OT Value of Blackhawk .30 varbine?

[trooperdan]

Guys, I've been hankerin' for a .32 H&R Mag pistol and I though the Blackhawk in .30Carbine could be loaded mild to wild and could be my .32 H&R, if I so desired.

So I've found a shop that has a used 7 1/2" Blackhawk with a Bushnell scope mounted and a spare .32-20 cylinder for $325. That is kinda in my price range.. but I don't follow the value of these things; is it a good deal, fair deal or I'll buy it if you don't deal?

[Scrounger]

If that Ruger is in good shape, I'd jump all over it. Seriously, if you're not interested, please send me their phone number.

[9.3X62AL]

That is one hell of a fine deal.

[trooperdan]

Scrounger, PM sent.

[trooperdan]

Darn it, I hate it when I make a 'typo' in the title and can't change it!

I want a .30 pistol but financially I just shouldn't do it! That Blackhawk is in California and I've sent the info to Scrounger so he can save me from myself!

[Scrounger]

It's mine, mine, mine!!!! As soon as I send them a money order and FFL. I already have dies and brass for .30 carbine; not sure if there would be anything gained in using the .32-20 cylinder. A big thanks to TrooperDan for his help. If this gun had been anywhere but California it would probably have been more money. It falls into the class of pistols that dealers can't sell there. All of these guns are taken in on consignment by the dealer and when a buyer is found, a private party transfer is done. The owners generally price these guns a lot less than the dealer would if he could buy and re-sell it. No problem of course with out of state sales to FFL.

[trooperdan]

Congratulations Art! I hope it is a good 'um; I know it will have a good home! I had no idea that single actions were a no-no in California! Who would'a thunk it? Glad you got it 'cause I might have bought it against my better judgement!

[Scrounger]

Not single actions per se, just all pistols that the manufacturer won't pay the state $5000 or whatever to test them before they can be sold. These include most models of S&W, Colt, and Ruger. Every caliber of a model must be tested. The bottom line is that unless the manufacturer is pretty dang sure he's going to sell at least a thousand guns in that model and caliber, he don't pay to have it tested and approved.

[rockrat]

Scrounger, I might be interested in the 32-20 cylinder. Let me know if you want to keep it or not and what you might want for it. Thanks

[Buckshot]

............I have one in 30M1 Carb, and have been trying to get a belt mtn basepin for it for awile now. Has a bit of lateral shake to it. Mike Venturino did an article on one several years back and said it was the most accurate revolver he'd ever shot.

I don't care what ANYONE on the pistol line is shooting. You show up with one of those and some factory or hot loaded ammo and you'll be the envy of every masochist on the line. Double muffed it still hurts my ears. Gotta be the most piercing report out there. I even loaded up some Lyman 311252, 77gr RNPB over 1.5gr of Bullseye and IT was loud!

................Buckshot

[Scrounger]

Yesterday I posted that I would use the .30 Carbine cylinder in my soon to be new Blackhawk because the .32-20 cylinder didn't show me anything. Now I'm starting to wonder because .32-20 data in a 10 inch Contender barrel is impressive. The .30 carbine data in the Blackhawk is pretty good too but I can't find any direct comparisons of the two calibers in the same gun to see which is better. Anybody have an opinion they can back up? I wonder if someone could set up both calibers to same pressure on one of those software gadgets to predict velocity?

[Bret4207]

The 30 Carbine can probably be loaded hotter, but with Starline 32-20 brass (very strong) I would say you could probably equal or exceed factory 30 Carbine loads. Check Paco Kellys articles at www.leverguns.com for some HOT loads in both.

Regardless Art, THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER WHEN USING THE 32-20/30 CARBINE IS TO WEAR HEARING PROTECTION 'CUZ THEY'RE LOUD!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN 3 DAY EAR ACHE, BLOODY NOSE, WRAP YOUR HEAD IN DUCT TAPE LOUD!!!!!!!

[trooperdan]

I can understand why factory type loads in .30 Carbine would be so loud but Buckshot mentioned that even 1.5 gr Bullseye was loud! Now why would that be?

I'll never forget Skeeter Skelton's description of his first round from a Blackhawk .30; He said it felt like someone smacked him in the face with a wet towel at the same time a dynamite cap exploded in each ear! :)

[versifier]

Scrounger,
Compare the data for both cases in 10" Contender barrels in the Sierra manual. That will tell you what you are looking to find out. I don't think there's a whole heck of a lot of practical difference between the two on paper or in the field. A dead woodchuck doesn't have an opinion, or an apetite for what's in my garden, for that matter, after either one catches up with him. [smilie=1:
30carb is my favorite handgun cartridge for target & small game, and I shoot it in a Contender. The rimmed 32-20 case is easier to get in and out of both revolvers and Contenders, but 30carb brass is MUCH easier to come by, especially when the club members dig out their M1 carbines and have at it. I get it by the bucket (and HOARD it). I have no idea why it is so loud in a Blackhawk either, but I can attest to it firsthand. The wet towel in the face is a good way to describe it. That's another reason I prefer the Contender.

