I have had a hankering for a single action revolver in 45 Colt. A local shop has a used New Model Blackhawk in 45 Colt. The barrel is 4 5/8". Super clean. Anyone have any experience with the Blackhawk in this caliber? Thanks folks.

I have one. I recommend getting a convertible, .45acp is a great way to plink.

I've had a Ruger Vaquaro Bisley in 45 Colt since 1999..bought it new and sent a lot of lead downrange over the years. I reload for it so ammo has never been a problem. Here's what I'm talkin about. Rich.

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GOD BLESS THE USA

That's a great revolver. The Blackhawk can be loaded strong enough to match a .44 Rem Mag, but weighs about a quarter pound less. If you don't reload, try ammunition from Buffalo Bore or Underwood...the load in the link below is a superb all-around cartridge.

45 Colt (Long Colt) 255 Grain Lead Keith-Type Semi-Wadcutter Gas Check - Underwood Ammo

I second the convertible in acp... enjoy mine...

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Way back in the early 70s I had a Ruger 3 screw 4 5/8" convertable
but I sold it to buy a Super Blackhawk .44 mag which I still have. If you
handload the 45 Colt you would likely get little use out of the ACP cyl
unless you have a good stash of ammo you want to burn up. Point of
aim will differ between the two. The new model Blackhawk is built on
a midsize frame that is smaller than the old large New model Blackhawk
and won't take the very heavy handloads so make sure you know
which model it is. The Ruger Blackhawk .45 Colts are by far the best
SAs on the market for the money. I had been thinking about getting
one of the new .45s on the mid size frame recently when I went into a
LGS to look around. I walked out with a barely used 4 5/8" stainless
Vaquero in the box with all papers for a very good price. The new
models are said to have .452 throats so I plan to use my carbide
.45 ACP dies to load cast bullets as soon as I get some .45 Colt brass
and a shell holder.

This one started out as a 4 5/8" .45 Blackhawk convertible. Became a winter project a couple years later with a Super BH frame and hammer.

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That is generally true for the old large frame Blackhawks like
the Bisley pictured but not the new mid size frame .45 Colts.
Loads for the smaller frame guns need to stay within .45 ACP
+P pressure level, 23,000 psi.

...I have a 45 Blackhawk that I've wanted to modify like you did yours...except mine has the 7 1/2 inch barrel...and those mods would make it very close to the two Super Blackhawks I already have...decisions...decisions...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Your Blackhawk looks much like my .41 MAG. I do like the extra length of the Super BH frame.

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I have a .45 Colt Blackhawk that mostly gets used as a load test mule. Experiments get done first in the Ruger, then, if OK, get moved onto the S&Ws. Nice rugged, accurate single action. About which I care nothing.

I've owned two over the years. One was a 7 1/2" and the other was a 4 5/8" convertible. The convertible is the way to go. I absolutely love .45 Colt, but being able to shoot the .45ACP was very convenient. Far more convenient than I thought it would be. I'd definitely recommend the convertible.

I currently don't have a .45 BH, but I do still have a .41 Mag, and a .45 Colt New Vaquero. The NV is a nice gun, and I never really hot rodded .45 Colt so it's working out for me fine.

Blackhawks are great guns. You won't be dissappointed.

Once upon a time I had a NM 4 5/8 45 convertible. I did not like it. That barrel length did not balance in my hand.

I now have a pair of 5 1/2" Bisley Blackhawks. I like them immensely. Part of it is the Bisley grip (which I thought was really dumb until I held one), but mostly it was that extra 7/8" of barrel. Changed the entire balance of the gun.

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I always take precautions

I have an old model 3 screw Blackhawk convertible that I shot for the first time yesterday. The 45 ACP shot a tighter group even though it has .457 throats. The Blackhawk is a well made workhorse. If the price is right, buy it.

I've had this one since 1977. Very nice pistol and fun to shoot. Expensive to feed if you don't reload. 45 ACP is much cheaper if you can find a convertible model.

Over many years I've owned about 10 Ruger Blackhawks, half of them in 45 Colt. I found them all with one exception to be well made, and modestly accurate. However, the one above did not live up to expectations and took me while to get straight. It started out to be a practice gun for me to get back into SA shooting while I waited for John Linebaugh to build me a full house 500 Linebaugh. But the gun as purchased new would not shoot better than 8" at 50 yards regardless of the load tried and John could not make it do any better. The solution was for him to fit a Wilson target barrel 4.75" long with a straight taper .800" in diameter. This is what the gun can now do at 50 yards with the right heavy load, 300 grain LBT LFN plain base over 13.0 grains of HS-6.


