SA revolver shooters

H

Hunter Customs

New member
To all the SA revolver fans on here I was wondering a few things.

What's your favorite center fire cartridge in the SA revolver?

What grip style do you like best?

What's your favorite barrel length?

I'll list mine.

I've shot SA revolvers in 45 Colt, 45ACP, 44 special, 44 magnum, 41 Colt, 357 mag and 38 special.
I would say 45 Colt is my favorite with 45 ACP and 44 special tied for second place, the 38 special is fun and cheaper to shoot when bouncing cans.

For grip style I have SA revolvers with the old plow handle grip, birdshead grip, Ruger Bisley grip, the only Thunderer style grip I've shot was on an old Colt I did not shoot it much.
I kind of think the Birdshead is my favorite with the Ruger Bisley a close second.
However I've never shot with a Colt Bisley grip so I'm not sure how I would rate it.

For barrel length I prefer the 4&5/8 and 4&3/4 that being said I have a 3&1/2 inch barrel Ruger, it's fun to shoot, it's my mouse gun.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
Ruger Black Hawk .357 Mag, plow handle with 4 5/8" barrel. .357 and .38 is easier to find and a heck of a lot cheaper than .45 colt.
 
I don't do favorites very well I love all my kids. I've always had a soft spot for oddballs so I have a few 38-40s and I by far have more gunfighter length SAs with good old plow handle grips.
 
The Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum, 7 1/2" barrel is, and has been, my delight for many years. The Dragoon grip of the Super suits me best for handling hard kicking loads. And for down range accuracy, with plenty of remaining power, the .44 Magnum can't be surpassed.

For close-up shooting, with milder loads, I like the Ruger Blackhawk grip. Its faster pointing on on-target quicker, in my hands, at least.

I tried building a Bisley Ruger in .45 Colt with 4 5/8" barrel, but that kicked me really hard with the heavy (350 gr. Cast bullets) bullets.

I once built up three Ruger .45 Colts in 4 5/8" and three with 7 1/2" barrels, one each with the Super Blackhawk grip, one with a Bisley grip, and one with the Blackhawk grip. I tried everything from 185 gr. JHP to 350 gr. RNFP. After my trials most were converted back to either the Super or Blackhawk style.

Here, a .45 Colt Bisley, 7 1/2" (With Super Blackhawk):



And converted to Super Blackhawk grip frame:



Bob Wright
 
Last edited:
Gotta be big bore, my preference is .45 Colt but the .44 is fine too. The .357/.38 in a SA is sacrilege, heresy I say!
 
I love the 45C in my Ruger Blackhawk & Vaquero, one is a 4 5/8 plow handle & the other is the 3 1/4 birds head both stainless. But I still like my 30 carbine (cut to 5 1/2), 357 ( 4 5/8)& 44 mag (4 5/8) Blackhawks also. The only one I havent shot is the 41cal and I havent shot the Bisley handle yet.
 
I like .45 Colt and .45ACP.
I am a recent convert to .45ACP in a revolver, having recently (last two years) purchased two "Lipsey's Specials" in that caliber, a 3.5" Birdshead and a 4 3/4 inch Flattop Blackhawk Convertible .45Colt/.45ACP.

I have a fair amount of .45ACP ammo I have purchased over the years, and I have ben reloading .45 Colt for 40 years, so I have a big batch (thousands) of .45 Colt brass. Only way I can afford to shoot it.

Of course, .22 and .22 mag. I have an old NM Single Six I have lost the lr cylinder for, so it is a dedicated .22 mag, and a Birdshead Bearcat.

 
You did say CENTERFIRE CARTRIDGE SA so mine would be my Ruger New Vaquero in .357 - 5 1/2" barrel length. All I shoot in it though are 38 specials - I love that cartridge - cast my own and reload - just a good plinking cartridge for me. I hated the factory grips though - those plastic things with the pointy checkering - kink of like grasping a rasp for me. I switched 'em out for a set of Eagle "gun fighter" grips - much more comfortable!

Now had you said SA REVOLVER - it of course would be the 1851 Colt Navy. A joy to shoot as well!
 
.357 first, then .45 Colt in a non-bisley grip.
IMO the Ruger new model Blackhawk grip (XR3-Red?) has the best recoil control. Bought a Bisley and hated the way it hung in my hand and didn't like the recoil.
I now shoot a Freedom Arms model 97 in .357 and it's a fine gun, but IMO the NM Blackhawk has less felt recoil even though it's a bit lighter. The F/A is a semi-bisley style.
 
