Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns My Grail Gun of a Lifetime!

I’d be proud to own it. Congratulations!

Thank you all for the kind comments!

This one is in the 6XXX range, so not sure what year it was born. Other pictures the seller posted showed that it didn't have a transfer bar, so hence the unconverted.

The wear on the cylinder and barrel and frame is the reason I was able to even win this auction I believe. I'm sure a collector looked at it and passed because of the battle scars on it, but I plan to shoot it!



First thing is to find some 158 and 180 grain hard cast slugs for it........I have brass, powder and primers as I have an S&W 66 2.5" snubby already, but load 158 XTP's in it. Once I find a bullet it likes, I will see about a mold for it.

Frog----OUT!

Nice. I recently picked up an old model in 45 colt. A flattop is still on my list.

Yours was made in 1956, the second year of production.

Blackhawk S/N

Very classy grips on a nice early Ruger. Great catch

So, how do you feel about trying some Lyman 358156s and 358429s?

I think I have a bunch of each cast already (don't hold me to that, though...I could be totally misremembering!) and I'd send you a few of each to see if your gun likes them, if you'd like to try them.

Nice find frog. I have one very similar that I bought from my old trap shooting buddy. Very Accurate. I have mostly shot 140 Rem. HPs out of mine with 2400 in .38 cases. I did buy a bunch of cast bullets over the years. Look at Leadhead if you want a true Keith style. I am not deep into cast stuff, but these came highly recommended and I do like them. Have fun.

Really cool find, Frog! Congrats!

Me likee!

I would very much appreciate trying some out, thank you!

Until I receive it, I have no idea about barrel wear, but most used firearms I've purchased over the years have been carried a lot and shot very little. I tend to prefer cast bullets these days because they're so versatile, economical and have amazing performance when configured exactly for the gun firing them!

Heavy cast 180's driven at sufficient velocity should let the air out of most anything here in the western mountains. As I recall, Mack sent his S&W 19 with his daughter while she worked as a Wrangler for an Outfitter in the hills stoked with his heavy 180 gr cast bullets.......

Yes, the stag grips are amazingly figured......it has a certain charm of being old and capable at the same time......like many of us.

Thank you again for the kind words everyone!

Frog---OUT!

S & W m66-2 2.5" K frame 357's have a 1.625" cyl length and will handle 358429's crimped in the crimping groove just fine not so with an N frame S & W they have to be seated deeper and crimped in front of the driving band. My old model Blackhawk 4 5/8" 357 has 1.6" cyl length but the chambers are not counter sunk for the rims like an N frame or early K frame. Don't know if your flattop will handle them seated to the crimp groove or have to be seated deeper. Maybe MS knows that off the top of his head. I only load the 358429 in 38 spcl cases around here crimped in the crimp groove just so they work in any gun I have. The 358156 Thompson design works great but most of those you find at gunshows will be the solid nose design it only took me 40 years to find one of the few and far between hollow point version. Good luck.
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Congrat's on the great score frogman43!

I've been able to crimp 358429s in the intended crimp groove for my 1956 Blackhawk (just like Frogman's, made the same year), but there isn't a lot of clearance. If necessary I would trim my brass 10 or 20 thousandths shorter to get the fit but I do not need to do that.

I found a Type 1 357 flat top several years ago that had the exact same serial number as the 1962 Model 700 I gave to my oldest son. Naturally the flat top had to go to him and I found a set of stags that looked just like yours to put on it and he loves it. The earlier Type 1 guns had the wavey lines on the front sight base and the smaller serrated button ejector rod button.

Beautiful gun!

I know a guy who shot himself carrying 6 rounds in his unconverted Ruger. He was well accomplished with firearms so not a novice. He thought he was smarter than gravity. He survived but was disfigured.

Load one, skip one, load four. Easy enough.

Thank you sir. It actually has quite a bit of finish wear like any handgun that has been loved on, carried for a while and shot some. Love those flat tops!

Congrats to you, frogman!