Blackhawk Barrel Length?

[sixgunnin]

I will be getting a New Model Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag or similar. Disregarding recoil what is the best barrel length for Ruger only loads? Will I get more velocity out of a 6.5'' over a 4.62''? Could you use faster powder in a short barrel and get the same speeds?

I am thinking on it as an investment so what do you think would resell best if they discontinue the Blackhawk?

Is .44 Mag the best caliber for reselling them in the future as guns for hot loading?

Thanks for any help!

 

[44 AMP]

what is the best barrel length for Ruger only loads?

Pressure wise, there are no "Ruger only" loads in .44 Magnum. The term "Ruger only" comes from the days when people started loading up the .45 Colt in Ruger new model Blackhawks, which are built on the 44 size frame. At that time, there was only ONE Ruger in .45 Colt. Today, there is the new Vaquero in .45 Colt, built on a smaller frame, and it will NOT take the "ruger only" loads.

There are some .44 Mag loads, with 300gr+ bullets, which are loaded so long they only fit in cylinders the length of the Ruger REDHAWK. I don't think these will fit in a Super Blackhawk (too long) but I'd have to check to be sure.

Other then recoil reduction, "best" barrel length is a matter of choice, longer barrels are less comfortable when worn in hip holsters when seated.

Will I get more velocity out of a 6.5'' over a 4.62''?

yes

Could you use faster powder in a short barrel and get the same speeds?

Generally not.

I am thinking on it as an investment so what do you think would resell best if they discontinue the Blackhawk?

No idea, but the Blackhawk .44 (some variation) has been in continuous production since 1956, there's a bazillion of them out there, and its not likely to go away anytime soon.

Is .44 Mag the best caliber for reselling them in the future as guns for hot loading?

.44 Mag is a popular caliber. Can't say if it's the best for resale though, its not for everyone.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Ustabe you could find lots of 44 Mag Blackhawks used with a half a box of ammo. That's about how much ammo a guy would go through before he decided he really didn't need a 44 Mag after all.

I wouldn't buy a 44 Mag as an investment. There are tons of them out there, they won't appreciate very much.

This Flat Top Three Screw 44 Mag was made in 1958. I picked it up at auction a couple of years ago.

 

[jmstr]

I went with a 5.5" stainless Super Blackhawk, but only because I already had a 7.5" Super Redhawk.

The trigger guard really banged my fingers the first time I shot it, but the second time all was fine.

However, the Super Redhawk feels better with loads producing 1200+ ft/lbs of energy. Those around 700 ft/lbs are no problem in the SBH.

It is a matter of weight damping recoil. SA revolvers roll in the hand anyway, but the full weight of a 6.5 or longer seems to help.

 

[TruthTellers]

Quote:
Is .44 Mag the best caliber for reselling them in the future as guns for hot loading?
.44 Mag is a popular caliber. Can't say if it's the best for resale though, its not for everyone.

I'm actually going to say yes to that question. The .44 Mag is so well known and common that people will more likely buy it over the .45 Colt model.

HOWEVER

The .45 Colt/.45 ACP combo model can take those "Ruger Only" .45 Colt loads and then in the other cylinder shoot the common .45 ACP. Anytime you can use the words .45 and ACP in the same sentence, you'll turn a lot of heads due to the lower cost of shooting .45 ACP compared to .44 Mag or .45 Colt.

BTW, the Blackhawk is not being discontinued, EVER. It's one of the highest quality and versatile single action revolvers currently available that's in mass production. The Blackhawk will die when Ruger dies.

 

[tallball]

I prefer mine in 7.5". I don't carry them, so the length in not an inconvenience. The longer sight radius makes them more accurate, and for me anyway the longer barrel also seems to make the recoil easier. Good choice! My SBH in 44 magnum is my favorite centerfire handgun. I mostly shoot 44 special out of it. It is very accurate and fun to shoot.

 

[g.willikers]

^^^
How the gun is going to be used determines the choice of barrel length, more than other consideration.
I always preferred the longer ones in larger caliber revolvers, unless it was to be a carry gun.
You will enjoy either one and have an excuse to get another one, too.
Enjoy.

