This is another draft article for future publication. As always, comments welcome.
John
The Old Model Ruger Super Blackhawk
The Old Model Super Blackhawk
The "Super B" compared to its predecessor, the Old Model .44 magnum Blackhawk "flat top"
Many firearms enthusiasts regard the early Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum revolver as the finest single action revolver ever built by Sturm, Ruger & Company. Some would go so far as to say it was the finest single action revolver ever made by anyone. Certainly it was a magnificent and imposing handful. Finely polished, carefully fitted and painstakingly designed, it became Ruger’s flagship handgun when it was introduced in 1959.
Bill Ruger had discovered the existence of the .44 magnum cartridge in 1955 by a fluke. One of his friends had found five casings headstamped “REMINGTON UMC - .44 MAG”. When he called Remington to inquire about it, he encountered a stone wall, as Remington evidently had a secrecy agreement with Smith & Wesson. In spite of this, Ruger managed to obtain a paper bag full of loaded .44 magnum ammo from his friend Dewey Godfrey, then the director of marketing at Remington. Ruger corresponded with famed gun writers Elmer Keith and Charles Askins on his intentions to produce a .44 magnum Blackhawk revolver, and complained that he could not obtain proof loads to test it. Although initially he thought he could use the .357 magnum Blackhawk frame and the same size cylinder, he changed his mind when an experimental gun blew up. He prudently enlarged these components for the .44 magnum version. Soon Remington acquiesced and provided proof loads. Ruger destroyed a Potter machine rest testing the guns, as the recoil was too much for it. The Ruger .44 magnum Blackhawk was introduced in 1956, close on the heels of Smith & Wesson’s .44 Magnum double action revolver.
Although the Ruger .44 Blackhawk was popular, its lightweight aluminum grip frame, 6.5” barrel and traditional-sized grip brought many complaints about its vicious recoil. Accordingly, Bill Ruger began planning for an improved version that would solve these problems. In 1959, Sturm, Ruger & Co. would move into a brand new building in Southport, Connecticut. Its initial product would be called the Super Blackhawk. In June of that year, Ruger wrote to Elmer Keith: “We are sending today …a prototype of the Super Blackhawk…I think you will like it tremendously…” Keith had provided a lot of input on the design of the gun, and many of his ideas were incorporated in the final product.
The new and heavier gun had an all-steel grip frame, replacing the previous aluminum version. An all-steel square-backed trigger guard was designed to allow more room for the knuckles of the firing hand, and the shape of the grip was larger, quite similar to the Second Model Colt Dragoon percussion cap revolvers. The cylinder was unfluted and had recessed chambers for the cartridge rims. The barrel was an inch longer, now measuring a standard 7.5”. The wide trigger was grooved, and the hammer had a large grooved flange for easier cocking. The Micro rear sight was protected against damage by raised shoulders at the rear portion of the topstrap. As with all Blackhawks, the spring-loaded firing pin was in the frame, and the hammer was flat-faced. As before, all springs were of the coiled variety. The fitting was impeccable, and a high-polish premium blue finish was applied. Of course, the gun could accommodate .44 special rounds as well as .44 magnums. The grips were varnished walnut (later replaced in 1963 with oiled walnut).
Elmer Keith wrote to Bill Ruger: “The ‘Dragoon’ Ruger arrived. My hat is off to you. This is just about what I have wanted and worked for 40 years… and is by far the finest single-action sixgun ever produced to my way of thinking.” Ruger’s initial ads stated it was “A masterpiece of power and precision… The shape, size and mechanical design of this magnificent firearm have been perfected…” The “Super B” was shipped in a red-clothed walnut presentation case, and initially sold for $120. In 1961, when the factory producing the wood case burned down, that case was replaced by a white cardboard box. Because of its limited production run, this cardboard case has become an extremely valuable collector’s item. At one time I had one of these, which was unfortunately lost in a household move, much to my chagrin. The gun illustrated here is one of the last “old model” Super Blackhawks, made in early 1973. The grip emblems reflect this, as they feature a silver eagle on a black background, the reverse of the black eagle on a silver background used previously. It’s maintained in factory new condition with the original box and papers. All of the old model Super Blackhawks had traditional “4 click” 3-screw actions which mimicked the old Colt system. With this design, if the hammer was fully down, the firing pin protruded into the cylinder area. Thus, it was prudent for safety reasons to load the gun with five rounds only, leaving the hammer down on an empty chamber. Standard loading procedure was “Load one, skip one, load four, cock and let hammer down.” Done properly, the empty chamber would be in the correct position under the hammer.
