Converting Ruger Birdshead to Plow Handle

[Sherman A. House DDS]

Anyone have any experience doing this? I have a Ruger Carryhawk (Super Blackhawk) that I’d like to ditch the bird’s head grip frame on and switch to a plow handle (“square butt”) type grip frame.

I’ve heard rumors Ruger will do it, and I’ve heard others say that custom shops are a better option. Please advise.


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[Joe in PNG]

I thought that with Rugers, it would be possible to just order a new grip frame to replace the one you have.

[Totem Polar]

@fatdog

[willie]

Joe's correct. Call Ruger to see what they have in stock.

[Hambo]

Brownells has them.

[fatdog]

Unlike a lot of the various SAA clones, I have always found the Ruger grip frames interchange and go right on with no real significant fitting necessary (but I am not a cosmetic perfectionist). Just did it for my new Carryhawk and ordered the grip frame from brownells (stainless).

Ruger will certainly do it at the factory last time I asked.

For the carryhawk for do it yourself, you have to accept a two tone color. The ones Brownells sells are unfinished stainless. I think a duracoat/cerracoat artist could get you pretty close if you want it all to match. There are some tool marks in the Brownells version that could be polished out if you care about that, but nothing really rough.

I would post a picture but a close friend from the CAS community saw mine last weekend and begged to borrow it and shoot it for a couple of weeks, I think he is now obsessed with the carryhawk but he ain't keepin mine.

I currently know no particular gunsmiths I trust on the ruger SAA tribe. Rugers are probably the simplest of the SA revolvers out there to manage at an armorer level (parts swapping) without the assistance of a gunsmith, I have found changing parts and springs to be consistently easy. Lots of videos out there.

All to say any competent gunsmith who works on revolvers could take the generic frame brownells sells and really polish/fit or even coat it to do the conversion without being any sort of Ruger specialist. Just not that hard.

Converting to the Ruger Bisley grip would get you into about 4 more parts including trigger and hammer I think, because it is a different geometry but all the parts on the birdshead models are compatible with the standard plowhandle versions.

There are some Ruger SA specialist gunsmiths serving the CAS shooting but the 2-3 guns I have seen come back from those guys were examples of action/trigger jobs for gamer purposes that I don't think were worth the money those cowboys paid, one was a $600+ project on a Vaquero that essentially made it feel just like my out of the box Uberti smokewagon which itself did not cost $600

[OlongJohnson]

Before you do something rashly boring like buy stock parts, live a little.

CNC custom grip frames for hands of all shapes and sizes, in aluminum or brass. Options specifically to fit the hands of modern, full-size humans the size of you and me.

https://rwgripframes-com.3dcartstore...RAMES_c_7.html


Discussion thread with 48 pages of Ruger SA pr0n:

https://singleactions.proboards.com/...s-ronnie-wells

Lots of descriptions there about how to fit them, as well as smiths who are doing really nice work on the conversions.

Overview by Fermin Garza here: https://gunblast.com/Fermin-RonnieWells.htm

[Jim Watson]

One could spend a lot of money trying different styles to get just the right feel. But I would like to handle a real Keith No 5 profile.

[Irelander]

This thread is likely to cost me money. I'd like a Bisley grip on my SBH. Their modified designs sound great!

[Tennessee Jed]

That "KBird" grip frame on the RW Grips site is mighty interesting. A combination of a round butt with a Bisley, for a 3 finger grip.