Gun Review: Ruger Old Model Blackhawk Single Action Revolver
Ruger Blackhawk Review Introduction
Back in 1955, a young firearms company introduced its first centerfire gun. The company was Sturm, Ruger, and Co., and the gun was the Ruger Blackhawk single action (SA) revolver, chambered in 357 Magnum. Later chamberings included 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, and 30 Carbine, but the 357 was the mainstay of the Blackhawk line. "Convertible" guns were also sold, with two cylinders: 9mm Luger with 357 Mag, and 45 ACP with 45 Colt.
No Blackhawks were made in 9mm or 45 ACP except for the Convertibles.
The Blackhawk was the second model of revolver offered by the six-year-old company (the first was the Single Six SA .22-caliber rimfire revolver). The Blackhawk found a ready market, and became a success in short order. Popularity of old-west style Colt revolvers was high, and the Blackhawk looks, points, and feels much like the Colt Single Action Army.
They're Not All the Same
Bill Ruger was a tinkerer, and loved to fiddle around with his designs (which were mostly variations of others' designs). This resulted in many of the company's guns evolving over the years, and the Blackhawk is no exception.
The gun pictured above was built in 1970 per the serial number. Stamped on the left side of the barrel are "STURM, RUGER & CO., INC." and "SOUTHPORT, CONN. U.S.A." in two lines. The left side of the frame is stamped "RUGER .357 CAL." and "BLACKHAWK" in two lines below the cylinder, with the trademark phoenix logo stamped to the right of the words.
This particular gun is an example of what's probably the most common Blackhawk, with a hump in the top rear of the frame to house the rear sight. Originally, the Blackhawk had a flat frame top with the rear sight inletted into it, and is thus known as the "Flat Top." Early Flat Top Blackhawks are more rare, and thus are more costly as a rule.
(Read the review of a Flat Top Blackhawk 44 with 10" Barrel)
This gun is not a New Model. We'll discuss those on the next page.
More of This Article
Ruger Blackhawk Review - Old Model 357 Revolver, Right Side of Gun
The photo above shows the right side of the Blackhawk, which has no markings other than the serial number, which is on the lower right portion of the frame (I've removed a portion of the serial number from the photo).
Why Load a Six-Shooter With Five Cartridges?
As is true of the old Colt Single Action (SA) revolvers that inspired it, the Blackhawk should be carried with only five cartridges in its six-shot cylinder.
The empty chamber should be under the hammer. The reason for this is that when the hammer is fully forward, it lies against the firing pin, and if the hammer is sharply struck or dropped against something, the cartridge under the hammer may be fired.
It should be noted here that the hammer should be placed at the safety notch (first click back from fully forward) when carrying the Blackhawk and most other SA revolvers, empty chamber or not. In this position, the firing pin does not touch any cartridge that may be under it.
New Model
The Blackhawk was replaced in 1973, along with all other Ruger single action revolvers, with a variation known as the New Model, which features a transfer bar between the hammer and firing pin. The arrangement of New model parts is such that the gun is safe to carry loaded with six rounds with the hammer down.
The new design is considered safer than the old, but is also considered inferior by some. One notable disadvantage to the New Model is that, when loading or unloading the gun, the cylinder stops at exactly the wrong place to extract or insert a cartridge.
The three screws on the right side of this gun indicate that it's an "Old Model." We'll talk about the conversion kit for Old Models on the following page.
More of This Article
The photo above shows a view from the rear of the Blackhawk. The elevation screw for the rear sight can be seen, along with a little bit of old grungy white paint on the front sight.
The front sight is a ramp type, with horizontal serrations on the ramp. It's apparently soldered to the barrel (the manual lists it as a separate part, but specifies "must be installed at the factory").
The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation.
An inlet in the top of the frame acts as a housing for the rear sight, which is pinned at its front end (said pin acting as a pivot for elevation adjustment).
Barrel length for this gun is listed as 4-5/8", although this one measures about 1/32" shy of that.
Medallion Color
It's well known that upon the 1951 death of his partner Alexander Sturm, Bill Ruger had the color of the company's phoenix logo trademark medallion changed from red to black. Interestingly, the logo medallions on these factory grips lack paint of any kind. It may have been removed by a previous owner.
Blackhawk Conversion Kit
Ruger offers a conversion kit for their Old Model guns. You send them your gun, paying for shipping one way. They remove the old parts, install new ones (making it act like a New Model gun), and return the gun to you along with the old parts, at no charge. (Contact them first - they'll send you a free shipping box.)