About 300 to 500 early guns among the first 700 were fitted with 3/16” longer grip frames. During the 1965-1967 time frame and for a while in 1971 and 1972, brass grip frames were offered as an option. A limited number of uncataloged guns with 6.5” barrels in the serial number range from 24,000 to 26,000 were produced. In all, over 96,000 old models were manufactured.
In 1973, both Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks were changed to incorporate a transfer-bar ignition design. With this system, the hammer could be safely lowered on a loaded chamber. These guns are quickly identified by a “two pin” frame (instead of 3 screws) and a trigger that protrudes farther forward into the trigger guard. This change also messed with indexing for reloading, as there was no half-cock position on the hammer. Old model guns could be converted to the newer system at no charge, and the original parts returned for collector purposes. The cylinder now could be made free-spinning for reloading simply by opening the loading gate. Purists howled, and a thriving business developed to “reconvert” the newer models to allow half-cock reloading with proper indexing. I was one of those purists, and I had my two “new model” Rugers so modified.
I love the old model Super Blackhawk. The action is smooth, the “4 clicks” sound impressive when cocking, the finish has been unmatched in the modern era, and the recessed chambers allow the back of the cylinder to mate up with the recoil shield perfectly with a minimal gap. It was and is a true quality gun and a beautiful work of art. My personal opinion is that the pinnacle of quality single actions was reached with the older model. I can live with the traditional older action, even if safety considerations demand that the cylinder be loaded with only five rounds. As the saying goes, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore. The old Super Blackhawks have achieved classic status, and rising values reflect this.
(c) 2015 JLM
John
The Old Model Ruger Super Blackhawk
The Old Model Super Blackhawk
The "Super B" compared to its predecessor, the Old Model .44 magnum Blackhawk "flat top"
Many firearms enthusiasts regard the early Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 magnum revolver as the finest single action revolver ever built by Sturm, Ruger & Company. Some would go so far as to say it was the finest single action revolver ever made by anyone. Certainly it was a magnificent and imposing handful. Finely polished, carefully fitted and painstakingly designed, it became Ruger’s flagship handgun when it was introduced in 1959.
Bill Ruger had discovered the existence of the .44 magnum cartridge in 1955 by a fluke. One of his friends had found five casings headstamped “REMINGTON UMC - .44 MAG”. When he called Remington to inquire about it, he encountered a stone wall, as Remington evidently had a secrecy agreement with Smith & Wesson. In spite of this, Ruger managed to obtain a paper bag full of loaded .44 magnum ammo from his friend Dewey Godfrey, then the director of marketing at Remington. Ruger corresponded with famed gun writers Elmer Keith and Charles Askins on his intentions to produce a .44 magnum Blackhawk revolver, and complained that he could not obtain proof loads to test it. Although initially he thought he could use the .357 magnum Blackhawk frame and the same size cylinder, he changed his mind when an experimental gun blew up. He prudently enlarged these components for the .44 magnum version. Soon Remington acquiesced and provided proof loads. Ruger destroyed a Potter machine rest testing the guns, as the recoil was too much for it. The Ruger .44 magnum Blackhawk was introduced in 1956, close on the heels of Smith & Wesson’s .44 Magnum double action revolver.
Although the Ruger .44 Blackhawk was popular, its lightweight aluminum grip frame, 6.5” barrel and traditional-sized grip brought many complaints about its vicious recoil. Accordingly, Bill Ruger began planning for an improved version that would solve these problems. In 1959, Sturm, Ruger & Co. would move into a brand new building in Southport, Connecticut. Its initial product would be called the Super Blackhawk. In June of that year, Ruger wrote to Elmer Keith: “We are sending today …a prototype of the Super Blackhawk…I think you will like it tremendously…” Keith had provided a lot of input on the design of the gun, and many of his ideas were incorporated in the final product.
