Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 30 Carbine Blackhawk

For some reason I am really interested in this gun and caliber combo. I have a Bisley 357 that is the most accurate Ruger I own and it reaches a magical 1700 fps with Rem 125 jhp's.

I always wanted a 32 H&R in a Single Six, but gave up looking for an adjustable sight model.

The Carbine is sort of a 30/32 mag. The gun has been in continuous production for a long time. So somebody is buying them. I want to use it as a dedicated varminter. And yes, I know about the muzzle blast.

Any Carbine shooters out there who can toss in their 2 cents about this gun? I'll use mostly 100-110 gr bullets. What kind of speeds can I expect? How accurate are your guns in this caliber?

Thanks

TM

If you're interested, I saw a 3-screw BH, 4-digit SN, last week. Asking price was less than $500.

Same shop has an adjustable sight .32 H&R Magnum Single-Six for $385.

I'll find the details for you, if you want 'em.

Thanks VA - I think I will stick with the carbine though. I used to own an sp101 4" 32 that I foolishly traded away. Still have 500 starline cases, ugh...

If I find a 32 locally I may bite, but I'm not actively looking for one. I may get a Contender barrel for it from the custom shop.

I can get the new Blackhawks at dealer prices so I'll probably grab one. One dealer in town always has a carbine in the store.

TM

I haven't shot a .30 Carbine since WWII--My inclination is to suggest that you go with whatever lights your fire. If it doesn't work sell it or trade it.

Everyone has his own built in prejudices.

Funny you should mention the little carbine Muddy. I've been reading about Auto Ord's new mil spec carbine. I may go for it rather than the Blackhawk now. It looks like they did a nice job on it.

TM

What you NEED is the Blackhawk AND the M-1.

I've owned several M-1 Carbines, and while they may lack a huge amount of stopping power with military ball ammo, they are still awfully sweet-handling and reliable. I would not hesitate to make one my "assault rifle" if I were on a limited budget.

I've got a .30 Blackhawk. I don't know much about it, as I've owned it a month now. I would characterize the muzzle blast as "not that bad". Mine is an old 3-screw model. I think I have $365 or $385 for it, on a trade.

The .30 carbine BH is such a fun gun to shoot. It�s universally known for how loud it is, but since only a fool would shoot one without ear protection, that�s not much of an issue. They�re accurate and fairly flat shooting as revolvers go. With the Hornady 90 grain XTP-HP or the Speer 110 grain semi-jacketed HP, it�s a solid performer. If you�re hunting things smaller than deer, it�s about perfect.

You know, I like the round enough I just might get both. The M1 is so light it would be nice for walking up groundhogs. The BH would also be nice as a dedicated varmint handgun. My Bisley 357 is basically a dedicated deer gun.

I've shot a lot of groundhogs with my 6" GP SS beacuse it stays sighted in for Rem 125 JHP's.

TM

That's kinda what I'm thinking. The round just has fun written all over it. It would be a vermin gun - no big game. No decisions about that.

Made the mistake of shooting a hot 35 gr bullet load outa my 10" hornet TC once... without ear protection - big mistake - very painful. With age comes wisdom hopefully...

TM

"With age comes wisdom hopefully..."

And hearing loss. lol

Yep, count me in the group that has to pee on the electric fence! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A local gun shop had several .30cal blackhawks a few years back..I bought one for $250.00..I gave it to pops and he mounted a leuy on it, he uses it for coyotes and such...BTW it belongs to him cause i couldn't hit a barn door with it....It shot about a foot high at 25 and the sights were out of adjustment..A scope was the fix...it'll put 6 in a big hole at 75 pretty easy......I didn't think it was any louder then a .357mag....

Robert....

Good to know. I am tempted to try Hornady 110 vmax's in it if I get one. However, I shot a groundhog at 200 yards with a 30-30 14" Contender with that bullet and it didn't expand that I could tell. Dead groundhog yes, but I didn't do an autopsy to see how the bullet did. I think I was just amazed I hit it let alone killed it.

TM

TM45,

Sorry, I can't be as positive as others about the .30 carb Blackhawk, I have had two of them and a pard had one. One of mine was a "200th year" and the other was a 3-screw. Accuracy was defined as 4-6" at 25 yds. I wouldn't call that ACCURATE by any stretch of the imagination. That wasn't just one of them, but all three.

Now I have a "Buckeye Special" .32 H&R/.32-20. I wouldn't trade it for 3 of the .30 Carbines.

OTOH, I also have a Contender in .30 Carbine with 10" Oct and 10" Bull barrels. It is very accurate and a hoot to shoot. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I'd take a T/C anytime before the Blackhawk...

Just my experiece with them FWIW....

Grasshopper

I hear you on the TC's. I've never had an inacurate one. Had plenty of Rugers I've traded off. To me the accuracy of TC's is like a Savage - it's almost a given. I may have to give my 30-30 more credit - although it is a fireball spitting beast.

TM

I have a three screw .30 carbine Blackhawk. had one in new model form as well. I got tired of trying to get the empty cases back out of the cylinder on the New Model I had so I gave it to a buddy who wanted one. I found the three screw at a gun show and as the price was right, the gun was 99 percent and had the box and all the paperwork, I slapped down the $200 the guy wanted and it came home with me.
My take on using the .30 carb. Blackhawk took a different track with this latest acquisition. Rather than going the full blown carbine loads, I went to a cast bullet and 5.0 gr. of Unique. Now my 68 year old eyeballs ain't what they used to be, but from a sandbag rest, I can put five rounds into a group the size of a quarter at 25 yards, and can usually hit a rabbit in the head at 50 yards if he's standing still. Even a body hit doesn't tear up very much meat. Bullet is Lyman's #311316 cast from wheel weight metal. What was once a total PITA is now a favorite fun gun.
Paul B.

It is not that the sights were out of adjustmant...the front sight blade is too low...had the same problem with my 3-Screw. I also put a Leupold 4 power on the gun using a Weaver no-drill mount but ended up having a smith mill the old ramp front sight off and putting a partridge blade on of the correct height.

The gun I have is a great shooter and just as accurate as any of my other Rugers...wheich is pretty accurate. Best load so far is the 90 grain Hornady XTP with H110 powder and a Winchester SR primer...bullet expands nicely.

Last year Brian Pierce had a great article in Handloader Magazine on the .30 Carbine Blackhawk...

Bob

RJM - do you remember what issue of Handloader that was?

TM

i have run a few thousand rounds through M1 carbines over the years for the shear fun of it and they are cheap to shoot. we just use 110 gr bullets and plinking loads and call it good. if i ever find a good price on the BH in 30 carbine i will be all over it. had an AMT auto mag in 30 carbine and hated it