Ruger Flat-top Bisley .44 Special Opinions

[Hrfunk]

Hi All! I'm looking at a Ruger Blackhawk Bisley in .44 Special at a local gun shop. It's a "Lipsey's Exclusive." See the link for a photo:

https://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail?itemno=RURNVB-444-SPCL

I was wondering if anyone here owns one. If so, I'd like to know what you think of it.

Thank you!
Howard

[smithnframe]

I acquired one a few years ago...........I changed the laminated grips to synthetic ivory to try and make it look more like Elmer's #5! It's a tackdriver with all my handloads too!

[wgg]

I have one and its one of my favorite revolvers to shoot. I have had 44 magnum revolvers and always loaded to 44 Special levels. You can load the Ruger to some respectable levels. I have killed a couple of deer with mine.

[Zingger]

I concur with both of the previous posters. I had one, shot absolutely amazing. Almost boring accuracy with all of my handloads. Early this spring I was thinning some of the multiples and it came to the 44 specials. I have the pair of S&W 21-4 and 22-4, so I took my flattop to a gunshow. Traded it and some cash for a saddle for my nieces still on the ranch. Buy one with confidence, great revolver.
Zingger

[Thumbcocker]

I have 4 of them. Most accurate Rugers I own. Dimensions are right for boolits. 429421 sized .431 over 8.0 of power pistol and you are golden. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191009/3e475a2ae494d4493633edcef1128ab5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191009/0a0efb4b6a0154821f9a4267faa9d0a4.jpg

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[Hrfunk]

Thanks Fellas! You are all going a long way toward convincing me to go forward with the purchase! I'm actually trying to decide between two very different handguns. I don't currently have a singe action center-fire revolver in the collection, and I was previously thinking about one of the Italian made Colt copies. Then this Ruger caught my eye, and the idea of a modern revolver with sights I can actually see seemed appealing. Not to mention the fact I love the .44 Special cartridge!

Howard

[Loudenboomer]

I have a 5.5" Bisley .44 flattop and a 6.5" Bisley .480 Super Blackhawk. Both in stainless. Nice handguns. The action was nice as it came from the factory on the .44. The .480 had to go back. Ruger made it right, when it came back it could only be described as excellent. Doug Guy trued up the cylinders for me on both Guns. Both very good shooters.

[DougGuy]

I have 4 of them. Most accurate Rugers I own. Dimensions are right for boolits. 429421 sized .431 over 8.0 of power pistol and you are golden. ]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191009/0a0efb4b6a0154821f9a4267faa9d0a4.jpg



That is not good shooting from 50 yards standing, that is GREAT SHOOTING!

I will be willing to bet the two flyers came from throats just a tad different size than the others..

[Uncle Grinch]

I bought a flat top 44 Special a few years ago also, except mine is stainless. The 4 5/8” barrel makes it handle nicely. Still trying different loads, from 44-250KT to 44-185WC. I actually bought the wadcutter for my wife’s Charter Arms Bulldog, but will try in in the BH.

249470

[Uncle Grinch]

I bought a flat top 44 Special a few years ago also, except mine is stainless. The 4 5/8” barrel makes it handle nicely. Still trying different loads, from 44-250KT to 44-185WC. I actually bought the wadcutter for my wife’s Charter Arms Bulldog, but will try in in the BH.

249470


For got to post Flat Top....

249471

[contender1]

When Lipsey's came out the the special run of 44 Spls,, even before the FT's,, I got a pair. LOVE them! While I didn't see the need to add to them with a FT,, I have had the opportunity to shoot a few. You can't go wrong.

And if I was looking at an Italian clone,, or the Ruger,, I'd opt for the Ruger hands down. Many of the clones are quite nice,, and their pricing is attractive. But,, I've also seen more of them have "issues" than the Rugers. If an issue were to rear it's head,, Ruger is much easier to deal with than any others. Plus,, the strength of the Rugers is renown.
And the Patriot in me likes to try to buy American whenever I can!

[Thumbcocker]

That is not good shooting from 50 yards standing, that is GREAT SHOOTING!

I will be willing to bet the two flyers came from throats just a tad different size than the others..No the flyers are me. Just to put things in context I was having a very good shooting day that day. Many many more targets I shoot don't get pictures taken of them. [emoji1]

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[1Papalote]

I have a bisley and a standard flat top. Both are awesome. As said before, the critical numbers are good and they shoot like nobody's bidness. 429421+unique is awesome combination. You will not be dissatisfied.

