So far this has avoided any problem. However, is there a rugged aftermarket replacement for this assembly? Preferably something that stands to the factory release button in the same relation as a Belt Mountain base pin stands to the factory base pin.
Notes on .44 Special ammo tried:
- Winchester 240 gr LFN Cowboy: it really liked these loads. Just enough recoil to keep things interesting. Consistently rang steel targets at 25 yards.
- Black Hills 210 gr LFN cowboy: Not as accurate, but OK. Very light recoil. Handloader's Pearce clocked it @ 702 fps from the same revolver.
- Federal Champion 200 gr LSWCHP: Hotter than the above, very accurate. Pearce got 922 fps from this useful factory defense load.
- Georgia Arms commercial reloads w/ 200 gr Speer Gold Dot JHP: While Pearce reported poor accuracy with jacketed hollowpoints, my Ruger really seemed to like these loads. Accuracy comparable to the Winchester cowboy stuff.
The revolver has digested about 200 rounds of ammunition to date, entirely depleting my reserves of .44 Special factory ammo! Fortunately, I have accumulated several hundred cases along with powders, primers, and cast bullets. A reloading press and dies are on the way!
In summary, the Lipsey's .44 Special Blackhawk delivers a lot of value and features for the money (about $525). It is a genuinely nice sporting revolver with considerable intangible pride of ownership. These .44 Specials are scarce on shelves right now, but Lipsey's is scheduled to release them in batches throughout the year. I hope to snap up a 4 5/8" barreled version. With prudent yet powerful handloads a la Skeeter Skelton, that version could make an excellent all-around sidearm for the outdoorsman (or -woman).
PS: If you buy or already own one of these sixguns, do yourself a favor and pick up the current issue of Handloader to go with it. The cover article on the Lipsey's .44 Special spans around a dozen pages, with a lot of nice loading data. I can't wait to try Pearce's recommended load of Power Pistol with a 240-250 gr cast SWC -- producing 1000 fps from the 5 1/2" barrel with low pressure.
http://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail.a...hawk+Flattop&type=Revolver&caliber=44+Special
I'm really enjoying this revolver. I am a DA revolver man, but I have owned a couple of Ruger single actions before this one. One was a rimfire Bisley model. Beautifully blued gun that was surprisingly inaccurate and HEAVY for a .22. No longer in production. The other was a Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter in .44 Magnum. OK, I can't be too negative about that well engineered hunk of stainless. You could lob nasty 300 gr magnum loads through the thing without drama. The only problem was its weight, esp. at the muzzle. I would get unsupported groups that were tight horizontally, strung vertically. An accurate gun that was just too big for me. Both got sold.
The Lipsey's mid-frame .44 Special is more of a mediumweight. Even at 43 oz, my 5.5" Flattop is over half a pound lighter than either Ruger discussed above. It balances well. The 4 5/8" version would be just about perfect in balance. I've concluded that the hardest thing about shooting single action revolvers is the long lock time. They demand exemplary trigger technique. When I do my part, this .44 rewards it to a degree my previous Ruger single actions would not. Last week I put five Winchester 240 gr cowboy loads in a 2" group at fifty feet, unsupported. Trust me, that is a major leap forward in my single action sixgun shooting.
The fit and finish of the Lipsey's .44 Special are excellent -- about as good as mass produced revolvers get these days. The gun has an even, dignified off-black finish. The warning label is imprinted on the bottom of the barrel, not the side, and it is amazing how much aesthetic difference this makes. A long overdue improvement, Ruger! The barrel/cylinder gap is visibly tight -- Brian Pearce measured his at 0.004" in a recent Handloader magazine feature on the Lipsey's .44 Special. I have experienced zero spitting, binding, or other functional problems of any kind. This sixgun has the improved New Model lockwork pioneered by the New Vaquero and 50th Anniversary Blackhawk. The chambers line up neatly with the loading gate at each click of the cylinder.
The trigger pull was usable out of the box. It was slightly creepy until I removed one of the legs of the trigger return spring (the famed "Poor Boy's Trigger Job" of Gunblast.com and elsewhere). DISCLAIMER: Not recommended by Ruger or me; do it only at your own risk. This worked out very well for me. The trigger is now somewhere under 4 lbs. release and pretty crisp. Overall, the revolver's action feels limber and nicely broken in.
My only functional concern involves the two-piece springloaded "button" in front of the cylinder that releases the cylinder base pin. At one point, after a 50-round shooting session, this button looked loose, and it almost came apart in my hands when I removed it. I then reinstalled it, trying to tighten the two halves together as much as possible. So far this has avoided any problem. However, is there a rugged aftermarket replacement for this assembly? Preferably something that stands to the factory release button in the same relation as a Belt Mountain base pin stands to the factory base pin.
Notes on .44 Special ammo tried:
- Winchester 240 gr LFN Cowboy: it really liked these loads. Just enough recoil to keep things interesting. Consistently rang steel targets at 25 yards.
- Black Hills 210 gr LFN cowboy: Not as accurate, but OK. Very light recoil. Handloader's Pearce clocked it @ 702 fps from the same revolver.
- Federal Champion 200 gr LSWCHP: Hotter than the above, very accurate. Pearce got 922 fps from this useful factory defense load.
- Georgia Arms commercial reloads w/ 200 gr Speer Gold Dot JHP: While Pearce reported poor accuracy with jacketed hollowpoints, my Ruger really seemed to like these loads. Accuracy comparable to the Winchester cowboy stuff.
The revolver has digested about 200 rounds of ammunition to date, entirely depleting my reserves of .44 Special factory ammo! Fortunately, I have accumulated several hundred cases along with powders, primers, and cast bullets. A reloading press and dies are on the way!
In summary, the Lipsey's .44 Special Blackhawk delivers a lot of value and features for the money (about $525). It is a genuinely nice sporting revolver with considerable intangible pride of ownership. These .44 Specials are scarce on shelves right now, but Lipsey's is scheduled to release them in batches throughout the year. I hope to snap up a 4 5/8" barreled version. With prudent yet powerful handloads a la Skeeter Skelton, that version could make an excellent all-around sidearm for the outdoorsman (or -woman).
PS: If you buy or already own one of these sixguns, do yourself a favor and pick up the current issue of Handloader to go with it. The cover article on the Lipsey's .44 Special spans around a dozen pages, with a lot of nice loading data. I can't wait to try Pearce's recommended load of Power Pistol with a 240-250 gr cast SWC -- producing 1000 fps from the 5 1/2" barrel with low pressure.
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Now I get to wait and see! 
This looks like a really slick gun. Sure hope I can get one.
