Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Magnum

[GatorFarmer]

I can trade my 5906 for one. Were these an old River product or a recent one? I was thinking it might make a nice carry gun. Will regular BH holsters and grips fit? Are these at all rare or sought after? I was going to get a 629 again, but this is much less expensive.

 

[walkinghorse]

4 5/8" or 6 1/2 " barrel?
Old style or the new that can carry 6 ?

I let my old style 4 5/8" barrel old style go many years in a trade for something else I just had to have, but can't even remember what? Very handy, light weight, and a joy to shoot with a 210 gr. cast swc, over a medium load of unique. Heavy factory 210 gr. flatpoint loads were available if I ever needed. Still miss it!
If it was me I would not pass on the deal you are seeing.

 

[GatorFarmer]

New Model 4 5/8th, looks to have some wear but I figure these are durable guns

 

[mikeruns]

It's a new model Blackhawk with transfer bar safety allowing safe carry with full 6 rounds. Still make them. A very good and rugged/accurate revolver. Blackhawk grips and holsters will pretty much work for it, as it is one. Now, on the trade for a 5906, you will have to decide how much you value the 9mm and the 41.....good luck!

 

[model70hunter]

Gator, I've had 2 old 3 screw ones in 4 5/8th". It was the handiest packing gun I ever had, yep a little cheaper than a 629. I am looking for another old one. The 41 will do most of what a 44 Mag will. If I was in griz country I'd see if Buffalo bore made some 41 mag stompers.

The Ruger uses coil springs and is possibly one of the best guns for long life, durability and accuracy.

I have my Dad's old Ruger 22 in 4 5/8th I don't know how many rounds has been fired in it. I'm talking many, many bricks. It still does what it did when new. I did send it in for the trigger recall to have the transfer bar added.

With the new one like mentioned yours is safe to carry 6.

And I'm jealous.

 

[BearBio]

My wife's NM she carries in grizzly country (grips by Sid Ryan):


MY OM with sheep horn grips by Executioner (Grashorn). Unfortunately, it's been converted. One like it was my favorite while I guided on wild hogs. Knife by Bark River (also sheephorn).

 

[ldausmc1369]

Kicks like a MO mule! Most unpleasant SA revolver I have ever shot! Mine won't see daylight again unless I load it down to .357 specs.

 

[Bruce51]

Pachmayr Presentation grips

You may want to get a set of rubber grips for carry and comfort when shooting. I found the BH grips to be too short pinching my little finger when firing. It would hurt to shoot and my shots were all over the place.

After installing the Pachmayr grips it was a whole lot easier to hold and shoot well.

These grips were a good fit and easy to install. Not expensive at Midway about $26 plus S&H

BLM

 

[GatorFarmer]

The Ruger was originally a ball named Homer given to a woman I shoot with by her now ex husband. I.e. a gift for her that was really for him..

I told her it would be more controllable with Silvertips than it had been with hunting ammo, but she would rather have a 9mm.

I use my CZ a lot, having the 5906 as an extra. Given my feart of sasquatch and werewolves, I thought a heavier magnum would be nice to have.Attacks be either are as likely as random street crime here.

My thought was I could maybe scrounge up a Lee Loader and fill empty cases to the top with black powder and then add a 215 gr or so SWC and make myself some fun time practice loads. The design of the Ruger looks like it would lend itself well to post BP cleaning via garden hose and WD40. How well a .41 magnum case full of 3F would perform I do not know, but it sounds interesting

It looks as though .41 Mag factory ammo is even more expensive than when I had my 57 and 58 but somewhat more available and with a range of offerings for hunting.

 

[arjay]

I don't think you'll get mag velocities from it with black powder,but it should be a hoot.Thats all I use in my 45 colt [emoji106]

Edit: If you get some American Pioneer Powder,you can use bullets with smokeless bullet lube-much cheaper.

 

[Flattop5]

The design of the Ruger looks like it would lend itself well to post BP cleaning via garden hose and WD40.

???
Are you serious?




