Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 Mag?

[zombienerd]

With all the "finger" problems, does anyone put a "recoil pad" on the bottom of the trigger guard? Small bit of silicone rubber, maybe wear a rubber o-ring on the middle finger when shooting?

If it's that bad, I'll figure out a way to make it stop without sacrificing power.

 

[Magnumite]

I tried that, didn't work out well. The dragoon trigger guard was put on there to get the trigger guard away from the hand more. I think, not sure, you could use a rounded trigger guard, but that doesn't change the dynamics of the gun. Your knuckle will still get 44'd. Until I went the different grips route, I even bandaided (3 of them) my finger for long shooting sessions with it. I still have a callouse on my middle finger knuckle after all the years shooting that revolver (got it new in 1980) without the grips. After some work it became apparent I'd be better off with different grips. I use the not so pretty Pachmyers on mine and can't complain a bit about the performance aspect of how it shoots. The rubber even causes a good of friction with the hand. Between the shape of the grips and the friction, much of the single action roll is gone.

In another thread on this site, I believe, I had stated these are the best grips for that pistol for me. Been on there for years and I intend to keep it that way. Not much for looks, but they work.

I had a Bisley 45 Blackhawk. Really didn't care for the grips and I like DA revolvers. I shot a friend's 475 Linbaugh conversion with a Bisley grip frame. The Bisley grips do work for heavy recoil.

 

[nulfisin]

Finger problem

As stated above, adding a Bisley grip (not cheap) or wearing a glove are really the only things that work on this gun. This may be heresy, but I just don't shoot the mag loads very often. What's the point of banging up your hand unless you're hunting or practicing for hunting? The .44 special rounds are a breeze to shoot and a great round in all respects; I'd stick with them if you are using a Blackhawk.

 

[swoter]

If you find a Super Blackhawk with 5.5" barrel, they came standard with a fluted cylinder and round trigger guard. Looks just like the rest of the Blackhawk family and has a steel grip frame. No finger bashing with this one. I don't care for the dragoon type grip either.

 

[goon]

One thing to consider, though: the bashing the Blackhawk trigger guard will give your "swear" finger. With a full-house .44 mag load, the trigger guard on my Blackhawk smacks my middle finger hard enough to make more than a half-dozen shots unpleasant. So, consider Bisley grips or a shooting glove if you are going to shoot magnum rounds very often.

.44 specials are a piece of cake. In fact, they're my favorite round. Enjoy,

I had a .45 Colt Blackhawk that smashed my middle finger as you describe. Didn't take me long to sell it.
Never owned a Super Blackhawk but I did shoot one before and even with full power factory loads it didn't have that problem. Somehow the squared triggerguard or the larger grip must have made a difference. I also didn't have that issue with the Bisley grip but that gun was only a .357.
A SBH is on my wishlist.

 

[Maj Dad]

The square guard on my SBH has never bothered me, full-house or mild loads. I never knew there was an issue with it until I read about it. Maybe I unconsciously accomodate my grip, but it's not a problem for me...

 

[batmann]

The 5.5" and the 4 5/8's versions have the round trigger guard. I too do not like the squared guard and have had the same problem, wacking my fingers.

 

[Dan Forrester]

Do these have the stupid integral locks under the grip panels or is it just a few specific models?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Nick5182]

For an economical single action, Blackhawks are awesome. I own a new model convertible in .45 colt that also came with a .45 ACP cylinder. It's stainless with a 7.5" barrel. My brother owns the consecutively numbered twin. They are fantastic firearms both accurate and affordable. Can't go wrong with a blackhawk.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

The Fix for Finger bashing

As to the finger bashing from the squared trigger guard; there is a solution. I put a set of Pachmayr Presentation grips on mine a couple of decades ago. No finger bashing since. The grips fill in some of the space between the back of the guard and the grip frame. They extend up to the right angle on the squared trigger guard, so the guard can't hurt you.

They don't look quite as cool as stock, but they get the job done. Pachmayr Presentation grips have also helped my scores considerably with both my Super Blackhawk and my Redhawk. Cheap but effective.
Bob

On edit: My SBH has the 10.5" barrel and was a confirmed finger basher prior to the PP grips.

Also, handloading will enable shooting a wide variety of loads in a SBH. But the variety will also shoot to a variety of different POI's. Be prepared to alter your sight settings when you switch loads. Particularly when going between 'sledgehammer' and 'tackhammer' loads. Because of barrel time and recoil, I think this is worse in the longer barrelled guns.

 

[-eaux-]

never had any problem with finger-bashing from my SBH. 10.5"barrel a factor maybe?
i put a set of Hogue grips on it anyway, just to make it even easier on the paws (and to match the set of Hogue's on the 7.5" BH .357mag)
the SBH is really just a big bang and a push. the .357BH will wear me out much faster simply because the recoil is so much more of a snap.

 

[MADDOG]

Try to find an Old Model SBH [three screw]. Then you will have the original "4 clicker" SBH. I have one with a cut down 5" barrel. Great gun. Also I have no trouble with the squared trigger guard.

 

[Rugg_Ed]

I have had no problem over the last 40 + years with the Blackhawk, Supper Blackhawk, or the Red Hawk, in 44 Rem Mag. Hand loading gives a wide range of options to choice from. A vary mild plinking round to a full house big boom make noise, kill bear, deer, elk. I have shoot every thing from target to hunting loads with no regret.
Enjoy

 

[Radaray]

Buy that Ruger! You can't go wrong.
I've owned a 10 1/2" SBH for over 20 years and it has a Leupold 4X scope mounted on it. It is all the "hand cannon" I'd ever want. If it was any bigger, I'd have to put wheels on it to tote it around.
The squared off trigger guard that some complain about is no big deal. A pair of Hogue grips get rid of that in quick order. Your Blackhawk does not have that, so that is no concern of yours.
The 44 Remington Magnum is a great cartridge. You made a wise choice.

 

[thunder173]

My "most often carried" handgun for woods work is the .44 Mag SBH in 4 5/8's barrel. Pretty hard to beat with full mag loads,..accurate,...and is a hoot to shoot with .44 Specials as well. I have it matched up to a .44 mag Winchester 94AE Trapper. A great combination. Had them both out today in fact.

 

[goodtime]

Yeah, the Super Blackhawk is the "bang for the buck" champ. A bunch of guys have testified; there's not much more to say, but -- the 5.5" barrel version , as you've picked out, has the rounded trigger guard so you won't have the finger smashing issues with it. (that problem can easily be solved with aftermarked grips, anyway.) And regarding your desire for a "seriously overpowered" revolver, check out BuffaloBore.com for their 44 Mag ammo made specially for the Super Blackhawk et al, which comes very close to 454 Casull specs.

 

[ArmedBear]

The 5 1/2" and 4 5/8" guns don't just have a round trigger guard, they also have smaller grips.

I don't have any real trouble with the square one, and I shoot nothing but high-powered handloads in it, at fairly long ranges. If I ever pull the appropriate tag, I'll hunt with it. I have a regular .357 Blackhawk for messing with, so I have no real need to cook up downloaded ammo for the Super.