357 Blackhawk

Super Blackhawks have a squared trigger guard on back AND an un-fluted cylinder.

You have a BlackHawk, and not a super.
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It's a 5.5" Super Blackhawk.

The 4 5/8" Supers come with a standard Blackhawk grip frame, Super Blackhawk hammer and unfluted cylinder. The 5 1/2" version is the same, except the cylinder is fluted.
 
Super Blackhawks have a squared trigger guard on back AND an un-fluted cylinder.
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And a 7.5" barrel.

For DECADES that was the only way Ruger sold the Super Blackhawk.

For the last few years (at least) they have been selling Super Blackhawk versions with different barrel lengths, fluted cylinders and "regular" triggerguards, as well as their original classic configuration. One versions is even set up with Ruger rings for scope use. And, I hear, they come in stainless steel now, too! ;)
 
In the early 1970's I loaded up some 110 grain Super Vel JHP's with 15 grains of Unique. I was trying set my scale to 10.5 grains but wasn't familar with that new fangled Redding #1 scale and got it off just a tad .
I fired a few in my 1970 three screw Ruger Blackhawk , the cases would not extract. Back home I knocked them out with a rod , the cases had expanded so much they were stuck in the chambers and the primer pockets had enlarged to the extent new primers would just fall out.
The reason for all this is, if you want to hot rod the 357 in a Ruger Blackhawk, the limiting factor may be the brass. Expansion to the point the cases can't be ejected and /or reloaded isn't good. But the Ruger hung in there.

I stopped doing hot and heavy a long time ago, but the 357 magnum Blackhawk is hell-for-stout.

Gary
 
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I had a blued 4 5/8's Super back in the early 90's I believe. That was one mean little b@$^erd! I had it sent back to Ruger and a higher tension loading gate spring installed, sometimes it would come open part way after letting one go down range. It had a fluted cylinder, steel grip frame with a rounded trigger guard. A very pretty little gun with one hell of an attitude!
 
My Super has a 10.5" barrel, and the other Super has a 7.5" = both are 200th year models.
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200th year, that was 76. I had no idea the 10.5" came out that early, so I stand corrected. (sit, actually ;))
 
Yes, my 5.5" is a Super Blackhawk. The frame is a smidge longer than my 3 screw BH .357.

Anyway, y'all can see for yourselves what the factory designates them in that length - the 4.6" too:

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSuperBlackhawkStandard/specSheets/0811.html

And it even says so on my new gun ;)

1722552449d8d1f2bff06185791a198d30167e3.jpg


However, the shorter barrel SBHs with the round trigger guard have the shorter BH grip length, which kinda leaves my pinky half-hanging. So I just ordered (from Brownells) the longer back strap & rounded trigger guard that is the same length as the ones that come on the 7.5" square back SBH. Also the same as comes on the BH Hunter.
Ordered the longer grip panels too (they are silver/black laminated wood, as opposed to the brown color that came with my gun).

Anyway, I didn't want the 7.5" "dragoon" style SBH - already have a S&W Model 29-2 with 8 3/8" barrel to satisfy the long "hogleg" needs. ;)

Also, after shooting my brother's 3 screw Super Blackhawk, I didn't care much for the way it beat up my fingers.
The 4.6" was a bit too short, and as Goldilocks once said, this one's just right. :)
 
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I HAD a 200th year new model Super Blackhawk. The transfer bar would get stuck under the firing pin rendering it inoperable. Gunsmith fixable but I still got rid of it. I'm happy with my old model Rugers. KISS principle maintained. Nothing fixed that was never broke in the first place. Keep the chamber under the hammer empty like its been done for the last 150 years and all is well.
 
That problem could have been caused by the cylinder pin backing out from recoil or a stuck plunger in the rear end of that cylinder pin.
 
That problem could have been caused by the cylinder pin backing out from recoil or a stuck plunger in the rear end of that cylinder pin
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^^ This.

I had my first Super lock up from that problem. The local gunsmith deepened the hole in the frame that the base pin lock plunger seated in, no more problems with the transfer bar sticking under the firing pin. Some people use heavier base pin latch springs, some use replacement base pins with set screw locks.

I never thought it enough reason to go back to the pre-transfer bar guns. Have had both, the transfer bars are nice, being able to carry 6. I prefer to use snap caps if dry firing them though, after breaking three transfer bars in two different guns.
 
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