Single six convertible

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Flipper68

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I'm thinking of getting a Ruger Blackhawk single action convertible, 9mm/357. There is just a smidgen of size, 357 = 9.1 mm, difference which makes me wonder about the accuracy of the barrel putting two different sized bullets through it. I keep thinking that the 9mm is going to be a little loose and not picking up on the rifling to give it a good spin, or am I converting the sizes wrong...any thoughts out there ?

I have done a little editing to clear up the the model of Ruger that I was looking into. I called the revolver a single six but actually meant to say a Blackhawk single action convertible...sorry about the screw up....Flipper
 
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I'm thinking the 9mm having to go further in the cylinder before reaching the rifling of the barrel would be more of an impediment to accuracy than the tiny diameter difference of the ammo?
 
I'm thinking the 9mm having to go further in the cylinder before reaching the rifling of the barrel would be more of an impediment to accuracy than the tiny diameter difference of the ammo?
Click to expand...

Don't know, but it sounds reasonable. I'll offer an analogy:

I recently bought a North American Arms Pug, .22WMR mini-revolver. I also bought a .22LR cylinder for it.

My only time shooting it was at a sheet of notebook paper on a backer 50 feet away. With the .22 WMR cylinder, I hit the paper about half the time. With the .22LR cylinder, I didn't even hit it once. I have no idea where the shots were going: low, high, right, left. I just know they weren't hitting the paper.

Same reason?
 
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I'm thinking the 9mm having to go further in the cylinder before reaching the rifling of the barrel would be more of an impediment to accuracy than the tiny diameter difference of the ammo?
Click to expand...

That's always been the theory, but the Smith & Wesson 1955 Target is a 45 acp with about as much cylinder throat to reach the barrel, and they are stunningly accurate. The one 45 ACP cylindered Ruger Blackhawk I shot much was also scary accurate. So, for me, the theory of the "long jump" in the cylinder doesn't seem to hold up in real life.
 
I have a Ruger Blackhawk with 45 colt and 45acp cylinders. If there is any difference in accuracy I sure can't tell. It is extremely accurate with either. I normally shoot the 45acp because my FiL reloads it.
 
Never owned or tested one but in published tests, the 9mm cylinder tends to not be as accurate as .45ACP.
 
Radagast,

You are correct sir, it is the Blackhawk, single action convertible that I am looking into. I own a single-six convertible and inadvertently called the Blackhawk a single-six. Flipper
 
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If my brain still works somewhat in the memory dept., it seems like Ruger faced this problem once long long ago. Their original single six was in LR and eventually they produced a Mag model with a different diameter barrel. They brought out a Mag only model, then a Mag model that was available with a fitted LR cylinder. They finally settled on the larger diameter barrel and we got the convertible with two cylinders such as we do today.
I may be all wet with this story, please correct me if necessary. Just working with old memory cells here and sometimes they get a little out of whack.
 
Stony, I don't know anything about how the 22LR/22mag convertible was developed but I have the finished product of Ruger's endeavors. My single-six shoots very accurate with the 22LR and the 22mag, granted, the 22mag is scooting down the barrel a hell of a lot faster but the caliber is the same. The 22mag just has more powder behind it. I'm probably overthinking the whole thing. I just thought that the 9mm being just a hair smaller wouldn't pick up the rifling as well and screw up accuracy a bit. Thank you and everyone else for their thoughts. Flipper
 
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Stony

I think your memory is fine as I have one of those Magnum Model Single Sixes. I received it from a friend of mine who had bought it used and took it with him while checking on his trap lines. Only thing was it came with a .22LR cylinder; not the .22 Magnum cylinder. A few years back while at a gun show I found a Ruger collector who had a .22 Magnum cylinder and I had him fit it to my gun. Works fine and now I have a .22 Single Six convertible that I always wanted.

DSC01588_zpspyaspz0v.jpg
 
I have a Ruger 357/9MM convertible.
The accuracy of the 9MM cylinder was not to my liking.

Since I already own a 9mm handgun, I looked for a solution to the poor accuracy.
What I finally did was convert the cylinder to a 357/44 Magnum wildcat.

Bob Booth offered a modification to what he called a Bobcat Magnum.
The major problem with the Bain and Davis rendition of the necked down 44 Magnum wildcat round is that when you start to get into real performance loads the brass slips back in the cylinder (like they all do) and the shoulder fire forms to the chamber and binds the cylinder.
Booth designed a sharp shoulder and filled in the space forward of the shoulder with a plastic ring.
This simple modification eliminated the problem and allows full pressure loads to be used.

357%20Bobcat%20%2001_zps6xemvbd1.jpg

357 Magnum on the left and 44 Magnum on the right.
Resized brass ready for loading and a completed round.

To be fair, this was some time ago.
(MY Blackhawk is one of the old 3 screws made before the lawyer mandated transfer bar was designed).
Ruger may have changed the rifling to better handle a .355” bullet, but I doubt it.

The 9MM cylinder works in the Ruger, and I doubt that anyone would expect to use it for accuracy competition.
Before I modified it, I spent several enjoyable sessions rolling close range tin cans with surplus ammunition.

So, if you don’t expect to shoot pop cans at 100 yards with it, it does give the Blackhawk additional versatility.

Steve
 
I knew Bob Booth back when he shared a building with Moultin's reloading in Castro Valley California....even shot a few silhouette matches with him. Unfortunately for his caliber, he was forced to shoot in the unlimited category because his gun was altered from factory configuration.
I have wondered if the poly carbonate rings are still available? There are still some Rugers and S&W "N" frames floating around with his conversion, and just wonder if those guys can still shoot them.
 
Having owned several of the .357/9mm Blackhawks in both full sized and the new flat top in mid size, I can't imagine that there are many shooters who could really out shoot the 9mm cylinder. I realize it's commonly repeated on the internet but I've not found it to be credible. My mid size flat top regularly out shoots 9mm semi autos with the 9mm cylinder.
 
Stony said:
I knew Bob Booth back when he shared a building with Moultin's reloading in Castro Valley California....even shot a few silhouette matches with him. Unfortunately for his caliber, he was forced to shoot in the unlimited category because his gun was altered from factory configuration.
I have wondered if the poly carbonate rings are still available? There are still some Rugers and S&W "N" frames floating around with his conversion, and just wonder if those guys can still shoot them.
Click to expand...
I bought a couple of hundred of them.
Still have a few, but it is keeping me from shooting it as much as I would like.
I super glue the split ones back together and they work, but eventually wear out.

Steve
 
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