My local gunstore has one of these in 99% condition with a 7-1/2" barrel. Any feedback on this gun, the price is $329.00? They have had it for quite a while.

Sounds like a decent price. I've never had one, but everyone I've ever talked to said the same thing - they're LOUD.

Ruger is still making them.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

I fired one sometime back, recoil not to bad. 30 cal is a fun round. Do remember the report was worst than anything I ever fired.

Price seems very fair

I had one of those fire breathers, the report was something to remember too. I used to shoot my rejects from my M1 carbine in it. I didn't keep it long because I had to load rounds hot for it to be accurate--way too hot for my carbine and didn't want to put the wrong round in the M1 and blow it up. Traded the revolver for a 5 inch slide for my model 41, never looked back. I would say if it has been sitting on the self at 330 bucks for a while, offer 275 OTD if you really want it-- go to 300 bucks but I wouldn't worry about missing out on the next great thing with that revolver.

Have owned one for 35+ years. A fun gun, that has a huge "bark" to go with it's "bite" and light show! Very accurate, if you can acclimate yourself to the Ruger lock time. Which is measured on a sundial rather than a chronometer! If you reload, there are better powders to run in it than the Mil Spec for the 18" barrel on the .30 M-1 Carbine. Also, if you do decide to reload, BUY THE CARBIDE SIZING DIE!

In addition to being loud, they're quite accurate. They're also flamethrowers. I love to shoot mine at an indoor range -- it draws a crowd.

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VIVERE MILITARE EST

I'd buy one at that price. I've never owned or fired one, but I've long been curious about them.

That might be a big hint at making up your mind.
I will not buy a rifle in a pistol caliber. My neighbor just showed me his Ruger Blackhawk in .30 a few months ago. Someone else just showed me his Revolver in 45.-70. Now I can say I will not buy a pistol in a rifle caliber. No shortage of bad ideas in firearms industry marketing departments. I can't afford to spend my money on 'curiosity.'
Spend your money on something you really want.

Bought my first one in 1968 the first year of production and made the mistake of trading it off a few years ago. It is a great gun to shoot. It is loud but is very accurate. If you Google it you will find all kind of reports and none of them negative except for the loudness. I just picked up another 1968 year one at the last OGCA show. $329.00 is a steal in my opinion. If you want a fun gun better grab it. If I was in your area I would have 2 of them.

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Steve

owned an shot them for years. if you get away from the slow burning powders, they are quite tolerable to shoot and quite fun. almost no recoil and can shoot cast or jacketed or plated bullets loaded to the correct speed of course. i use hs-6 powder for play and its no worse than a +p 38spl. but you would want ear protection even outside. has a lot of play value. try at 100yds and you will be surprised.

If it's a New Model under $300 is a good price, if it's an Old Model it's a steal, especially if unconverted. I can confirm everything else everyone has already said about them. I like to shoot mine at the indoor range when some clowns shooting their plastic .40's held sideways are sending empties bouncing off of the roof and down into my partition. The concussion rattles the dividers like cheap shutters in a thunderstorm. The nearby shooters always ask if it's a ".44 Magnum cowboy gun" that I'm shooting.

If it is an Old Model I would grab it ASAP. There were some N-Frames made up in 30 Carbine during WWII to test the concept, they found muzzle blast and report was too much-no proper hearing protection of course.
I like the concept of a handgun and long gun using the same cartridge, though I think the
45-70 in a handgun is a bit much.

When the .30C Blackhawk first came out, Skeeter Skelton did a review of it and I'll never forget his description (best I remember) . " I felt like someone smacked me in the face with a wet towel at the same time a dynamite cap went off in each ear"

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Old paratrooper in NC

I have owned & shot an old 3-screw .30 Carbine Blackhawk for years. They are quite LOUD when used with full power loads, but accurate and reliable plinking & varmint revolvers. They can be loaded down with cast bullets so anyone can tolerate them, if so desired. When reloading, one has to pay close attention to case length if trimming cases, as a "short" case can cause a mis-fire.

Sounds like a fair price, not a bargain. One poster mentioned hammer fall.

The Ruger hammer fall is SO heavy! I have a hard time keeping the sights on the target, but a friend who enjoys Rugers doctors his up - and does some very good shooting with them. I just don't have the interest.

He and I used to shoot about 170-yards, across a small farm pond, where we could see the wind on the water (if there was any). I would shoot the .30 Blackhawk and an 8-inch M27, and he would shoot his various Rugers. I always shot the M27 better. He could keep right up with me shooting his guns with manicured actions. Both of us thought the .30s were fun, but basically not good for much of anything.

I ended up selling my Blackhawk. It just didn't do anything that I couldn't do with the 27, and I did not want to start tinkering around with mechanics of another brand. If it is something that appeals to you, I think you would enjoy monkeying around with it. I was not disappointed with the gun - just not thrilled.

If an OM,,it would have come home with me at that price.
Don't know about the price if it's a NM.

A fun gun to shoot and after all, that's what the vast majority of them are bought for.

If $329 is only a so-so price for one in 99%, maybe we should all start collecting Rugers!

If you don't already have something that shoots the .30 Carbine round (like an M1 Carbine, for example) you may not have much incentive to buy the Ruger. Unless money was really tight, I would buy it just to shoot it a little and see how I liked it, at that price. But, if there are other guns you are more interested in ...

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You're shy a few manners.

It's well worth while if a person hand loads. My dad has had a .30 Carbine Blackhawk for many years and I've played with it some. As has been said, it is loud.

Does the .30 cal have the same diameter as the 32-20 or the 327 mag???? I thought I read somewhere they did......but maybe I was dreaming.

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Forum consigliere

If it's an old model Ruger Blackhawk without the transfer bar "upgrade", I'd go for it. That's a good price. The .30 carbine Rugers you'll find today are usually in very decent shape; most were not fired but a few rounds. The noise is ear-splitting. They are great collector items, though. I bought one about a year ago. Here's a pic of mine:

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I'm going to add to the overwhelming former posters. I also have one, have had for close to 40 years, used to fire it a lot, but then decided it was just a "fun" gun, with no earthly use. Too powerful for small game hunting, and not good enough for whitetail, and as the WW 2 ammo stock was sold and used up, I quit shooting mine.
Now, with all of the hoop and hollering concerning the .327 Federal, it might revive the carbine round, as it is jus tmore of the same. With half moon clips, a person could use .32 short and long, .32 ACP, H & R .32 mag, .327 Federal, and possibly the .30 carbine round. I have never attempted to reload it, but with other than the 110 grain FMJ bullet, it might find a use. I carried this .30 Carbine in Korea, and found it to be very lacking in what I wanted then, still has not shown me anything to change my mind yet either. Oh Yes, I did buy one fromthe DCM way back years ago, but it is almost useless, not suitable for even home defence, in my opinion.

To me, this looks like a fun .30 cal handgun.

Hey Zilmo,
Is that one of those 5.7 Spitfire conversions?

I honestly don't know anything about it. It's called an Iver Johnson M1 Enforcer. I happened to see it on GunBroker and thought it was kinda cool.

They were very attractive when ammo (and of course brass) was free; also very accurate, even with GI Ball. Everyone has better ear protection today. A .357 would be a better bet for if you had a limit on your budget or number of guns.

Good shooting.