 

[75218ron]

I prefer mine in 7.5". I don't carry them, so the length in not an inconvenience. The longer sight radius makes them more accurate, and for me anyway the longer barrel also seems to make the recoil easier. Good choice! My SBH in 44 magnum is my favorite centerfire handgun. I mostly shoot 44 special out of it. It is very accurate and fun to shoot.

I have that in the form of a Bisley and I really like it.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

I'm actually going to say yes to that question. The .44 Mag is so well known and common that people will more likely buy it over the .45 Colt model.

Exactly where are you getting this statistic from? At last count I have eight revolvers chambered for 45 Colt, only two are chambered for 44 Mag.

With the popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting, 45 Colt enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity. I can tell you for a fact that among the CAS shooters I hang out with, 45 Colt is much more popular than 44 Mag, with both revolvers and rifles.

Bottom line is, unless you reload, either 44 Mag or 45 Colt is an expensive proposition to shoot. On top of that, if you don't want to put up with the recoil of 44 Mag, 45 Colt is available in cowboy loads many places. 44 Mag is not. Of course you can always shoot 44 Specials out of a 44 Mag, but try finding 44 Special ammo at your local gunshop.

Forget about the resale value, there are tons of 44 Mag Blackhawks out there, they are not appreciating in value. The same can be said of 45 Colt. Choose what you want to shoot and make your choice according to that. Forget about what value it may have ten years down the road.

 

[jmr40]

Will I get more velocity out of a 6.5'' over a 4.62''? Could you use faster powder in a short barrel and get the same speeds?

No, the powder that gives you the best speed from a 7.5" barrel will be the same powder that gives you the best speed from a 4" barrel.

The length you choose depends on your needs. Keep in mind that the numbers you see published are from 7-8" test barrels. If you're shooting loads through a barrel roughly 1/2 that length you will be quite a bit slower. But on the other hand, If I needed 7-8" of barrel in a handgun I'd just as soon carry a short barreled rifle. But that is me, lots of guys feel differently.

For me personally, 5 1/2 or 6" would be the absolute max length and I prefer shorter on most handguns.

 

[Real Gun]

I would get the 6.5" as more the real deal. The shorter barrel is more of a wilderness gun. If you want performance numbers, the longer barrel will be better.

I have Blackhawks in 41 Mag, 44 Mag, and 45 convertible, 6.5 or longer in the 45. I like that for range use...nothing barrel heavy about it. To carry, they need to be cross draw or shoulder rig.

 

[tallball]

On a further note...

I prefer my 44 magnum SBH because it is a three screw with a superior trigger, and my FiL reloads all of our ammo, so cost is about the same with various calibers.

If he didn't reload, I would be shooting my 45 "convertible" Blackhawk a lot more than the 44 magnum. It also has a 7.5" barrel, its trigger is almost as good, and it is quite accurate with 45acp ammo. IMHO, that is the way to go for the non reloader.

 

[TruthTellers]

[QUOTE-=Driftwood Johnson]Exactly where are you getting this statistic from? At last count I have eight revolvers chambered for 45 Colt, only two are chambered for 44 Mag.[/quote] Common sense. The familiarity of .44 Mag among casual shooters/gun owners is there more than .45 Colt. If you tell someone who don't shoot much, they know what .44 Mag is and will have no idea about .45 Colt. If an easy resale is what the OP wants, the .44 Mag will be an easier resell and I think it will also hold its value more over .45 Colt too.

With the popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting, 45 Colt enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity. I can tell you for a fact that among the CAS shooters I hang out with, 45 Colt is much more popular than 44 Mag, with both revolvers and rifles.

I agree with you on all this, but CAS isn't the focus here. It's great that CAS is making .45 Colt, .32 H&R Mag more popular, but they're still not as hot as .44 Mag is. Case in point: I can go to Walmart now and get .44 Magnum ammo, but not .45 Colt.

Bottom line is, unless you reload, either 44 Mag or 45 Colt is an expensive proposition to shoot. On top of that, if you don't want to put up with the recoil of 44 Mag, 45 Colt is available in cowboy loads many places. 44 Mag is not. Of course you can always shoot 44 Specials out of a 44 Mag, but try finding 44 Special ammo at your local gunshop.

