Lipsey's Flattop 45 Colt / 45 ACP

[AlanF]

Any experience with Lipsey's Flattop 45 Colt / 45 ACP? How are the cylinders and overall quality? Are they as nicely done as the New Vaqueros? I've located a stainless flattop NIB and want to be sure of what I would be getting. The mid-sized frame is spot-on for what I want. Thank you.

[Fire_Medic]

It's sure a good looking pistol. Let us know the particulars if/when you get it.

[setterman]

I just purchased a 5 1/2in. blued Ruger Flattop Blackhawk .45LC/.45ACP
two weeks ago. The fit and finish is good and I love the medium frame size.
I also really like the feel provided by the gunfighter grips. They fit my medium
size hands much better than the grips on my other flattop .44 Special. I have
only had a chance to shoot the .45 acp cylinder because of the brutally cold
weather here. It shot into one large hole at 15 yds with a load of 5.0 gr of
Promo and a cast 200 gr H&G clone of acww sized .452 and lubed with Lars
C red lube. I can not wait to try it with the .45LC and the 270 AA. Good luck
with your decision.

[Dale53]

I would have certainly bought the "new" Convertible Flattop .45 ACP/.45 Colt but I had just recently bought a Ruger SS Bisley .45 ACP/.45 Colt Convertible. I had a trigger job done and I reamed the throats on both cylinders (they were undersize) to .4525". Now both cylinders shoot with NRA Bullseye accuracy. I have become very fond of this revolver.

The reports I have been getting on the flattop .45's is that the cylinder throats are the correct size out of the box and they shoot VERY well. I have a couple of .44 Special flattops and can attest to be better feel of the midsize frame (in my hands, at least). If you are anything like me, you will really like the Flattop.

Keep us posted...
Dale53

[robertbank]

I bought the gun you are looking at just before Christmas. Great gun. The cylinder throats all need to be reamed out to .452 on both cylinders. The gun has been excellent. Very accurate using either cylinder. The gun is the medium frame so you can't load "Ruger Only" loads but can take more than the SAA .45Colts. Fit and finish was very good. Gun is heavier than my SAA clones (Uberti.Beretta). The gun is a joy to shoot.

I am sure you will enjoy the gun. Mine is very tight.

Take Care

Bob

[fecmech]

I bought a Lipsey's blued 4 5/8 a couple years ago. I bought it to shoot acp's. Loaded it up with my basic wad gun target loads of 4.5/BE/200 gr swc and 185 Saeco and benched a few cylinders full. Everything shot 1.5-2"@25 yds. Popped out the cylinder, looked down the barrel, no lead so that was the end of my load development. The .45 Colt cylinder is still unused as I don't load for it. Mine was well made, fit and finish very good. It is my daughter in laws favorite pistol.

[376Steyr]

I have a 45 ACP/45 Colt Stainless. First thing I found out was the 45 Colt cylinder is just a tad shorter than the one on my S&W 625. Caught the protruding nose of my reload on the end of the barrel and had a heck of a time getting it unjammed. The 45 ACP cylinder is fun to shoot.

[Char-Gar]

I got one of the Lipsey's 45 Flatop convertibles when they first came out. It has proven to be the finest Ruger SA I have ever owned. The cylinder throats are .452 spot on. I did change out the hammer with a Super Blackhawk hammer as it is an easier reach for my arthritic shooting hand. I like it so much I had it fitted with some mesquite grips. It shoots great. I can't say too many things about it.

At the time I bought mine, a friend bought one in stainless steel and it had some tool marks on it but still shot very well. I am not a fan of stainless firearms.

[robertbank]

. I am not a fan of stainless firearms.

Ya but they look cool in da hood.:) I like yours though. As blued guns show wear they just look good.

Take Care

Bob

[RobS]

Solid firearm and I reamed both of my cylinders as well; took about 20 minutes. The trigger on the flattop I have is perfect, no creep at all and breaks clean. Really nice but the only thing I don't like is the sights are not straight on the barrel so the rear sights have to be moved clear to one side. I may send it back to Ruger someday to have the sights fixed.

[Ickisrulz]

I have the stainless 4 5/8 barrel. I bought it to shoot 45 ACP since I have thousands and thousands of cases. I never slugged the bore or measured the cylinders. I just shoot my .452 sized 200 grain WCs and have had excellent accuracy and no leading at all. I did have to swap out the rear sight with a "tall" one from Ruger to make it hit where I needed it to.

I just got set up for loading 45 Colt and will be giving that a try some day soon. I like this revolver a lot.

[Char-Gar]

I have the stainless 4 5/8 barrel. I bought it to shoot 45 ACP since I have thousands and thousands of cases. I never slugged the bore or measured the cylinders. I just shoot my .452 sized 200 grain WCs and have had excellent accuracy and no leading at all. I did have to swap out the rear sight with a "tall" one from Ruger to make it hit where I needed.

I just got set up for loading 45 Colt and will be giving that a try some day soon. I like this revolver a lot.

Where did you get that taller rear sight blade and do you have the product number?

[Ickisrulz]

Where did you get that taller rear sight blade and do you have the product number?

This is what I used and where I got it (Ruger part number H07203A). MidwayUSA shows it is for the Super Redhawk, but it does fit the Blackhawk too:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/215472/ruger-rear-sight-blade-high-with-white-outline-notch-ruger-super-redhawk-44-remington-magnum

[Airman Basic]

This is what I used and where I got it (Ruger part number H07203A). MidwayUSA shows it is for the Super Redhawk, but it does fit the Blackhawk too:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/215472/ruger-rear-sight-blade-high-with-white-outline-notch-ruger-super-redhawk-44-remington-magnum
Everybody appears to be out of 'em.

