1 of 279 45 Colt SBH Bisley Hunters is now mine!!

[Snyd]

Last weekend I sold my SBH 44mag and went looking for a 5.5 Stainless Blackhawk Bisley 45 Colt (Acusport) or a BFR 454. I wanted a SA 45 caliber with 5.5-7.5 inch barrel. I posted a WTB FTF in a swap and sell on another forum and got a heads up on an add on another site. The add said "Stainless Super Blackhawk Bisley Hunter 45 Colt for sale in Fairbanks". Right here in Fairbanks Alaska! NO WAY! No pic in the add. Just a link to the 44mag Bisley Hunter on Rugers website. I was still skeptical. I called the guy and he said "yup, that's what it is".... What?!, and he still had it after 98 hits on the ad?!
I knew Ruger made some of these rascals a few years back but only 279 in 45 Colt Bisley Hunter, or so I've read anyway. I had talked with a co-worker about how we'd never see one up here. Well, here it is.... Unbelievable.... It's mine now. There are 278 of them left out there somewhere. One of them is for sale on Gunbroker as I type. But not this one! And are your ready for this? He was asking 495! FTF transaction, right in my own town!

I slugged the bore it's .451 and didn't seem to notice any tight spots. Throats are tight, .451 as near as I can measure. I cannot push a .452 boolit through. I'll send it off to cylindersmith and have em reamed to .4525. Cylinder gap is .003 and it has .004 of endshake. Is this out of line?

And I think I'll have to get a scope for it just because I can! Does'nt mean I have to use it all the time. Maybe a 2x Leupold?

A few light scuffs here and there but no gouges, scratches, etc. Bore looks great, grips are perfect. It's just right... it's not gonna be a safe queen. I'm gonna shoot a few hundred pounds of lead through it and hopefully take a Moose with it next fall!

http://web.mac.com/perryschneider/pics/bisHntr_01.jpg http://web.mac.com/perryschneider/pics/bisHntr_02.jpg
http://web.mac.com/perryschneider/pics/bisHntr_04.jpg http://web.mac.com/perryschneider/pics/bisHntr_05.jpg

[RobS]

Nice looking revolver. Once you have those cylinder throats reamed you'll be in business. Funny how ruger seems so hit and miss with their 45 caliber guns. I have a SRH in 454 casull and catch this one; it has .4545 cylinder throats and a .452 bore.

Have fun with your new baby.

[EOD3]

I have one of those in .44 Magnum and IIRC, it has an engraved cylinder. The revolver is in "offsite" storage so I can't check it right now.

[dragonrider]

Very nice Snyd.

[Mk42gunner]

Snyd,

Your b/c gap and endshake sound good to me. Since your cylinder throats arem't smaller than the barrel; I would shoot it before arbitrarily sending it off for surgery.


I belong to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought.

Good Luck with it,


Robert

[kingstrider]

Wow you should buy a lottery ticket while you're at it because that's some luck there. I was looking for one of those but decided on an accusport converible Bisley instead. Have fun!

[Snyd]

I have one of those in .44 Magnum and IIRC, it has an engraved cylinder. The revolver is in "offsite" storage so I can't check it right now.

Usually Bisleys have the rollmarked cylinder, but not these 45's. Not sure about the 44's. I came across this on a forum a while back.

~~~~~
Reply from Jason Cloessner @ Lipseys regarding my 45 Hunter :

"We indeed have those guns commissioned by Ruger. They sold extremely well. There were two models, one with the standard Super Blackhawk gripframe and one with the Bisley gripframe. There were a total of 603 of the standard ones made and 279 of the Bisley models. The odd numbers are a result of overruns of parts and we decided to use them for the extra units. One interesting piece of Ruger trivia is that to my knowledge it is the only 45LC that Ruger made with non-fluted and/or non-engraved cylinders. Enjoy your new gun, its about the perfect all-around hunting revolver made."

Jason
~~~~~

[swheeler]

Sweeeeeeeeet! Make some moose meat with it

[jandbn]

Synd,

Congrats!! What a deal you got, especially right where you live. I had eye-balled that same model on gunbroker, but just couldn't bring myself to pay $300 more than I payed for my Bisley .45 5 1/2" SS. If that Hunter had been available at the price you paid, I would snapped it up pronto! I still want one though, real bad, but unfortunately it will have to wait. My wife shot the Bisley with reduced loads and liked it other than the grip frame is to big. Last night, she held her nephew's .45 BH and wants the smaller grip style frame. So I guess she will get hers when $ allows before I can get the .45 Hunter.

[Bucks Owin]

Congratulations! That is one FINE sixgun! I think the throat ream is a good idea, but I'd do a "before and after" accuracy test just for grins. Stoke that Hunter with 325 gr Linebaugh loads and you'll be ready for anything from mice to buffalo! I'm envious!....Dennis BTW, much "to do" is made over Ruger's throat/barrel dimensions and I'm one of the ones who wish they'd follow Linebaugh's recommendations. My own pre warning NM .45 BH has .456" throats and a .452" barrel. I was disgusted! But I've found that a .454" lead boolit "bumped" hard enough will group close to an inch at 25 yds. Shoot it first!

[Snyd]

Ya, I have a 4" Redhawk 45 Colt and have worked up a few different loads. A 360gr Cast Performance boolit at average 1155fps out of the 4 inch redhawk. I'll see how that one shoots in the bishunter. Plus my 200gr swc and 255 rnfp plinkin loads. I have since got into casting and bought a 350gr wfn mould from a member here. That boolit will not cycle in 454 casull brass in my Puma so next will probably be the Lyman 325gr mould. But, that 350gr with 80% metplat would put the hurt on moose and bear for sure! :veryconfu I'll be casting and doing load development with that one.

The redhawk shot good with the .4515 throats and 451 bore but it the smaller throats still swages down a 452 barrel which can effect accuracy and more importantly give higher unneeded pressure. It's very accurate after reamed to .4525 I will do a before and after. But, this weekend is shot, no time to go shoot. Hunnie do's this morning and stuff this afternoon and tomorrow. Next weekend is supposed to be 40 below :0 Maybe I can find an hour or so tomorrow morning before church.

[Changeling]

SNYD, your ship came in. Get your butt down there and buy a lottery ticket while all that luck is still holding. To me it looks brand new, and I have an idea to a moose it's going to look like "AWE ****"!!!!

Sometimes people forget what it's like to get what they have searched for/wanted bad! I think you just woke up a lot of present and old feelings. Congratulations, awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

[EOD3]

Sometimes people forget what it's like to get what they have searched for/wanted bad! I think you just woke up a lot of present and old feelings. Congratulations, awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorta like the 2 wheeler on Christmas morning... :smile:

[Snyd]

Hey thanks guys. Ya, I didn't expect this gun that's for sure. And being able to share about it with others who understand is fun as well. These internet communities are pretty cool.

So guys, the moral is.... well.. I don't know... but... if you want something just keep on looking and who knows what you may find!

[Trey45]

I've been wanting one of those 45 Bisley Hunters ever since i picked up a 44 Bisley Hunter earlier this year. If yours shoots as good as mine does, you've got a real tack driver there. Have a peek here at mine if you want.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=59679
Congrats on the find, thats a steal!