I don't know why but I have it in my head that I'd like a stouter 45 Colt. Natural choice is a Ruger Blackhawk of some flavor.

I see they make one with an additional 45ACP cylinder.

For those that have them - how often are you shooting that ACP cylinder vice Colt? Wondering if it is worth chasing down the convertible vs just a regular 45 Colt. I have a new Vaquero and 1911 so I'm versed in 45 Colt and ACP from an ammo perspective.

So - worth it or just snag the first decent Blackhawk that comes along? Thinking next year as we're almost done with this year.

The only draw of the convertible for me would be if I had access to large amounts of free or cheap ammo in .45ACP.

I do believe that commonly available bulk .45ACP is more available and cheaper than .45 Colt factory stuff, but I'd be casting (or buying cast) and loading my own before long

I'd prefer the straight up .45 Colt

Bisley
Stainless

I had a 4-5/8" Blackhawk Convertible years ago (like 20 or so) and wound up trading it for my Bisley.

I REALLY like a 4-5/8" Blackhawk anything, but in the 2 or 3 years that I owned it, I never fired the ACP cylinder. For one thing, I didn't handload .45 ACP's yet (likely the biggest factor), but now (20 years down the road) I usually shoot 286 grain 270-SAA's at 1,000fps out of my Bisley, and can't imagine that an ACP load would hit close to where my sights are at the 25+ yard line.

The Blackhawk was blued with the AL grip frame and ejector rod housing. That plus the shorter barrel made it a lighter, handier package than the Bisley. My Bisley (Bowen tuned) shoots like it has eyes, but the Blackhawk shot very well. The "big bore but handy" niche has been filled with a Kimber 1911 for the last 15 years.

I say go for it. I did like mine.

I had one years ago. Being a handloader, I chose to shoot it with the .45 Colt cylinder most of the time. I never worked out an accuracy load for it with .45ACP.

Thanks for the experiences.

I reload and that's why I'm a fan of the 45 Colt. I'm even 90% set up for casting but haven't gone down that rabbit hole yet.

Bought the Vaquero almost 10 years ago and it's a fun shooter. Got a 480R Bisley 2 years ago (?) and that's nice too and am developing a fondness and interest in the Blackhawks more and more. Most all of them are 357 Mag tho around me and while I get it - it's just not for me. I like the bigger ones. (that's what she said)

Took this old Ruger ad and had it burned on canvas as a camp decoration.

I had one back in the 80's. Back then you could buy bulk .45 ACP ammo dirt cheap. I thought it would go nicely with my 1911.
I soon learned that I hated single action and traded it to a friend for a Security Six and never looked back.

Man, that is cool.

I have a lipsey Ruger new model flat top convertible. It is a great revolver with either cylinder. When I bought it I thought the .45 Colt cylinder would be in it most of the time. While it is very accurate with both cylinders the .45acp is kind of amazing. Don’t know why.
Fun revolver, get one, you will enjoy it.

I have a stainless Ruger Bisley convertible. I enjoy the convertible option.

Often when I go to shoot the gun, I am looking for the experience of it--the size, the weight, dragging hammers with my thumbs, etc. It's not so much about how much oomph behind the bullet. With that in mind, the .45 ACP is nice, because I run that cartridge on my Dillon have a bunch of it. I have to single-stage the .45 Colt stuff, and of course, that takes time. There is no discernible difference in recoil between light 250 gr Colt loads vs high book 230gr ACP loads.

Sometimes, however, I want stiffer loads, which means .45 Colt. I shoot various loads from John Linebaugh and the "strong action only" section of my load manuals. That's fun too. I even toted my .45 Colt for elk one year. I didn't shoot one, but it added another dimension of fun to hunting.

I mainly shoot .45 ACP at the range, but am very glad to have the .45 Colt option as well. I find that the convertible was an excellent choice for my needs.

Thanks. My girlfriend made it. Couple coats of white paint on the canvas followed by black and then burned off with a laser to create the image/shading etc.

I've had two Blackhawk convertibles, both 4 5/8". Both shot .45 Colts a lot better than .45 ACPs, but I never loaded the ACPs especially for the Blackhawks, the ACP ammo was loaded for my 1911s, and just used in the RBHs for fun and to see how they shot.

I liked both of them, but since I mostly shoot ACPs anyway, I just traded them off for this or that. I suspect the cylinder jump was the culprit for the poorer accuracy I got with the ACPs, but it might have been my taper crimped loads just didn't fit the cylinder very well. Both shot the the .45 Colts quite well. I just decided to go another direction.

Those are gorgeous. Who made the bottom grips?

I have a blued Blackhawk convertible 5.5" that shoots really well with 45 acp cylinder and loads of home cast powder coated stuff I loaded for my 1911 and xdm.

I really want the stainless flattop 4&5/8ths lipseys exclusive. I had one on order for about 3 years but have finally started bidding on them on gunbroker when they come up. I missed one on Thanksgiving that went for under $1000. When I get one my 5.5" blued Blackhawk will be for sale. I Hage a 4&5/8ths super Blackhawk stainless 44 mag I like but I really want the lighter flattop 45 convertible.

Bb

Dumb question, but are the Flattop .45 Colt Blackhawks on the .357 size frame or the .44 frame?

Thanks, Esmeralda made the grips, they are pretty fancy.

I believe the Flattops are on the smaller frame. More Colt SAA size.

I enjoy my convertible.....it's nice to have options!

I really like mine, but honestly I've only shot the ACP cylinder a couple of times. I just don't think about it much I guess.

I really like having the option to shoot either.