[Bret4207]

I can understand why factory type loads in .30 Carbine would be so loud but Buckshot mentioned that even 1.5 gr Bullseye was loud! Now why would that be?

I'll never forget Skeeter Skelton's description of his first round from a Blackhawk .30; He said it felt like someone smacked him in the face with a wet towel at the same time a dynamite cap exploded in each ear! :)

IIRC it's something to do with bore size in relation to..... sumthin', I fergit whut. All I know is as bore size increase it seems the blast becomes more of a boom I can shoot my 45AR or 45ACP revolters with 230 gr cast at 650-850 fps without "ears" if I have to. Can't do that with a 32. Of course as powder charge and velocity increase the effects aren't so different, ala 44 Mag.

[longhorn]

I wanted a .30 Blackhawk for years, off and on, almost bought 3 or 4 times, but finally gave up after reading an article on erratic accuracy based on sloppy chamber lengths and therefore headspacing issues. Don't know how universal the the problem is/was, but I had other problematic handguns at the time (AMT, anyone?). Something to check for, I guess. Incidentally, after some experience with 3 or 4 .32-20 short guns, I find that it has some issues of its own, including aggravatingly sloppy chambers in some of the Italian replicas.

[Scrounger]

I picked up the .30 Carbine Ruger today. The Bushnell phantom scope that came with it was removed so they could get the gun in its' original yellow box. Scope looks good but I have no intention of using it. I will sell it and the mount. The rear sight had to be removed to mount the scope and the rear sight is missing. An extra hole had to be drilled into the top strap for the scope mount. For some unknown reason they removed the bluing on the top strap??? I suppose I can cold blue it but it's not going to look right. Rest of the gun is pretty good, it has the original grips and Pachmyers. The extra (.32-20) cylinder appears to be a .30 carbine cylinder that someone rechambered. I suppose I will sell that too. All in all, it's worth what I paid for it. Now I have some questions:

1. What is the Bushnell Phantom and mount worth?
2. What is the extra cylinder worth?
3. Is there a better after-market sight to get than just factory replacement? Seems I remember some guys recommending Millet Sights...

[Nueces]

For the rear sight, take a look at

http://www.bowenclassicarms.com/

under 'Parts' and then 'target sights' and 'Ruger Rough Country' sights.

Mark

[Johnch]

My 30 Carbine Blawlk loves 110 - 125 gr cast bullets sized at .310 or .311
13 gr of 4227 gives you just less than 1300 fps , but 11.5 is super accurate and easyer on the ears , even with muffs

I have run a lot of the Soup can bullet thru mine
My gun shoots best when you have to just push to chamber the rnds , with the bullets .310 or .311
But my brothers will no chamber .311 , his needs a .309 bullet to chamber easly

John

[trk]

I too have one in .30 carbine.

When your eardrums meet in the middle you KNOW it's loud!

[spurrit]

Hell, that was a good enough deal, I'd have bought it, even if I didn't want it!


I can understand why factory type loads in .30 Carbine would be so loud but Buckshot mentioned that even 1.5 gr Bullseye was loud! Now why would that be?


Maybe it has something to do with cylinder gap? With the Contender, there's only one place to expel gases. With the Blackhawk, it has two. Kinda like how damn loud a ported barrel is. I have an FIE .22 that makes you feel like you got an ice pick to the eardrum whenever you fire it. My .357 is much more comfortable to shoot.

[Dark Helmet]

32 H&R =loud. I've heard that 30 carbine is LOUD!:mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

Art, No one I know uses a Phantom anymore, except me. I have a 1.3X in that same Bushnell mount on my SS 32 mag. I think it's great. As to worth, maybe $50-75.00. They aren't really popular anymore. The mounts alone run $30.00 +/- on Ebay.

[Phil]

I've had two of them and will confirm what the others have said about noise. The best part though, is to shoot one around dusk with someone watching. Looks like your whole arm, up to the elbow, is engulfed in a fireball.

Cheers,

Phil

[Dale53]

I had a local friend who had an early Ruger .30 Carbine and he was quite happy with it. I handgun hunted with him a time or two (for edible small game) and it WAS loud! However, it shot VERY well.

Later, I got interested in the "Hunter" class of handgun silhouette. For those that haven't tried the game, it was shot offhand at ranges up to 100 yards (rams at 100, turkeys at 75, etc). I tried a number of different revolvers and TC's in various calibers going for the best combination of accuracy, knock down, and minimum recoil. I ended up with a TC Contender pistol, with a SSK barrel in .30 Carbine. I was one of the early adopters of heavy bullets in the .30 Carbine and ended up using a 170 gr bullet. It shot so flat I didn't even have to adjust sights for the different ranges. I just held on the Ram's back.

It was a VERY reliably accurate load with cast bullets and would shoot as good as you could see (used a low power Leupold Scope) and it would shoot under 2" at 100 yards. I shot up to my potential with this round and still consider that combination to be the "cats meow" for Hunter Silhouette.

