I currently load & shoot / hunt with both a Model 58 & Model 57 . I mainly shoot cast bullets . Mainly for hogs & deer in thick woods & brush . Getting old & front sights are getting harder to see , especially in low light . I'm considering getting a Ruger New Model Blackhawk 6 1/2" 41 mag . I won't drill & tap my S&W's ( P & R ) & understand the Rugers already drilled / tapped for mounts . Plan on using an Aimpoint Red dot sight .
From my research it seems that most Rugers have undersized cylinder throats & suffer from frame / barrel restriction . Add a little trigger work , a mount / rings , cylinder reaming , a little fire lapping . Already have a couple of Aimpoints & an Ultradot laying around . I could sell one of the S&W's & probably have little to no out of pocket . Does this all seem reasonable ?

First why fire lapping? Is this done to speed up the barrel break in time?

Now the ruger BH is one of the strongest SA revolvers out there. What you want to do sounds awesome.

The 41 mag Blackhawk is a tank. No "ifs", "ands" or "buts". I used a 58 and an OM Blackhawk for pigs while guiding in Central Cali. No complaints regarding either=the Ruger was the better gun.

Only thing better was a 45 Colt OM.

I think the only issue I have is your selling a S&W to buy a Ruger??? WTH.....You do know your on the S&W forum....LOL

I shoot a Blackhawk 41 mag. The hotter the load, the better the accuracy. In My Ruger I load 22gr H110 with a cast 220 gr SWC, Very accurate and just lights out the western slope hogs.

Not true, except for the Hunter models which have integral scope base cutouts built into a rib on the barrel. There are "no drill" mounts available for Blackhawks, couldn't testify as to which might be best.

Hang on to the model 58 and model 57 . One day you going to kick yourself for getting rid of them. Get the Blackhawk....I've been shooting mine since 1970 , and it's still tight as a drum.
My model 58 is my avatar...not getting rid of either one any time soon.
Gary

I can't speak for any type of New Model Ruger (never even held one in my hands), but my Old Model Rugers back in the seventies were the strongest single action revolvers on the market. I didn't make a habit of it, but I ran some handloads through them that were definitely outside the safety envelope.

To my knowledge, the newer single actions are not drilled and tapped. Matter of fact, I don't believe any Ruger single action ever came drilled and tapped from the factory.

If I were buying a Ruger single action today, I'd still look for an Old Model. I'd probably bypass the .41 as well and go with the shorter barrel .45 Colt. Just my opinion, mind you.

You will wind up with a great hunting rig. Hard to beat .41 Mag Blackhawks. And I know what you mean by the sights getting smaller. Here's mine.

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Now that's a beautiful OM Ruger! How long you had that gun?

Watchdog,
I got this Ruger in 2010. I wasn't looking for a .41 Mag but I saw it in a gun shop at such a low price I had to snag it. Since I reload I've been able to afford to shoot it.

I have two new models; one in 357 and 44 special. Both took some polishing to get throats up to proper dimensions and I added spring kits to coax trigger pulls down to where I prefer. Shooting cast bullets they are as easy to shoot and just as accurate as my Smiths.

Ed

I currently own four Blackhawk 41's. I've never had to ream any chambers on any of them. It's the one caliber they always seem to get right. Be sure you shoot the gun before you do all of those "fixes". There just might not be anything broken.

I had a Weaver no drill mount on one of mine for a while and it worked fine. As stated they are not D&T'd.

Dan

Fire lapping is to remove or reduce restriction of the bore where barrel screws in the frame . Just as reaming undersize cylinder throats also helps reduce leading & adds to better accuracy . I already load 41 mag & have lots of brass , bullets etc . Unless I run across a great deal an Old Model is roughly 50% more costly . With the Ruger I can safely shoot loads I'd probably pass on with the Smiths . In my 58 a Lyman 410459 ( 240gr w/ my alloy ) over 1100 fps aint much fun , so it's marginal for my purpose already . The 57 with its longer tube can go hotter , but it's hard on the gun . Plus the Ruger can handle heavier LBT WFN with aplomb . D & T for a scope mount aint that much more $ , plus I want something robust . BTW the 58 is a shooter grade factory reblue & they RR the front sight so no collector value . Same with the 57 , no reblue but 90% or so , still shoots good & sight are more usable for a half-blind old man . Good point in that 'til I get the Ruger in hand & check throats & slug bore it may be OK as is . Just trying to figure out costs before I leap .