----------------------

 

[walkinghorse]

Never tried a Lee Loader, but watched other people banging away with them. Something about a hammer and reloading never tripped my trigger. So I went old school and used Lymon 310. Nostalgia of a single action revolver, and loading equipment that dates back to the black powder era ! ☺
Also became enamored of Skeeter Skelton! The story he did of being in West Texas near Big Bend and writing about how the 310 gave him the option of loading for targets in case he ran across Border Patrol agent who wanted to shoot for bragging rights ($$), or loading up for coyotes, jack rabbits at a distance, or in season, deer or ??? All carried in a roll up military pouch appealed to me. The picture of Skeeter sitting in the desert with his reloading tools was just icing on the cake. Of course he was using a .357 Magnum, but I wanted to go big bore, and a .41 Magnum showed up!
And I was enjoying living in Texas at the time, with an occasional trip back to NM. Life was great then !

 

[Alpo]

I wouldn't do it, simply 'cause I don't like the 4 5/8 barrel. Balances bad in my hand.

But the first Ruger I ever bought is a 6 1\2" OM 41 I've had since 1973. Damn good gun in a damn good caliber.

 

[BigBill]

I always wanted the BH in 41mag too. I believe these were offered a long time ago in the SBH with the unfluted chamber.

 

[model70hunter]

Kicks like a MO mule! Most unpleasant SA revolver I have ever shot! Mine won't see daylight again unless I load it down to .357 specs.

Lda, is it an old or new model Blackhawk? BBL length?

Shame we don't live in the same state for a FTF.

I was raised in MO, my maternal grandfather still used mules and horses when I was a kid. We did learn to deal with the kicking end.

They used to make police or reduced loads for the 41. Those might help. There are folks who bring licensed reloads to gun shows, you might have one of them make you up some.

On the 2 I used to own I was able to find the old police loads for plinking or fun.

If you are thinking about reloading, please read this post on the 41. Pay attention on reduced loads and using jacketed bullets.

Light .41 Magnum Loads

 

[model70hunter]

Bruce Lee M,

I had Pacmeyers on one of my old BH 41's and on a 3 screw in 45 Colt. The 45 needed them, for some reason I used Elmer Keith loads in it. They were super stout. Not cowboy but worked well.

Bear Bio,

Dangalang, one word for both guns, awesome. Is I'll take them, pm to follow out of order?

Walkinghorse,

The hammering Lee loader was my first loader and last hammering loader. No internet, only 3 channels on the tube so finding time was easy. I had a 2x8 about 15"s long. I laid it on my lap and reloaded while watching Gunsmoke. It was for 38 Specials to use in my Gen 2 Colt SAA.

Gator,

I don't know about a garden hose, taking it apart and using hot soapy water on the cylinder and only sticking the muzzle end in the water might work. You can use cleaning patches to pull the hot soapy water up the bbl. and carefully rinse the bbl with hot water.

Make sure they are dry and don't get any water in the action. WD 40 is not much of a protective, it isn't much of a lubricant. It is used to displace water, but then you have to clean it off or it will turn to gummy varnish. Use a good gun oil after it is dry.

But then I would not want to practice with BP and face a ticked off grizz or bigfoot with the inhanced loads.

If your are going to load practice rounds wouldn't using smokeless be easier? Then you also could find some hard cast Keith bullets and cook up some bear loads.

Sounds like you are going to have fun anyway. I put a link on 41 loading in a post just before this one, it might be a good one to read.

 

[GatorFarmer]

I got the Ruger today. A Homer it is. The gun certainly shows wear and wasnfilthy. It came with six rounds of Federal ammunition, two JHPs and two castcore solids that had probably been in it for years. It shoots though, but Homer is going to need rubber grips and a holster. I fired a partial box of Winchester 240 gr jhp bear loads, the only ammo available in town in stock. I saved 12 and kept the empty brass. I could have traded just a Phoenix HP22 forbit, but threw in a Hi Point .45 too. So I still have my 5906 and now uave the Ruger.

 

[gwpercle]

I would do it ! I passed up a 41 magnum Blackhawk back in 1973 , I was young and thought I had to have a 44 magnum ! Dirty Harry was out and 44 magnums were the rage.
Now I know better and regret passing on that 41 Blackhawk to this day. That was a dumb deal to pass up !
The grips on the one in the photo are SWEET !
My avatar is the model 58 41 magnum that I wisely didn't pass on and hand loading makes the 41 a most useful round.
Gary

 

[Papaw]

My .41 Mag Blackhawk