I stopped by the local sporting goods store down the street tonight to pick up a bag of dog food. I wandered over to the gun counter and looked inside and noticed two 7.5 inch Super Blackhawks sitting there...one for $269 and the other for $299.

The cheaper one had been shot quite a bit. It had a lot of holster wear and didn't lock up overly tight. The $299 one locked up like a vault, indexing was right on, the cylinder gap was at .006 and the throat and crown looked good. Since I have a lot of .44 mag brass and H110, and a hard time being able to pass up a good deal it came home with me.

Now I need to figure out what to do with it. I checked the serial number on Ruger's site. It looks to be about a 1976 gun. I don't think it's anything special, but should be a good shooter. I have a .44 special flat-top (5.5 inch) and a .45 Bisley (5.5 inch). I'm thinking about having it drilled and tapped for a scope. All of my other revolvers have open sights.

Or, do I use it as a donor and send it to Gary Reeder to make into something really cool?

Thoughts?

Pete

If you have the cash to take care of what Reeder can do with it, that is my choice. He is not cheap, but he is one of the absolute best around, as far as I am concerned.

Post pics when you get it back, too!

Well what is it that you envision for this particular revolver? What caliber, barrel length, etc.?

Send it to, Linebaugh, Bowen, Clements, Huntington, Gallagher, etc and you will have a precision instrument worthy of praise and an awesome shooter that is perfectly timed

Get the trigger set up right and take it hunting as is. They are THE bargain hunting revolver.

I agree with Boxhead. Shoot it first. Enjoy it. Then decide if it is what you really want.
Peter.

Well, since you already have a 44 special and a 45 Colt you may as well get a nice custom gun rig. Perhaps one of Garys' longer range GNR calibers in the revolver platform with no sights, a nice long 8"-10" barrel with a 2.5x8 power Leupold scope attached. Kinda something special....a longer range revolver. They do look neat and are quite functional.

Shoulda bought the cheaper one if you're gonna butcher it!

Nice hog Boxhead...details please.

I shouldnt be the one telling you not to customize it as about 3/4s of my handguns are customs but ive had a number of out of the box supers through the years and never hung on to one for long. I dont know why. They have all been exceptionaly accurate guns. I wouldnt mind having a blued one right now just to use as is. Only thing id do to it is have a good action and trigger job done to it and hunt.

I think I do need to shoot it before I cut it up.

If I do go the custom route, having it made into a 6.5 inch .454 or .475 is probably the route I'd go. I haven't shot either caliber before. I know recoil depends a lot on grip shape, specific loads, etc. I can handle heavy .45 Colt loads no problem. When moving up to the .454 or .475, is the jump in recoil fairly significant?

Pete

Funny about the results of a dog food procurement outing.

Too often a quick, innocent glance into the gun display can be a dangerous thing-- but I would say that at that price, you done good.

There sounds to be good wisdom in 'shoot and enjoy it'... then see what happens.

Enjoy your dandy deal, talentrec!

{-And I thought I had gotten a good deal on my .44 Mag SBH with a 7.5" barrel.}

Yeah, Boxhead... let's hear about the hog.

quote:

Originally posted by talentrec:
I think I do need to shoot it before I cut it up.

If I do go the custom route, having it made into a 6.5 inch .454 or .475 is probably the route I'd go. I haven't shot either caliber before. I know recoil depends a lot on grip shape, specific loads, etc. I can handle heavy .45 Colt loads no problem. When moving up to the .454 or .475, is the jump in recoil fairly significant?

Pete

Yes the jump in recoil is a bunch.

Light bullets in either calibre have a lot more faster whip, while the heavier bullets recoil a little slower, but come back farther.

I have shot both calibres in FA revlvers side by side, and if you can handle the recoil of one, then you can handle the other.

I use the 44 Mag a lot so when I wanted something more powerful, I went with the heavier bullets and larger calibre of the 475.

quote:

Originally posted by talentrec:
I think I do need to shoot it before I cut it up.

If I do go the custom route, having it made into a 6.5 inch .454 or .475 is probably the route I'd go. I haven't shot either caliber before. I know recoil depends a lot on grip shape, specific loads, etc. I can handle heavy .45 Colt loads no problem. When moving up to the .454 or .475, is the jump in recoil fairly significant?

Pete

You should shoot it first. It might be a keeper as it sits. There is a significant jump up in recoil, so keep that in mind.

Boxhead -- very nice hog -- good cutters!

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:

quote:

Originally posted by talentrec:
I think I do need to shoot it before I cut it up.

If I do go the custom route, having it made into a 6.5 inch .454 or .475 is probably the route I'd go. I haven't shot either caliber before. I know recoil depends a lot on grip shape, specific loads, etc. I can handle heavy .45 Colt loads no problem. When moving up to the .454 or .475, is the jump in recoil fairly significant?

Pete

You should shoot it first. It might be a keeper as it sits. There is a significant jump up in recoil, so keep that in mind.

Boxhead -- very nice hog -- good cutters!

agreed shoot it first

Go back and buy the other one too! Then you can have both. Just my simple logic.

God Bless, Louis

quote:

Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
Go back and buy the other one too! Then you can have both. Just my simple logic.

God Bless, Louis

And hard logic to argue against.