anyone else think Super Blackhawks aren't great

[Mr_Sheesh]

koyote, you could just buy another couple, one in .41 & one in 327

My 70's SBH never gave me issues beyond things like the grip screw being too long on the Pachys I put on it, so it needed to be shortened a bit so it didn't chew on my hand.

[derek45]

shooting heavy 310gr sometimes my base pin would try to walk out. I installed a WOLFF extra power base pin spring and all is well.

I like mine better than a S&W

[Drm50]

When I was in Hi school I had every Ruger SA made, in each barrel length. I kept most of them until about 1972. I sold or traded them all except SBH and S-6. I still have the owners sheets of a pile about 1” thick. Of all these guns I had no mechanical issues. The only problem was sights. I found that front sights weren’t hi enough or adj in rear able to go low enough to sight in at 40yds or less. This was especially PIA with SBH. I bought very few New Model Blackhawks. I will take them on trade but don’t want them personally. The 45 Blackhawk was the most accurate out of the box SA 45 I’ve every come across.

[leadhead]

Over the 22 years that I shot handgun silhouette, I owned 8 different .44 SBH revolvers.
I shot some pretty stiff loads from them and never had the base pin walk out. They were
fairly accurate but the rear sights sucked. They would not repeat from setting to setting.
I solved the problem by buying a Freedom Arms .357 and never looked back.
Denny

[white eagle]

was cleaning our 2006 super blackhawk 44mag and got reminded how many things are finicky with it. the loading gate likes to close leaning slightly and catches a ledge not fully seating and sometimes pops back out to that spot when shooting. the hammer pull makes the transfer bar run into the bottom of the firing pin so you almost have to point the gun in the air to cock it so gravity hold the transfer bar away from the firing pin. the trigger dont reset until you take pressure off the hammer since its holding the transfer bar which needs to move for the trigger reset. ive had to shim the mainspring and keep it clean and oiled to reliably set off rounds, bit of dust on the hammer and it falls too soft.

really wouldn't trust it to save me if a bear wanted to eat me. my SRH is great function wise ive never doubted one of its functions. but SBH im confused how everyone has high opinions of them cause most of these seem like design problems.

If I had that many problems I would have sent it back long ago

[smithnframe]

I own several both old and new models. I have noticed that the latest new models don't exhibit the same quality as the older models, both new and old models.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have had my SBH in.44Mag for decades with no issues. It gets shot almost every week.
Also have a stainless SBH Hunter in .45Colt that gets shot just as often. No issues with it either.

[MT Gianni]

I sold one about 2001 and replaced it with a Redhawk. My problem with one is I would really hesitate before buying a used one as so many have been hot rodded way past max book loads. I have never seen the problems you've described other than a base pin backing off under recoil. Luckily I only live 40 minutes from Belgrade, MT home of the Belt Mt base pin shop.

[ioon44]

I have my Ruger SBH in.44 Mag that I bought new in 1972, thousands of rounds later and it still shoos great.

[bmortell]

i said "our" cause its not strictly mine. not up to me what happens to it. i didnt even mention all the minor issues like the blueing wears bad, sight dont adjust enough, grips dont fit cause its its the less common anniversary type, screws come loose from shooting. must be the one in a million option from the factory where you get the whole dumpster fire package.

[MT Gianni]

Some of that is just known maintenance. Blackhawk screws get checked before an extended range session, Bill Ruger wasn't a fan of heavy bullets and didn't put enough front sight on many models. S&W ejector rods get checked before any long range session too. CZ pistols see very little time in leather due to bluing wear. It is just owning handguns. Some guys check the oil every time they fill up, after 40 + years of marriage I know my wife never will.

[dogdoc]

Looks like most of us think they are great! Add me to the list as I own four of them! No problems

[Art in Colorado]

I’ve had one for about 60yrs, still got it and it has never failed. Carried it twice for bear protection and it worked perfect. No bears came around. Just the sight of the SBH scared them off!Attachment 269334

That is probably the best example of a Ruger single action that there is. A three screw. No need to have an action job and no warning label on it. Just look at that blueing. Wonderfull six gun!!

