Ruger Old Model Blackhawk, no warnings, no safety's, no support from Ruger! (pic)...

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canoeguy

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Picked up an old model "Three Screw" Blackhawk at my favorite gun shop today, actually paid less for it than I did for a new one I bought in 1979! 6 1/2" barrel, .357 caliber. It's got the old action, four clicks to cock it, have to put it on half cock to load it, can't carry a round under the hammer, etc. Serial number puts it at being manufactured in 1967. The revolver is in good shape except for the grips, just a little holster wear on the muzzle.

Part of the reason it was such a good deal is the ugly grips, but I thought "No Brainer, I'll just get a set from Ruger". Called them up today, they said they had them in stock, but they wouldn't sell them to me unless I sent the revolver back to them and have them update it to the new action with the transfer bar! They said they would not sell any parts for the Old Model Blackhawks unless they had been updated.

So, it looks like I'll have to find a set of grips elsewhere. Here's some pics:

2.JPG


1.JPG



Taking it to the range tomorrow, hopefully it will bring back fond memories of my first centerfire handgun, an almost identical .357 Blackhawk I bought as a teenager in 1979.
 
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First, are those wood or plastic grips? They look a lot like Herrett grips that may have been painted and the wrong screws put in them. If they are painted- strip them and with a little work they will look good.


I know about how...well...unbusinesslike Ruger's customer service department can be.

I tried to get a "V" notch rear sight blade for a single six a while back, and they would not sell it to me without a serial number. :confused: I would have ordered it from Brownells, but they were out of stock. It's a rear sight blade for cryin' out loud! :mad:

I've sent two guns back to them and they've repaired them in less than two weeks- and they did send me shipping labels both times, but they are extremely frustrating on sales of spare parts- for no reason whatsoever. It makes no sense!
 
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You should not have a problem getting grips off of someone on the internet post a request on the Single Action forum.
 
They really want to rid the world of the old style Rugers.
They used to return your revolver w/ the old parts included in a bag but stopped doing that too.

Shouldn't be too difficult to find a set of Ruger wood grips to fit the XR3-RED grip frame. There's probably a few on Evil-Bay.
 
numrich (egunparts.com). Try em for parts.

JR
 
A 1967 gun should have the Black Eagle stocks. The older Black Eagles are getting more expensive, the post-1972 Silver Eagles typically run around $30-35 and will fit and function perfectly too. Don't send it to Ruger unless it has serious mechanical issues that need to be addressed.
That's a good score, the unconverted 3 screw Rugers are getting harder to find and in a few more years will be like 5 screw S&W's in terms of desirability if they are not already.
 
2152hq said:
They really want to rid the world of the old style Rugers.
They used to return your revolver w/ the old parts included in a bag but stopped doing that too.

Shouldn't be too difficult to find a set of Ruger wood grips to fit the XR3-RED grip frame. There's probably a few on Evil-Bay.
Click to expand...
I contacted Ruger once about getting a grip screw for an Old Model .357 just like this one and the first thing I was asked was, "Is the gun converted?" When I said "no" my gun was like a leper. They want nothing to do with them except converting them with that horrendous safty junk. I bought a 1969 Ruger Super B.H. used and converted with a bag of the old parts. I took it to the gunshop/gunsmith to swap parts back to original and the store owner said they couldn't do it. Then I was talking to the gunsmith and he said "Sure, I can do that and made it original. i don't know if there's some liability thing that scared the gunstore owner but I wouldn't doubt it.
BTW. I have taken apart Colt single actions dozens of times to fix springs and check sears, etc., but these coiled spring innards on the ruger stumped me. Except for a few, very few, exceptions, I won't get near a New Model Ruger with that rattly transfer bar in there. The solid quality of the early rugers are butchered with that conversion. But that's what you get when people sue you do death for shooting themselves in the foot.
 
I had a Ruger Single Six 3 screw .22LR that I bought in the early 70's. I made the huge mistake of sending it back to Ruger for the transfer bar upgrade in the early 90's. It basically ruined the gun. The timing got screwed up and the trigger was terrible. I ended up trading it in on a new S&W.
 
Thanks for the info, especially about the Black Eagle and Silver Eagle grips. I have posted a "Wanted to Buy" in the classifieds....

Andy,

The grips that are on it are definately plastic, could be imitation Herrets, a cheap copy of them, for sure ugly. I'll see how the revolver shoots with them today.
 
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When Ruger does the safety conversion all they do is swap parts. So if you need to send an Old Model in to them first remove and retain the parts they replace.
After they return it to you with the conversion parts installed just swap them out with the original parts you retained.
 
I believe that Ruger stamps the gun to show that they made the change. The stamping changes the value also.
If you have trouble finding grips go to the Ruger forum and someone will have what you are looking for.
 
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I believe it is the underside of the main frame or on the top of the grip frame,forward of the trigger slot they stamp a letter. But it is out of sight,you would have to take off the grip frame to see it.
 
A large GS I work at in the early 90's would not put a used Ruger out for sale unless they first sent it back to the Factory for conversion.

Alot of 3-screw Rugers got converted. The GunShop's view was one of liability,,that being past along by the factory in offering the free service.
People still bought them up in converted form. It's been since 1973(?) since Ruger stopped making the 3-screw..so unconverted guns are getting harder to find but not (yet!) really scarce.

I've never liked nor owned the new style action but many people don't find them objectionable.
I didn't even like the aluminum grip strap & ejector housing on the guns so how could I put up with a transfer bar action conversion..
 
I owned a New Model Super Blackhawk for a few years and had no trouble with it. But I really preferred the old clicking hammer and the half-cock notch to load of the original design.

I much prefer the stainless guns, which have stainless steel extractor rod housings, not the light alloy ones on the blued guns.
 
Had the same issue several years ago when I contacted Ruger about a grip frame screw for my 3-screw Blackhawk in .30 carbine. Wouldn't sell me one unless I sent the gun in for the conversion. I said "No thanks" and gave my money to Lee's Gun Parts instead.
 
I had one with 6.5 inch barrel in .41 Mag. Old style action, no transfer bar. When compared to an "updated" gun with the transfer bar, I could tell the trigger was MUCH better. Darn lawyers.
 
In the 1960s I worked for an insurance company that insured a jeweler in Alaska. His employee took some valuables to mail; in his waistband was a Blackhawk with all six loaded. It fell on the Post Office floor and he gut-shot himself and later died of it. Soon after, the foolishness began at Ruger, Surely this was not the only incident, just the first time I ran into it. Used to be when something like that happened, people just said "Hmm, he shouldn't have done that.." Now it has to be someone else's fault-arrrgh.
 
I guess I haven't had the problems with the newer Ruger BHs others have described. I have two, a BH in .30 Carbine and a .44 Mag SBH. I have fired both extensively with no difficulties. Maybe mine are unusual?
 
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