Different grip designs on revolvers.

[Adam10mm]

Only revolvers I've owned were double action. Mostly Ruger GP100 and SP101, with a Taurus 605 tossed in briefly. Got rid of all of them. Now I want to get back into revolvers.

Looking at getting a single action .357 Magnum with 6 inch barrel for hunting. Not sure what to get. If I can't make up my mind I'll default to a stainless GP100 6 inch and try to track down an original grip. Plan on shooting my NEI 357-180-WFNGC exclusively. Figuring #2400 for hunting and W231 for small game and plinking.

My issue is I've never shot a single action revolver. There's the standard grip, the bisley, and the bird head. What's the point of each design? What is better about a bisley grip over a bird head? I'm very much used to a 1911, as that's been my only handgun in use for a few years now.

[jmort]

The Bisley will provide the most comfort with the hottest loads. The plow handle will probably work just fine with a hot .357. The plow handle is designed to ride up with the recoil. A Blackhawk would be a real nice choice. You could never go wrong with the GP100 or a 686. You have owned a GP100 so you know it works. Not sure about the bird's head other than it looks cool, but will provide the least comfort with hot loads. I'm thinking about something like this
http://longhunt.com/taylor/runniniron.htm

[crabo]

I love single action revolvers until I shoot them. They just don't feel right to me. I have to stick with the double action ones. I would have to borrow a single action and shoot it a bunch to see if I could fall in love with shooting it. (not just looking at it)

[44man]

It is very personal for each of us.
I do not like a Bisley for heavy recoil, it is my hands. Others love them. You do not want a birds head for heavy recoil.
I love the original Colt and Ruger grips, plow handle as some say.
The .357 would be fine with any of them but you should find a few to shoot. Search out friends with a few guns so you can try.
If you can't, get the standard grip. It is the most forgiving to hold and grip. Forget the "roll" stuff, the gun should never roll, hold it tight.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I love the single action but Smith and Wessons have fine barrels. Just purchase a full sized frame if you are going to put any amount of lead through it. What I mean is the K frame is great for carrying but will not hold up to a steady diet of full magnum loads. Neither will the Model 29 hold up to full power 44 magnum loads.

[DaveCampbell]

As others have stated, shooting a variety of revolvers--the same can be said of any pending gun purchase--will provide you with the best information to make a satisfactory purchase. That said, I'll offer my pair of pennies: If a 6-inch-barreled single action .357 Mag is your desire, you cannot go wrong with a Ruger Blackhawk. I have several, and they all perform very well as long as I do my part. My preference is for the traditional grip configuration a-la the Colt SAA. Bisley's just don't feel right to me, but that's probably because of the 25 or so single actions I have or have had, all were the traditional "plow handle" type. With this grip configuration, and especially for heavy-recoiling calibers, I eschew any grip with checkering. Lighter calibers--say .22 up to .357-- are OK, but checkered grips abrade my tender paw. I have refitted my Rugers with faux ivory grips. They look good and don't abrade my hands.

--------------------------------------------

If you insist on me not profiling all Muslims because of the acts of a few sociopaths, then please give me the same respect when a nut job commits a random act of violence with a firearm.

[wrench]

I'm very new to single action revolvers, having just bought my first one this year. I've wanted one for years, but every time I held one, I didn't like it. Then I had a chance to shoot a friend's Bisley. Love at first shot! Try both the regular and Bisley grips if you can, it makes all the difference in the world.

[44man]

I'm very new to single action revolvers, having just bought my first one this year. I've wanted one for years, but every time I held one, I didn't like it. Then I had a chance to shoot a friend's Bisley. Love at first shot! Try both the regular and Bisley grips if you can, it makes all the difference in the world.
True, try them. Our hands are all different.
I will shoot 100 rounds from my BFR .500 JRH with the Uncle Mikes grips. But 6 shots from a .44 Bisley is too much. Don't even think of me putting a Bisley on my .500.
A friend had a .50 Alaskan with Bisley grips. Smooth and slippery. He split his head wide open. I refused to shoot the gun unless the grip was changed.
I just don't know why guys think a Bisley will tame recoil.
The Bisley was designed for one hand shooting with low recoil to get the barrel in line to the target. It was NEVER for recoil.
I fell for it once and bought a Ruger SBH Hunter with a Bisley, it was sold right quick. I could not group and was bashed on my knuckle big time.
If you can't shoot a hog leg, you have little bitty girly hands. Yeah, I am a mean old SOB but you need to remember the cowboys of old were not big fellas.

