FINALLY - pictures of my Ruger .44 Lipsey Special

[Dale53]

I finally got around to taking pictures of my Ruger .44 Lipsey Special. What's so "special" about a Lipsey Special? To me, it is a combination of a most worthwhile cartridge, an all steel, nice handling revolver that has accuracy plus. Like most .44 Special platforms (including my Cimarron 4 3/4", my S&W Model 24 with 6½" barrel, and my two S&W Model 624's (a 4" and a 6½") they all have the characteristic of shooting the same weight bullet to the same point of impact regardless of the velocity. AND, this works at least to 100 yards. My home range is limited to a max of 100 yards so I have not experimented with the farther distances with this caliber.

I have a recoil problem with my shooting hand (base of the thumb) so I shoot Pachmayrs on everything. I truly like the way that they handle and I am untroubled with recoil (at least up to and including my TC .375 JDJ):



Here it is in Red Dog Leather:



Dale53

[fivegunner]

Very nice looking handgun and holster .

[targetshootr]

Nice. I imagine lots of those will be getting Powers #5 grip frames. And with holly grips, about perfect.

[Thumbcocker]

I did a lot of horse trading and swapping to get mine converted to a Bisley. Best handling handgun that I own. Now Lispey's is making a run of Bisleys. Just my luck.

[AnthonyB]

Dale; which model grips are those? I'd like to try a set on mine.
Tony

[Dale53]

AnthonyB;
I have some good news and some bad news about the grips. They are made for the Colt SSA. They don't quite fit perfectly but fit good enough for me. It is necessary to remove the grip locator roll pin in the grip frame. That's the good news. The bad news is that they are no longer available new. However, a GOOD internet friend sent me a pair (he has small hands and prefers wood). Later I found three pairs (that I shared with a friend) on Ebay (brand new, old stock). There were plenty of them made and there are still some of them floating around. I suggest you get online and start looking.

I wish you much good luck in your endeavors - I DO believe, with a bit of luck you will find a pair. I put a pair on both of my new Black Hawks (the .44 Lipsey Special and my 50th Anniversary .44 Magnum).

FWIW
Dale53

[targetshootr]

Bear Paw grips can make you some holly grips for a very reasonable price. You might ask for oversized cause he normally makes gunfighter style.

[knifemaker]

If you want rubber grips that extends the grip, Ruger has Hogue rubber grips for the new model Blackhawk 44 special. The price was in the 20's for the grips. should be a good asset when firing hot 44 special loads. Go to the Ruger web site and check for grips under the New blackhawk page.
I also bought one of the Lipsey Ruger Blackhawk 44 specials with the 5-1/2 inch barrel. So far it has proven to be one of my most accurate revolvers and only beaten by my old PPC competition S&W revolver which had a custom Davis bull barrel.

[Bullshop Junior]

You can still buy them grips from pachmayr. I had a set on my Ruger BH 45 Colt when I had it. Look the same to me.

[9.3X62AL]

Dale--

GORGEOUS MACHINE, sir!

[Bullshop Junior]

I don't understand....
What it so special about this gun? it looks like any other Ruger BH with Pach's on it to me....

[kelbro]

Great looking pistol.

[c.r.]

I don't understand....
What it so special about this gun? it looks like any other Ruger BH with Pach's on it to me....

first it is a new model flattop on Ruger's medium frame platform. So it does not look the same as other new model Ruger BHs.

Other than the recent 50th anniv 357 ruger blackhawk (another new model medium flattop frame), this sized frame hasn't been available from Ruger since '72. And this size platform with a flat topstrap hasn't been available from Ruger since '63, (or maybe it was '62)

second, it is in 44 special. people have been asking for Ruger to offer the 44 special cartridge in the medium frame since the very beginning when it debuted in '53. Even Elmer Keith wrote in his Sixguns book, the 44 special would soon follow the .357. I don't guess he new it would take what 50+ yrs?

Many folks have spent a little bit of their money converting O.M Rugers to 44 specl. Now Ruger has made them available at a reasonable price.

Ultimaltey, this is just one of those things that you dig or don't dig.

~c.r.

[Bullshop Junior]

first it is a new model flattop on Ruger's medium frame platform. So it does not look the same as other new model Ruger BHs.

Other than the recent 50th anniv 357 ruger blackhawk (another new model medium flattop frame), this sized frame hasn't been available from Ruger since '72. And this size platform with a flat topstrap hasn't been available from Ruger since '63, (or maybe it was '62)

second, it is in 44 special. people have been asking for Ruger to offer the 44 special cartridge in the medium frame since the very beginning when it debuted in '53. Even Elmer Keith wrote in his Sixguns book, the 44 special would soon follow the .357. I don't guess he new it would take what 50+ yrs?