[rockrat]

Think it was my 44 sbh, but might have been my 357 bh, but I had the base pin coming out and just took a dremel tool and a chain saw sharpening bit and deepened the notch in the pin a tiny bit. Never had problems after that.


Blueing on my '74 gun is still nice and deep blue, even after 46 years.

[Walks]

Have 2, a blue 7 1/2" that I started to shoot silhouette with in 1975.
And the 1st stainless 10 1/2" I ever saw. Just a bit later.
Cut down the STS 10 1/2" to ejector housing length. Which is 5 1/2", ticked off my Buddy how bought a 4 5/8" with the small grips. He never polished his chambers or cleaned his SBH very often.
I had easy perfect case ejection, he had to pull every case out with his fingers.
Have 40,000rds of full power loads thru the 7 1/2" SBH. Only replaced bolt & bolt spring.
Smooth as a babies bottom.

Never had a problem.
Only things ever replaced on a Ruger SA are springs and bolts.
Result of many thousands of rounds of wear and tear.

Same with Vaquero's, both old & new. And Single Sixes both OM & NM.

Send it back to Ruger.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had ejector housings go flying and some that were on the loose side. But most were good guns. To me there kind of a canvas. First thing thats done to any of them is a trigger job because ive yet to see one that was even remotely good out of the box. Add a belt mounting locking base pin to keep the pin from walking and keep a screwdriver real handy because screws back out and all the screws need tightening about every 50 rounds. Not bad guns but not a gun equal to a FA by a long shot but then you arent paying FA prices for them. Lets call a super a silverado and a FA a porche. What the silverado will do is get you to work every day and not guilt you into spit polishing it every time you use it. It isnt a precision high performance machine. More of a work horse.

[DHDeal]

I've got more than a few FA's and my 83 in 44 Magnum was a PITA about the frame screws loosening. This wasn't from ridiculous loads either. I called FA and talked to their head gunsmith (can't remember his name right now but he's been there for a minute or two) and he told me to try a trick and it's never lossened again. The 454/45 Colt never has loosened. I always keep propper screwdrivers on hand in my shooting kit just in case.

Lots of folks love the Belt Mountain locking pin it seems. I have one for each RBH myself, but on 2 BH's I had to deepen the notch due to jumping and one of those was a 4 5/8" SS Super. In this case, I had not drilled a divot for the allen screw. That taught me to make sure the pin will remain in place without the allen screw tightened first. In effect this makes the "locking" feature redundant, but some extra redundancy ain't a bad thing in my OCD mind. This issue isn't an problem with a Belt Mountain pin IMO, it's an issue with variances in tolerances in the revolvers themselves.

Calling a RBH a canvas is a good analogy. I never just buy a BH with the thought of leaving it alone.

[MT Chambers]

The only thing better than the Ruger blackhawk is the Freedom Arms revolvers, I have them both and wouldn't want anything else.

[Tripplebeards]

I like my new vaquero but for hunting I’d rather use my anaconda...or buy a Redhawk over a blackhawk or super Blackhawk just because imo it’s way easier loading ammo. The one at a time shell shucking isn’t for me when out in the woods. My Ruger wrangler has taught me I’d rather be able to drop my cylinder out for quicker and easier reloading. I’ve been wanting a super Blackhawk for some time now but after a season with my Wrangler my next big bore hunting pistol will be a double action just for ease of reloading it.

[jonp]

No issues with a BH or SBH and I've had a number both new and used. I've run a number of Linebaugh loads through them with no problems and when trying out new loads my Blackhawks are what I use for testing. There are lemons of everything out there but I think far fewer in the firearms industry than any other. Call Ruger and send it back, they will make the pistol right I've no doubt from my dealings with them.