A previous owner of this revolver did just that, but found that he preferred the old action to the new, so he removed the new parts and re-installed the old ones.
The new parts were included with the gun when it was sold, and have stayed with it ever since.
More of This Article
Convertible Ruger Blackhawk
This Blackhawk 357 is a "Convertible" model, meaning it includes an accompanying cylinder chambered for a different cartridge. The extra cylinder is chambered for 9mm Luger, so this is a particularly flexible revolver, which can safely fire 38 Special or 357 Magnum ammo in its "parent" cylinder, and 9mm groceries in the other one. Accuracy with 9mm may be less than perfect, due to its slightly smaller bullet diameter.
Interestingly, neither cylinder is marked to indicate what cartridge it's chambered for. Both have a portion of the gun's serial number scratched, by hand, into the rear of the cylinder, indicating they are matched to this particular gun.
In the Photo
Pictured above is the Ruger Blackhawk 357 Magnum revolver with some companion items. The 9mm cylinder is above the barrel, with its felt drawstring bag next door. Below the gun are the parts for the conversion to New Model operation, and a set of Pachmayr grips to fit the gun.
To the right is the original "Instructions and Parts List," and to the left is the instruction manual for "Old Model Single Action Revolvers Equipped with a Ruger Conversion Kit," which was no doubt included when the gun was returned after the factory conversion.
Conclusion
The Ruger Blackhawk is a six-shot single action (SA) revolver, which was chambered for 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, or 30 Carbine. "Convertible" sets were offered in 357/9mm and 45 Colt/45 ACP.
The Blackhawk is a good, strong gun.
It's accurate and dependable, good for target shooting, and acceptable for self-defense... although when it comes to revolvers, single actions aren't as suitable for self-defense as double actions, because the hammer must be cocked before each shot can be fired.
- Russ Chastain
You may also be interested in this review of a More of This Article
Back in 1955, a young firearms company introduced its first centerfire gun. The company was Sturm, Ruger, and Co., and the gun was the Ruger Blackhawk single action (SA) revolver, chambered in 357 Magnum. Later chamberings included 41 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, and 30 Carbine, but the 357 was the mainstay of the Blackhawk line. "Convertible" guns were also sold, with two cylinders: 9mm Luger with 357 Mag, and 45 ACP with 45 Colt.
No Blackhawks were made in 9mm or 45 ACP except for the Convertibles.
The Blackhawk was the second model of revolver offered by the six-year-old company (the first was the Single Six SA .22-caliber rimfire revolver). The Blackhawk found a ready market, and became a success in short order. Popularity of old-west style Colt revolvers was high, and the Blackhawk looks, points, and feels much like the Colt Single Action Army.
They're Not All the Same
Bill Ruger was a tinkerer, and loved to fiddle around with his designs (which were mostly variations of others' designs). This resulted in many of the company's guns evolving over the years, and the Blackhawk is no exception.
The gun pictured above was built in 1970 per the serial number. Stamped on the left side of the barrel are "STURM, RUGER & CO., INC." and "SOUTHPORT, CONN. U.S.A." in two lines. The left side of the frame is stamped "RUGER .357 CAL." and "BLACKHAWK" in two lines below the cylinder, with the trademark phoenix logo stamped to the right of the words.
This particular gun is an example of what's probably the most common Blackhawk, with a hump in the top rear of the frame to house the rear sight. Originally, the Blackhawk had a flat frame top with the rear sight inletted into it, and is thus known as the "Flat Top." Early Flat Top Blackhawks are more rare, and thus are more costly as a rule.
(Read the review of a Flat Top Blackhawk 44 with 10" Barrel)
This gun is not a New Model. We'll discuss those on the next page.
More of This Article
- Page 1: Introduction, Left Side
- Page 2: Right Side, 5-Shooter, New Model
- Page 3: Top Rear and Sights
- Page 4: 9mm Convertible, Conclusion
Ruger Blackhawk Review - Old Model 357 Revolver, Right Side of Gun
The photo above shows the right side of the Blackhawk, which has no markings other than the serial number, which is on the lower right portion of the frame (I've removed a portion of the serial number from the photo).
Why Load a Six-Shooter With Five Cartridges?
As is true of the old Colt Single Action (SA) revolvers that inspired it, the Blackhawk should be carried with only five cartridges in its six-shot cylinder.
The empty chamber should be under the hammer. The reason for this is that when the hammer is fully forward, it lies against the firing pin, and if the hammer is sharply struck or dropped against something, the cartridge under the hammer may be fired.
