Blackhawk Checkout?

M

Model12Win

Moderator
Gang on Monday my first ever single action revolver, a Ruger's Blackhawk .45 convertible, will arrive at my local dealers.

Quite frankly, I am beyond stoked!! :D

Now I've owned double actions and know the checkout procedures for them. Checking cylinder gap, end shake, timing, etc.

Is it different with the singles? Basically, I need to know what to look for on a Ruger Blackhawk to make sure it checks out. It's my first do need to do it right. :cool:

Thanks, all!!
 
Congrats! Blackhawks are a ton of fun.

Aside from the above mentioned things check for pushoff (very doubtful it'd be an issue but...) also check the loading gate, I've seen one or two pistols which issues on the gates.

Enjoy!
 
I have one as well and it is amazing how well it shoots 45ACP. Many times I will take it and my 357-9mm convertible out just for a nice Single Action day.
 
Great shooting gun. I would warn you to never take it apart because getting it back together is a real pain. Watch the youtube Ruger video. You will be asking "how did he just do that ?" Hahahahaha
 
O there not bad to take apart, you just have to pay attention. Congrats on the new addition, mine are not convertibles but boy can they shoot.
 
They are easily detail stripped.

BARREL: Check the crown for damage? Is it straight? Bore look undamaged? Forcing cone damage? Gas cutting?

CYLINDER: When cocked, does it lock up tight? Alignment of chamber to bore? Smoothness of rotation minus pawl clicks? End shake? Gap? Gas cutting?

ACTION: Fast and slow, does it smoothly turn to lock? Pull weight? Push off? Grittiness? Creep?

SIGHTS: Roughly centered? Damaged? Loose?

OVERALL: Finish %? Grips ok? Originality? Box? Papers? Could it be stolen? Screw head damage?

That's about it
 
I've got seven Blackhawks, from 22 Combo to 45 Colt. Absolutely love them. Nathan covered checkout items, but I've always added a trigger job, Belt Mountain Base Pin, and Bowen Rough Country Rear Sight. My last two, 44 Special, and 45 Colt, had decent triggers. If yours is new, put a few hundred rounds in before a trigger job. The think I like about the 45 Colt cartridge is the ability to get tremendous performance with the 285 grain 280SAA bullet at 1050fps.
 
Thanks, gang!

What are endshake and cylinder gap specs for a Blackhawk? Same as a DA gun?

I've got a sweet rig from El Paso Saddlery coming, too :) Wanting to put some stags on the gun, it's blued w a 5 1/2" bbl.
 
I got the exact same gun. Had a few minor issues.

The pin that holds the rear sigh was loose and backed out. I had to remove it and give it a little bend and set it back.

There was a small gap between the top front of the grip and the frame. Nothing to do about that. The old ones were not like that.

There was a very tiny ding on the trigger guard. The trigger guard material is painted alloy so any damage becomes a white/metal color spot. I wish I got the stainless model.

The 45 acp shoots very well. I think 2" at 25 yards IIFC. That is rested on a bag with the iron sights. Federal American Eagle, brass case, ball ammo.

I never gave any thought to measure the cylinder gap. I would and did check that it index or locked up all 6 correctly. I never try shooting fast either or dry fire fast. You might? I dont know what endshake means.

Now my memory is getting fuzzie, there was one Ruger that had some side play on the rear sight. I took out the play but not 100% sure what I ended up doing. I think it involved some brass shim stock. You might look at that.
 
...always added a trigger job,...
Click to expand...

Did you have sear engagement shortened? Mine was shortened and it makes a big difference. Obviously push off would be unacceptable, but I wonder why Ruger insists on such landscape Mg sear engagement in the design?
 
I’ve had quite a few blackhawks. I suggest as above, but also taking the grips off and cleaning any chips or grit out and lubricating the sear, moving parts and stuff that rubs with a high quality silicone gun grease. Over time, the trigger will improve or there is the old “poor man’s trigger job” where one applies pressure to the cocked hammer then smoothly pull the trigger. Clearly, don’t be ham handed, a brute, or do this more than once or twice- but gently done and with good lubrication it shortens the break in period and you may notice an improved trigger break.

Mostly, clean it and lube it.. shoot and enjoy
 
Outstanding guns and the convertibles are a great value. I just got the 45 convertible a month ago myself. It shoots great, it feels great and has that timeless SA look and vibe. I can't believe it took me decades to "discover" the stellar Ruger Blackhawk.
 
I have the convertible in .45acp/.45colt as well and it is one of my favorites to take to the range. My daughter has already laid claim to it as inheritance. Her words: "You can't ever sell this dad, it is mine."
 
I got a new Ruger Blackhawk .45 convertible with the 7.5" barrel in 1983. I got the gun with the intent of being able to plink with .45acp ammo and not have to hunt for my brass in the weeds after shooting.

I made one "small" mistake. I decided to try it with .45 Colt ammo, first. Bought a box of Winchester 250gr, the original standard load. Wow!!! with the first shots, I was hooked!!! Over the years, that gun has had maybe 300rnds of .45acp through it, along with a few thousand .45 Colt loads in various power ranges.

Early on, I did polish some internal parts (by hand with stones, no power tools were involved) according to the excellent article about doing so in a Gun Digest annual. And, I did the "poor boy trigger job" by dropping one leg of the trigger return spring off its mounting stud. This resulted in a very light trigger, with no creep, and no noticeable overtravel. There is no "push off" concern. Sear and hammer engagement angles were not touched.

There are no aftermarket parts in my gun, other than the grips. I have never measured the cylinder throats, since the gun shoots just fine, I don't care.

I can put 5 shots in one hole at short range and hit the 200yd gong repeatably as well. (35 years of practice helps..:D)

I don't use the extra heavy bullets (I have no use for them), and while I did have my time of loading the Ruger to .44Mag power levels (and a bit beyond), I settled on one load 30 years ago, and have been shooting it ever since. 250gr hard cast SWC over 10.0gr Unique.

That load clocks just barely under 1100fps from my gun, and is not unpleasant (for me) to shoot. My .45 Blackhawk is one of my two most favorite revolvers, the other being my S&W M28-2 6".

I might have gotten the 5.5" barrel had Ruger offered it at the time, but they didn't, and I didn't like the look of the shorter one, so I got the 7.5" and I've been very happy with it. So happy that over time, I've gotten a Blackhawk in .357, a Super in .44Mag, and several Vaqueros in .45 Colt.

One of my friends collects Colts, and has several SAA's. nice guns, but after decades with Rugers, the Colts seem small, weak, and stupidly expensive to me. I tease him by telling him that the Ruger Blackhawk is the gun Colt would have made, if they had only known how....:D:rolleyes:
 
Gang, got my BH in.

In short, it's a BEAUT!!!

Seems to check out very well indeed, no problems. The grip frame is already en route to get custom stag grips installed. Hate to say it but the stock factory black plastic grips are cheesy. Other than that, it balances beautifully and is only 38.5 oz on my scale. Overall VERY pleased!! :D
 
cool. Now you just have to shoot it to find out how it puts bullets on/off a target! A revolver that won't shoot is just a paper weight, regardless how you dress it up! Well, unless you just use it to shoot across a poker table or some such ;) .

Enjoy!
 
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