Have you bought a Ruger SA lately?

[S.R.Custom]

So yesterday I picked up a brand new blued Ruger Super Blackhawk with the 5.5" barrel for my latest project... more on that later, but let me tell you about the Ruger...

Quality appears to have picked up lately. The metal work and fitment is much better than I've noticed in the past couple of years. While the gun isn't as shiny as in years past, the external metalwork is quite smooth and not a single grind mark on it anywhere.

The way they dealt with the on-board safety key-lock is slick. It's buried in the handle under the grip panels; you have to take off the grips to get to it. But if you are so inclined, there are instructions in the manual that tell you how to drill the grip panel for use with the key (the grip frame comes with a locator hole). Very unobtusive. (But for the those of us with brains and a modicum of personal responsibility, the lock is out of sight and out of mind.) Someone really thought this one out...

Dimensionally, the gun is spot on. Rifling is crisp, smooth and shiny. The forcing cone, while a bit deep, is likewise smooth. The chambers are a bit rough, but a dowel rod, 320 paper, and a few minutes will clean those up. Bore/chamber alignment is perfect. Chamber throats measure .430" --maybe a tad more, as I can push a .430" Hornady XTP through with only a bit of resistance-- but the groove diameter is quite good at .429".

The trigger sucks, tho. Stiff and crunchy. But hey, what gun made in the past 20 years hasn't been? But again, a few minutes with a stone and a Wolff Spring kit will take care of that.

Given the really atrocious quality I've seen on new guns lately, I find this Ruger to be a delightful surprise. There are a few rough spots, nut nothing you wouldn't expect on a mass produced gun, and nothing that can't be cleaned up by the buyer. All in all, a big thumbs-up! :-D

P.S... Haven't shot it yet. When I have time to clean it up this weekend I'll give it a whirl and post my impressions. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

[Lloyd Smale]

Id about bet its a shooter. Ive yet to see a 44 mag ruger that wasnt.

[BCB]

I recently purchased a 5.5” Blackhawk in 45 Colt. I posted the dimensions of the chambers and the bore/rifling on another place on this site. Regardless, all are good and it shoots the RCBS 270-SAA bullet very well. I am absolutely amazed at the lack of any leading at all. A quick patch with Butch’s Bore Shine and the barrel is shiny. There are no noticeable marks on the bore/rifling at all—smooth as if it had been shoot thousands of times and possible lapped.
I am absolutely pleased with it and it will shoot nothing but cast…BCB

[jleneave]

I have recently acquired a Stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44mag with a 7.5" barrel and a blue Blackhawk in .45LC with a 5.5" barrel. The Super Blackhawk has one spot on the cylinder at the mouth where it is beveled that is a little rough. It looks like someone took a file and roughed it up or maybe they missed that spot when they polished the rest of the cylinder, it is only about a 1/8” long and if you weren’t looking for it you probably wouldn’t see it but I know it is there and it bothers me a little. Other than that the gun is perfect. The Blackhawk is in perfect condition and it came with an extra .45ACP cylinder that I will probably never use. I have had a Ruger SA pistol of one type or the other since I was 15 years old. My first one was a stainless Blackhawk in .357mag. I worked all summer long and saved my money to get it and after I had the money my dad went with me to buy it. Of course like a dumba$$ teenager I ended up selling it. Everytime I think about selling that gun it makes me want to cry. In my opinion Ruger makes the best and the strongest SA revolvers made, I am sure others will disagree. I have never came across a Ruger SA revolver that was of poor quality. I don’t really care for their semi auto pistols with the exception of the .22 autos. I also have a stainless .22 MKII with the 6 7/8” slabside barrel and it is one of the most accurate .22 pistols that I have ever seen.

[Dennis Eugene]

Shucks I've never got to own a brand new Ruger, sigh maybe someday. Dennis

[Kraschenbirn]

I've still got my very first Ruger SA...a 4 5/8" flat-top in .357. The first NIB centerfire handgun I ever purchased. Nothin' special...just 'nother old Ruger...but it's still not for sale.

Bill

[Lloyd Smale]

last one i bought new was the montado and its a step up in the quality control ive seen in past rugers.

[txpete]

I was pretty impressed with the trigger right out of the box.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/txpete/BizInBx.jpg

[41 mag fan]

Hey SuperMag, I agree with what you say about Ruger starting to pick up on quality. I bought a 41 mag last week,blued w/a 6" barrel. A few rough spots that aint nothing atrocious but dealable.I've got one small grinder mark on the butt you have to look close to see. I haven't had time to shoot it, thanks to being poor and having to work.One thing I wish Ruger would do and I bet they'd sell would be to go back to gun basics 101 and start reproducing the old world Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks. Quality engineering and quality blueing. I believe they'd have seller if they did. But with that would also come a quality price tag.

[calsite]

I purchased my Vaquero a few years back, wasn't very happy with the trigger either, dropped a Wolfe spring kit in it and WOW! what a difference.

[calsite]

I thought S&W saw the light when they re-introduced the Classic line, but the finish of my new Model 24 didn't really impress me too much. I bought a 57-8 a couple of years ago as well in .41 mag. and can see the difference between it and my new Model 24 as far as attention to detail goes.

[timkelley]

Got a new Accusport stainless 45C/45A convertable last month, It shoots better than I can, very good fit and feel.