Load for both, but I've got around 1,500 rounds of 45 acp, so prefer to plink with that. Edited to add; especially when I loan it to the kid's, hate to have them blasting off my nice 45 Colt loads.

Jerry

Ruger Lipsey's FT;

Have any of you had a .357/9mm? If so, how did the 9mm shoot?

I have both the original large/standard frame .45 Convertible:







as well as the newer Flattop medium frame .45 Convertible:





I have found that now that I have both, I tend to use the medium frame Flattop more, due to its smaller size and general handling characteristics. It makes a great field gun in .45 ACP, and using 1911 mags works quite slick for speed loaders for the gun.

When I use the .45 Colt cylinder, I tend to shoot my 270 grain wide nose Keith Semi Wadcutter, that clocks out at 900 FPS from the 4 & 5/8ths " barrel. That seems to be plenty big enough to handle anything I am going to run into, so I rarely run them any hotter, in spite of the gun being capable of handling hotter loads.

Some of our members here have shot some hogs as well as Whitetail deer with that load and have commented on the effectiveness of it, so it seems to be doing what it was designed to do.

The Flattops are fairly close in size to an SAA, and they have a very nice balance to them. The shorter barrel version, like the one shown above is especially nice. It is one that I tend to grab any time I want to shoot and pack a single action.

They are very accurate when given a proper load.



This is the 270 Keith SWC at 900 FPS.

I think a Flattop .45ACP is one of the most serviceable sporting handguns a person could ever own.

Pure utility without the handicaps of a .44 Special.

Hopefully production will catch up. It’s hard to find a decently priced/quality revolver these days.

I really wish I had an ACP cylinder for my Colt.

Considering the ammo & component shortages, off & on, more on since Clinton, convertibles make more sense that they ever have. Years ago I might have had several unused extra cylinders on the shelf, & really didn't want to pay extra for a conv. if I had a choice.

Nowadays, I'll take the extra versatility if I can get it. Even to the point of having a double action machined so it could be a convertible.

I've got a Blackhawk convertible. I shoot mostly 45ACP just because I mostly shoot mild loads anyways.

I've been meaning to order some of this steel case 45ACP at $219/500 rounds, shipped.

https://www.sgammo.com/product/wolf...ain-fmj-wolf-wpa-steel-case-ammo-barnaul

Grip panels are Hogue black micarta.

I love the .45ACP cartridge. Have 2 pistols so chambered. Both delight me.

If I'm looking at boxes of .45ACP ammo I'd pass by any so chambered single action revolver that I might own to shoot them, in favor of the RIA or Sig that are made for and deliver all the benefits of the cartridge.

I don't hate single action revolvers. Think they're kinda cool. As someone, maybe Waders, stated above there's the whole feel of them in weight, balance, "dragging the hammer"...
If I wanna get that feel, or experience I'd probably do it with a traditional SA revolver cartridge.

I love my Bisley and my 1911’s, but these pics are giving me urges.
Fortunately, guns don’t care if you choose to practice gun polygamy……

Son,
I saw an internet review that included targets shot with the 357 Mag. & the 9mm cylinders. The best 357 loads (@ 25 yards) were around 1 3/4", while the best of the 9mm were around 3 inches.

Also saw a Handloader article by Brian Pearce, Handloader 301, April 2016. Paraphrased, "357; both revolvers were capable of one-inch (at 25 yards) with select loads. 9mm; both guns were still impressive, jacketed bulets, again with select loads were 1.5" to 2.0 inches."


Anybody else have any experience with the 9mm Ruger Convertibles?


Jerry

No experience with the 9mm convertibles.

One time I loaded up some 9mm 115gr FMJ in 38 Special cases. I shot them through a 4" GP100. The accuracy was off a little. I managed about 5=6" at 25 yards, where I was closer to 3" at 25 yards with the .357" bullets.

I was not shooting off a bag or anything, just standing, mod-weaver.

LOL...

Yup, I haven't owned a SA revolver for probably 20 years, but I've been looking since I responded to this thread.
There's been a number of times I felt a pull for a stainless Ruger Bisley in various cartridges. Recent change in marital status has me doing some impulsive stuff...

Guess it don't matter what impulses I try to follow.

Gunbroker- nada

LGSs-zip

If I'da found a 4 5/8 stainless Bisley today, I'da just called Christmas good.

I have an unfired 4 5/8” one in stainless. I have zero interest in the 9mm cylinder.

I just picked up a Ruger Blackhawk 45LC/45acp revolver. I reload for a lot of calibers, but 45LC is not one of them. However, I’m sitting on thousands of 45acp ammo, which is what I plan on shooting.

I wonder if I can bore that 9mm cylinder out into a 38 Short Colt or 38 Special

I just picked up a 5.5” Ruger Blackhawk Convertible 45LC/45acp a couple of weeks ago. Went to the range last week with the 45acp cylinder…….loved it!

Not really planning on doing anything with the 45LC, but I have a ton of 45acp to shoot.

Yep. Very nice.

Just yesterday, I saw a 4-5/8" Blackhawk Convertible .45 in a small local gun shop. I think the price was about $1,100.00. Looked in nice shape.

For a non-handloader, the convertible makes lots of sense, as it's cheaper to shoot. I pretty much keep my Cimarron Cattleman equipped with its .45 ACP cylinder all the time. The .45 Colt cylinder stays in storage.

I own a 45/45ACP convertible with Eagle Sambar Stag grips. Really nice gun that shoots equally well with either cylinder. The 45 barrel was cylinder was honed or reamed out before I bought it.
I had the stag grips from a previous gun that fit very nicely.