[scattershot]

I have one, too, and the workmanship is top-notch. I reamed the cylinders on mine, as they were a little tight, but other than that I love the thing. (I had no problems before, but just wanted to tweak it a bit.) I really like the gunfighter grips, and find that I didn't have to replace the hammer with a Super Blackhawk hammer, as I do as a matter of course.

You'll love it.

[AlanF]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I had a chance to go to the Cablea's in Hartford, CT and compare the Bisley and plowhandle grips. It is going to be the Bisley grip for me as it felt significantly better for me. So now I'm leaning towards the Lipsey Flattop in 44 Special.

[Vulcan Bob]

I have the Lipseys mid frame flat top .45 Colt/.45ACP and three of the mid frame flat top .44 Specials and you cant go wrong with either one! Ruger should really market them as target guns as they shoot very well. Good luck with your choice!
Thanks for the feedback guys. I had a chance to go to the Cablea's in Hartford, CT and compare the Bisley and plowhandle grips. It is going to the Bisley grip for me as it felt significantly better for me. So now I'm leaning towards the Lipsey Flattop in 44 Special.

[DougGuy]

As mentioned earlier, the medium frame Rugers are limited to a tier 2 or .45 ACP +P pressure ceiling of 23,000psi. Load data that is between std pressure .45 Colt 14,000psi and the .45 ACP +P 23,000psi can be hard to find but it's out there.

It is likely both cylinders may need the throats reamed to .4525" and I know somebody that has a reamer if you need that done.

[Dale53]

AlanF;
I have a Brian Pearce's excellent article on the .45 Convertible Flattop. It covers about everything you want to know about this revolver including lots of good loading data. Send me your email address by P.M and I'll send it to you by email (or you can buy the back issue from Wolfe Publishing - Dec-Jan 2012 Handloader #275).

Dale53

[Char-Gar]

Midway is out of stock on those rear sight blades, but are expecting a new shipment so they are taking back orders. I placed a back order so now I wait.

[osteodoc08]

I've got a Lipsey's Flattop in 41 mag. I love the all steel approach. It is a 4-5/8" and handles beautifully. It has the "old style" XR3 grip and it will wear out my middle fingers knuckle to the point of bleeding if using full house loads over an extended period. I use it with low to moderate loads, which is plenty to get any work done that needs doing around here. The bluing is even, however, I'd prefer a more polished blue as opposed to a flat appearance. It is accurate. I love how it has the cylinder stops to where the loading gate aligns with the chamber and the brass drops out. It is too nice for me to use as a bang around the brush gun, I have others for that. I do like to take it to the range often and keep it going with "reduced" loads. Not sure if that was what you needed, but is my $0.02

[osteodoc08]

As mentioned earlier, the medium frame Rugers are limited to a tier 2 or .45 ACP +P pressure ceiling of 23,000psi. Load data that is between std pressure .45 Colt 14,000psi and the .45 ACP +P 23,000psi can be hard to find but it's out there.

It is likely both cylinders may need the throats reamed to .4525" and I know somebody that has a reamer if you need that done.

I believe it was Linebaugh that penned an article about the Smith 25-5 Mountain Gun with load data included. IIRC 13gr of HS-6 with the RCBS 270 SAA is what I took from that article and use it in my Mountain Gun. It is plenty stout and is rated at 20K PSI.

Here it is

http://www.handloads.com/articles/?id=12

Also

The most accurate load I have found to date is 13.0 grains of HS-6, which generates 1050-1100 fps from my Blackhawks (do not shoot this load in SAA‚s, I would guess this load is probably running around 22,000 psi, which I consider to be maximum for the S&W N-frame .45 Colts, obviously the Rugers can handle these pressures with ease).

From Here: http://www.sixguns.com/crew/theme.htm

[GLL]

I got one of the Lipsey's 45 Flatop convertibles when they first came out. It has proven to be the finest Ruger SA I have ever owned.

http://www.fototime.com/E1DB14B4C9D65BE/orig.jpg

Very nice looking revolver ! I especially like those mesquite grips on that blued steel !

Jerry

[Char-Gar]

Being a South Texas brushpopper, I have a deep connection to mesquite. I like it for cooking, heating and pistol grips. Livestock also likes the beans off the tree. Craig Cary made the grips and they fit and look marvelous.

For the most part, I despise stainless steel firearms, but I do sin from time to time. Here is a custom Ruger BH Gary Reeder did for me. It is super high polish stainless steel. Oh yes, it is a 45 Colt.

[DLCTEX]

I like those salt and pepper grips on stainless, also pearl.

[crawfobj]

Being a South Texas brushpopper, I have a deep connection to mesquite. I like it for cooking, heating and pistol grips. Livestock also likes the beans off the tree. Craig Cary made the grips and they fit and look marvelous.

For the most part, I despise stainless steel firearms, but I do sin from time to time. Here is a custom Ruger BH Gary Reeder did for me. It is super high polish stainless steel. Oh yes, it is a 45 Colt.

Can you share who made the grips? I have some very nice mesquite from a tree I cut down with my grandfather that would make some very nice handgun stocks.

[Char-Gar]

Can you share who made the grips? I have some very nice mesquite from a tree I cut down with my grandfather that would make some very nice handgun stocks.

Here you go: http://www.clccustomgrips.com/