Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Rugers: Blackhawks, Super Blackhawks and the quickest way to Utopia

Backstory: Had a handful of revolvers in my time. Like a dumbazz I sold most for pennies on the dollar. While in New Mexico for a decade I shot a lot. Lots of jackrabbits and time packing a 6 gun.

I've had a FA 83 in 6" that was amazing. Just too much of a good thing. Guess I am a pussy because I simply want no part of a 454. I went down the rabbit hole of 45LC. Paid a ton of money on TALO rifles in 45LC when 44Mag was right there and half price.

Had a plain jane NM Bisley 45LC in 7.5". Shot it a lot. Just tooooo long and unwieldy.

Had some coin in a Blackhawk I personally dropped off to Gary Reeder in 45LC. Only to sell it for something I HAD to have, yet forgot what it is now?? Had BFRs in 480 and currently have a SRH in 480....meh.

My dreams are a 5.5" or 6" gun. Would like to stay 45LC. But the simple button of 44Mag is creeping in. I DO WANT the longer SBH grip frame or Bisely. I do not want the short BH Aluminum frame.

Lastly most of this is simply aesthetics.....but I LOVE the look of an unfluted cylinder.

One last thing...somehow I have an unfluted cylinder in 45LC with the throats done to .452-.453 IN MY HAND. Either a punched 44Mag or scrolling removed and throats reamed. But its Stainless....which matters little on appearance (color).

Do I ??? Get a 7.5" Bisley again in 45LC and send it out to have the barrel whacked to 6" and a FA front sight base installed and be done with it? If so....who does these kind of jobs and does them in under 3 years?? I'll be dead before any of the Big Time guys that are still breathing get to a project like this, No?

There is a 6" Bisley on GB right now. Says 6" barrel. But 45ACP and 1979 build?? My cylinder in 45LC would be plug and play and I am finished?

HillyHawk has a 5.5" stainless Blackhawk convertible for sale rn with ACP cylinder (don't need it but a cool Have). Buy a steel grip frame and do a swap myself and learn some patience?

Pony up the cash for a rare (now) Bisley stainless 5.5" Convertible and be done with it other than eventually wanting an interchangeable front sight blade?

BTW....I think blued looks more sexy than the stainless.

Forgot I already had a non convertible 5.5" stainless Bisley in 45LC but like a dumbass in a divorce...I pretty much gave that thing away. Think blued over stainless pretty high on my list of Needs. But realize this is simply cosmetic.

If I didn't mention it...the end goal is an open sighted hunting revolver.

Already have a very accurate G40 with Bar Sto barrel and Holosun. Have a 7.5" Super RH in 480 which is simply don't use. And the Redhawk in 4.2" in 45LC.

Just want a cool, dickin around mid sized, mildly loaded Magnum that would work for spot n stalk critters while I ramble, Montana B tag does, Idaho bears over bait, and enough HP to run cameras in NW MT grizzly country. And looks cool AF and a bit throw back with balls

Sounds a lot like the gun I wanted for decades. I used to see it frequently in magazines, the Mag-Na-Port "Predator" conversion of the 10 1/2" Ruger Super Blackhawk. It came with the unfluted cylinder and the square trigger guard- both of which I like the looks of. Best I can remember, the barrel was cut back to the end of the ejector rod housing, they typically polished the trigger and hammer, added some nicer sights. They performed the Mag-Na-Porting to the package, but at the Mag-Na-Port site, you can piece meal what you want done on your gun- so you don't have to have it ported. No idea on timeframe.

Last year I got my 3rd Super Blackhawk, this time in 10 1/2" blued (which I believe has a slimmer barrel profile than the stainless and I think the ejector rod housing may be shorter too), and for the third time, ended up selling it after realizing that while I LOVE their looks, they just don't fit my hand for whatever reason.

The other suggestion I have for you is to look into the Magnum Research BFR. They come from the factory very close to what you're looking for. Besides the ugly "long" frame models, they have the "short" (regular) frame models, and can be had with either Bisley or regular grip, and 5, 6.5, or 7.5" barrels. I believe there is a custom option page too for things like fluted cylinders, octagon barrels, etc.

Exactly what I was thinking re: a BFR.

The Blackhawk I wish I had purchased many years ago was the .45 Convertible.

I see several on GB in 454 in 6.5". Fully realize I can shoot a 45LC out it. Possibly exclusively? I did own a BRF in 480/475. I really don't recall much about it. I think I found it super heavy ( I don't recall if I had a 7.5 or 6.5" honestly) and the edges were "Sharp".

The above 454s are getting pretty close.

Anyone have any opinion on them re: accuracy and grip fit?

Accuracy is a must, as it's for hunting. Grip fit....anytime I see an odd sized grip frame and faux ivory....I get super sketched. Probably the cheapest Ajax white plastic you can get or decent fitting?

I grabbed an unfluted 4-5/8" SBH 44mag a while back. Swapping it over to a bisley wasnt a big deal. Few files, a 12pack, a couple evenings in the garage and it was done. Was the first and only time I have appreciated having a stainless gun.

Last time I looked, Finding a bisley frame wasnt the easiest thing to do...

If I understand the OP,,

The stainless 45 in the classifieds is all stainless. The blued ones had alum. GF & ERH's.

Maybe a coating if ya want another color, but no GF change needed.

I picked up one of the 5.5” Turnbull edition Bisley 45 Colts when they were offered. Had the throats opened to .4525 and added Holly grips. This one flat shoots. And ain’t too hard on the eyes. They turn up once in a while on GB and GI.

I would look for a Flattop Blackhawk. They are medium frames and came in both 4&5/8ths" and 5.5".

You can get them in .44 Special and .45 Colt. They are not meant for extreme top end .45 Colt loads, but you can put loads through them that would topple any elk out there, so I don't really think you need much more. My personal favorite is an easy shooting load of a 270 grain Elmer Keith design, wide nose semi wadcutter that runs right at 900 FPS from my 4& 5/8ths " gun.

Tack driver too.



It is a load that was inspired by John Linebaugh's writings. He wrote of a similar load used to take a fair number of deer and antelope, using a short barreled Colt SAA. Below is an excerpt from those writings and they were about 30 years ago, so I am sure many more were taken in the interim.


" I have personally taken about 10 antelope and 1 mule deer with a .45 Colt. My boys have taken around 6 antelope and 5 mule deer with their .45 Colts. They use a 4 3/4" Colt SA and the handload is a 260 Keith cast at 900 fps"

Anyways, I developed a load that was fairly similar. Everything came together with a 270 Keith bullet and it has proven to be a superb load.



So, while I am an unabashed .44 Mag and Special fan, you can also use a .45 Colt as well.

I customized mine a bit with an aluminum grip frame, to lighten it up, a Bisley hammer and had the throats all opened to the same diameter. Now it is a true gem of a single action. You could not pry it from me for a bucket full of money!

Mackay-

I don't hang out here on the Fire too often anymore. But I love your posts and was hoping you'd chime in. The pics and descriptions are great.

Mart-

I've seen a few Sold listings for the TALO Turnbull. In the $1200 range. I would pay that. Saw one for $2100. I would not pay that. That's getting close to FA 83 range, which would be pretty much ultimate. Beautiful guns here.

Thanks bunches for the replies