He also did a complete action job (e.g., oversized base pin, oversized bolt, .002" B/C gap, zero endshake, free spin pawl, etc.), but kept the springs factory strength. Last, he did his signature grip frame modification which removes steel from the front strap immediately behind the trigger guard. This gives my large hands more room during recoil without changing the trigger reach. Combined with the modified grip frame are a custom set of grips with presentation grade French walnut. They are wider in profile with a broader, flatter rear face that spreads the recoil over a larger portion of my hand. The difference is startling. My first Blackhawk in 45 Colt was a five shot high power gun built by John Gallagher in the mid-90s. I never could even approach the power level was designed to handle due to the extreme discomfort of the factory Bisley grip. In sharp contrast, I shot John's personal 500 Linebaugh with his modified grip and found the gun very easy and comfortable to shoot. The load was a 450 grain load with 16 grains of HS-6, his go to everyday load, about 1100fps.

You should also notice the long range front sight with two silver inlays which really aid in holding accurately on targets well past spitting distance. Like the full size (6'X9') steel buffalo targets at 1000 yards (they're the little black dots on the far ridgeline.


Keith

My Bisley with 7" barrel is my backup gun in the woods. Mostly I carry it in hopes to get a shot at a bear. Not that the 300 savage won't knock a bear down, but I want the bragging factor of shooting one with that 300 grain lead plug. I can still dream.

I have owned two of the 45 colt Blackhawks since the 70's, the 4 5/8 is my holster gun when I am hunting, camping, or whatever in the woods. It has been my companion on many hunts, and twice has been dunked along with me in rivers when dumped out of a raft.
I load it with my cast SWC over a healthy dose of Unique. It has done everything over the years that I asked it to. I was in a deer stand yesterday and the Ruger was there for moral support.
The 7.5" is one of my "go to" deer harvesters. I load it with a heavy 45 caliber bullet, a dose of 296 that mimics 44 mag performance and it has put many a deer in my freezer.
They are great guns, built like a tank and will provide decades of service.

Confession:
I have a Ruger Blackhawk .45 convertible 4 5/8" which I have never fired.

I have two Bisleys, a 5/12" and a 7". I love them both. The longer one has a 2x scope on it. I much prefer the Bisley grip to the standard one.

My first centerfire handgun was an 4 5/8" Old Model Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt, bought by my momma in 1973. It was a fine shooter. In the '90s, I bought a 4 5/8" New Model Blackhawk convertible in .45 Colt/.45 ACP.

Due to having a supply of free ACP ammo at the time, I seldom shot it with the Colt cylinder installed. It will group in the 1-1 1/2" range at 25 yards.

As another poster has said, there are two different frame sizes. The 1st .45 Colt Blackhawks were built on the .44 Magnum frame. Ruger brought back the original Colt sized mid sized frame for the .357 Blackhawk in 2005. The larger frame is capable of handling .44 Magnum level loads.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Ruger made the 3 screw version from '71 til '73. I have one in 4 5/8 that Turnbull did the frame in Case and high polish blue. It has some old stags on it and it is a workhorse. You will like it. Ruger guns are like me..not very pretty but work forever.

A 45 Colt Blackhawk is a great gun to have. I had a 4 5/8" convertible for several years. I like the heavier loads in the Blackhawk but didn't like the smaller grip when shooting them. I was going to replace the grip frame with a Bisley type, but after pricing out the project I replaced it with the stainless Bisley Blackhawk. For shooting heavy 45 Colt loads it's perfect. Of course now I miss the lighter convertible Blackhawk, for it's carrying ease....

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Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

I have a 4 5/8" Blackhawk and a 5 1/5" Old Vaquero in .45 Colt. Love the caliber, love SA revolvers, and I love these two Rugers. These are two of the last guns I would ever get rid of. The only thing I would do differently is perhaps get a convertible because .45 ACP is much more common and usually cheaper.

I'm pretty sure that the current NM Blackhawk is not the revolver Ruger made smaller in '05. That was the fixed sight Vaquero model. The current Blackhawk remains able to handle hot .45 Colt cartridges. The Buffalo Bore site even has a disclaimer that states, "These heavy .45 Colt +P loads are NOT intended for the New Model Vaquero (Small Frame)." The New Model Blackhawks are built like tanks...see the excerpt from the Buffalo Bore website below:

Heavy .45 Colt +P Ammo - 300 gr. JFN
(1,200fps/M.E.959 ft.lbs.)
50 Round Box
(Big Game up to 800 lbs.)

These Heavy .45 Colt +P loads are safe in all LARGE FRAME Ruger revolvers. (includes Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, all pre-2005 Vaquero, Bisley, Redhawk) Please read the following linked techinical article to know more about Ruger revolvers and 45 Colt +P ammo.

