Blackhawk 44 special

[Justin10mm]

Who has one? Like it?

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

   Justin, I belong to a pistol group that just got a special run of Rugers done on a Bisley model in .44 spl.. haven't got my hands on mine yet, as they are not quite finished...they are due in May...will be glad to fill you in at that ttime, but right now I use mostly 44 spl. in my S & W mt. gun...love the caliber...for most of my shooting and hunting it is fine...except when I go north into Grizzly country...then I take a big b ore rifle and my 44 loaded with mag. cases and cast 250's..to me this case is a winner...unless one is a serious hard core handgun hunter, mostly we don't need Elmer's 44 mag. loads...Most of the 15 or so head of big game I ha ve shot have been with a .44 spl. load fired in one of my mag. revolvers...I think the new Rugers in .44 spl will be real winners...

[Autorim]

I have one of the Lipsey specials blue steel built on the mid size frame. Mine is the old style Blackhawk grip frame - all steel - flat top - 4 5/8 inch bbl. I think it is a very nicely fitted and finished revolver. I have only fired it a couple of hundred times, but it is very accurate - at least it shoots as well as these old eyes can see.

I zeroed it for a 240 grain Mt. Baldy Keith bullet and 5.0 grains of Trail Boss. I now have a bunch of these rounds loaded. I like it a lot. This is the only Ruger single action I own that is not on a Bisley grip frame. I prefer the Bisley for the fuller grip and better recoil handling capability. However, I do not expect to shoot loads in the .44 special that generate any real significant amount of recoil. Great little handgun.

[OLDHandgunner]

I've had my Ruger 44Spl in 4 5/8" from Lipsey's for over a year now. It came through with a nice finish and a very smooth action. It shoots my 250gr Keith cast bullets with 7.5 grs of Unique very well. I haven't played around with any other loads for it yet, because this is the only load that I shoot in my other 44 Spl's. And this load shoots so well in all of them.

[Autorim]

I had a typo. The Mt. Baldy Keith is also a 250 grain. The 7.5 grains of Unique also shoots well in mine.

[Axehandle]

Love them....  Sitting here counting it looks like I have eight factory NM FT 44 Specials and one NM custom 44 Special.  Those NM 44 specials  are 4 5/8 and 5 1/2 inch blue FTs... a consecutive serial number pair of the TALO stainless FT 4 5/8 44s , a T510 prefix TALO FT 44, a consecutive serial number pair of 4 5/8 Bisley FT 44s, and one FT Bisley 5 1/2 FT 44...  All are mostly stock with the exception of trigger springs and grips.  They wear Elk stag, Sambar stag, and amboyna burl grips.... Need to send them down to John Gallagher for trigger and action work...  Here is a little preview..  
Custom By David Clements

Lipsey's 44 Special BH

Stainless 44 Special BH

FT Bisley 44 Special

[Dale53]

I am extremely happy with my Blued .44 Lipsey Special 5½". It shoots under 1" at 25 yards with my own cast bullets (Keith style MiHec H&G #503 Clone) in both solid point and hollow point bullets. My "standard" load for the .44 Special is either of these bullets ahead of 7.5 grs of Unique.

Here are the hollow point bullets loaded in Starline .44 Special cases:



Here is the gun:


Here is the gun in Red Dog Leather:


Excellent caliber in an excellent platform.

Dale53

[Jeff H]

Been using my 5 1/2" for over a year and it's the sweetest SA I have owned to date.  Action was crunchy, there was a lot of creep and the factory grips were not so hot but fit and finish was very good overal and it has shot everything I have tried in it very accurately.  I have shot the LEE 208 grain wadcutter, various 215 and 250 grain SWCs and the Ranch Dog 265 grain bullet from it, all with excellent results. 

I recently got the Bisley model but would trade it for a stainless one in a heartbeat.  How I miss that, I don't know, but the Bisley, for all its great looks and that wonderful hammer, just does not fit me like the regular grip frame.  So, the Bisley is on the block.  Haven't shot the Bisly but expect it to shoot as well as the regular one.

That was a long, long wait for one of those, but it was worth it.

Jef H

[sixshot]

  This run of 44 specials by Lipsey's was way over due but not that they are here they are selling very well, as they should. I have the 4 5/8's barrel & it shoots great, I restocked it with a set of Holly's, had my son do a trigger job, narrow the front sight & its very accurate. My normal, everday load is 5.5 grs of 231 with the 250 Keith, when I want to crank it up I use the old Skeeter Skelton load of 7.5 grs of Unique & the same bullet, it runs about 925 fps in my gun. I took a Montana whitetail with it last fall, I'm very happy with mine & it gets packed a lot.

Dick

[COR]

Been using my 5 1/2" for over a year and it's the sweetest SA I have owned to date.  Action was crunchy, there was a lot of creep and the factory grips were not so hot but fit and finish was very good overal and it has shot everything I have tried in it very accurately.  I have shot the LEE 208 grain wadcutter, various 215 and 250 grain SWCs and the Ranch Dog 265 grain bullet from it, all with excellent results. 

I recently got the Bisley model but would trade it for a stainless one in a heartbeat.  How I miss that, I don't know, but the Bisley, for all its great looks and that wonderful hammer, just does not fit me like the regular grip frame.  So, the Bisley is on the block.  Haven't shot the Bisly but expect it to shoot as well as the regular one.

That was a long, long wait for one of those, but it was worth it.

Jef H

What loads did you try with the RD Mold?  I haven't loaded it in any Specials yet but it is a great shooter out of my 44 magnums.  If you don't feel comfortable posting the loads just let me know whayt powders you liked.  Thanks Jeff

[Jeff H]

.....What loads did you try with the RD Mold?  I haven't loaded it in any Specials yet but it is a great shooter out of my 44 magnums.  If you don't feel comfortable posting the loads just let me know whayt powders you liked.  Thanks Jeff

You had to ask.
All I remember about the load is that it was 2400.
The "sticky" label came unstuck at the range and got away.
I remember thinking "I'll remember that load long enough to write it down," which might have worked if I had written it dow THAT day.
I have a few left and have to pull one to weigh the charge.
A long-time friend/fellow conservative loader/commercial caster found the data and e-mailed it to me so I can't even reference the source.
I have been looking for some load data for the RDO 265432 myself and not coming up with anything.
When I get a chance, I will pull one and weigh it.  I will report it here under the stipulation that it is understood that I don't have a reference source.
That said, it was not a "heavy" load by any means.

[COR]

You can PM me if that is better.  I have tried Lil Gun and 19grs worked well for a 44 Magnum load. I was just curious for when I start to play with the RD and the 44spl this summer.  Accuracy is all I really need.  Even at 850fps that bullet will leave a mark.

[Jeff H]

...Even at 850fps that bullet will leave a mark......

Yeah, I'm with ya on that one.  850 fps would be plenty.
It may be this weekend before I can pull one.
I was hoping to find a load for it with "Lil' Gun, but no dice so far.

[Jeff H]

You can PM me if that is better.....

Done

Look for the June, '09 Handloader, article By Brian Pearce, on the Flattop 44, 5 1/2".
Has some factory and handload data.

I would recommend seeking out a back issue of that issue for anyone interested in this particular single-action.

Jeff H

[COR]

Thanks Jeff!  Sorry if we got the thread sidetracked.