9mm Ruger Blackhawk

T

TruthTellers

New member
For some reason unbeknownst to me, I suddenly received an urge to look at getting .357 revolver. Only the Ruger GP100 and convertible 9mm Blackhawk with 6 inch barrels interest me.

With the convertible Blackhawk, I was wondering, and I'm sure this topic has been asked a million times, but how is the accuracy with the 9mm? I know the 9mm is .002" smaller than the .357/.38 bullet, but I'm thinking if I were to cast and powder coat 9mm bullets and not size them that they'd be bigger and fill the grooves better.

Thoughts?
 
I think the 9mm is good enough for plinking and fun. Use .357 for serious target work.

Or, better yet, get a GP100. Fabulous.
 
I mean, if we're talking the 6.5 inch Blackhawk not being able to group 9mm within 8 inches at 25 yards, that's a tough pill to swallow. Again, is the accuracy issue with 9mm able to be overcome through judicious handloading?
 
I had a convertible Blackhawk back in the day that I shot a lot. The only really good reason to have the convertible, in my view, is to take advantage of cheaper ammo that you will not reload. If you reload your ammo, and I always have, then you have no need for the extra cylinder. Mine was a 45, and I never once shot any 45 ACP ammo in it. I was never affected by the much higher cost of 45 Colt ammo due to being an avid reloader. With the 357 magnum, the ammo isn't all that expensive, so if you don't reload there is somewhat less incentive to have the convertible than with the 45 caliber. 9mm Parabellum has the least incentive to reload of any centerfire caliber because it is the cheapest and ubiquitous. Reloading the 357 makes a lot more sense because it has a very wide range of capabilities for the reloader. But maybe you will use that extra 9mm cylinder a lot and be glad you have it. The only way I would go for it is if the deal was so good as to render the extra cylinder free, because I would probably never use it.
 
^ I don't disagree, I've said the same thing when someone here asked about .45 ACP accuracy in the Ruger Redhawk improving with reloads.

My interest though isn't about cost with the 9mm, it's performance. Because 9mm is not a perfect match for a .357 bore, the question that then crosses my mind is "What will it take to get the most out of this combination?"
 
Would the ruger .45 covertable stand up to .45 super usage in the .45 acp cylinder? I know ruger revolvers are tough and can take some nice heavy .45 colt loads...
 
TruthTellers said:
My interest though isn't about cost with the 9mm, it's performance. Because 9mm is not a perfect match for a .357 bore, the question that then crosses my mind is "What will it take to get the most out of this combination?"
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I converted a S&W 642-1 from .38 to 9mm... accuracy is pretty much identical as .38s. The "accuracy" issue is a very overblown thing with 9mm/.357/.38 conversions... as it isn't like you are shooting a .357 SIG out of a .40 barrel.
 
I don't know about Ruger, but there are a lot of 9mm ONLY guns out there with groove diameters larger than .355 and they seem to shoot OK.
 
I have the convertible Blackhawk and I cast my boolets. So, your spot on your idea.
I really enjoy shooting the 9mm, it's about like a 22, and accuracy is good. Then at other times I put the 357 cylinder in and take it to the woods with some 158 gr Keith style.
They're good shooters
 
Pathfinder is right tho, that the convertible Blackhawks are meant to shoot factory rimless cartridges because they're cheaper than factory .45 Colt or .357 Mag.

With that, how does the 9mm convertible Blackhawk shoot with super cheap ammo like Tula, Wolf, PPU, Magtech, Herter's ammo?
 
TruthTellers said:
With that, how does the 9mm convertible Blackhawk shoot with super cheap ammo like Tula, Wolf, PPU, Magtech, Herter's ammo?
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As stated, my 642-1 is a .38 converted to 9mm. UMC 115 grain bulk shot just as other UMC .38s did.

Considering it is a revolver, you shouldn't have any performance issues with what you listed... meaning should fit in the cylinder, rotate, fire, and eject (ejection will probably need the rod, especially casings like Wolf). You aren't worrying about feeding from a magazine or extracting, like semi-autos.

But the truth is that all revolvers are individuals... like most guns. A gun you have might pattern like a shotgun with Tula, Wolf, and Herter's... and shoot PPU and Magtech like a laser. Someone else, may be the exact opposite. My trap gun had inconsistent failures with Federal target loads, but other guys shoot them without issue. I had to switch to Remington Gun Club to get it 100%, as I was tired of having to break the rhythm of the round and get my shotgun ready to fire.

When it comes down to it, people tend to over generalize things with guns. Kind of how we got the idea that 9mm conversions are inaccurate. Don't take my experience as gospel on what you are going to expect... however, my experience does show that it isn't the 9mm in a .38/.357 barrel that causes inaccuracy. People that experienced that may have used one crappy ammo, got fed up, and got out of the gun... then said it was the caliber change that caused it without really looking into it. Then someone adds that the bullet diameter is different... and we have the negative view. I do have a .45 New Vaquero Convertible, and been very happy with that.

AAEA2B71-D142-443A-BC91-91F9A7A8299F_zpsspkwotpb.jpg
 
I can't speak to the 45 Colt/ACP but I have a Blackhawk 357/9mm. The 9mm shoots very well to the order of 2" groups @ 25 yards. Now it is like other 9mms that they can be load picky when it comes to good accuracy.
 


My test of over 10 different 9mm loads has shown that my Ruger Blackhawk Convertible shoots more loads more accurately than most of my other 9mm guns including other revolvers and automatics.

The .357 Magnum cylinder also shoots very well in this gun so I guess that Ruger did a great job of providing a barrel that accommodates bullets with slightly different diameters.

Mark
 
Having a conversion model does increase the probability of finding ammo to shoot your revolver, but again, that's probably only a valid factor with the 45 caliber.
Hey, Screwball, that looks like a Super-Blackhawk hammer on your New Vaquero. Did it come that way, or you put it on yourself? Looks good....
 
Pathfinder45 said:
Hey, Screwball, that looks like a Super-Blackhawk hammer on your New Vaquero. Did it come that way, or you put it on yourself? Looks good....
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Very good eyes... you are correct.

I picked it up from MidwayUSA, and installed it myself.

Gun was a Davidson's Exclusive... got it around the Newtown shooting, because I wasn't sure how the rush on guns would extend to other firearms (glad I went with my gut). It was polished, which I hated. Polished stainless doesn't look bad, unless you don't keep up on it. I didn't, so looked like complete butt.

So, had Long Hunter Shooting Supply bead blast it... as I like the matte stainless look. Came out great, at least in my eyes.
 
Have owned several 9mm/357 Blackhawks over the years and not one has been a disappointment with the 9mm. I've also added 9mm cylinders to Blackhawks that didn't come with them and also had great luck with 9mm accuracy. My current convertible is the Lipsey's flat top and it is outstanding. I've always thought the rumor of 9mm inaccuracy in Blackhawks was another internet myth.
 
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