Any quirks to the Blackhawk Convertible 9mm/357Mag?

[hans g./UpS]

I'm in the process of getting a Ruger BN34 Blackhawk Convertible 9mm/ 357Mag. 4-5/8"barrel
Any quirks to this caliber combination in a Blackhawk[e,g, factory loads/
hand loads, operation,etc.] ?
Thanks.

[John Traveler]

The only "quirks" I know of from working on or talking to owners of the RBH .357/9mm convertible are as follows:

1.  9mm chambers tend to be tight and reloads using soft lead bullets chamber hard.  The 9mm cylinders don't get used much.

2.  tight chamber throats that cause barrel leading.

3.  cylinder pin tends to jump out on recoil and burr the cylinder pin latch.  Keeping the cylinder pin latch secured with Locktite sealant helps prevent this.

All of these are easily fixable.  

The tight chamber throats seem to be very common on Ruger revolvers.  I dunno if their production people insist on using overly re-sharpened undersize reamers, but that seems to be the most common complaint from users and gunsmiths.

[hans g./UpS]

Could one safely use 9mm+P+ surplus  ammo in the Blackhawk Convertible?
I've used some fairly hot surplus 9mm in a Glock.
Thanks.

[Alice Cooper]

i'd be very surprized if a +p+ 9mm would ever harm a blackhawk...some even concider the 357 blackhawk the strongest single action out there...on another site, a gent purposely abused blackhawks just to see what would happen(he had to destroy confiscated guns anyway) and said he mangled a lot of brass with outrageous loads and the blackhawk stood up to them....

[Tom C.]

One problem seems to be the barrel should be about .357" while 9mm bullets tend to be .355." That can cause poor accuracy. Some reload 9mm with .357 bullets for that reason.

[hans g./UpS]

With the short tube[and after I change or brighten up the sights],I anticipate limiting use to under 50 yards;probably20-30 yards.
Weird as it may sound,I wonder whether any 3rd Word countries allow U.S. travelers to carry a sidearm?[the 9mm cylinder and single action would be helpful in that instance].

[BobYoung]

I've got one.  It's identical to the one you're considering.  Haven't had it too long and can't recall shooting much full power 357 through it.  But it has seen a lot of .38 Spcl level wadcutter loads (in .357 brass) and a lot of 9mm.  The gun is accurate and shoots both equally well.  Only glitch is that the honkin' big firing pin occasionally pierces a 9mm primer.  When it happens it's a non-event.  You just notice that the firing pin dimple on the primer of the fired case is black instead of silver.  If I shoot very light 9mm loads, this doesn't happen.  I shoot only handloads and have been using Winshester's WSP primer for my 9mm loads.    A primer switch might correct this.  

I like this gun much better than the P95 I traded for it.  Have to raise rear sight 10 clicks when going from 38 Spcl. wadcutter loads  to a moderate (1000-1100fps) 9mm load with 115 Gr JHP.
Bob

[Old Griz]

I've got two of them, one in each barrel length. They're lots of fun. Got two for CAS Modern Class. I noticed that jacketed 9mm bullets seemed to be the more accurate than the lead nose 9s, so I bought a case of the cheap Wolf ammo. (Cheaper than reloads.) It's hard to tell the difference between shooting .38s and the 9mm. However, as accurate as it is with these two, you can tell these babies want .357 fodder. The groups sure get smaller when you shoot the good stuff.

The only problem I have had is that the steel cases of the Wolf ammo gets tight in one chamber, but the more I shoot the looser it gets.

Other than that, I've had no problems of any kind. The difference between .355 and .357 is so slight the bullets hardly know the difference.

Have fun!

[1badmagnum]

just picked one up tonite,and shot 200 rounds through it with all but a few stray bullets not hitting the paper at 25 yds.
great wheelgun,357/38 special for serious shooting and 9mm for cheap plinking.
my first ruger,and I just love it.
the wooden grips have a great feel,especially for a guy with large hands.
I'm now thinking of a 480 ruger,as I've heard you can also shoot 475 linbaugh.
any opinions on this?

[hans g./UpS]

Finally tried out mine.Seems to like 158gr SWC 38Spec,357Mag[158gr JHP] is a bit rude,9mm OK[including +P+]but shoot low-no surprize.
Mainly going to use 9mm in it.
Glad I whitened up sights and put on Hogue grip.
Perhaps I'm a bit cynical,but as usual for Ruger:some of the chambers seem tighter/rougher than others.We'll see over time.

[Old Griz]

1badmagnum:

My understanding is that you can shoot .480s in a .475, but not the other way around. It would be like trying to load a .357 into a gun made for .38 specials.

I don't have either, so maybe someone that actually has one or the other can shed more light than my ignorant self.

[jpuke]

I have a Ruger Blackhawk 45 ACP/45 Colt convertible and I've just started shooting the 45 ACP in it again recently because I got some 230gr. moulds.  When I used to load for the 1911 that I had (got rid of it because I hated chasing brass) I didn't have to taper crimp as much because the force of the slide hitting the cartridge would seat it home just fine.  I find with the 45 I need to get a good taper crimp or I can't get the cartridges to seat far enough for the cylinder to rotate.  Like someone else said before - it only happens when I shoot lead, jacketed bullets go in just fine.  They shoot just as accurate as the 45 Colt so I'm using the 45 Colt for my heavy loads and the ACP for the lighter fun loads.  Convertibles are a great deal!

[1badmagnum]

according to midway usa the bullets are exactly the same
the col for the 475 is 1.810
the col for the 480 is 1.620
if the cylinder is long enough to accomidate the extra .200 col,I believe both will shoot well.
I'm sure the redhawk would have more than .200 clearence just by design but I could be wrong.
anyone else have a opinion,or a 480 ruger wheelgun that could give me the clearence in the chamber?

[Savage]

jpuke,
If you'll get a "Lee Factory Crimp" die for you ACP and run your reloads thru it as a final operation, your loads will just drop in the chambers. Just eliminates one source of agravation.
Stay Safe,
Savage

[kciH]

1BadMagnum,
The issue has nothing to do with COL in this instance.  The .475 is longer case than the .480.  As was previously stated it would be like trying to put a 357 in a 38 chamber, it should under no circumstances fit!  The .480, when handloaded, with heavy cast bullets only gives up a 100fps to the .475 from the data I've seen.  I've shot a .480 in a Raging Bull with the porting and the factory grip (awesome grip for eating recoil) and it was very manageable.  The muzzle blast was quite impressive on the indoor range.  If the .480 doesn't have the power you want/need, the 475 isn't likely to satisfy it either.  It is a impressive round that has the power to kill anything that walks at revolver ranges.  I can't speak for the Ruger as I haven't fired one.  The .480 is on my list of guns to buy, but I'll hold off until I see how the Ruger compares to the Raging Bull.  I think that Freedom Arms makes a .475 , that would allow you to fire either round.