Blackhawk .45C/.45 ACP

Let me preface by saying that I am not a big fan of "convertible" guns. Seems like there is always a compromise made somewhere.

Since the 45 Colt and the 45 ACP have for years been bored the same .452" the barrel is not a problem (unlike the 22LR/22 WMR models). However, the difference in cylinder lengths may be an issue. The ACP bullet will make a substantial from the cylinder long enough for the 45 Colt. This could have an adverse effect on accuracy. But every gun will be unique and just because one shoots badly doesn't mean they all will. But there's the problem, you don't know until you buy the gun.
 
SaxonPig said:
Since the 45 Colt and the 45 ACP have for years been bored the same .452" the barrel is not a problem (unlike the 22LR/22 WMR models). However, the difference in cylinder lengths may be an issue. The ACP bullet will make a substantial from the cylinder long enough for the 45 Colt. This could have an adverse effect on accuracy. But every gun will be unique and just because one shoots badly doesn't mean they all will. But there's the problem, you don't know until you buy the gun.
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But there is no difference in cylinder length. The difference is in the chamber length. The .45 ACP cylinder for the convertible Blackhawk just has a longer throat than the .45 Colt cylinder -- the barrel-cylinder gap remains the same. As long as the chamber throats are sized correctly, the bullets won't be tumbling when the jump the gap and hit the forcing cone.
 
I will be the fly in the ointment.....

If you want a dedicated 45 ACP why not just buy one?

It is not as simple as 44 Magnum/Special or 357/38.
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It's not like there's a ton of different options to pick from in the .45 ACP revolver market. And on top of that, you really don't lose anything by having a convertible Blackhawk. It takes all of 30 seconds to swap cylinders in the Blackhawk and the end result is a gun that makes no compromises for it's .45 ACP chambering.
 
It's not like there's a ton of different options to pick from in the .45 ACP revolver market. And on top of that, you really don't lose anything by having a convertible Blackhawk. It takes all of 30 seconds to swap cylinders in the Blackhawk and the end result is a gun that makes no compromises for it's .45 ACP chambering.
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That kinda makes it made for 45 ACP.:D
 
If you want a dedicated 45 ACP why not just buy one?
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Because the only other .45 ACP revolver that aren't collectors items on the market are:

1. Charter Arms Pit Bull
I've dealt with Charter Arms before. They do not make good shooters. If you ask me, they are junk but do offer some novel offerings. I say this from personal experience, they just do not hold up to shooting and are made from inferior materials.

2. S&W 625
I won't own anything with an internal lock, and I'm not interested in a used gun.

So there really are not many options at this point. It's already been clearly stated the .45 convertible Redhawks suck with .45 ACP accuracy, so that pretty much leaves the .45 Blackhawk convertible. No problem since I've wanted a single action revolver for some time. Keep in mind I also want the ability to fire .45 Colt rounds, including the hot Buffalo Bore ones.

So there.
 
Something very important about the large-frame Ruger single actions.

Ruger used to make the cylinders with six bit/reamer sets all going at once - in other words they did all six chambers at the same time. In 2004 when the mid-frames came out, they switched to a one-cylinder-bore-at-a-time process. This newer setup works better - overall dimensional accuracy of the cylinder is better and the variances we used to see between chambers is almost completely gone.

Ruger later moved this process to the large-frame guns like what you want. The way to ID a large-frame made with the new process is to look for the "lawyer's warning label billboard" (the "read the manual" bullpucky) on the underside of the barrel - that means new cylinder process. Side of barrel means old. Completely missing - predates the billboard completely, old process...unless somebody ground it off and refinished the gun. That isn't happening so much lately because the new under-barrel warning label isn't nearly as obnoxious. The changeover happened sometime in 2007.

There an exception of course :). In 2006 Ruger made a "50th Anniversary 44Magnum Blackhawk" that was NOT marked "Super". This gun was...weird, but nice. Small grip frame same as a New Vaquero, and was the only large-frame made with the "clicker" cylinder alignment that puts the chambers right under the loading gate on each click. It has a side-barrel warning label but the new-style cylinder. A real small-batch oddity, but a nice platform for customization if you want a 44Mag.

So anyways...you want a large-frame convertible 45ACP/45LC with an under-barrel warning label. That will be one of the most accurate box-stock Rugers ever made.

If it's not clear yet: ALL of the mid-frame series have the new cylinder type. There's also been some special runs of convertible 45ACP/45LC built on the mid-frame. You can spot these because they'll be "flattop" frames instead the normal "rear sight hump" frame. The mid-frame variants will be limited in 45LC to about 20,000psi loads, meaning basically 250gr hardcast at 900-1,000fps, 200gr JHPs at 1,100ish. And 45ACP+P would be...iffy. The large frame series is something you'd likely be more interested in - same accuracy if it's an under-barrel warning gun, and able to eat 45ACP+P all day, 45LC+P that beat most 44Magnum ammo in bullet energy levels while operating at around 33,000psi.

I'd go with the large frame series, myself. Weight isn't that much more. The gains in 45LC (and even 45ACP) are huge.
 
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This newer setup works better - overall dimensional accuracy of the cylinder is better and the variances we used to see between chambers is almost completely gone.
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While I won't argue about the newer guns being made better, I would like to point out that the older guns are not automatically crap, or inaccurate.

My first Blackhawk was purchased in 1983. I must admit I've never checked the chamber throats at all. It does have one chamber that shoots "away" from the others a little bit. It's enough to make a one hole group two holes at 50ft and its a couple feet off at 200yards. To me, that's a very minor thing, and overall, I'm very happy with the revolver, still, to this day.

My point is that at least some of the old manufacture Rugers are as accurate as I am, and then some, so I wouldn't automatically count one out, especially if new ones are difficult to find.
 
I'd go with the large frame series, myself. Weight isn't that much more.
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Can't check right now but if memory serves the weights are almost identical or even slightly lighter in the large frame convertibles due to their aluminum grip frame compared to the steel grip frame of the mid-sized Guns both Blackhawk and Vaquero.
 
44 AMP: I realize there were good ones made with the old process. There were also bad ones. In fact, at least one guy was doing a good business taking in your cylinders and reaming the throats all identical. Problem there was, if any were extra-large you'd get six large throats. Now, if you're a handloader shooting hardcast this wasn't a problem, but otherwise?

In the new process all the chambers are done with the same bit/reamer. That solved 98% of the uniformity problems. And because there's just one bit/reamer to check, and it's easier to check, the guy running the machines checks more often...so that one uniform chamber is likely to be pretty good.

When I was buying a brand new Ruger SA in 2005 I went with a mid-frame New Vaquero as it was the only way to be sure of getting the new cylinder type.

Of course, then I ended up swapping the barrel, cylinder and caliber (357Mag to 9mmPara) so it didn't matter too much in the end :). Cylinder is hand-reamed off a Bowen chromoly blank, barrel core is a Douglass Precision left over from somebody's carbine project (came from Douglass as a 26" barrel, first owner used 18" of it, put the rest on Ebay for $14 :D.)
 
I have .45 Colt / .45 acp blackhawk mine was made in 2006 and it shoots the ACP extremely well. I reload .45 acp by the bucket for other guns I own and so I seldom use the .45 Colt cylinder.
 
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