Totally agree, when it comes to the big bore revolver cartridges, the only way to do it without breaking the bank is reloading. That said, I don't like to assume that people who shoot only buy ammo online. Fact is there are still a lot of people that refuse to shop online because they think it's "inconvenient" or a fad. This is the reason I said, and the post above this one said as well, that the .45 Blackhawk with the ACP cartridge is probably the best overall option because .45 ACP is obviously common and less expensive than .44 Mag and .45 Colt.

 

[Real Gun]

the .45 Blackhawk with the ACP cartridge is probably the best overall option because .45 ACP is obviously common and less expensive than .44 Mag and .45 Colt.

If that was the fall back, one would be better off buying a different gun. The shooting experience of a 45 ACP in a large gun is not remotely comparable to a desire for high performance 44 Magnum. My 45 ACP cylinder stays in its little red bag, because 45 ACP is just too boring to shot in a 7.5" NMBH convertible. Might be good for a warm up on trigger and stance. I will have to consider that.

Have to agree that unless one is into a dollar a shot on some of these big bores, only reloading or wealth makes the guns practical to own.

 

[salvadore]

I'm a fairly enthusiastic gun nut. Like Drifty I prefer the .45 Colt to the .44 mag and I don't dress up like Howdy Doody or any of that stuff. I bought my first and last mag in '68 and got rid of it a few years later, kept the flinch. I do have a few .44 specials that I really like.

Speaking of the .44 magnum, does anyone remember a copper washed swaged swc I believe were Winchesters that had to be max+ loads?

 

[rodfac]

I am thinking on it as an investment so what do you think would resell best if they discontinue the Blackhawk?

Ruger has made the BH for over 60 years if memory serves...as an investment, I'd say they're just about worthless. As shooters, I own an even half dozen, right now, and enjoy them for what they are and have always been, superb, strong shooters.

Too, as to barrel length, unless you're going to use your BH as a range gun only, a shorter barrel length is a heck of a lot easier to tote around. I like and shoot all three lengths of standard BH's; 4-5/8", 5-1/2", & 6-1/2" but find that only the shorter two are remotely comfortable in a belt holster...

Sitting is the problem in any modern conveyance; tractor, lawn mower, or car, the 6-1/2" and to an extent, the 5-1/2" bbl'd models stick up into your short ribs...damned uncomfortable to say the least. On horseback, or possibly on an ATV, the longer ones may be usable.

For me, the gun's got to be useful from a strong side holster...and I do find that the shorter barrels have the same accuracy from the usual (read: realistic) handgun distances, say up to 25-35 yds & in a two-handed grip, as the longer tubes, and balance a heck of a lot better.

YMMV, Regards, Rod

 

[rock185]

Hello sixgunnin, lots of good advice here from shooters experienced with Blackhawk revolvers. I know little about collectability/future desirability,etc. but have owned Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks with 4 5/8" to 7 1/2" barrels in .357 and .44 Magnum. I personally prefer the shorter barrels, even my Freedom Arms 454 Casull has the shorter 4 3/4" barrel, but to each his own as to barrel length. Just as jmr40 said, the powder that gives highest velocities will do so in both long and short barrels.

My main consideration with the SBHs is a preference for the longer traditional SBH grip frame that allows me to get my little finger around it. The shorter grip frame, as on the old original .44 blackhawk, and current production 4 5/8" and 5 1/2" SBHs, beats me up.....ymmv

 

[Cheapshooter]

When I bought my SBH around 1972 I don't remember a choice of barrel length. 7 1/2 inches was it. Or at least the only ones I ever saw. I agree for horseback, and ranch carry it could be a bit cumbersome. But I haven't had much trouble while deer hunting carrying it in an Uncle Mike's shoulder rig.

 

[44 AMP]

For at least a couple of decades that I recall, there was only one way Ruger sold the Super Blackhawk, with the Dragoon triggerguard, unfluted cylinder and the 7.5" barrel. Around 90, (I think) they came out with a 10" (10.5?) version for silhouette shooting.

TODAY, you can get a Super Blackhawk in several barrel lengths, with or without a fluted cylinder and with the Dragoon, or regular triggerguard. And you can get it with or without scope rings. And, in stainless too!

 

[Targa]

But I would love to see a Super Blackhawk with a 5.5" barrel and a Bisley grip. Not sure why Ruger doesnt do that...