Ruger Revolvers and 45 Colt +P Ammunition
These loads are also safe in all modern Model 1892 leverguns as well as all Winchester & Marlin 1894's. Please read the following linked technical article to know more about 1892s and all variants or copies of the 1892.

1892’s & All Variants/Copies

These loads have an Overall Length of 1.585" and can be used in Henry Lever Actions.

Loaded to shorter length 1.585 inch specifically for Freedom Arms Model 97

These Heavy .45 Colt +P loads are NOT intended for the New Model Vaquero (small frame).

Over the years I've owned three .45 Colt Blackhawks. I liked the Bisley version the best.
Love the cartridge, but the SA grip just doesn't get along with my hands. Especially now that I'm developing a bit of arthritis in them. The back of the trigger guard beats the hell out of my knuckles. So I ended up selling them all.
They're great guns, the problem was me.
I still love the .45 Colt. These days I'm shooting them out of S&W Model 25-5s.

I bought a BH 7 1/2" 45/45acp when they first came out. This
was the 1st adjustable sight 45 that I owned. This is the gun that
got me interested in 45 Colt cartridge. At the time I had at least
one of every Ruger on the market, and had been shooting 44mg
Right away found the 45 more pleasant to shoot and capable of
good accuracy. I did shoot a few 45acps, but once I got the gun
tuned to hand loads it was strictly 45colt use. It went down the
road when I purged Rugers and went to S&Ws. They were nice
guns but not a M25.

The best thing about getting the convertible is that .45 ACP brass is cheap and plentiful.

I do most of my plinking with the .45 ACP cylinder and my home cast reloads. Very cheap, around 9 cents a round.

If you don't reload the price difference between .45 Colt and ACP is huge.

Friend, I havea 5 1/2" Bisley model Blackhawk and a 7 1/2" Blackhawk with the Super Blackhawk grip frame. The .45 Colt is a wonderful cartridge, and I suggest you read a some of John Taffin's writings as well as joining Single Actions .Com for some terrific information. The .45 Colt is a handloaders dream. I don't have a 4 5/8 model yet, it is next on my list - with the full frame not the flat top.

I much prefer to shoot 45 colt in my convertible but is is nice to have both cylinders. I reamed the cylinders and have been very satisfied.

This Ruger Blackhawk has been my companion on just about every pack trip I've taken for the past thirty-five or more years. The areas where I took the pack string is one of the more heavily populated black bear areas in the lower 48, and I never ever worried about not having "enough gun."

I love the .45 Colt caliber because it packs enough wallop without begin objectionable to shoot.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

That's how a 45 Blackhawk was intended to be used.

Dan

What's not to like: A 45 Colt Blackhawk and a Randall Knife==I have a blued OM and a different knife (Yukon Skinner) but otherwise same rig! Been carried on elk trips in griz country several times and taken 200 lb pigs.

They still make mid frame .45 Blackhawks, like mine. It is a Lypsey's flattop convertible.



These mid frame Blackhawks and Vaqueros aren't weak guns, they just won't handle the Ruger only loads. They can handle .45acp +p at 23,000 psi. Which is plenty for me, if I want more than that I'll be stepping ul to a .454

You are right about one thing; DISINFORMATION has crept in
and your post is a good example. Yes the Vaquero is a rounded
version of the Blackhawk frame but the new model flat top
Blackhawks are absolutely not the same size as the older new
model Blackhawks. This isn't a matter of opinion it's how it is
and one phone call to Ruger should serve as a reality check.
As far as being "rated" for hotter loads Ruger has never
"rated" any of their guns for loads exceeding factory pressure
levels for the cartridges chambered AFAIK nor will any
manufacturer. The "ratings" you refer to usually come from
good gunwriters like Brian Pearce and others who are in
touch with manufacturers and in the business of developing
handloads and writing about them. The only rating from
Ruger regarding .45 convertables, whether Vaquero, new
mid size or older large frame Blackhawks is for the hottest
factory load available, +P 45 acp at 23,000 psi. The older
large frame Blackhawks will handle more but you won't
get Ruger to approve it. Do just a few minutes of research
and you can avoid adding to the spread of disinformation.

The UNQUESTIONED master of this discussion is John Linebaugh. Read his articles, the data, research and conclusions that he bases his livelihood and reputation on. I have first hand knowledge that his knowledge of this subject is extensive and his advice solid.

Linebaugh's Custom Sixguns - The .45 Colt - Dissolving the Myth, Discovering the Legend

Linebaugh's Custom Sixguns - High Pressure Loads

Linebaugh's Custom Sixguns - Heavyweight Bullets

Keith

Thanks for all the responses folks. I do reload and have already started looking into adding 45 Colt dies and scanning through my reloading data. I would really like the convertible, but the price on the used gun looks pretty good. I do appreciate all the info and input.