[S.R.Custom]

I was pretty impressed with the trigger right out of the box.

That's because you paid more than me. ;) Nice lookin' Bisley there...

I'm enjoying this thread; after all the new gun trash that's followed me home over the past couple of years, it's fun to be able to talk nice about someone for a change. :-D

[Lead melter]

Just out of curiosity, about what are you guys paying for those Rugers NIB? I'd like to get a comparison with what they cost here in NC.

By the way, is there a sticky of reference to which I could find out about those Wolfe spring kits? As a former mechanic, I could tackle the problem of replacing them, but I learned long ago it is best to have some guidance if working on something I know nothing about.

[Dennis Eugene]

Forgot to add in my above post, posted with a smile of course, Congrats on the new gun am a big Ruger Fan and glad to hear good things about them. Dennis

[Naphtali]

Key lock? You are not referring to a padlock separate from the revolver? When did this begin?

[S.R.Custom]

It's been there since '06...

http://www.gunblast.com/images/Ruger_Flattop44/MVC-696F.jpg

You have to take the grip panels off to get to it, and if you want to use it with the grips on, you have to drill the right side grip panel. The instructions are in the manual.




Just out of curiosity, about what are you guys paying for those Rugers NIB?

$475 + tax for the one I got. And that's about as cheap as they get; Davidson's wholesales 'em for about $440 to the small time dealers, less to the big retailers.

[BCB]

$443 Tax INCLUDED for my 5.5" Blackhawk black finish in 45 LC cartridge...BCB

[405]

Well Shoot,
Haven't owned a Ruger in years. That's a different story. Found a 1975 DOM NM Blackhawk 357 at good price and in nice shape. The bore may have been cleaned a few times in the last thirty years.... but it was full of lead. The cylinder chambers were a real mess! Maybe thirty years of accumulated baked-on carbon.... both from not cleaning completely between shoots and/or shooting a lot of 38 SPL??. Took two hours to get the carbon out. Solvent wouldn't touch it. So- drill with wire brush, drill with bronze wool, drill with 1000 grit sandpaper on wood dowel, drill with fine steel wool :(.

The tool marks visible in the chambers didn't look good but are a little better now after the cleaning and rigorous polishing. The rough factory chambers may have contributed to the carbon/crud build up. The throats all mic at .358 on the button. Didn't slug the bore but it looks very good. The cylinder locks up tight- minimal play. The trigger seems very good- probably smoothed itself out over the last thirty plus years.

Will shoot in the next couple of days- both medium velocity JHPs and some cast. Will report back. Just an older model to compare to the new production guns.

Range report as promised for the 357 Blackhawk:::

Shot two different loads/bullets. Two cylinders each at 15 yards from supported under wrist rest.
1) mild load of Trailboss under 140 cast plain base, .358" - 2.5" for 12 rounds.
2) mild load of WW231 under 125 Win JHP, .357" 1.25" for 12 rounds.

Why the larger group for the 140 cast??? who knows

My impression of the gun is that it shoots very well and would be a good strap on and go utility handgun. With the right loads it shoots on par with but no better than my S&W 66 and 28. The cleaned and polished chambers showed no carbon build up and the throats, forcing cone and bore showed no leading.
All in all I'd give it an A.

[45r]

I bought a 41 bisley hunter and it will shoot 2 inch groups at 75 yards with 220 saeco boolits.The 2 power scope on it helps.Its been firelapped and has a very good trigger.I am very impressed with it.

[Possum]

Were those prices for the Bisley or a regular grip?

[BCB]

My price was for just the regular standard cheapo grip--black plastic?...BCB

[2 dogs]

The last one I bought new was an Anniversary model 357 and it shot under an inch right out of the box....

[dukers65]

my last new ruger is a blackhawk 41 mag. the front of the cylinder was rough with grin marks
but in the long run it did not affect the operation of the gun.it's been a good while ,however she shooting sweet. i did add a belt mountain pin and that seemed to be the point it started
to shoot veryt well. i've also got a 45 vaquero ,my second fixed sight gun,pleasantly surprised
how well it did the first time out. in fact my opther rugers also perform exceptionally.
i am anxiously awaiting the return of my blackhawk conversion to 44 special. something tells
me this one will an ejoyable gun to shoot. of course, i have yet to find a gun i have fun shooting. dan

[lonewolf5347]

I have a 41 mag: bisley 4 5/8 barrel i think it was purchase when they first came out excellent shooting handgun can keep them in a 3" group at the 50 yard target from the bench all day long.I only have one problem gun shoots point of aim I have the rear sight bottom out all the way .I have taken a few deer under and out to 50 yards just love to carry it in a cross draw holster

[rvpilot76]

I was pretty impressed with the trigger right out of the box.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/txpete/BizInBx.jpg
That's the exact same one I have! It's a bit different looking now, though. Power Custom free spin pawl, Belt Mountain oversize #5 Keith base pin, One Ragged Hole rear sight, Wolff spring kit, and opened up throats done by Clindersmith. I also bead blasted the entire works, with a bit of highly polished parts for some contrast.

Kevin

[HABCAN]

When Ruger dropped the '3-screws', I dropped Ruger. Wish I still had my pair of SBH '3's', 7-1/2" .44 Mags! "They don't make 'em like they usta!"