Many folks have spent a little bit of their money converting O.M Rugers to 44 specl. Now Ruger has made them available at a reasonable price.

Ultimaltey, this is just one of those things that you dig or don't dig.

~c.r.

Oh Ok. We got some of those on order from our Ruger distributor.

[NHlever]

Well, finally! You sure have been waiting for that one Dale! I just found one the other day too, and today I got some ammo loaded for it. Mine has a blemish in the finish on the trigger guard from the factory so it's not as good looking as yours! Soon as the weather gets over single digits, I'll get it out to the range.

[Tazman1602]

Man Dale that is a NICE looking gun. Looks like any other BH but the .44 Special cal makes it REALLY "special". Personally I don't have much use for .44 Mag (don't hit me too hard fella's..........) but I really like the .44 Special because of the reduced recoil and muzzle blast.

I've got a carry gun, Taurus .44 Special bobbed hammer five shot 2.5" barrel and it is a shooter. 44 Special is still big enough a slug to drive an attacker back three feet with every shot if needed and it carries nice.

I can't figure out why Ruger says there's not a market for the .44 Special in BH or even Vaquero because I'd like one...............

Art

[Dale53]

Thanks for the kind words, fellows and gals. I have been working at refining my photography with my studio set up. I believe it is working...

I'll explain a little bit more for those that haven't handled the .44 Lipsey Special. Lipsey Distributors talked Ruger into running 2000 of these. 1000 were with 4 5/8" barrels and 1000 were 5½" barrels (there is a rumor that actually they made a few more). At any rate, these were so well received that this year they will be running some Bisley Flattops (again, on the medium frame) and also some Stainless Black Hawks on the medium frame.

My preference would be the Bisley frame in stainless. However, I have become so attached to my present one (pictured here) that I will NOT be trading it off. It is here to STAY! I had a trigger job done and added the Pachmayr grips. It shoots well under an inch at 25 yards and definitely handles better than my large frame Rugers. However, it is not much lighter due to it being all steel (grip frame AND ejection frame). I prefer all steel and am willing to live with the weight. It sure is a pleasure to shoot the Skeeter load.

Indoors I use the Group Buy 200 gr WC and 4.0 grs of Bullseye. Outdoors that works fine to 50 yards and for edible small game. However, my outdoor favorite load has to be the Skeeter load (250 gr Keith and 7.5 grs of Unique).

My Keith bullet of choice is the MiHec H&G#503 Clone. MiHec is now shipping the new H&G #503 Cramer style, brass, two cavity bullet mould. It comes complete with three different hollow point pins that will give us a perfect choice for .44 Special loads or barn burning .44 Magnum loads. That'll be the perfect companion to my several .44 Specials as well as my .44 Magnums.

I can hardly wait to get the new mould.

Dale53

[knifemaker]

Dale53

I also use the Skeeter load with the Keith 250 Gr. as my everyday load. I use the same boolit backed by 15gr. of 2400 for hunting. The chony gave me a average of 1095 fps for the hunting load and no signs of excessive pressure. Now you know why I plan to put extended rubber grips on mine for fast followup shots.

[Jack Stanley]

c.r. Thanks for the explaination , I don't know the ins and outs of the different frames but I did remember the top strap is different . I had to go back and look at the picture again ( real torture huh? ) It does look nice in that holster setup .


Taz , That's just the way Ruger does business . In the late seventies I wrote them asking to buy a full diameter barrel for the 10/22 . No sights , no nothing , just chambered and ready to bolt onto a frame tell me how much and I'll send it . They wrote back saying ; There is no market for such a barrel and we won't sell you one , enjoy your rifle as it is ......... Dummy !!! Several years later a friend of mine bought a 10/22 brand new with a barrel that I wanted years earlier . Over the years you learn about people huh? It's good to know they aren't the only manufacturer like that .

I wonder how many they'd sell if it was made up like Dale's revolver as a regular production run .

Jack

[Ben]

Dale :

Great photos, nice looking leather.

Thanks again for putting me onto the idea of using the Colt SAA grips. It took a little work with my Dremel to relocate that pin that you describe , but it worked and I'm very happy with my new grips. Like you say, the grips don't fit 100%, but they fit good enough for me.

Makes the revolver feel completely different in my big hands.

Ben