I've got a Blackhawk and Redhawk, both in 41 mag caliber. I prefer the double action Redhawk. I think it is a fairly easy mod to machine the Redhawk rib for a scope.

Nice,

I built one similar to your's but mine started as a 7 1/2" in 45LC.

Great for central Ca. pigs

i am kind of a 41magnum addict, have the 57 and 58covered on multiple accounts, a couple of three screw blackhawks, a new redhawk, and an early blued five inch redhawk. I just got through running up some 270grain cast bullets for the 41 at about 1200fps. Forgot the taurus 41too. Personally i enjoy shooting the blackhawks now and then, but they do roll in your hand, designed for that. The redhawks are heck for strong, but they are a vw to a porsche as to a smith's action. And i was looking at some loads today for ruger in 45colt that exceed 44magnum. In reality with the bullet and load diversity, i don't see a lot of difference. I cast bullets from 170 to the 270range, and have acess to 300grain cast for the 41. I don't there is a pig around that would stand up to one of those. They are making a 4.2inch redhawk by the way in 41mag, and they made a limited run of super redhawk's in 41. I have been kind of going the opposite direction as a big fat bullet at about 1000fps solves most problems, and is available in more than one caliber. i might add the redhawks use a single spring, which i reduced on the 41, it helped a lot. but it is not a smith.

boatbum101 - I have been a big fan of Ruger SA's for years, and own, and have owned a fair number of them, so I'll give a few thoughts.

Ignore 90% of the internet wives tales about bad barrels, out of spec throats, choke barrel constriction, etc. Though problems can happen, it is rare. New production guns in particular, are very "correct" in their build.

The top straps are easily drilled & tapped for a scope base for not much $$. A worthwhile addition for a serious hunting handgun, especially if your eyes aint what they used to be. I have used the B-Square no drill, clamp on mount on several kickers. They work OK, but are ugly, and not as strong as drilling the top strap. Only "Hunter" models have scope ring cut outs on their raised barrel ribs. Can't be done with other models, as they don't have the raised barrel rib.

Triggers are not bad on most of these guns, just not S&W SA crisp. Tip: Remove the grips, and note there is a spring with two legs that attaché to studs on each side of the grip frame. Lift one of the spring legs from the stud. Instant trigger job. I have done it with at least a dozen, as have many others without any issues. A well known "fix" among Ruger shooters.

Most of my Blackhawks have been just as accurate as my Smiths, once a favorite load is found, without having to go thru any "improvements or modifications" to make them shoot.

If you are not used to shooting a SA, you will find the grip / handling /recoil of the gun is different than a DA gun. You may or may not like the way it feels. If its an issue, a Hogue rubber grip will change the feel closer to that of a DA, and reduce felt recoil to boot. Pic of a couple of my favorites. It shows the different grip frames available - "Dragoon squareback, Colt style, and Bisley". Most find the Bisley style handles recoil best with heavy loads when using wood grips.

Larry

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Have hunted with Ruger Blkhks and super Blkhks in 357, 41, 44 mag and 45 colts since the 70's. Have done nothing to these guns except do action jobs on them and shoot thousands of rounds through them. These guns have put a lot of meat in my freezer during the past 4 decades. Shoot only full throttle magnum loads through all of them and "Ruger Only" loads in my 45 LC's. Accurate, rugged and totally reliable.

Bought my Ruger Blackhawk (original Flattop ,3 screw, .357) back in 63. Can't tell you how many rounds I shot, but I had a friend that hand loaded and he made some nasty ammo for that gun and it handled every thing we put through it. It was my all time favorite pistol to shoot and as much as I love my S&W's I still liked it better. Unfortunately, I sold as I thinned out my guns and my son didn't want it. To me, it's what a heavy pistol should feel like.