1Papalote

[Green Frog]

For revolvers, I generally tend to go for S&W first, but there are two Ruger SAs I have on my bucket list, the Buckeye Special Combo 32 I once owned and foolishly sold and the Lipsey’s 44 Special Flattop. In the words of the great Billy Joel, “.. all it takes is looks and a whole lot of money!”

That deal you’ve found on the 44 would sure make it a candidate for entry into my safe!

Froggie

[Thumbcocker]

Pull it apart, buff the contact surfaces with a dremel polishing wheel and put in a 20 oz. Trigger return spring and you will have an amazing revolver.

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[Hrfunk]

For revolvers, I generally tend to go for S&W first, but there are two Ruger SAs I have on my bucket list, the Buckeye Special Combo 32 I once owned and foolishly sold and the Lipsey’s 44 Special Flattop. In the words of the great Billy Joel, “.. all it takes is looks and a whole lot of money!”

That deal you’ve found on the 44 would sure make it a candidate for entry into my safe!

Froggie

I usually gravitate to the S&W's also, but this Ruger is calling to me!

Howard

[Thumbcocker]

You may need to get a 2dogs front sight as some of the recent ones are too short to zero.

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[mart]

Great revolver. I have a 5.5 inch and even living in Alaska, were I limited to one handgun, it would probably be this one. Very accurate and very packable. With a Keith bullet over 17 grains of 2400 I would feel well equipped to go afield in bear country. I've carried it many times with that load while moose and caribou hunting and floating rivers.

[El Bibliotecario]

I'll add my concurrence; my 4 5/8" model is extremely accurate. The plywood grips are easily enough replaced. The previous post about 'sights I can actually see' particularly resonates.

[sixshot]

I have 3, the 4 5/8"s plow handle & the 5.5" & 7 1/2" bisley, all 3 are extremely accurate & I've taken deer with all 3, several with the 5.5" gun.

Dick

[Hrfunk]

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on this thread. I think you've convinced me to go forward with this purchase. Look for it in an upcoming video!

Howard

[Lloyd Smale]

have to agree. Ive had two and got talked out of both. Both were absolute jewels for accuracy. Probably the least finicky rugers other then full blown customs that ive owned. Then again unlike the 45s its tough to find a 44 cal ruger that doesn't shoot.
I have 4 of them. Most accurate Rugers I own. Dimensions are right for boolits. 429421 sized .431 over 8.0 of power pistol and you are golden. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191009/3e475a2ae494d4493633edcef1128ab5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191009/0a0efb4b6a0154821f9a4267faa9d0a4.jpg

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[Thumbcocker]

I have 3, the 4 5/8"s plow handle & the 5.5" & 7 1/2" bisley, all 3 are extremely accurate & I've taken deer with all 3, several with the 5.5" gun.

Dick
Would you be willing to share your deer hunting boolit and load data?

[DougGuy]

Then again unlike the 45s its tough to find a 44 cal ruger that doesn't shoot.

The late 70s early 80s 44 cal had widely varying throats b/c of how Ruger chambered them they would only replace a reamer when it was worn absolutely to the end, and then they only replaced the worst one, and left two worn ones on the machine so now you got one reamer cutting .429" holes, another cutting .430" and the new one cutting .432"+ all in the same cylinder and each pair of chambers/throats shoots to it's own point of impact.

The medium framed recent models are the best I have ever seen from Ruger, fit, finish, cylinder dimensions, all very good. Some are a tad small for .431" but they aren't all over the place like older SBH were.

[JoeJames]

I have had a New Model Blackhawk 4 1/2" 44 Special for about 4 years. I either shoot .431" Oregon Trail 240 grain lswc's in it over 6.5 grains of Unique, or .430" Speer swaged 240 grain lswc's in it over 6.8 grains of Unique.

249528

[Hrfunk]

The Ruger Bisley is on order!

Howard

[Skipper]

Howard, when you get it, slap a set of these on it. I put them on mine and they're just beautiful

Altamont grips
https://www.altamontco.com/shared/photos_medium/RB-CP05-CK.jpg

[Hrfunk]

I was already looking at those. Very nice!

