Ruger 41 mag. built on Wednesday

[knifemaker]

You have heard the old saying about never buying a car that was built on Monday due to workers having a hangover and never on Friday because the workers are in a hurry to finish and go home for the weekend.

A while back I bought a new Ruger Blackhawk in .41 magnum with a 4-5/8 inch barrel. That gun must have been built on a Wednesday at the Ruger factory when the employees were feeling their best. I tested it with some handloads using XTP jacketed bullets and it proved to be very accurate. I ordered a mold from Accurate Molds that cast a 220 grain semi wadcutter Keith style.

I decided to check the cylinder throats and barrel groove dia. to see if I needed to send it off to DougGuy for opening the throats if they were too tight or out of round. I used soft lead fishing sinkers to slug the throats and found 2 throats at .411 and four throats at .4115 and I did four checks on each slug and they were perfect all away around the slug.

The barrel miked at .409 and no tight spots at the frame-barrel junction. That was not all. The trigger on this revolver was very light from the factory with no creep and smooth as glass. Pulled my trigger gage out and tested the trigger pull 5 times. All five times it broke at a consistant one pound and 8 ounces.

Makes you wish that they would build all the guns like this.

[lefty o]

it does, because they are capable of it. sadly it doesnt happen all the time.

[DougGuy]

I used soft lead fishing sinkers to slug the throats and found 2 throats at .411 and four throats at .4115 and I did four checks on each slug and they were perfect all away around the slug.

That cylinder was likely gang reamed on the Hitachi machinery, it has 3 cutters which Ruger replaces when they get too worn to use, so as each reamer wears it cuts smaller and smaller throats. Your cylinder shows the typical 3 pairs of throats, one of the reamers was worn more than the other two. I would hone them to all match since the two smaller throats cause pressure variations which make the gun recoil differently from shot to shot, and usually will shoot to a different point of impact than the other larger throats.

[RJM52]

...for a .0005 difference I would not touch a thing.

[DougGuy]

...for a .0005 difference I would not touch a thing.

And if the OP sizes to .411" which is PROPER for his throats, and the loaded ammo sits on the shelf a few months and grows .0003" or more which is almost assured if there is much antimony in the mix, rounds won't then chamber in the .411" throats, but will chamber in the others.

When I size throats .0005" to .0008" above boolit diameter, THIS is why. It just works.

[Guesser]

I bought a "used" NMBH in 2009, it was in the original plastic box with OEM grips and all the product brochures. The tag stated that it had been worked over by a smith and then refinished with the Robar Rogard black finish, thru pins had been left in the white. It looked really good with the checkered Hogue Pau Fero grips. I got it out the door for 350.00$ I already had several 41 magnums, Smith, Taurus T/C. When I got it home I tried it out. WOW, What a shooter. I did what you did in slugging and measuring. It was perfect. .409 bore, .411 throats, and my cast were sized .410. It worked and still does. I had it a year and was cleaning it when a small pencil magnet laying on the bench next to the butt of the gun drew the magnet to it. HUH??? I checked and the gun had a steel grip frame. This has become my favorite 41 Magnum. I wish you the same fabulous luck with yours. I'm convinced that the shop where I got mine really didn't know what they had. $350.00 and it had more aftermarket items on it than that.

[bob208]

there was a time when the gun in final testing if it was just right would get stamped one of a thousand. I would like to have one of those 73's now.

[Texas by God]

My all time favorite magnum handgun cartridge and revolver. I've owned 2 old models and 2 new models and all were great. Currently looking for #5!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Tatume]

At one time I owned a 4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk and 4-1/4" FA Model 97, both in 41 Rem Mag. The Ruger was distinctly more accurate than the FA. I still own the Ruger, and shoot it often.

[Lefty SRH]

Hahaha, while the OP got a wednesday gun, I got a monday/friday gun, in 41mag aswell.
This gun hasnt shot a group less than 3” yet. The front sight is too short so it shoots high. The front sight is also installed crooked in the base or the blade is bent (the barrel is clocked correctly).
After the first range session there was a burr raised up on 5/6 bolt notches.
Not sure what to do with this gun.
Ruger did get the cylinder throats right though, for what its worth....

Glad you got a good one Knifemaker

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Hahaha, while the OP got a wednesday gun, I got a monday/friday gun, in 41mag aswell.
This gun hasnt shot a group less than 3” yet. The front sight is too short so it shoots high. The front sight is also installed crooked in the base or the blade is bent (the barrel is clocked correctly).
After the first range session there was a burr raised up on 5/6 bolt notches.
Not sure what to do with this gun.
Ruger did get the cylinder throats right though, for what its worth....

Glad you got a good one Knifemaker

I had a 44 SBH just like that front sight was put on crooked sent it back they put a new barrel on it and re blued it

[nicholst55]

Hahaha, while the OP got a wednesday gun, I got a monday/friday gun, in 41mag aswell.
This gun hasnt shot a group less than 3” yet. The front sight is too short so it shoots high. The front sight is also installed crooked in the base or the blade is bent (the barrel is clocked correctly).
After the first range session there was a burr raised up on 5/6 bolt notches.
Not sure what to do with this gun.
Ruger did get the cylinder throats right though, for what its worth....

Glad you got a good one Knifemaker

Yeah, think I'd send that one back to Ruger. I seem to always buy the guns built either on Monday or Friday, myself. Glad the OP got a good one as well.

[smkummer]

A 1 pound 8 oz. trigger pull? That is a bullseye match target type of trigger pull. I wouldn’t use that gun for anything other than target shooting. And I would not let just anyone shoot that without letting them dry fire it first. Be careful. A 3-4 lb. crisp break is a sweet spot for my single actions, minimum. Remember most will cock a single action with their finger inside the trigger guard.

[Tatume]

A 1 pound 8 oz. trigger pull? That is a bullseye match target type of trigger pull. I wouldn’t use that gun for anything other than target shooting.

That is an illegal trigger in Bullseye match shooting. It is too light.

[sw282]

l got my first new Ruger recently after almost 50 yrs of handgun shooting. lts a SBH Hunter in 41 magnum on which l have mounted a couple scopes to date... After shooting S&W revolvers almost exclusively lt has been a learning experience.. l haven't miked the cylinders but they seem pretty uniform when l try pushing sized 41 boolits thru the throats. l have tried RCBS 41-210s and SAECO 29440 220gr cast boolits. The gun seems to prefer those SAECO 220s at this point... l also picked a Lyman 410610 mold.. l have loaded the Lymans but have not yet had the chance to make it to the range. l have experienced a bit of trigger creep with the Ruger. After app 500 rds it seems to be getting better. After reading reviews on the net before buying the gun several writers said the SBH HUNTER was the most accurate revolver they have ever tested.. My shooting has not yet led me to agree or disagree.. l am thinking my newness to a SA revolver needs to be addressed first

[Lloyd Smale]

41s and even 44s are a couple things ruger gets right.