Ruger sbh 7.5" or 10.5"

[murf205]

If it is a range toy and you like the 10 1/2" bbl, go for it. I have a 9 1/2" SRH and I will tell you that with the longer barrels you get a lot of speed with what is considered moderate loads. For instance my favorite load of 16.6 grs of 2400 under a 250 gr Lyman 429421 does 1225fps out of my long barrelled SRH but only 1050 out of my 4" 629. I quit loading bazooka loads a long time ago but a 250 gr boolit @ 1225 fps and mild pressure is a bargain IMHO and powerful to boot, especially with regards to case life. That would be a pretty comfy load out of a 10 1/2" SBH. Go ahead and buy one, we love range reports...with pics. Good luck

[Abert Rim]

Miss my old Stainless 10 1/2. It was more pleasant to shoot, and easier to achieve accuracy with, than the 7 1/2.

[TurnipEaterDown]

My understanding, and personal experience, is that w/ a R SBH 44 Mag 7.5", the ejector rod is slightly short.
It will leave the case just ever so slightly with the mouth left in the rear of the cylinder if worked slowly and gravity doesn't affect the process (i.e. gun position can lead to a gravity assist dropping it out the rest of the way).

It is why I put an ejector rod & housing on my R SBH 7.5 from a Ruger Maximum.
The Maximum EJ Rod will fully extract and has enough length that, muzzle down and extracted slowly, the case will dangle on the rod.

All that said, I really didn't often experience any issue w/ the design intent EJ rod & housing before I changed it, and I have used that gun so much that my experience with it is considerable (well over 20K rounds through it, forcing cone recuts, couple barrel replacements, and cylinder facings along the way).

Worked briskly, and gun held "normally" to work the ejector, cases come out fine most often with the provided EJ rod on a 7.5" R SBH.

[murf205]

[QUOTE=Mauser48;5517546]Loosely looking around to adding a 44 to my collection. I typically prefer ruger revolvers so I have been looking at a new model super blackhawk in stainless. I've shot a 7.5" version before and liked it. I definitely prefer revolvers with at least a 6" barrel. After seeing the 10.5" I'm a bit intrigued. Those of you who have shot both, what do you prefer? I will never be carrying this in the woods or anything. It will mainly be a range toy to shoot some moderate 44 loads out of and experiment with the cartridge. I can shoot a 6" revolver much better than say a 4" because of the increased sight radius. Is going from a 7.5" to a 10.5" diminishing returns? Does the 10.5" feel yoo heavy and unwieldy after shooting a bit? I'm looking at used examples when I see them pop up, mainly looking for one a bit older. The 7.5" is an early 80s production and the 10.5" is a 2002. I'm sure quality control is similar between those years, mainly just looking to avoid one made in the last few years. What's your guy's thoughts and experiences

One of the "older" 10 1/2" guns just sold on Gun Broker for 1300$!! I just checked Buds gunshop and they have a new 10 1/2" blued SBH for $724 cash price and free shipping. I am not trying to spend your $ for you but that sounds like a pretty good deal, especially in Brandons world!

[Mauser48]

Thats definitely not a bad price but I really like stainless on my Rugers! Especially on the new models. How's quality control on recent ruger single actions?

[murf205]

I'll have to let the Ruger guys answer that one. From what I have read, the cylinder throat issues have been resolved but I have not bought a new Ruger revolver in a long time so anything I would say would not be gleaned from actual experience.

[oldhenry]

I guess different people have different reasons for making your decision. I had a 10.5" SBH that I really liked because I could shoot heavy loads & that long bbl/weight forward (plus the pachmyr grips) tamed the recoil of heavy .44 mag. loads. I shot friend's 7.5" SBH and could not call it a pleasant experience with heavy loads. .44 spec. loads were OK in the 7.5" version, but not the heavy loads.

In the late 70/early 80's I was into IHMSA & the 10.5" version was the most competitive in the "revolver" class & the "standing" class also until the 7tcu came out. 10. gr. of Unique & the 429421 boolit did everything needed in the SBH for me and most of the other competitors.

[6string]

It's very curious to read the opinions and consider them in context of changing tastes over time.
I got into magnum revolvers because of IHMSA silhouette shooting and vice versa. (This was back in the early 1980s)
To me, they were intrinsically inseparable.
The long barrel was always my preference as it was with the older shooters who mentored me.
You got the longer sight radius, plus the extra weight to dampen recoil even if you were only shooting light loads with Unique, etc. But also, back then, both S&W and Ruger were very conscious of what silhouette shooters wanted and expected. I think the longer barreled Rugers were built with more attention to fitting and aligning the cylinder throats to the bore.
Besides the Ruger SBH, the guys I knew also liked the S&W 29 with the 10&5/8" barrel.