This is a bit off topic, as the thread started about a Ruger Revolver (the revolver cannot use those heavy bullets as they are too long for the cylinder) but I couldn't resist[smilie=1:.

I believe that the Ruger Carbine revolver is a worthy addition to anyone's battery but really take care of your hearing (if you don't use REALLY good ear protection, pretty soon you won't need any as you'll be deaf - literally:(.

Dale53

[EDK]

Go with the Bowen target type sight, not the rough country. I have the Target model on my favorite 5.5 inch Super Blackhawk...and will get it installed on others as money permits. It's that good! Sight picture with the flat blade is like a Bomar--it will help your accuracy by at least 10% and probably more.

ON Topic War story. Belleville Hardware (IL) was one of the old time gun shops. (Don't know if it's still there--moved away in 1977.) The guy who ran it was notorious for his antics, aka Ben the bandit. Some unknowing innocent came in with a 6.5 inch 357 Blackhawk and wanted to trade for something with a longer barrel and quieter....Ben traded him--for boot, of course!--a 30 Carbine with a 7.5 barrel and 100 rounds of MilSurp ammo. The crowning touch is the guy went out the door on a Saturday afternoon and the shop would close in 15 minutes and was not open on Sunday. I wandered for the door and heard Ben chuckling to his assistant about how bad he'd burned the guy as I left. Probably better for all concerned that the guy would have until Monday to calm down after he unleashed the first cylinder full!

:Fire: :redneck:

[Scrounger]

That Rough Country sight was a very nice looking sight, but given that it costs 6 times what I can get a factory replacement for,.... I will get the factory replacement sight. After living with me for 67 years, I have learned (too well) my foibles. This is why I do not put money into customizing guns or buying fancy doodads.

1. I don't shoot well with a pistol and find them much less appealing than rifles.
2. I don't tend to keep guns too long. I am very good at finding guns I like at attractive prices but I don't fall in love with them and keep them forever. Which probably explains at least partially why I never married. Something always comes along that I want more, so I'll sell the pistol pretty soon and move on... My only saving grace is that I buy things at good prices so I can sell them and move on without going bankrupt.

Besides, as I've told myself a million times, what will a .32 caliber do that a .357 won't do easier and better?

[Scrounger]

What did you say???

[obssd1958]

Thought I would let anyone that might be interested know that there is a very nice Ruger SBH with 7 1/2 inch barrel, chambered in .30 carbine, at the Cabela's here in Boise. They are asking $399, but I know they will take less. Seems like they price all of their used guns @$100 higher than what they will sell for.
I would be happy to facilitate for anyone that is interested. Take pictures, measurements, or just check it out more closely. Understand though, I am not a gunsmith and I don't stand to gain anything here!!

Don

[spurrit]

Don,

Be careful about how you "facilitate" this deal. I'd go no further than checking out details and such.

[Cherokee]

Scrounger - If you are going to sell off stuff, I could be interested in the box for a 3-screw 30 Carbine.

[Scrounger]

Just the box??? What's a freaking box worth????

[trooperdan]

Scrounger, I claim first dibs on the Blackhawk when (and if ) you get tired of it! :)

[Scrounger]

Scrounger, I claim first dibs on the Blackhawk when (and if ) you get tired of it! :)

"When" is correct...

[Salmon-boy]

Ok, so I have to raise my hand here and say Me TOO! Sort of.....

My wife inherited a .30 Blackhawk from her father, along with some Lake City MilSurp ammo..

Even double bagging it gives me a headache after only 20 rds, but oh boy is it accurate! I'm tempted to shoot video demonstrating the concussion waves in the spring.

I do have to say that it's my favorite thing to pick up... :-D

[Paul B]

I'd been in the mood for a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 carbine for some time, but was more inclned to go for an old model if I could find one at a reasonable price without the seller screaming, "It's a collector's item." One day, while cruisin' the gun show, there she lay, a mint, and I mean ANIB mint old model .30 Carbine complete with box, and all the papers. I wasn't even sure the gun had ever been fired, it was that nice. With some trepidation, I asked the gentleman selling the gun what he wanted for it? He said $250. Normally I'll try and haggle the price down, but at $250, I felt I was cheating the guy out of money.
I have shot full power loads from .30 carbine revolvers before so I knew about the issue of loudness. My load was 5.0 gr. of Unique under a 115 gr. cast semiwadcutter gas checked bullet. (Lyman # 311316) Accuracy was 2.0" off sandbags at 25 yards which is about as good as this half blind old fogey can shoot anymore. Another good shooting bullet is a SAECO 120 gr. round nose that shoots slightly tighter than the Lyman. I also have a Lyman #3118 hollow point bullet but I haven't tried it yet.
Even with those light loads though, the gun has a vicious crack. Sure is fun to shoot though and the local jack rabbit population has taken a dim view of me having that gun.
Paul B.

[Blackhawk Convertable]

Scrounger if you can get me a pic of the gun, box and cylinders, I can give you an idea of what and how much, etc you have there.