.41 mag Three Screw Ruger

[.455 Webley]

Well i finally went and joined the Strange Magnum Club!

A second year production 3 screw Ruger Blackhawk came home with me this week. It looks to have spent some time in a holster but was shot very little. This will be my first rodeo with 3 screws and the .41 so any advice would be welcome. I understand Ruger offers almost no support for discontinued models, so if i ever need parts whats my best bet? Would most parts from the New Model Blackhawk work?

As for casting i am looking at the Lee TL design for plinking and would like a better mold for woods carrying and perhaps even deer hunting. NOE has a few good looking options. How useful do you guys find the hollow point designs? Good idea or not needed to put down a deer at modest ranges. Most of the sizing dies i am seeing for this are .410 that seems small to me. Are people sizing to .410 and having good results?

If you happen to have any extra .41mag loading equipment i would be interested. ( Dies, Molds, Sizers, etc)

Thanks for your time.
.455

[bob208]

unless the gun has been made " better" by some kitchen table gun smith. I would not worry about needing parts. I have over a dozen three screw rugers. they all shoot great never had to have a cylinder reamed or a trigger worked on. I use the .410 seizer in both of my .41's. I use the rcbs 41-210-kt mold. works good for light loads and just as good when pushed to the upper limits. as to power for hunting. if a 358429 pushed to 1100 fps will drop a deer with no problem then a 210 gr. bullet out of a .41 will do just as good.

[GLynn41]

personal opinion-- I used the heavier TL Lee bullet-- I did not like -- but was ok-certainly good for a start-just not me
I just got a NOE mold and they are very good-- Mountain Mold will make you a great mold-- MIHEC too check the venders here on CB as well as selling
also -- and might hunt around on the net for a used .41 -- search for .41,.41 mag, .410, .411-- you can get different results ask for NEI ,LBT etc
with patience you might be surprised what you might find
I have some .41 brass if you need PM if you want to

[Sam Casey]

I like mine, but be careful with stiff

loads. The gun will rock back into web of your hand with some force. Not a pistol to shoot with a relaxed grip.

[fourarmed]

I inherited one of those from my brother. I believe it dates to the late sixties sometime. His main bullet was the Lyman round flat - I forget the number, but it is long obsolete. He cast straight wheelweights, pan lubed, and pushed them through a homemade sizer. I believe he loaded a rather light load of Red Dot, and got excellent accuracy. Of course you know the old ones need to be carried with an empty chamber under the hammer.

[rking22]

Got mine, a 4 5/8 last summer. You'll like it ,no doubt. Check the 41 sticky for more info, mine shoots high, apparently a common trait of 3 screw 41mags.
NOE has a run of WC molds right now, just opened mine . It should be a very nice bullet for woods walking with a 3screw.
My Lee 215 cast smallish in my alloy. I would grab the WC and a 225 gr sec from Noe. Like them on FEB and get a good discount.i think that is still current

[Lloyd Smale]

just keep all the screws tight and keep it properly lubed and it will last 3 persons lifetimes.

[Texas by God]

Yes, they shot high. Dead on at 100 yds. I still catch myself using the six and a half o'clock hold they demanded. Best, Thomas.

[44man]

Fine gun! Like Lloyd says, keep screws tight. They had those nylock screws and still got loose. They can shear if loose. The rest of the gun is still a tank. I never seen anything break.

[.455 Webley]

Thanks for the advice and kind offers here and in PM's.

Just to confirm here when we are concerned about the screws going loose we are talking about the three frame screws. And would a dot of Loc-tite be a bad idea here?

I did not mention this in the first post but since point of impact has come up here i may as well bring it up. It has one aftermarket feature its usual rear sight blade has been replaced with a large peep site. It comes up quick and makes for a great sight picture. Anyone here ever use such a thing? It looks like this http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/ohs-ruger.html . As long as i can find a left handed holster that will protect and not bend that sight i think it will work out pretty well.

[44man]

Yes, Loc-Tite is the answer. The screws of importance are the grip frame and ejector rod housing. The three that hold parts are no concern.
Your peep should be great.

[Boogieman]

My 41is in the 5xxx s/n range, I traded for it in the early 60's when I lived in the backwoods of Northern Pa. It was my daily ccw for years. I couldn't find a load it didn't like. started loading for it with a rusty 40/60 Whitney mold lapped out to .410. later used Speer 200gr swc jacketed HP, sadly no longer made. burnt a lot of $3.75 a pound 2400 in it. I've started using it again as a woods gun, we're getting some wild hogs around here. Been using a RCBS 210gr SWC had to work up new loads as it seats deeper than my old Lyman bullet. 44man is right Locktite is your friend ,the medium duty, #242 blue. Full loads in a 4 5/8 " BH do shake things up a bit.

[.455 Webley]

This seems like just the ticket for wild hogs, too bad we don't have any in WI just yet. 1970's vintage $3.75 per pound 2400 sounds nice, i have been hand loading since 2013 and have yet to see a pound for sale.

[Boogieman]

I got 2 lb. over the last year $26.00 each. That's about one third price of a new Ruger BH back then. I paid $68.50, full retail, for my first BH. You could get a NEW Colt SSA for $125.00.

[contender1]

I own about 1/2 dozen OM 3 screw 41 mags. Love them. As noted,,, watch the screws,, and in general,, no parts issues. No, Ruger no longer offers support parts for them,, and not many NM parts work in the OM's. Trigger return spring assy is different, the safety transfer bar is in the NM's, and as such,,, in general,, stick with OM parts if needed.
Parts can be found at Numrich (sometimes,) Jack First Gunshop in South Dakota, or,,, you can go the the rugerforum.com & put out a WTB ad.

I have a few Mihea molds & NO complaints from me.

[gwpercle]

Remember , load one round , skip one, load four more rounds, fully cock and ease the hammer down on a empty chamber. No new fangled safety stuff on the old three screw Blackhawks.

[Boogieman]

Remember , load one round , skip one, load four more rounds, fully cock and ease the hammer down on a empty chamber. No new fangled safety stuff on the old three screw Blackhawks.

Use one enough and becomes as natural as breathing.

[.455 Webley]

I spent most of my childhood behind 1851 colt reproductions. Hammer down on an un-capped nipple is my natural tendency. I once had a guy at a public range blow a nice big hole in the dirt 8 inches in front of his toe with a 3 screw Ruger in .357 mag. Someone sold it to him and didn't take the time to show him how to safely load it. I pulled him aside and gave him the lecture on how to. He was grateful and very embarrassed.

[76 WARLOCK]

Unlike the comments above my 3 screw had tight throats, so it would do 12" groups at 25 yards. After reaming the throats to .413 to match the barrel it will shoot 2" groups. I paid $75.00 for it in 1973 because it would not group.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If you have items to sell, please post them in the S&S section, or send a PM.