Someone mentioned going up to a 454. I have a custom SBH in 454 and I still gravitate to the 45 Colt most times.

Often times, you can find and fit a .45 ACP cylinder at a later date. The most important measurement to know is the overall length of your .45 Colt cylinder. You want a ACP cylinder that is the exact length or slightly lomger than your Colt cylinder. There is usually very little fitting to be done in the way of timing the new cylinder.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

As far as your reference to age goes I am waaaay over 40
and in rather poor health and if I worried about my "image"
I wouldn't have time to think about anything else. But ratings,
loads and pressures are not the significant issue here. I don't
know what it takes to get through to you that you are posting
incorrect information on Ruger frame size. The new flat top
Blackhawks in .45 Colt are built on a smaller frame than the
older large frame new model Blackhawks. Instead of exposing
your thin skin and getting insulting why don't you swallow
your ego based pride and make a single phone call to Ruger.
Then let's see if you can man up and post the results of your
call here.

Had a .45 LC SBH with 7 1/2 " barrel years ago, and a TC .45 LC also, good round, shot well in both. Only issue was brass didn't hold up very well. I haven't checked lately, but does anyone make heaver brass now? Seems like about 4 reloading cycles and the old brass would start getting cracks in it. Sold my .45 stuff and switched to .44 mag., better brass life.

I use Starline brass exclusively. No problems what-so-ever with it shooting them with Ruger Only loads in my Rugers, and over Ruger Only loads in my Rossi carbine.

Starline makes good stuff........

I think there is some confusion here.

Ruger still makes regular old New Model Blackhawks that are in blued versions only at this time. They are basically the same old strong built revolvers that are not Flat Tops, on the Super Blackhawk frame that they always were. Ruger Only loads can be used safely in these revolvers.

They also make a newer version of the Flat Top Blackhawks that are on the smaller midsized frame that are special editions farmed out to some of their distributors, in various finishes. These are the guns that can't be used with the Ruger Only loads.

I hope this ends the confusion, and I blame Ruger for this. They just simply make too many versions of very similar revolvers. But,.....that's good for all of us that aren't carbon copies of each other. I won't even try with the Vaquero versions..........

I seem to remember that back in the 70s or 80s Ruger discontinued the .45 Convertible for a while because people were hogging out the .45 ACP cylinders to take the .45 Win Mag. and subsequently blowing up their revolvers. If true (historians, feel free to correct me) there is a pretty well defined limit to what the Blackhawk frame can take.

Having said that, I too like to go to the "Ruger and T/C Only" loading tables and work up hotter loads. My favorite is 14.9 gr. of #7 behind a 250 gr. JHP. That is by no means a maximum load, but it's really fun to shoot.

Are you sure about this? The midsized frame guns were first
introduced as special editions but have been in regular
production for over ten years now. Also my information is
that the old large frame Blackhawks were discontinued with
the start of production of the midsize frame. Also the Vaqueros
have follwed the same path. They are just rounded versions
of the Blawkhawks with the same size frame and the older
large frame Vaqueros are no longer made either.

He's right, they still make large fram Blackhawks, along side of mid frame flattop Blackhawks,( like mine). You need to know what you have if you want to go the Ruger only route.

The mid size convertible, is no slouch it can handle heavy loads, just not the Ruger only .44 magnum level loads.

I know they are rated at .45acp +p @ 23,000 lbs,

And here is the new addition. Appreciate all the input and food for thought.

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Nice gun! I think you made a great choice. I like the short barreled Blackhawks best, and since you reload there is no need for the convertible.

Yep,....I'm sure

I bought a new regular old non-Flat Top within the last year, in blue with a 4 5/8ths inch barrel, to compliment my 5 1/2 inch barreled convertible that I bought the year before. I bought both of these revolvers exclusively for "Ruger Only" loads.

Go to Rugers website, and check out what is actually offered. They keep the website pretty well updated. What you will find is that the Flat Tops are "Distributer Exculsives", and the their regular production Blackhawks are the same as they have been for the last forty plus years.

I have a 4 5/8" Blackhawk Convertible in .45 Colt/.45 ACP as well as a 7 1/2" Blackhawk in .45 Colt.

The 4 5/8" doesn't give up as much velocity as you'd think compared to the 7 1/2" and it's a moot point as a 32,000 psi Tier 3 load is a bit brutal in a Blackhawk. At that level you'll be launching a 250 gr bullet at about 1450-1475 fps from a 7.5" barrel.

Realistically, a 250-255 gr bullet at 1150 fps (around 23,000 psi) is about all you'll want to shoot on a regular basis. The recoil is more manageable and the accuracy is much better.