To all the SA revolver fans on here I was wondering a few things.

What's your favorite center fire cartridge in the SA revolver?

45 Colt

What grip style do you like best?

The 1860 or old Super Blackhawk for general use. For anything beyond the 44 Mag,the Ruger Bisley

What's your favorite barrel length?

4 3/4"
 
OK, assuming I'm not going to talk again about my magazine-fed gas-ejecting 9mmPara oddity...

IF you're going to stick with a classic SAA-sized gun, at least like a post-WW2 era Colt or near-clone like the Ruger New Vaquero, and you want to stay with a sixgun, the cartridge that makes a ton of sense is the 41Magnum as a "do-all" personal defense and woods cartridge.

The New Vaquero is probably the strongest of the post-war Colt-sized guns, with the USFAs possibly tied, then the real Colts, then the best of the Italian SAs. A NewVaq that started life as a 357 can be successfully re-chambered to 41Mag in the stock cylinder. For best results however start with a Bowen cylinder blank as they are longer (for heavier slugs) and stronger than Ruger's stock cylinder.

If personal defense is the sole consideration, the 45ACP would rock. Fast loading out of cheap 1911 mags, great ammo available. Or 40S&W. In actual revolver cartridges either 357 or 44Spl.

The gun otherwise generally needs to be set up with a lower slung hammer, either SuperBlackhawk or equivalent or Bisley. Colt's hammer reach in the post-war gun was too high and Ruger and the Italians slavishly cloned it. That's my opinion anyways...I think this is a big reason SASS/CAS players have mostly gone to off-hand cocking for two-handed shooting, which is OK for light loads but not so good for real power.

On grips, I like the standard ploywhandle with thinner round-bottom grip panels, which are hard to find. They work great with a pinkie-under hold.

Barrel length, 4.68 or 4.75" works for me, 5.5" max.
 
Howdy

This pair of 2nd Gen Colts are my main match pistols in CAS. The top one was made in 1975 or so, the bottom one in 1968. The short barreled one is actually my favorite revolver. Both are 45 Colt of course, both only get shot with Black Powder the way 45 Colt was meant to be shot.

colts_05.jpg




This pair of 'original model' Vaqueros comes along as backups to every match, in case a spring breaks in the Colts. Yes, it has happened. Oh, 45 Colt of course.

stainlessvaqueros.jpg




A recent addition, a Bisley Colt, converted to 44 Special. I usually shoot it with 44 Russian ammo, Black Powder of course.

BisleyColta.jpg




This is my latest. A Bisley Colt chambered for 38-40, made in 1909. I have not had a chance to shoot it yet, I need to load up some 38-40. I am hoping it is going to be a good shooter.

bisley04_zps9adefab5.jpg




Other single actions that I do not shoot in CAS:

This is my old Blackhawk convertible that I bought brand spanky, new back in 1975. My first single action cartridge gun, and my first experience with 45 Colt.

BlackhawkConvertible02_zpsac3ff932.jpg




A Flat Top 44 Mag.

FlatTop44Mag04.jpg



Hmmmmm......I have a bunch more Rugers, but am only allowed to post six at a time.

Clearly, I prefer the old plow handle grip and 45 Colt is my favorite caliber.
 
Here's a few more.

A pair of New Vaqueros, chambered for 357 Mag.

NewVaqueros.jpg




An 'original model' Vaquero, chambered for 45 Colt. First revolver I used for CAS.

Vaquero.jpg





Three Screw Blackhawk, 357 Mag

ThreeScrew357Magnum01.jpg




Flat Top 357 Mag

FlatTop357_zpsae10bd45.jpg




Three Screw Single Six Convertible.

singlesixwmr_zps51c710b9.jpg


I have a couple of more Three Screw Single Sixes, but they are camera shy.
 
I have a black hawk in 45 and a super in 44 mag. The hot loads I got a hold of by mistake about killed me.

The trigger digs into my finger when it recoils.

I do like it way better than the Uberti that I had.

Mel
 
44-40 with .45 Colt a close second.
Plow handle grips.
7 1/2 with 5 1/2 a close second.
I do not like birdshead or bisley grips at all and Ruger SA's even less.
 
My first Single Action was a 7.5 inch 3-screw Blackhawk in .45 Colt. I bought it new in 1973. Gave $100 for the gun and a box of ammo. I imagine I still have some of the brass from that first box. The gun is still going strong. The Bianchi "River Belt" I bought to carry it in the Threepersons holster looks like it was made for a child.:rolleyes:

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top