[Char-Gar]

After 60 years of shooting and owning handguns, with hundreds passing through my hands over time, I can honestly say there is no one grip shape that makes everybody happy, it is all a matter of personal preference.

I think the old German Luger (P.08) fits my hand best, but they are handicapped with gawd awful triggers with complex linkage, lousy sights and light whippy barrels. Back in the day, when Lugers were plentiful I had a custom one with a heavy 5" barrel, good sights and a decent trigger pull. I have never fired a more accurate handgun. It was in 30 Luger caliber.

[BRobertson]

True, try them. Our hands are all different.
I will shoot 100 rounds from my BFR .500 JRH with the Uncle Mikes grips. But 6 shots from a .44 Bisley is too much. Don't even think of me putting a Bisley on my .500.
A friend had a .50 Alaskan with Bisley grips. Smooth and slippery. He split his head wide open. I refused to shoot the gun unless the grip was changed.
I just don't know why guys think a Bisley will tame recoil.
The Bisley was designed for one hand shooting with low recoil to get the barrel in line to the target. It was NEVER for recoil.
I fell for it once and bought a Ruger SBH Hunter with a Bisley, it was sold right quick. I could not group and was bashed on my knuckle big time.
If you can't shoot a hog leg, you have little bitty girly hands. Yeah, I am a mean old SOB but you need to remember the cowboys of old were not big fellas.

This is an example of the difference in peoples grip preferences...

I too have very large hands, like Jim

I much prefer a Ruger Bisley over other single actions, my Linebaugh .500 and .475 were both built on a Bisley,

and comfortable to shoot.

The best grip for me in a revolver is the Pachmyar presentation(no stinking finger grooves) on a Ruger Redhawk!!

Lately I have been enjoying the Pachmayr on my Freedom Arms, makes them feel more like a double action, which is

what I have used most of my life for hunting

Bob

[BCRider]

I've got fairly big hands. The birdshead grip guns I've tried all seemed to fit my hands poorly. Smaller hands find they work well.

If shooting a lot of stout loads from the regular plowhandle style you'll find that the accepted method of putting your pinky under the frame leads to the edge of the butt end rubbing your pinky. At that point I'd suggest that this area be slightly scooped out and rounded a little along the edge where your pinky drops over. But try it first.

For hot loads and big hands you may find that the upper "neck" area is a little small to get a good supportive grip. I had an issue with my .44Mag Super Blackhawk in this way where the trigger guard was being pushed back hard into my middle finger and actually bruising it. I made up some new grips that are a lot fatter around the neck and this let me hold on better so the gun still rotates in my grip but not to the same amount. No more bruised fingers even with full power loads.

Some folks pickup a SAA style revolver and shoot it like they'd done it all their life. The rest, like me, had to play around and learn the proper grip. But once you get your hand to drop into the proper place the guns shoot VERY well. So if you decide to try a SA revolver for this new experience don't be put off if you don't shoot it well right off the bat.

[44man]

My last comment is the SA just has to be the most wonderful gun, the best looking, the best feeling and yes, as accurate as a rifle. Colt SA Army was the start of a love affair for perfection. Sad I could never afford one of my own but the Ruger is super.
I love all handguns but have a soft spot for the SA.

[wrench]

If you can't shoot a hog leg, you have little bitty girly hands.

Guilty as charged:bigsmyl2:

[Adam10mm]

If you can't shoot a hog leg, you have little bitty girly hands.
Never shot one so I don't know how I will be able to handle it. For a reference with my hand stretched out, pinkie to thumb is about 9 inches and middle finger tip to wrist is 6.5 inches. I've done a transfer for a forum member here for a SA revolver. Think it was a flattop .44 Special Ruger Blackhawk. Felt good in the hand, but that could change when actually shooting it.

So let's focus on the Ruger standard grip. What is the difference between the Blackhawk and the Vaquero?

