Grip frame for a Ruger Blackhawk

[MikeS]

Hi All.

I have a Ruger Blackhawk with an alloy grip frame. I just bought a steel grip frame from a forum member here that was for an Old Army. I thought they were interchangeable, but when I got the grip frame, I see it's almost the same, but is missing a pin that a spring mounts on. It looks like it's simply a matter of drilling the hole in the new grip frame, and taking the pin from the old one, and putting it in the new one. Am I missing anything? If that's all that's involved, how much should a gunsmith charge to do that?

[NHlever]

I'm not familiar with the Old Army grip frame but it must be the trigger return spring pin that you are talking about. ( one piece of bent wire spring on both sides of the grip frame?) As long as the spring hooks over that pin reasonably close to the bend in the spring that fits over it, you will be good to go. It is not super fussy, and at worse it could change the trigger pull slightly. It is almost more trouble to hold the frame in the right place to drill it than anything else. I think the gunsmith could transfer the location with vernier calipers, prick punch the location, and be good enough so he shouldn't charge too much. Now I'm wondering just how the trigger is returned on the Old Army guns. I have never owned one.

[MikeS]

Yes, that's the one I'm talking about. The ROA has a round plunger directly behind the trigger, that looks like it goes into the frame of the pistol (as opposed to going into the grip frame). I just wanted to know how big a job it is, and what a gunsmith might charge, as I just had a bad experience of a gunsmith charging me $120.00 to re-tap 4 screw holes to 10-32 and putting in 4 new screws into the rear sight of a Thompson.

[EDK]

Is your BLACKHAWK a new model? If so, the OLD ARMY grip frame is for an old model (three screw) gun and will not fit. However, you can get the proper grip frame for a reasonable price on gunbroker, etc. AND the OLD ARMY grip frame is no longer manufactured and in some demand for project guns, especially in stainless steel.

[MikeS]

Is your BLACKHAWK a new model? If so, the OLD ARMY grip frame is for an old model (three screw) gun and will not fit. However, you can get the proper grip frame for a reasonable price on gunbroker, etc. AND the OLD ARMY grip frame is no longer manufactured and in some demand for project guns, especially in stainless steel.

Yes, the Blackhawk is a new model. When you say it won't fit, do you mean that it will not screw onto the gun at all, or do you mean that it would need some minor work (like drilling the hole for the pin that holds the trigger return spring)?

I got the grip frame with a set of grips, and the grips fit on the alloy grip frame that's currently on the gun. It's not a stainless gun (my ROA is), and I got the grip frame as it's blued steel, and wanted to replace the cheap looking aluminium grip frame on the RBH.

[EDK]

It will bolt on...it won't work without a lot of expensive work. Advertise for a take-off from an Original Size VAQUERO...they are carbon steel or stainless. I sold a bunch of them when I installed DRAGOON or HUNTER grip frames on my Original Size VAQUEROS.

Your OLD MODEL STEEL grip frame is worth more than you'll pay for the NEW MODEL to fit your BLACKHAWK. In good shape, don't take less than $75 for it shipped.


If you don't mind a two tone gun...I like them...I'll have a stainless steel grip frame from an Original Size VAQUERO as soon as I find a HUNTER grip frame for it. I just sold a stainless unit with factory grips for $65 shipped

:Fire::cbpour::redneck: