Looking Forward to a New 44

[High Desert Hunter]

Had to send my Super Blackhawk in to Ruger for repair, the barrel was cracked in 3 places, gun had between 4 and 5 thousand rounds through it, most from when I lived in Alaska. Well they called me last week and informed me that the pistol was beyond repair, and so offered me a replacement at 50% off of retail, I paid my money, and I am now awaiting a new Bisley Blackhawk in 44 Magnum, will see if I can wear this one out too. I was very happy they let me change from the Super to the Bisley, the Super was beginning to really rap the knuckle, seems my hands have gotten fatter with the rest of me. So I have a hundred rounds loaded up, hoping my FFL calls today or tomorrow to tell me it has arrived. I am a diehard 45 Colt fan, and love the 454 Casull as well, but I have a huge soft spot for the 44 Magnum, and have carried one more than any of the others, shocked I only own one. Ruger's customer service was excellent, and Ms. Andrea Brown deserves my thanks.

[bouncer50]

Was the barrel cracked in the forcing cone area. Was under the top strap frame ate up from the hot gases. That was good what Ruger offer you.

[454PB]

I find this interesting, I once owned a Ruger SBH and put over 20K rounds through it with no problems. It looked as good the day I traded it off as the day I bought it. Maybe Ruger felt compelled to give you that fine offer.

[High Desert Hunter]

It was cracked in the forcing cone back to the end, the threads were damaged. Could have been when they originally installed the barrel, I never ran any +P loads through it. I purchased the pistol used from a friend, he didn't handload, only shot factory, and American eagle JSP was his round of choice, he put 10 rounds through it, and sold it to me for $200, barely had a turn line on the cylinder. Almost 2 full boxes of ammo, and 2 Uncle Mike's shoulder rigs. Sometimes things happen, they could have told me anything, instead they were straight forward, and sold me a new one at a decent discount $396 delivered for a new 7 1/2" Bisley, I have a lot of memories with the old Super, but it is a tool, and sometimes tools break, will do my best to make new memories with the Bisley.

[bouncer50]

I just knew it were it was cracked not very common. Went the forcing cone area of the barrel cracked it let hot gases in to the frame and that how the barrel threads and frame threads got damaged. I seen a S&W model 29 and a S&W model 19 do the same thing but they were both shot with hot rounds and had a lot of rounds shot in them.

[44man]

Very strange for a Ruger, My SBH has exceeded 79,000 heavy loads and uncounted light ones. I counted primers for the heavy loads, up to 330 gr boolits. I can measure no wear at all, just some sand blasting at cone edges.
My SBH has shot about every IHMSA shoot all through Ohio, PA and VA and then uncounted deer.
Ruger taking care of problems is so great, even a second or third owner.
Enjoy the new gun.

[High Desert Hunter]

I agree, I have Rugers that have many more rounds through them, no issues other than normal wear at the forcing cone. I honestly feel this one may have had the barrel pre-stressed by over torqueing when it was installed. Wondering if all of the full power jacketed 270s and 300s I ran through it early on helped speed this along. New one is a good looking sixgun, will post a picture once I get home, looking forward to breaking it in this weekend. Have some 429421s over Unique, some over HS6, some over H110, and some Lee 310 RNFPGC bullets over H110.

[High Desert Hunter]

137186It is now cleaned and oiled, ready for tomorrow.

[44man]

Nice! Let us know what it does.
Ruger will do all they can but will never tell you what they found. I had a strange one once, Mark II that I could not hit a thing with. I found bullets were hitting the ground about 7 yards out. Crown was good and barrel was straight, could find no reason so I sent it back. Got a new one that was a tack driver but they would not tell me why the first did what it did.
I can not shoot a Bisley because of my hands and knuckle. Not to deter you, it is just me.
I wish things were like the old days, drop a gun in the mail and get it back in the mail. Few bucks each way. Ruger is still the best and will send a prepaid box.
We will never know why a barrel will crack. Heard about the S&W .460 shooting the barrels off the gun.

[Hickok]

Some buddies and I had my Ma Deuce out shooting prairie dogs when this happened!:kidding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXn3AV9vBro

[44man]

Darn! Not a good place to be with the hungry dogs.

[High Desert Hunter]

Ran 100 rounds through it today, shoots every bit as accurate as the old Super did, has one chamber that is slightly rougher than the others, and I am going to have to work on the grips, gave me a blister as there is a high spot where the grip material is noticeably higher than the grip frame. I shot 70 rounds of 429421s loaded over H110, HS6, and Unique, and 30 rounds of the Lee 310 RNFPGC over H110, did some experimenting with seating depth, seemed to shoot better with the bullet seated to the top crimp groove. I also ran 50 rounds through my SS 5 1/2" Bisley 45, 30 rounds of 340gr LBT bullets over H110, and 20 rounds of the 45-270SAA (289grs from my alloy) over 9grs of Unique and 13grs of HS6. Fired 25 rounds through the FA 454, all midrange stuff, the 289s over HS6 and the 340 LBTs over HS6, tore up an old 12" stump out at 150 yards, sailed a few of the 310gr Lee bullets through it as well. Ran a few 45/70 rounds through the Marlin 1895GS and Ruger #1, and finished off by shooting the 350gr cast over IMR4198 in the 375 Ruger.

[Dale53]

High Desert Hunter;
You better go home and lay down!:kidding:

Sound like a full day, for sure!

Glad to hear that Ruger is still taking care of folks, like that! The old man would be proud!

Dale53

[High Desert Hunter]

It was a good day! The wife ran some rounds through her new Bersa Thunder 380, she likes it and shoots it well.

[DougGuy]

Check and make sure your boolits will go into the cylinder throats from the front. If they don't I can relieve them to .4315" or .4325" I have both reamers and can get them even within .0002" of each other. Looks like a really nice gun, having the throats even will make it that much nicer a shooter.

[High Desert Hunter]

Doug, I size to .430, and these are a snug but not tight fit, I finished off the session with the 429421 PB bullets, and I have to say, there was zero leading, even with the Unique loads. I do have a 45 Colt cylinder that I am going to send you sometime this year, it sits at .4505 and PB bullets turn it into a sewer pipe after 60-70 rounds. The one chamber on the new one is the actual chamber, not the throat, I will take care of that with some fine polishing compound and a fired case, it just built up fouling a bit worse than all of the others.

[44man]

Makes me happy, Except the Bisley bite. Yeah, I know.

[High Desert Hunter]

I am fortunate that I don't get bit by the Ruger Bisley, I will say that for myself, the Freedom Arms Model 83 grip frame is the absolute best for dealing with heavy recoil, I like the hardwood stocks they use as well. The new (not sure how long they have been using them) stocks on this Bisley are the worst metal to wood fit I have ever seen on a Ruger, it is like they don't even know the shape of their own grip frame.

[44man]

I can't use the wood panels on the SBH either, need Pachmeyer. I need a filler at the back of the trigger guard.