Ruger Blackhawk Convertible: any drawbacks?

[jtcarm]

My first CF handgun was an Old Model .357/9mm convertible.

47 years later the 9mm cylinder is still unfired.

[JonInWA]

I have a 4 5/8" Blackhawk Convertible in stainless, magnificently tuned by Ruger for me. While I usually use the .357 cylinder (with Hornady Custom 158 gr XTPs), in close-to medium distances using 124 gr Sellier & Bellot 9mm I expereince little to no degridation in accuracy, and they share the same POA/POI.

Once a year, in a club IDPA match oriented to BUG guns (intitial load and all reloads limited to 6 rounds) I shoot it in a bona-fide IDPA match. Hey, for the first rounds, I'm actually reasonably competitive time-wise, but the wheels fall off with the SA reloads...But my accuracy is equal to the best I do with my best-performing "real" semi-autos and DA revolvers. And I have an absolute blast. I do it with both .357 magnum and 9mm in alternating years.

Best, Jon

[Rock185]

Ram, I had one of the stainless Lipseys .357/9mm convertibles. Out to 25 yards, I could not determine any accuracy difference between .357 and 9mm. In most any discussion of .357/9mm convertibles, bore size, groove diameter differences, etc. usually comes up. FWIW, SAAMI specs for .357, .38 Spcl. and 9mm bore and groove diameters are the same, i.e., .346" and .355".

ETA: I don't know of any drawbacks to the convertible, other than price, as you mentioned. IMHO, it's not a bad thing to have the option of using the most popular centerfire pistol cartridge on the planet....

[Stephanie B]

My first CF handgun was an Old Model .357/9mm convertible.

47 years later the 9mm cylinder is still unfired.

I bought a Bicentennial Blackhawk in .357/9mm. It took me 40 years to put rounds through the 9mm cylinder.