Guys,

I am wanting to acquire a revolver for hunting and back up and have been offered a couple of Super Blackhawks 44 mag by a buddy. I have a soft spot for these old guns.The two serial numbers start with 81-xxxxx and 83-xxxxx. Barrel length 7.5" I tested both at the range today for grouping potential with a variety of factory and hand loads from a basic rest at 25 meters.

I managed some groups around 3-4 inches. Are the guns capable of better, and what work can be done on them to improve this. I need to work the trigger, since they are both registering about 4lbs on my trigger gauge.

thanks,

John

Accuracy wise I'd start off with some basic work. Proper cylinder indexing, forcing cone and lead, crown, cylinder to barrel gap. Things like that.

With no mention as to the caliber I can't guess as to what it potential could be.
being where you are it should be something substantial and based on that i'd say you should be able to get the accuracy to at least 2" @25 meters with just a little tuning. Trigger work will help in groups size for sure. An action job would be a nice feature to add as well.

...

Thanks guys, the action slick and springs are one thing.
Cylinder to barrel gap is fine, there is almost no play when locked.
I read somewhere that the barrel should sport a 11 degree crown and about the same forcing cone?
I will check the indexing/cylinder barrel line up as soon as I have a minute.

quote:

I managed some groups around 3-4 inches. Are the guns capable of better

500. not to be tacky, but what kind of groups can you shoot with other pistols?

I have a Super Blackhawk that has had the barrel shortened to 4 5/8"(even w/ejector rod). and I changed the grip frame to the stanrd grip found on the Blackhawk(3 screw). It is much easier to control in recoil(for me) with the shorter grip. Withh the barrel and grip shortened, it is much easier to carry and to shoot than as it came from the factory.

Keith

Accuracy with the factory barrel will almost certainly improve after fire-lapping, and cleaning will be A REVELATION! I strongly recommend it.
Regards, Joe

Two very simple fixes that work especially well with Ruger revolvers are reaming the cylinder throats and fire lapping.

Ruger cylinder throats are often undersized. Makes it really hard to find a bullet of proper diameter (especially cast). There are folks here in the USA that specialize in reaming throats but since you are in RSA it might be easier and cheaper to order a cylinder throat reamer from any reamer maker.

Fire lapping for Ruger revolvers is more an issue to relieve barrel constrictions at the frame. This constriction is created from the high torque of installing the barrel and is slight enough to remove with fire lapping.

Taylor throating is more controversial but many people swear by it. It is simply reaming the barrel throat slightly larger in diameter than the bore for about one caliber in length. That allows the bullet to enter the throat from a slightly misaligned chamber without the same distortion as it would into a factory throat. You can read an objective comment about it here: Taylor throating

Here a nice overview article: Accurizing the Ruger revolver


FWIW, I like the fire lapping kit from Beartooth Bullets for revolvers better than NECO's. I think NECO is more rifle oriented and they haven't done the same amount of homework on revolvers as Beartooth.

Thanks Guys,
I will have to wait into the new year now, all the gunsmiths that I would trust over here have scarpered for the Christmas and New year period.

Hog Killer,
I was waiting for someone to chirp
My scoped Bianchi revolver has turned out some very impressive groups at 50m. I still have one group on record which was 5 rounds in a jagged hole and one flyer bringing the group to around an inch. My old IPSC 45ACP Colts (iron sights)used to shoot into between 2 and 4" at 50m with a 200gr Wadcutter.
OK, my eyes are not that good anymore

Have a great Christmas guys,

My Super Blackhawk Hunter (first generation) in .44 Mag is completely original. With a 4x scope mounted it puts five 240gr or 300gr Hornady XTPs into a ragged hole at 25 yds and 2-3" at 100yds with max book loads of H110. I know the throat and forcing cone dimensions are sub-optimal for cast bullets, but it eats jacketed pretty well so I haven't messed with it. I think that a decent example should be capable of the same accuracy as your Colt after a little work.

In my experience SBH's shoot pretty darn well as they come, certainly better than what you are getting. The throats on many, either owned or of friends, have always measured fine, not undersized as is so common with the 45 cal Ruger's. I would clean up the trigger by reducing the hammmer engagement to .025" and bending the two arms upward a bit on the trigger spring until you get a ~4# pull. Do not replace any springs on the gun. I would cut the forcing cone to 11 degrees, Brownells sells a nice kit for doing so and it works on many calibers. I shoot only cast bullets in my revolvers and have them sized .0005" (ideally) to .001" under cylinder throat diameter. The gun should shoot extremely well so set up. If not, then the previous mentioned fire lapping would be my next action using the BTB kit.

+1 on the firelapping. Just get the kit from Beartooth Bullets and follow the instructions. It works.