{"id":18769,"date":"2022-09-24T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T07:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=18769"},"modified":"2023-07-16T11:46:39","modified_gmt":"2023-07-16T18:46:39","slug":"the-new-model-blackhawk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2022\/09\/24\/the-new-model-blackhawk\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Model Blackhawk"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently bid in a Rock Island auction for an Old Model Blackhawk once owned by Hank Williams, Jr.\u00a0 I wanted that gun, but not as badly as someone else.\u00a0 It sold for $4,993.37.\u00a0 I thought that was crazy, but in these days of 8.3% inflation (considered by some to be nothing), I’m not sure what constitutes crazy anymore.<\/p>\n

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The Hank Williams, Jr., Old Model Ruger Blackhawk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As an aside, the New Model Blackhawk is not that new.\u00a0 Ruger introduced it in 1973.\u00a0 The New Model contains internal changes (a transfer bar mechanism) that prevents it from firing if it is dropped with a live round in the chamber.\u00a0 The previous Blackhawk (sometimes called the Old Model or the Three Screw) could discharge a round if it was dropped.\u00a0 \u00a0The Hank Williams Ruger you see above is the Old Model.<\/p>\n

You know the story of my stainless steel .357 Magnum Blackhawk (it went down the road), and that left me without one.\u00a0 I felt naked without a .357 Magnum Blackhawk, so I bought a new one through Gunbroker.com from Reeds in Minnesota.\u00a0 I recently picked it up (after waiting the obligatory Peoples Republik of Kalifornia 10-day cooling off period).\u00a0 \u00a0I’ve already started a couple of blogs on the new Blackhawk, including one on the best accuracy loads and another comparing it to the Colt Python (a .357 Magnum revolver costing twice as much as the Blackhawk).\u00a0 This blog focuses on my initial impressions.<\/p>\n

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Two huge handguns: The Ruger New Model .357 Blackhawk and Uberti’s resurrection of the Colt Walker.\u00a0 The Blackhawk is wearing a set of Ruger black laminate grips in this photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My first impression is one I’ve always had: Ruger’s New Model Blackhawk is a massive handgun.\u00a0 I ordered mine with the 6 1\/2-inch barrel (it’s primarily going to be a target gun, although if all the planets come into alignment I may hunt with it someday).\u00a0 \u00a0My first thought when I picked it up was of the Colt Walker, another sixgun of huge proportions.\u00a0 The Ruger is a bit smaller than the Walker, but you have to put them side by side to see it.\u00a0 Heft the Ruger by itself and the feel is one of massiveness.\u00a0 It’s a big revolver.\u00a0 I like that.<\/p>\n

The bluing is what I’d call an industrial grade gun finish.\u00a0 It’s certainly better looking to me than the black plastic stuff I see on the range.\u00a0 My cylinder had bright spots where the bluing was incomplete.<\/p>\n

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Spots where the bluing quality standard must have been “close enough for government work.” I’m surprised this escaped from the Ruger plant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pin securing the rear site to the revolver is another issue.\u00a0 After my first 140-round range session, it started to back out.\u00a0 \u00a0Green Loctite is the answer here.\u00a0 In fairness to Ruger, I’ve experienced this on other handguns.\u00a0 But it shouldn’t happen.<\/p>\n

The fit of the black plastic grips can only be described as poor. I had decided (before I saw the revolver) that I would leave the stock checkered black plastic grips on the gun because I have the same grips on a .30 Carbine Blackhawk and I like the fit, the feel, and the look.\u00a0 On the .30 Carbine Blackhawk, the grips fit well.\u00a0 On this new .357 Blackhawk, the grips didn’t match the grip frame.<\/p>\n

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The grip frame should align with the grips. It does not.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The grip frame sits a good 0.080-inch proud of the grips nearly all the way around.\u00a0 I’ve seen this sort of thing on other Blackhawks.\u00a0 I don ‘t know if the grip frames are varying from gun to gun, or if the grips are varying, or if both conditions exist.\u00a0 \u00a0In any event, the lack of dimensional control is not good.\u00a0 If I had seen this gun in a gunstore, I would have asked to see another.<\/p>\n

I have a few older Blackhawk grips I\u2019ve picked up over the years.\u00a0\u00a0 One is a set of black laminated grips.\u00a0 \u00a0They fit the new .357 much better.\u00a0 The fit is not perfect, but it’s better and they’re staying on for now.\u00a0 The dark grips complement the Blackhawk’s look well.\u00a0 It’s what you see in the big photo at the top of this blog.<\/p>\n

I checked the Ruger’s timing and it is perfect (as it should be).\u00a0 The way to check timing is to exert light drag on the cylinder while cocking the hammer, and the cylinder bolt should click in place when the hammer reaches full cock.\u00a0 Kudos to Ruger on that.\u00a0 You’d be surprised how many new guns are timed incorrectly from the factory.\u00a0 \u00a0In the late 1970s in the Dirty Harry craze, Smith and Wesson revolvers were notorious for being out of time when brand new (I know because I bought a few; they quickly went to new owners).<\/p>\n

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The Blackhawk’s trigger spring is a coil spring with two legs that extend into the grip frame area (one side of the spring is noted by the red arrow in this photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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To reduce the trigger pull, simply unhook one side of the trigger spring (denoted by the lower red arrow) from the post against which it rests (denoted by the upper red arrow). Voil\u00e0, a New York trigger job.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Ruger’s trigger is crisp, with zero creep.\u00a0 Ruger got that right, too.\u00a0\u00a0I did a quick New York trigger job, and it now it is lighter and has that classic “breaking glass” release.\u00a0 It’s a wonderful trigger.<\/p>\n

So how does it shoot?\u00a0 \u00a0In a word, it’s wonderful.\u00a0 I’ve already been to the range to evaluate different loads (the subject of a future blog), and the results are impressive.\u00a0 \u00a0Here’s a set of teaser photos showing a few 50-foot, 5-shot groups.<\/p>\n

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Cosmetic issues aside, my new Blackhawk is a shooter. These are phenonemal groups for a first range session. Watch for a near-term future blog on how different loads performed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We’ll have a series of blogs on the Blackhawk in the coming days.\u00a0 One will be the preferred loads blog mentioned above.\u00a0 Another will be a detailed comparison of the Blackhawk and the Colt Python.\u00a0 Apples and oranges, you say?\u00a0 Maybe not.<\/p>\n

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A Colt Python and a Ruger Blackhawk, both chambered in .357 Magnum. One costs twice what the other costs. Is it worth it? Stay tuned and find out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I contacted Ruger about the grips and the cylinder bluing; they are sending me a new set of grips and they will reblue the cylinder.\u00a0 \u00a0That’s Ruger Customer Service; it’s the best in the business.<\/p>\n

On the off chance that decisionmakers at Ruger read this blog, indulge me and allow a recommendation from one of your biggest fans.\u00a0 \u00a0Bring out a premium version of the .357 Blackhawk with:<\/p>\n