Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44mag....

[gorky]

I am looking to buy a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44mag with a 4 5/8 bbl. How are these guns to shoot compared to, say, a Smith Wesson 629 purely in terms of recoil management ( I know, two very different guns, but just humor me ). Are any current owners happy/unhappy about the gun ?

 

[Anvil]

I find the Ruger is easier on the hand. The guns "rolls" up in you grip. The S&W has a more straight back recoil. Having said the Ruger has less perceptable recoil, I find the M29 easier to control. I rarely shoot S&Ws single action so the comparison is a bit dodgy.

 

[dan belisle]

I have both in 4" and 4 5/8" (or 3/4", I never actually measured), Ruger rolls, and is easier on the hands, also easier for folks with smaller hands. A little lighter, and the Ruger also will withstand way, way hotter loads. If you want to try them both and compare, Gorkey, just give me a holler next time you're in the capital city area. - dan

 

[richardoldfield]

I find recoil from M29s (4", 6", or 8 3/8") to be my limit from handguns. On the other hand, I can shoot my 7 1/2" Ruger Super BlackHawk all day without it bothering me. If you buy the Ruger shoot it with the wood grips and let it roll in your hands. Heed my advice and stay away from rubber grips on it as the handgun will not roll in your hand as intended. Regards, Richard

 

[gorky]

OK so it sounds like the "rolling" of the grip is the important thing. Exactly how much does it roll ? IE, does it roll to the point where the hammer rests against the back of your thumb or... ? Put another way, even if recoil management is improved, is control of the gun compromised ?

 

[pontcanna]

Getting a Woody with Rubber

If you buy the Ruger shoot it with the wood grips and let it roll in your hands. Heed my advice and stay away from rubber grips on it as the handgun will not roll in your hand as intended

Hmmm...have to give that a try. Got a good deal on a big-ass 10.5" .44 Ruger Blackhawk a while back and got a sore hand in short order (though it was fun as well) and it came with rubber grips. Wearing a golf glove on my right hand helped a bit, but it didn't occur to me that the wooden grips might be better than rubber. I'll try it.

 

[gorky]

Hmmm...have to give that a try. Got a good deal on a big-ass 10.5" .44 Ruger Blackhawk a while back and got a sore hand in short order (though it was fun as well) and it came with rubber grips. Wearing a golf glove on my right hand helped a bit, but it didn't occur to me that the wooden grips might be better than rubber. I'll try it.

This kind of surprised me too - I am so used to using Hogue grips that I just assume that they are always the best in taming recoil and improving grip. In fact, I have often replaced other grips with Hogues in an attempt to improve recoil and grip management (I am thinking specifically about a S&W M66 - bloody thing HURT when using Uncle Mike's combat grips (maybe due to the light weight) but Hogues helped ALOT).

Just another relevant question then - are the rubber grips on the new Vaqueros counterproductive in reducing recoil as they does not allow the gun to "roll" ?

 

[atr]

I stiffly load 320 gr. JDJ hardcast for the Super Blackhawk .44 mag and have shot a lot of them , no problem . Tried the same load through my 629 and the first shot sheared off the factory grip screw and the cylinder lock . Put Hogue grips on it and a new cylinder lock and upon touching off another round the second cylinder lock broke . I download for the 629 .

 

[kell2784]

My 7.5" bisley (wood grip is a very comfortable gun to shoot. The Ruger's are know for their strength, as well you won't get the 'stretching' of the fatigued metal like you would with a S+W. If you have the money, get a Ruger. The Ruger family has a solid reputation, and getting a Blackhawk, Bisley or Vaquero is a purchase you won't re-think.

 

[HeadDamage]

It is not quite the same but my 5.5" Redhawk is much nicer to my hand than my old S&W 29 was.

 

[dan belisle]

Gorkey, I never put "rubber" grips on a single action, it counters thier best feature, the ability to roll, which in turn helps to absorb the recoil. The amount of roll will depend on the load, and as mentioned, you can run loads through a Ruger that will leave a 29 in small pieces in the dirt, even with the improved lockwork. As for whether this will reduce the control of the gun, it kind of depends on what you expect from a quick second shot. In spite of TV, you will never be as fast with a SA as you are with a DA, there's only a couple of people on the planet who are. With practice, I don't find it too onerous, and can manage a second shot in roughly a second, give or take. The barrel length will play into the roll of the revolver as well, longer barrels have more weight, and don't flip as quick or as much. Heavier bullets ditto, 240 gr loads don't roll up near as much as 320's. FWIW - dan

 

[gorky]

Gorkey, I never put "rubber" grips on a single action, it counters thier best feature, the ability to roll, which in turn helps to absorb the recoil. The amount of roll will depend on the load, and as mentioned, you can run loads through a Ruger that will leave a 29 in small pieces in the dirt, even with the improved lockwork. As for whether this will reduce the control of the gun, it kind of depends on what you expect from a quick second shot. In spite of TV, you will never be as fast with a SA as you are with a DA, there's only a couple of people on the planet who are. With practice, I don't find it too onerous, and can manage a second shot in roughly a second, give or take. The barrel length will play into the roll of the revolver as well, longer barrels have more weight, and don't flip as quick or as much. Heavier bullets ditto, 240 gr loads don't roll up near as much as 320's. FWIW - dan

So for the 4 5/8 model that I am looking at, I should expect increased muzzle flip relative to longer barrels and it would be recommended to stick to lighter grain bullets ?

Just out of morbid curiousity, has anyone ever cut the back of their hand from having a gun "roll" too fast/hard against their hand ?

 

[FN]

OK so it sounds like the "rolling" of the grip is the important thing. Exactly how much does it roll ? IE, does it roll to the point where the hammer rests against the back of your thumb or... ? Put another way, even if recoil management is improved, is control of the gun compromised ?

The shape of the western style plow handle grip allows the gun to roll back into your hand from a combination of recoil and muzzle flip. You control the amount of roll-back by how tightly you are holding the grip. It takes awhile to get the hang of it. It does not affect the accuracy of the gun but it does save your hand from direct heavy recoil. The 5 1/2" barrel on my Ruger SBH is plenty short enough for me, especially with hot 44mag loads.

 

[Kreech]

I agree with everything said so far!

I shoot a Ruger Super Blackhawk, and shoot a load somewhere between .44 special and .44mag 1-handed all the time, without any fear of losing the gun.

But, don't hope for a follow-up shot!

A friend handed me a 629 - I took one shot and handed it back...


I also have something important to add about my Ruger. All of the screws work loose! I had the ejector rod cover actually shear off its retaining screw. There is a little plastic insert in the screw so that it doesn't work loose. Well, it worked loose, and sheared off right where it had been weakened by the plastic insert.

(yes, I know, Locktite is the solution, but I didn't (1) know that they were going to work loose like that, and (2) I would never have guessed that the screw in the ejector rod cover was actually the 'weak link' in the gun!)


I can say that it is REAL exciting to have a gun fly apart (spring-loaded ejector rod!) when you pull the trigger...


Sean