sandog
06-29-2019, 08:01 AM
Last month I bought a Ruger Flattop .45Colt/.45 ACP Convertible, and wondering why I didn't have one of these sooner. The weight, balance, size and feel was more like the Ubertis and Colts I'm used to.
And while it is a New Model Ruger without the 4 clicks, it has a very smooth action and nice trigger.
Built on the smaller midframe, it can't handle the 30,000 psi Tier III loads, but what it can handle, Tier II or 23,000 psi, is plenty for anything I need now that I've moved away from Grizzly country.
A 250 to 280 boolit at 1000 to 1100 is plenty enough to put the hurt on anything.
Ruger seems to have taken better care building these Lipsey Distributor Exclusives, better bluing, not full of rough cast surfaces and burrs like the newer Blackhawks.
Also the midframe Flattop and New Vaquero stop (index) properly at each chamber, and have blued steel grip frames and ejector rod housings, unlike the regular Blackhawk line that have an aluminum alloy GF and ER housing, that is then "painted" black.
https://i.imgur.com/rANWWmsh.jpg
I'm in my early 60's and it's getting hard to see the front sight sharply anymore. The old notch and blade like the Vaquero has is more difficult for me to do well with than the adjustable sights of the Flattop.
I just had a 7.5" Vaquero, but because of the sight thing, traded it off for a second Flattop .45 Convertible last week:
https://i.imgur.com/af2htQah.jpg
The first FT had throats that were all .452" and it did well enough considering all I had when I first took it out was factory ammo.
The HSM Cowboy loads are loaded in Starline brass (which I load with), and aren't as expensive as other factory .45 Colt, so I bought a box until I could order some more cast boolits.
https://i.imgur.com/4bXHkEPh.jpg
I also had a box of these W-W bonded hollow points someone had given me:\
https://i.imgur.com/UDj4Uzbh.jpg
Ruger sold so many of the guns that Lipsey had talked them into making, that they now have the Flattop Convertibles in their regular line-up.
The new gun I got was sent to Tylers in Texas for chamber reaming to .452.5", action job and 11 degree forcing cone.
I loaded up some HSM bulk cast (which I can buy locally) with 8.0 grains of Universal.
I'm not sure if the flyer was me, or a void in the bullet, but this sixgun can shoot:
https://i.imgur.com/fFlopVIh.jpg
My Cimarron with 5 1/2" barrel got 830 fps. with 7.4 grains of Universal, so I was surprised that 8.0 grains in the same barrel length Ruger was getting 940 fps.
I had brought 10 rounds loaded with 8.5 grains to try and they were clocking 988 !
So I might scale back to 7.5 and see how they do.
For sure, more velocity than I was expecting. BTW, bore is also .452".
One thing I don't like is how Ruger is now shipping all revolvers, whether blued or stainless, with stainless hammers and triggers. Just doesn't look right on a blued gun.
My older FT must have had a carbon steel hammer, that was left in the white, as it took some bluing.
Here you can see the blued hammer next to the other FT that has a stainless one:
https://i.imgur.com/HkL5uVeh.jpg
I tried some W-W hardball out of the .45 ACP cylinder last week, it was accurate enough, but I can't see I'll use it much, .45 Colt is just "more funner".
Maybe if I still had a 1911 and several ammo cans full of ammo the ACP cylinder would have more appeal.
https://i.imgur.com/KFgfrN3h.jpg
One thing I need to do is get some nice wood grips, not a fan of the fake Ivories or the cheap plastic checkered grips they put on at the factory.
But I'm tossing around the idea of putting on a longer Super Blackhawk frame, and a lower, wider Super Blackhawk hammer. Then this Flattop will be just right.
And while it is a New Model Ruger without the 4 clicks, it has a very smooth action and nice trigger.
Built on the smaller midframe, it can't handle the 30,000 psi Tier III loads, but what it can handle, Tier II or 23,000 psi, is plenty for anything I need now that I've moved away from Grizzly country.
A 250 to 280 boolit at 1000 to 1100 is plenty enough to put the hurt on anything.
Ruger seems to have taken better care building these Lipsey Distributor Exclusives, better bluing, not full of rough cast surfaces and burrs like the newer Blackhawks.
Also the midframe Flattop and New Vaquero stop (index) properly at each chamber, and have blued steel grip frames and ejector rod housings, unlike the regular Blackhawk line that have an aluminum alloy GF and ER housing, that is then "painted" black.
https://i.imgur.com/rANWWmsh.jpg
I'm in my early 60's and it's getting hard to see the front sight sharply anymore. The old notch and blade like the Vaquero has is more difficult for me to do well with than the adjustable sights of the Flattop.
I just had a 7.5" Vaquero, but because of the sight thing, traded it off for a second Flattop .45 Convertible last week:
https://i.imgur.com/af2htQah.jpg
The first FT had throats that were all .452" and it did well enough considering all I had when I first took it out was factory ammo.
The HSM Cowboy loads are loaded in Starline brass (which I load with), and aren't as expensive as other factory .45 Colt, so I bought a box until I could order some more cast boolits.
https://i.imgur.com/4bXHkEPh.jpg
I also had a box of these W-W bonded hollow points someone had given me:\
https://i.imgur.com/UDj4Uzbh.jpg
Ruger sold so many of the guns that Lipsey had talked them into making, that they now have the Flattop Convertibles in their regular line-up.
The new gun I got was sent to Tylers in Texas for chamber reaming to .452.5", action job and 11 degree forcing cone.
I loaded up some HSM bulk cast (which I can buy locally) with 8.0 grains of Universal.
I'm not sure if the flyer was me, or a void in the bullet, but this sixgun can shoot:
https://i.imgur.com/fFlopVIh.jpg
My Cimarron with 5 1/2" barrel got 830 fps. with 7.4 grains of Universal, so I was surprised that 8.0 grains in the same barrel length Ruger was getting 940 fps.
I had brought 10 rounds loaded with 8.5 grains to try and they were clocking 988 !
So I might scale back to 7.5 and see how they do.
For sure, more velocity than I was expecting. BTW, bore is also .452".
One thing I don't like is how Ruger is now shipping all revolvers, whether blued or stainless, with stainless hammers and triggers. Just doesn't look right on a blued gun.
My older FT must have had a carbon steel hammer, that was left in the white, as it took some bluing.
Here you can see the blued hammer next to the other FT that has a stainless one:
https://i.imgur.com/HkL5uVeh.jpg
I tried some W-W hardball out of the .45 ACP cylinder last week, it was accurate enough, but I can't see I'll use it much, .45 Colt is just "more funner".
Maybe if I still had a 1911 and several ammo cans full of ammo the ACP cylinder would have more appeal.
https://i.imgur.com/KFgfrN3h.jpg
One thing I need to do is get some nice wood grips, not a fan of the fake Ivories or the cheap plastic checkered grips they put on at the factory.
But I'm tossing around the idea of putting on a longer Super Blackhawk frame, and a lower, wider Super Blackhawk hammer. Then this Flattop will be just right.