[jmort]

The New Vaquero has a mid-size frame and a smaller grip. For me, the New Vaquero is perfect fit. The Blackhawk has a bigger grip and frame. For reference, my thumb to pinky is 8" and middle finger to wrist is 7.5" - I don't have big hands. I have both new and old Vaqueros and needed a slimmer grip to make the old Vaquero work for me. Whereas the new Vaquero fit like a glove as mentioned.

[44man]

My hand on a big BFR.
Don't stick the pinky under the grip from bags! :veryconfu
My problem is my knuckle. I NEED a filler behind the guard, don't ask what a square back SBH does to me.
68853

[contender1]

As noted,, different folks have different grips. All guns feel different to everyone.
You asked about the differences in the Blackhawks & the Vaqueros.
Too bad it's not "simple."
There are a couple of different grip shapes of the Blackhawks. A regular Blackhawk will have a variation of the XR3-RED gripframe. Then there are the New Model Flattops that have what is known as the XR3 gripframe. The RED one will have a slight "flair" near the butt along the backstrap, while the XR3 will have a straight backstrap.
Both of them feel a bit differently.
Next the Vaqueros. There is the original Vaquero, then there is the New Vaquero.
The original Vaquero will have the same shape & feel as a regular Blackhawk due to it having the same gripframe. But the New Vaquero will be a bit smaller & thinner. More like the XR3 gripframe.
The best I can offer is for you to try & find some friends with various Rugers to allow you to try each one. While the differences are subtle,, they are there & it can make a lot of difference in the feel of things.
Too bad you aren't near me,,, I own all types, (Yes,, all types of Ruger gripframes) and would allow you to try each one. From the original XR3 to the Bisley, to the Birdshead, to the New Models, to the Super Blackhawks.
Maybe you could go to the ruger forum & find someone close to you that can help.
www.rugerforum.com

[Kull]

As far as Ruger's go there's lots of info about the different grip frames here (http://www.gunblast.com/Hamm_Ruger-SA-GripFrames.htm).

I myself prefer the XR3 grip frame.

[Adam10mm]

I think I'm leaning more toward a Blackhawk in the 6.5 inch barrel. I put in a "wish list" request with my distributor because it's an allocated item, so each rep gets a certain amount for their accounts. I order maybe 4 guns a year as I mostly do transfers, so I have to kiss some butt sometimes. Blue model is $400 though, so that's right in my budget.

What about sights? What aftermarket sights are you guys using for hunting? I'm not into the fiber optic. Is a gold bead front sight enough shiny for the extremes of low light shooting times?

[Any Cal.]

I used to do a lot of plinking w/ a 6.5" .357. Nice gun to shoot but pretty big and heavy for caliber. Of course, coming from a GP100, probably par for the course. It fit the TC Contender Silhouette loads in Speer 12 just fine, hot 180s made the gun bark pretty good.

I was teaching a new shooter who used the gun to nail the end of a Pepsi can @ 25yds offhand. It was always a good shooter.

[contender1]

Ok, a blued Blackhawk in 6-1/2" barrel will make a fine first SA revolver. The 357 will not be to heavy on recoil, and it's a great all around gun.
As for sights.
The blued ones have the front sight soldered on. You can't swap out the sights easily. The rear blade or even the entire rear assy can be swapped if you wish.
The stainless models have a blued soldered base,,, BUT the blade is pinned in and swappable. There aren't any aftermarket blades for the stainless guns,, but you can get different heights.
So, to "modify" a blued front sight, most of us just do a simple addition of a dab of paint. Testors model paint in the color of choice, added to the ramp of the front blade, (after you de-grease it with alcohol,) is the easiest & most common modification. Plus,, it doesn't change the gun at all, & is removable when necessary.
On a side note,, I have a few Redhawks. They have replaceable front sights. I have used the gold bead ones, but found them a bit small & not as visible when hunting.

[Adam10mm]

I wonder about getting one of those shotgun middle beads from Brownells if they are small enough and inserting that into the front blade? There's an $80 premium for the stainless model. Wonder if it's worth it for the easier to replace front sight.

[Any Cal.]

I think the $80 will probably come back to you if you ever sell the gun, stainless guns seem to keep more of their value. And you can play w/ the sight...