I have an old model, 3 screw .357 blackhawk. I'd like to get a spare cylinder for the gun as I see the 9mm cylinders occasionally show up used. I guess the question is will a new model 9mm cylinder fit an old model gun?

I don't think so. I believe that the new models, even the 357s, are made on the larger frame. The old model 357s were made on the intermediate frame.

Paul,

Jim Stroh is your "neck of the woods" realtively speaking I believe. He or Hamilton Bowen may have some helpful information for you.

Guess I'll have to do some digging and will report back what I find. It used to be pretty simple with the SA rugers, you had the blackhawk and super blackhawk, but then with the bisley, bisley vaquero and all the recent interations it isn't clear which guns have what frames.

I'll drop a line to Gary Reeder as the reason I'm looking for the spare cylinder is to get a 356 gnr cylinder for the 357 blackhawk.

I heard back from Gary Reeder. It'll be cheaper to just have him build me a new cylinder for my blackhawk than to get a used cylinder and have it re-chambered and the cylinder length and timing cleaned up.

Now I just need to convince my significant other that I need to drop some significant coin on sending the gun off to have the work done.

You won't be sorry. The 356GNR is worth the effort.

Or you could get lucky! I have a 44-40 vaquero- large frame. I bought a 44 magnum cylinder for a blackhawk online figuring I would need it timed and maybe shortened, danged if it did not just time perfectly and had the proper spacing from the start. I guess I should have bought a lottery ticket that day too.