anyone else think Super Blackhawks aren't great

[cp1969]

Have you contacted Ruger customer support about these issues? They tout themselves as being the BEST in the business, and if you butter them up on the phone and list ALL of what you just listed here, they may nicely send you an RMA, especially if the gun does not cock, that's on them and they know it, so that alone would get it sent back in, and most often they will send the brown truck by with a pre printed label to pick it up from your residence.

They have fixed several over the years for me, and nevre charged me a DIME, not even for shipping both ways! One of my Vaqueros they transformed into a birdshead for nothing!

It didn't work that way for me. My first-year New Model Blackhawk .45 Colt had horribly mis-matched cylinder throats and barrel. I sent it back with a note saying if you have to replace the barrel, replace it with a 5 1/2" barrel (it was 7 1/2" when new).

I got a bill for $125, which was what I paid for it in the first place. They also kept my original box and counterbored cylinder. It still doesn't shoot well. I thought if it wants to be a scattergun, so be it--it's now relegated to shot capsule duty. It works fine for that.

[Hickok]

I have had a number of Blackhawk, Vaqueros, NM Vaqueros and Super Blackhawks. I always considered them "Kit Guns", as they make a good starting point to make a single action that "Suited" me. Others may differ on opinion.

On Supers, I had to address the base pin coming out on recoil. And that Dragoon trigger guard was pure torture for my middle finger when shooting stiff loads, (7.5 barrel revolver). On a Stainless Steel Super I had, the buffing and mating of grip-to-frame was pitiful, so I smoothed and polished these areas. As usual, new trigger and hammer springs added to get a better trigger pull, but that is a normal thing for me with most firearms.

On the cylinders of .44's, the individual throats always varied on a cylinder, and needed to be reamed to match each other.

On ALL the 45 Colt Rugers I have owned,i.e. BlackHawks, Older Vaqueros and NM vaqueros, I had to ream out the cylinder throats, as they were always too small. I bought a set of reamers for this, as it was cheaper than sending them away, (Having 4-5 different 45 Colt Rugers over the years).

Just my experience, but the .357 mag. Blackhawks were always less work and less fuss as to Cylinder/throat/barrel demensions for cast shooting. Just my experience, other may disagree, and that is fine too.

The Rugers Single Actions are super tough, but I always had to do some work to get them shooting cast boolits to my satisfaction.

[Jtarm]

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

Love them three-screws. My first CF handgun, a three-screw .357.

I have owned 3 SBHs, if you count 1 Bisley,

Only problem was a a barrel coming unscrewed on an S45N.

[The_Eccentric]

I should have bought an Anaconda back in the early '90s when they were $700-ish. Now they're scarce, and listed for original series Python money......

Ya those and the dw's were the way to go back then. Have no idea why I never bought a dw in 44mag, just never did. Have 2 dw's in 357, a pure joy to shoot/own.

Shot that colt for years and ended up trading it for a rifle with a pile of $$$ next to it.

I agree completely. I also was eyeing the DW .44mag revolvers back then. They were more expensive than the Anacondas, and my local FFLs were having a hard time getting them through their distributors. This was of course long before the internet existed.

I ended up instead buying a new 7.5" Super Redhawk for $440 (in 1994). That was significantly below msrp, and too good to pass up. The SRH was #3 on my list behind the DW and the Anaconda (and ahead of the 629 and the SBH).

I was making something like $7/hr back then, so price and availability trumped #1 and #2. By the time I was making significantly more money, the Anaconda and DW .44mag were both discontinued. My SRH has served me well and never let me down. Still, I wish I'd been able to get an Anaconda and a DW as well.

For on-topic content, I am probably going to pick up a .45 Colt Blackhawk Bisley soon. Been going back and forth between buying a .454 Casull Magnum Research BFR (and mostly handloading high end .45 Colt loads for it), or instead buying a .45 Colt Blackhawk and then spending the time and $ to go through it and make it what I want.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I lucked out on the cylinder throats on mine. A .431 boolit is a good fit in all six. Never slugged the barrel because it shot good right away. Going to try a load out of the Lyman manual today. 250K boolit over 17.4 2400. Should be pleasant.

[Lonegun1894]

I thought my BHs were good, and still do, but sending the cylinders to DougGuy has shrunk my groups. So started out good, and got better.

[chunkin lead]

Purchased my SBH about 30 years ago, not one issue out of this beast.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Shot this group today with mine.

[snowwolfe]

Am down to two SA Rugers. I might buy another USED. But buy new again? No way, I returned the last 4 or 5 new purchases to Ruger for stuff that should of never got past quality control.
If I want a particular caliber I’ll buy a BFR instead of I can.

[444ttd]

i bought my ruger sbh(44 mag/ 4 5/8" barrel) about 4 - 5 years ago and killed 3 - 4 deer with it. the only thing that i should complain about is that it should have a 44 special.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Just dropped a Wolffe trigger return spring in mine this morning. Put on a Pachmayr grip as well even though they are ugly. That HS 6 load is stout and that is what it will be digesting hence forth.