[John Guedry]

I have a 7 1/2" SBH and like it well enough. I also have a Black Hawk in .45 Colt.that I probably handle better. My old wrists do a little better with less weight. By the way I don' load anything "heavy".

[Mauser48]

Those of you who have bisley frame rugers, how do you like them? I always thought they looked off but it's growing on me and I could see how that might be more comfortable. I need to find one local to go hold. Only problem is I don't see that ruger ever made a stainless bisley in 44 with a 7.5" barrel besides the hunter.

[243winxb]

The 10.5" gets you closer to the target, better accuracy.

Put a Pull Through Trigger on mine, after reading a 80s Russian article on it. Called a roll trigger today.

Very accurate revolver.

[John Guedry]

All my single actions are of the "plow handle " variety. Never could take a "liking" to the Bisley. I got the "old guy shakes" enough where it wouldn't make any difference if I had a10" or even longer barrel. You reach apoint where your accuracy goes "downhill.

[Larry Gibson]

Those of you who have bisley frame rugers, how do you like them? I always thought they looked off but it's growing on me and I could see how that might be more comfortable. I need to find one local to go hold. Only problem is I don't see that ruger ever made a stainless bisley in 44 with a 7.5" barrel besides the hunter.

My Ruger Bisley is a 41 Magnum and I love it. It is very comfortable to shoot. I use it most often if specifically handgun hunting deer, antelope, pigs these days.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have always preferred the longer barreled Blackhawk(.357, .41, .45Colt and .44Magnum) for most of my shooting, although I do have one Blackhawk in .357Magnum with a 4-5/8" barrel. Both of my flat top Blackhawks in .44Spl are 5-1/2" versions.
I just prefer the longer sight radius with the Blackhawks.
I once owned a SuperRedHawk with a 9-1/2" barrel that was very accurate but I had to sell it due to a divorce.
I also own several other SA revolvers and most of them but not all are 6-1/2" to 7-1/2" barreled versions.
Several of my DA revolvers are 7-1/2" or 8-3/8" barreled versions also .

The longer barreled revolvers seem to be a bit more accurate for me and better able to absorb recoil from the heavier Ruger only loads that I sometimes shoot.

[Mauser48]

I'd love to get my hands on a bisley to feel it but I'll probably stock to the plow handle. I also recently saw that ruger now puts the warning on the underside of the barrel on the single action guns since about 2010 or so. Do you guys think an 80s or 90s ruger would be of any higher quality than say a 2010-present? I could see the hand assembly being a little better on the older guns but modern cnc might be an advantage as well. Bluing is definitely nicer kn the older guns I've seen but I want stainless anyway. If I'm not gaining any quality with an older model I'd rather have a newer one with the more hidden warning.

[Txcowboy52]

I have had both , I still have the 7 1/2 inch, for me personally I prefer the 7 1/2in. I found the longer barrel to hard to hold steady and just to unweildy. I think it’s more just a personal preference.

[missionary5155]

For hunting I like the 7-8 ". For long range longer barrels. And those are Dan Wessons.

[wwmartin]

I bought a S&W 29 with the 10 5/8 when they became available hoping that a range would get started within driving distance. Never happened! Set me back $425, new back then. It's buried in the Harem with the 629 (no dash) and a few other's that I had to have but didn't get much use. That long heavy barrel does help with the recoil.

Bill

Edit
At the time one of the gentleman I worked with had an FFL and would extend credit kind of like the company store. $25 a week and when you just about paid it off he would find another that I couldn't live without. That went on for about 20 years. I have a lot of interesting stuff I didn't know that I needed!

Bill

[Chena]

Two comments: First, although it may be heresy to say it, reflex sights are making sight radius irrelevant. Second, I have a .44 Bisley that started life as a 5 1/4” stainless SBH. After replacing the Bisley hammer and trigger with the original SBH style and trying two different custom grips it still beats up the knuckle of my index finger. Love the gun so I just tape the knuckle, grin and bear it. It carries beautifully in an old Lawrence Keith holster with a heavy carpenter’s belt.

[Texas by God]

One of my best ever shots involved a Stainless 10.5” Super Blackhawk ( the heavy barreled version). My late friend had one long ago.
We were out west at my uncles place south of Muleshoe, Texas trying to eliminate all the prairie dogs with our 22-250s.(we never did).
We had gone into town for lunch and as we returned we drove by some cotton farming equipment. On the other side was a small group of pd’s that were building a new town.
One of them was standing in the sun looking fat and sassy. Lance handed me his .44 and from the comfortable drivers seat of my 1976 LTD- I made the shot.
Jabba the Hut flew up in the air about a foot and fell. We hooted and hollered and stepped it off- 160 yards!
Good times.


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