Okay, I have had my NV (blue steel, 4 5/8 barrel , .357 mag) for about a couple of weeks now and have fired about 250 rounds through it. as far as the fit and finish go, The fit is better than my early 80's BH .41 mag. The Blueing is good and they hid the warning by moving it to the bottom of the barrel. The new grip feels better than my .41 does. over all the fit is very good but not certainly a pre war colt. but then what is? I know the reciever finish is not really case hardened, I still like the way it looks. The grips look and feel like what the gutta pircha grips must have felt like new in 1880. The trigger doesn't quite look right to someone who knows what they are looking at, (folks like us) but overall, a well made gun that will still be firing when most other stuff is broken.
On the range, I tried several loads, all with my own cast bullets. with my eyes not being what they used to be i was about to get groups of about 2 inches ( with 3 or 4 often cutting the same hole). and they printed about 8 inches low but centered. after trying numerous loads and few powders. I came back to the same powder i usually do, which is unique. With a load that sends a 150 gr keith style (rcbs-150-kt) to a velocity of about 1100 fps. I filed the sights to bring the group up to an inche and quarter high at 25 yards. with the gun zeroed for this load, any can or two inche chunk of debris on impact mound was flying though the air at nearly every shot. i wish someone had been there to see it.
So, overall, it is the usual ruger quality. excellent accuracy,a pretty good trigger , and even with full power .357 mag ammo, very controllable, and with my cast bullets, it is very pleasantto shoot but still packs a punch. Not as romantic as a .45 but mine is going to get alot of use. , I only wish i could still pick up .357 brass like i used to. now it is all 9 mm and .40 cal.
