Is this one of the last of the "old Model" Blackhawks (three screw)?

[Four Fingers of Death]

It has been ridden hard and put away wet and as far as I can tell from the Ruger site, this old girl was built in 1973 and was the last of the old models.

Serial No is 32-057XX

It is on sale for $AU450. Ruger Blachawks new are $AU925 from the big gunstore interstate and around $AU1100 elsewhere.

Here it is:



I always fancied getting one of these and converting it to 44Special. Foolishness I suppose, I'd be better off buying a new Blackhawk in 44Special, but I've never had a custom gun.

[contender1]

Ok, I'll start by saying the Ruger factory site, sadly, is not the best place to get serial number shipping data. There are many mistakes by them.
I subscribe to the Red Eagle News Exchange. It is a dedicated group of Ruger collectors, and the editor is a hard core collector & historian. Several of us help him work on such publications as the RENE, and the Blue Book of Gun Values. And, the RENE also has a "Reference Guide" to Rugers. It is MUCH more accurate AND has many details about almost every Ruger built from 1949 until it's last publication in 2010. (Data after that is available,,, just not published.) Included in the Reference Guide is a lot of data on different models & various configurations for each gun. AND,, more importantly, it has a very detailed listing of the serial number data, by year, of the guns made that year.
A lot of this data has been gathered for decades by the RENE, and various collectors, distributors, and even factory employees. It is the "collectors bible" so to speak.

Now, the gun you show,,, the picture is almost too hard to see well enough to verify that it is a true 3 screw, Old Model, non safety transfer bar gun. And,,, the RENE Reference Guide shows that the LAST OM 3 screw was serial number 31-45191. It also shows that in 1973,,, the New Models started with 32-00001, and went to 32-33638. So, by the serial number you show,, with a prefix of 32,,,, makes it a NEW MODEL. And from what I see in the picture,,, I do believe it is a NM as well.

Lastly if you desire to subscribe to the RENE,, it's NOT expensive. AND,,, the BEST part,,, new subscribers get a copy of the Reference Guide along with the quarterly publication. Here is the contact info;
Red Eagle News Exchange
c/o Chad Hiddleson
1945 Clover Ave.
Perry IA. 50220

email; chrugers at aol dot com

[Four Fingers of Death]

Thanks, well I have a near new Ruger Blackhawk in 357Mag, So I won't go out of my way to get that one. If it was local I would buy it anyway as a knockabout gun or basis for a conversion, but it is interstate which usually involves a minimum of $50 shipping and anothe $50 to get it registered in this state. So, we're looking at a minimum $550 and nice used ones are to be had for around $700. If I didn't have one, I'd grab it, but this time I'll pass. Thanks once again for the info.

I have a couple of older Ruger No1s (2x 338WMs, a 243 and a 416 Rigby). I'd like to get definitive history on those, so I'll check out red Eagle News.

Here is my New Model (very new in fact, haha.):

[Don Purcell]

contender1, agree, don't see any sign of a slot in the head to show they are actually screws. I would say pinned.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I’ve had the New Model BH and really favor my 3 screw BH. In fact after Doug Guy worked his magic on it my BH is my best shooting handgun in the herd of about a dozen single actions.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Wallace, I am in your camp on this one. I also have wanted to convert my old 3-screw to 44 special but I have never worked up the courage to pull the trigger on the project. [ I know, that was terrible pun]. One reason being, I have never had a conversion turn out well, rifle or pistol. The Colt you see as my avatar is a prime example. It was a 32-20 when I acquired it but I did not enjoy shooting. If you used five grains of Unique behind a 120 grain bullet you got an ear splitting crack when it fired. I had always wanted a Colt 44 special anyway, do to the writings of one Skeeter Skelton who wrote many articles on the subject praising the cartridge. I paid a gun shop to do the work, I had acquired the new cylinder and barrel on my own. Despite the very tall front sight the pistol shoots a foot high at 25 yards. So much for that conversion. I still have the 32-20 barrel and cylinder and someday I will put them back on the gun. I have both the old and new model Blackhawk in 357 but I much prefer the old model. I do have a new barrel for the old model but it is for the 45 Colt. I suppose I should sell one of my many single shot rifles and buy one of the Lipsey 44 special flat tops. Oh well, maybe someday.

[Char-Gar]

The three screws are great sixguns, but in factory condition have to much aluminum in them for my taste. He is mine, but I added a stainless steel grip frame and blue steel ejector rod housing.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

the three screws are great sixguns, but in factory condition have to much aluminum in them for my taste. He is mine, but i added a stainless steel grip frame and blue steel ejector rod housing.

amen!