I've lusted after customized Ruger sixguns since I was a teenager, and after the several past years of serious health/family/business setbacks (which have more or less evened out) I've decided that I've put this off long enough and this is the year I order one or two fine customs and wait patiently for them to be done. My initial idea I've bandied about on some boards is to have a Ruger Single Six converted to a 10mm wildcat (loaded mild and non-interchangeable with 10mm Auto or Mag for safety) and have it set up to look like John Wesley Hardin's old Colt 1877 Lightning. But then this week on Gunbroker I chanced across an item that diverted my course: a Ruger "Buckeye" Blackhawk in 32-20!
I once owned a 5.5" birdshead adjustable .32 H&R Single Six (appears to have been cobbled together by the previous owner, I got it in a San Anton pawnshop in 2007 or so) but when I moved overseas I sold it to a collector here at CB who wanted to rebuild it to stock due to its rare early serial number. I was going to buy a new Ruger Single Seven in .327 Federal, but never got around to it since moving back from Africa last year. This Buckeye was "Bowen accurized" and in my enthusiasm I didn't read closely enough to realize that it had only had a cylinder touch-up accurizing job ($75-150 of work depending on options) so was a little taken aback when I won the auction at $876, and then seeing the limited upgrades I was worried I overpaid. But reading up further, a clean .32 Buckeye with both cylinders is worth easily $1000, and though this one lacks papers or box or the .32 H&R cylinder (none of which matter for my project idea), I figure overall I came out at least okay.
I spoke with Hamilton Bowen and he's glad to have me send it to him for further work, with a timeline of 6-12 months. I've always thought the Bisley was the most gorgeous Ruger, so I'm thinking to Bisley-ify mine (hammer, grip, trigger), maybe with a stainless grip frame for contrast and because my acidic hand sweat eats bluing. I want this to be a family heirloom, so I'm thinking grips that will last for ages, maybe canvas micarta or G10 since I don't want animal-product grips for personal superstitions. For sights I'll get the DX sight options, and maybe ask if I can have range-lines added to the front sight, Keith-style, for long-distance shooting.
For shooting purposes, I don't hunt so I just want this for plinking or maybe the occasional Silhouette match in Ulimited class. My plinking goals are: shoot really heavy bullets at low speed as a "mini-mortar" and to shoot whatever bullet is optimal for ringing the gong at absolute max distance.
I did some cursory googling, but can't find details on the twist rate for these; anybody know it? I was also unclear as to how heavy of .32 bullets are out there, but I ran across Accurate Molds and they have up to 264 grains in their "31" line! There's a great thread here by JeffinNZ that talks about using extra-heavy 32-20 loads in his Martini for smacking rabbits down south, and I found his photo inspirational and cribbed part of it for my avatar (I'll remove it if he asks). I'm just fine with 6.5" barrel length, but if I want to shoot massive .32 bullets, do I need to have Mr Bowen swap in a barrel with faster twist?
I had a few hesitations before settling on this plan, since I wondered if maybe a Flattop would be a trimmer platform for 32-20, but reading online folks have called the 32-20 Blackhawk the "Tiger Tank" of the Ruger line, nearly indestructible as a six-shot, and if I'm using huge bullets I could use all the cylinder length I've got. Plus the "Buckeye" editions apparently had great fit and finish, and that little flower on the bottom makes collectors jealous (though mine is already modded and paperless so no collector value), so overall I'm feeling good about my plan.
Other than Bisley-ifying and sights, possible barrel change to faster twist, and cool durable grips, I'm considering some of the froofy little touches like scalloping, BP chamfer, and the like, so I'm open to any suggestions. What do folks think of this plan to make an ideal 32-20 Ruger for slinging fat little slugs out to long ranges?
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Originally Posted by birch
) and although it lacks the 32-20 cylinder, it fills my needs quite well. I've considered swapping out the grip frame, but I haven't been able to "get a round tuit." 
Meanwhile, I'm shooting my 32-20s from a slicked up Navy Arms/Uberti copy of a Colt SAA. But we're talking about Rugers here, aren't we?
