Ruger Blackhawk - Help Needed

[Tennessee Jed]

Regarding gripping a single action revolver, I've spent a lot of time with a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt for some years now, and here's what I have found. You mileage may vary, though.

I shoot it best when I rest my shooting hand pinkie sitting under the grip. So, the index finger is the trigger finger, middle and ring finger around the grip, and pinkie goes underneath the grip. This helps to keep the gun from shifting down in the hand in recoil with that rounded, plow handle type grip. I curl the shooting hand thumb downward, same as for shooting a double action revolver.

I use my off-hand thumb to cock the hammer, and I found that putting my off hand index finger around the front of the trigger guard (like the shooting style that was in vogue in the '80's) helps put that off hand thumb in a good position to cock that hammer.

Hope you enjoy that Blackhawk. I sure love mine.

[RJ]

Regarding gripping a single action revolver, I've spent a lot of time with a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt for some years now, and here's what I have found. You mileage may vary, though.

I shoot it best when I rest my shooting hand pinkie sitting under the grip. So, the index finger is the trigger finger, middle and ring finger around the grip, and pinkie goes underneath the grip. This helps to keep the gun from shifting down in the hand in recoil with that rounded, plow handle type grip. I curl the shooting hand thumb downward, same as for shooting a double action revolver.

I use my off-hand thumb to cock the hammer, and I found that putting my off hand index finger around the front of the trigger guard (like the shooting style that was in vogue in the '80's) helps put that off hand thumb in a good position to cock that hammer.

Hope you enjoy that Blackhawk. I sure love mine.

Thanks a bunch. Very useful.

I came across this video:

https://youtu.be/dtPnRRxuOuc

Do you think this is something to get guidance from as well?

[Tennessee Jed]

Thanks a bunch. Very useful.

I came across this video:

https://youtu.be/dtPnRRxuOuc

Do you think this is something to get guidance from as well?

I am no expert, but I learned a lot from that video. That video is what started me down the path of realizing that an optimum grip on a single action revolver might be a little different than the grip we all learned for a double action revolver or semi-auto.

I used to place my shooting thumb the same way he does, high and against the back of the . . . what is that part? the recoil shield? I found that it added a level of consistency of shot placement, which led to better accuracy after re-adjusting the Blackhawk's sights so POI was same as POA. After a while, though, the hard-recoiling 45 Colt ammo I shoot banged up my thumb when placing it there, which led me to simply curling the shooting thumb downward. However, if I was shooting a 357/38/9mm like you have, I'd definitely give it a try.

The weird part was, my POI shifts based on whether I curl the shooting thumb downward or I place it high on the recoil shield like he does. Good thing that the Blackhawk has adjustable sights.

[RJ]

The limiting factors would be the cowboy-gun aspects, not the cartridge, as a bedside gun. Your G19 is better in that role.

The range of ammo available makes the BH a very versatile outdoorsman's sidearm.

Thanks Chuck. It was a somewhat hypothetical question.

I’m going to do an sgammo order here shortly and I think I’ll include a box or three of .38 and/or .357 out of interest.

Gotta say, this thread is pretty interesting. Never knew there’d be anyone at all with a SA revolver.

PS hope you guys are doing ok. I was so saddened to see the devastation in Port Aransas last August from Hurricane Harvey. I would guess our RV Park where we were in Rockport was all but blown away.

[BN]

Never knew there’d be anyone at all with a SA revolver.
(

Every American should have a single action revolver and a 1911. Probably in 45 caliber.

[Malamute]

RE the vid mentioned,...I couldnt watch it very long. He mentions "heavy loads", but it makes me wonder what he calls heavy loads and is putting his thumb against the back of the frame. Looks really painful with actual heavy loads, like 44 mags or bear loads in 45 Colt.

FWIW, thumb down on right hand doesnt hurt with actual heavy loads, and the gun still somehow doesnt do all the things he said he puts his thumb there to counteract. Guess it goes to show that theres many ways to do some things, though watching that just seemed awkward to me after doing it wrong for so long.

[That Guy]

discovered I have to use my Bore Snake like six times for each cylinder lol.

Personally, I don't think a boresnake is a very good tool for cleaning revolver chambers. You might want to use a brush of some sort. I prefer to use a non-rotating cleaning rod for cleaning the cylinder.

(Well, I don't think a boresnake is a very good tool for cleaning anything... You can get a little bit of fouling off the gun easily, but it doesn't clean anywhere near as well as using patches and brushes, and a good solvent. I do clean my guns a lot more carefully than a lot of the high volume shooters here do, though.)

The front of the cylinder can be taken care of with a bronze or stainless brush. Actually, the front of a stainless cylinder is about the only place I like to use a stainless brush.

I have always managed to get the front of a stainless cylinder pretty clean with a bronze brush and a good solvent. Never had to resort to a steel brush myself. I don't shoot a huge amount of ammo through my revolvers between cleanings though - they typically get cleaned after each range trip. And I do use a good solvent. (Bore Tech Carbon Remover, but I'm sure there are other solvents out there that are equally effective. I just bought a big bottle of that stuff some years ago, so that's what I have. )

I hadn't realized that .357 and .38 special cartridges were different...in fact I've never actually seen a .357 round.

Perhaps I ought to try a box, you know, just for the experience.

I believe you will find the recoil not at all bad from a big gun like yours. They will be significantly louder though.

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[Jamie]

Congratulations on your new acquisition! Single action revolvers are a piece of history, so you're helping to keep that history alive.

Great info in this thread already. Like most here, my first handgun was a Single-six.

Something that may be of interest to you, and imho belongs in every shooters library, is a copy of Keith's "Sixguns". It's an awesome piece of history in and of itself.

https://www.amazon.com/Sixguns-1961-...ds=elmer+keith

[Tennessee Jed]

Hope you all don't mind, I thought this topic could use an additional photo of a Blackhawk. This is mine, a 45 Colt / 45 acp convertible, a Lipsey's model, which uses the slightly smaller "new model" frame. I added the Zebrawood stocks, which are a bit narrower and seem to give me better control when firing a bit faster than normal. I also added the Super Blackhawk hammer (which reduces the reach for my thumb to cock the hammer back).

[Jim Watson]

The best thing to clean a .38/.357/9mm revolver cylinder with is a .40 bore brush. I use the mild steel machinist's brush (looks like a wire toothbrush) to scrub the front face of the cylinder and the breech face of the barrel.

If you shoot so many Specials in a Magnum cylinder that .135" of fouling makes chambering Magnums difficult and the .40 brush won't get it out with reasonable effort, you can flare the mouth of a .357 case until it is a push fit into the chambers and use that as a scraper.