The new and heavier gun had an all-steel grip frame, replacing the previous aluminum version. An all-steel square-backed trigger guard was designed to allow more room for the knuckles of the firing hand, and the shape of the grip was larger, quite similar to the Second Model Colt Dragoon percussion cap revolvers. The cylinder was unfluted and had recessed chambers for the cartridge rims. The barrel was an inch longer, now measuring a standard 7.5”. The wide trigger was grooved, and the hammer had a large grooved flange for easier cocking. The Micro rear sight was protected against damage by raised shoulders at the rear portion of the topstrap. As with all Blackhawks, the spring-loaded firing pin was in the frame, and the hammer was flat-faced. As before, all springs were of the coiled variety. The fitting was impeccable, and a high-polish premium blue finish was applied. Of course, the gun could accommodate .44 special rounds as well as .44 magnums. The grips were varnished walnut (later replaced in 1963 with oiled walnut).
Elmer Keith wrote to Bill Ruger: “The ‘Dragoon’ Ruger arrived. My hat is off to you. This is just about what I have wanted and worked for 40 years… and is by far the finest single-action sixgun ever produced to my way of thinking.” Ruger’s initial ads stated it was “A masterpiece of power and precision… The shape, size and mechanical design of this magnificent firearm have been perfected…” The “Super B” was shipped in a red-clothed walnut presentation case, and initially sold for $120. In 1961, when the factory producing the wood case burned down, that case was replaced by a white cardboard box. Because of its limited production run, this cardboard case has become an extremely valuable collector’s item. At one time I had one of these, which was unfortunately lost in a household move, much to my chagrin. The gun illustrated here is one of the last “old model” Super Blackhawks, made in early 1973. The grip emblems reflect this, as they feature a silver eagle on a black background, the reverse of the black eagle on a silver background used previously. It’s maintained in factory new condition with the original box and papers. All of the old model Super Blackhawks had traditional “4 click” 3-screw actions which mimicked the old Colt system. With this design, if the hammer was fully down, the firing pin protruded into the cylinder area. Thus, it was prudent for safety reasons to load the gun with five rounds only, leaving the hammer down on an empty chamber. Standard loading procedure was “Load one, skip one, load four, cock and let hammer down.” Done properly, the empty chamber would be in the correct position under the hammer.
About 300 to 500 early guns among the first 700 were fitted with 3/16” longer grip frames. During the 1965-1967 time frame and for a while in 1971 and 1972, brass grip frames were offered as an option. A limited number of uncataloged guns with 6.5” barrels in the serial number range from 24,000 to 26,000 were produced. In all, over 96,000 old models were manufactured.
In 1973, both Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks were changed to incorporate a transfer-bar ignition design. With this system, the hammer could be safely lowered on a loaded chamber. These guns are quickly identified by a “two pin” frame (instead of 3 screws) and a trigger that protrudes farther forward into the trigger guard. This change also messed with indexing for reloading, as there was no half-cock position on the hammer. Old model guns could be converted to the newer system at no charge, and the original parts returned for collector purposes. The cylinder now could be made free-spinning for reloading simply by opening the loading gate. Purists howled, and a thriving business developed to “reconvert” the newer models to allow half-cock reloading with proper indexing. I was one of those purists, and I had my two “new model” Rugers so modified.
I love the old model Super Blackhawk. The action is smooth, the “4 clicks” sound impressive when cocking, the finish has been unmatched in the modern era, and the recessed chambers allow the back of the cylinder to mate up with the recoil shield perfectly with a minimal gap. It was and is a true quality gun and a beautiful work of art. My personal opinion is that the pinnacle of quality single actions was reached with the older model. I can live with the traditional older action, even if safety considerations demand that the cylinder be loaded with only five rounds. As the saying goes, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore. The old Super Blackhawks have achieved classic status, and rising values reflect this.
(c) 2015 JLM
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