Howard

[sixshot]

Thumbcocker, my everyday summer time load for ground squirrels, badgers, etc is 5.5 grs of Winchester 231 & the Keith bullet. When I'm deer hunting I use the Skeeter load, 7.5 grs of Unique & the same Keith bullet, a proven game getter.

Dick

[osteodoc08]

I had one for a while. Nothing wrong with it at all.

[onelight]

I got one a few months ago and only have about 200 rounds though it , but it is a sweet shooter.
I think you will enjoy it.

[W.R.Buchanan]

That run of 500 Lipsey's Guns sold out in 2 days! I got one thru a gun shop in Michigan. Mine has been an excellent shooter although I haven't shot it much lately. The one at the top is my BH Bisley and the other is my SBH Bisley cut down to 5".

Both are my favorite Revolvers.

Randy

[35 Whelen]

Thanks Fellas! You are all going a long way toward convincing me to go forward with the purchase! I'm actually trying to decide between two very different handguns. I don't currently have a singe action center-fire revolver in the collection, and I was previously thinking about one of the Italian made Colt copies. Then this Ruger caught my eye, and the idea of a modern revolver with sights I can actually see seemed appealing. Not to mention the fact I love the .44 Special cartridge!

Howard

LOL this is interesting, and I'll be the odd man out!

My very first .44 Special was a 5 1/2" Flat Top Blackhawk. It was/is a great revolver and amazingly accurate.

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/50ydgroup-2-ed_zpsccf94f33.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/50ydgroup-2-ed_zpsccf94f33.jpg.html)

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/Blackhawk100_zps5c81b27d.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/Blackhawk100_zps5c81b27d.jpg.html)https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/429421100yds-ed_zps11ec5c24.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/429421100yds-ed_zps11ec5c24.jpg.html)

I shot the Flat Top quite a bit then took a foray into Cowboy Action Shooting, and chose to stick with .44 Specials, buying 4 3/4" and 5 1/2" Uberti's. What I learned is that the only practical advantage the Blackhawk and the Uberti's was the Blackhawk's sight picture is a little better, but the Uberti's fixed sights more than made up for this with their ruggedness, which is important to me because the way I carry revolvers I tend to be a little rough on them (Feeding and working cattle, fencing, cutting firewood, on the tractor, etc. etc.). I have come to really appreciate the "svelteness" of the Uberti's. My 5 1/2" Uberti .44 Special lacks less than 2 oz. being a full 1/2 lb. lighter than my Flat Top.

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/Ruger%20on%20scales_zpswufvd9ex.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Ruger%20Flat%20Top%20Blackhawk/Ruger%20on%20scales_zpswufvd9ex.jpg.html)

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20on%20scale-1_zpsguquxd7g.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20on%20scale-1_zpsguquxd7g.jpg.html)

I have never been able to figure out where Ruger put almost 1/2 lb. of extra metal!!

The weight is certainly not a huge issue at the shooting range or walking to and from the deer stand, but when wearing a revolver for hours on end, ounces begin to feel like pounds.

All my Uberti's have proven exceptionally accurate with little to no work. In fact all I've done to any of them is replace the bolt/trigger spring and cut the forcing cone to 11°.

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20Model%20P-red_zpscdyvlthh.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20Model%20P-red_zpscdyvlthh.jpg.html)

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20Model%20P%2050%20yds._zpsatenqk6d.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20Model%20P%2050%20yds._zpsatenqk6d.jpg.h tml)

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20Model%20P%2075%20yards%20labeled_zpsads 81sj4.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cimarron%20Model%20P/Cimarron%20Model%20P%2075%20yards%20labeled_zpsads 81sj4.jpg.html)

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cimarron%20Model%20P/5.5%20100%20yds.-%20ed_zpslecii0ah.jpg (https://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cimarron%20Model%20P/5.5%20100%20yds.-%20ed_zpslecii0ah.jpg.html)

https://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Cimarron%20Model%20P/5_zpsoipcxhwf.jpg (http://s60.photobucket.com/user/308Scout/media/Cimarron%20Model%20P/5_zpsoipcxhwf.jpg.html)

All that said, I have no doubt you'll love that Ruger! Please provide a range report ASAP!!

35W

[Uncle Grinch]

Nice report there 35 Whelen. Those 44’s look and shoot good.

[smokinfeathers]

I sure miss mine wish would have never traded it!!

[stubshaft]

I have one and it will be one of the guns buried with me!