Ruger Blackhawk Gripframes

Mike Weber

New member
Does anyone know of a replacement steel gripframe for the Ruger Blackhawks with a rounded trigger guard, rather than the Super Blackhawk style squareback trigger guards? Also Birdshead style gripframes for Rugers?
 
You can also order steel grip frames from Ruger. However, they are not "finished". The Vaquero's use the same grip frames as the Blackhawks, but in steel.
 
My Super Blackhawk in .44 mag came stock with the rounded trigger guard, 5.5" bbl on it.

Is the the way they normally come ? I thought that all the super blackhawks came with the square trigger guards ?
 
SBA Triggerguards

The earlier Super BlackHawks did have the squareback trigger guard. They could be hard on the knuckles when firing heavy loads. The newer SBHs have rounded triggerguards. Its my understanding that the replacement steel grip frames offered by Ruger for the Blackhawk are the old style squarebacks. As SBH and Blackhawk grip frames will interchange. It hadn't occured to me that you could swap out a Vaquero grip frame with a Blackhawk. I know that the grip panels are interchangable but didn't think that the grip frames could be interchanged.
 
Here is the low down on "new model" Ruger SA grip frames.

XR3-RED grip frames have round trigger guards.
"Dragoon" style grip frames have square backed trigger guards.

The new model "blued" blackhawks and single sixes have XR3-RED "black" aluminum grip frames and ejector rod housings. (see note below about ejector rod housings)

The new model "stainless" blackhawks and single sixes have XR3-RED stainless steel grip frames and ejector rod housings.

The new model "blued and stainless" Super Blackhawks have steel grip frames (blued or stainless). The 4 5/8" (unfluted cylinder) and the 5 1/2" (fluted cylinder) Super Blackhawks have the XR3-Red STEEL grip frames with round trigger guards and the 7 1/2" (unfluted) and 10 1/2" (unfluted) Super Blackhawks have the square back trigger guard "dragoon" style grip frames. The Ejector rod housings are aluminum on the blued models and steel on the stainless models. (see note below about ejector rod housings)

The Super Blackhawk Hunter model has the larger "dragoon" style grip frame BUT has a round trigger guard (Only on this model). This grip frame takes the same grip panels as the "dragoon" style grip frames.

The Vaquero models have steel grip frames and ejector rod housings on all the new models, blued or stainless. Some older blued Vaqueros have aluminum ejector rod housings on the blued models. (see note below about ejector rod housings)


Now the XR3-RED and the Dragoon style grip frames are interchangable on the guns, but have different grip panels. Now ruger has the smaller (not birdshead) grip frames on the new "vaquero style" .32mag single sixes. And the the birdshead frames on the vaqueros and single sixes.

NOTE: all new centerfire single action guns are shipping with steel ejector rod housings. (per the Ruger 2002 catalog)

Bisley grip frames are steel and can be added to any of the Ruger SA guns with minor modifications.

As far as I know Ruger will selll you any of the grip frames they make, but the steel models come unfinished.
 
Thanks!

Thanks Whiskey:
I've gotten a lot of confusing information about the grip frames from Ruger. This really clears it up for me.
 
Back
Top