It should be noted here that the hammer should be placed at the safety notch (first click back from fully forward) when carrying the Blackhawk and most other SA revolvers, empty chamber or not. In this position, the firing pin does not touch any cartridge that may be under it.
New Model
The Blackhawk was replaced in 1973, along with all other Ruger single action revolvers, with a variation known as the New Model, which features a transfer bar between the hammer and firing pin. The arrangement of New model parts is such that the gun is safe to carry loaded with six rounds with the hammer down.
The new design is considered safer than the old, but is also considered inferior by some. One notable disadvantage to the New Model is that, when loading or unloading the gun, the cylinder stops at exactly the wrong place to extract or insert a cartridge.
The three screws on the right side of this gun indicate that it's an "Old Model." We'll talk about the conversion kit for Old Models on the following page.
More of This Article
- Page 1: Introduction, Left Side
- Page 2: Right Side, 5-Shooter, New Model
- Page 3: Top Rear and Sights
- Page 4: 9mm Convertible, Conclusion
The photo above shows a view from the rear of the Blackhawk. The elevation screw for the rear sight can be seen, along with a little bit of old grungy white paint on the front sight.
The front sight is a ramp type, with horizontal serrations on the ramp. It's apparently soldered to the barrel (the manual lists it as a separate part, but specifies "must be installed at the factory").
The rear sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation.
An inlet in the top of the frame acts as a housing for the rear sight, which is pinned at its front end (said pin acting as a pivot for elevation adjustment).
Barrel length for this gun is listed as 4-5/8", although this one measures about 1/32" shy of that.
Medallion Color
It's well known that upon the 1951 death of his partner Alexander Sturm, Bill Ruger had the color of the company's phoenix logo trademark medallion changed from red to black. Interestingly, the logo medallions on these factory grips lack paint of any kind. It may have been removed by a previous owner.
Blackhawk Conversion Kit
Ruger offers a conversion kit for their Old Model guns. You send them your gun, paying for shipping one way. They remove the old parts, install new ones (making it act like a New Model gun), and return the gun to you along with the old parts, at no charge. (Contact them first - they'll send you a free shipping box.)
A previous owner of this revolver did just that, but found that he preferred the old action to the new, so he removed the new parts and re-installed the old ones.
The new parts were included with the gun when it was sold, and have stayed with it ever since.
More of This Article
- Page 1: Introduction, Left Side
- Page 2: Right Side, 5-Shooter, New Model
- Page 3: Top Rear and Sights
- Page 4: 9mm Convertible, Conclusion
Convertible Ruger Blackhawk
This Blackhawk 357 is a "Convertible" model, meaning it includes an accompanying cylinder chambered for a different cartridge. The extra cylinder is chambered for 9mm Luger, so this is a particularly flexible revolver, which can safely fire 38 Special or 357 Magnum ammo in its "parent" cylinder, and 9mm groceries in the other one. Accuracy with 9mm may be less than perfect, due to its slightly smaller bullet diameter.
Interestingly, neither cylinder is marked to indicate what cartridge it's chambered for. Both have a portion of the gun's serial number scratched, by hand, into the rear of the cylinder, indicating they are matched to this particular gun.
In the Photo
Pictured above is the Ruger Blackhawk 357 Magnum revolver with some companion items. The 9mm cylinder is above the barrel, with its felt drawstring bag next door. Below the gun are the parts for the conversion to New Model operation, and a set of Pachmayr grips to fit the gun.
To the right is the original "Instructions and Parts List," and to the left is the instruction manual for "Old Model Single Action Revolvers Equipped with a Ruger Conversion Kit," which was no doubt included when the gun was returned after the factory conversion.
Conclusion
The Ruger Blackhawk is a six-shot single action (SA) revolver, which was chambered for 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 45 Colt, or 30 Carbine. "Convertible" sets were offered in 357/9mm and 45 Colt/45 ACP.
The Blackhawk is a good, strong gun.
It's accurate and dependable, good for target shooting, and acceptable for self-defense... although when it comes to revolvers, single actions aren't as suitable for self-defense as double actions, because the hammer must be cocked before each shot can be fired.
- Russ Chastain
You may also be interested in this review of a More of This Article
- Page 1: Introduction, Left Side
- Page 2: Right Side, 5-Shooter, New Model
- Page 3: Top Rear and Sights
- Page 4: 9mm Convertible, Conclusion
Source...