I saw today under glass, a stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk, .44 magnum, 7 1/2 inch barrel. For $375.00. I could probably dicker on that price.
If it had been a Blackhawk in .357 or .45 Colt, I'd have been on it in a minute. But .44 magnum I have no experience with.
Whadd'ya think?
12 comments:
The stainless @ $375 is a steal. Something might be wrong with it. If so, Ruger will fix it cheap. Mine likes the Lee 310 gr FP @ circa 1,000 fps. More than that, it kicks too much. BUY IT.
Check for a swelled barrel or chamber due to a fellow trying to make a 44 supermag out of it.
One more check point. Like a Win 94, a Ruger SBH barrel must be cleaned from the muzzle. Check for cleaning rod wear below the crown.
Handguns are as personal as gloves or skivvy drawers. The Super Blackhawk in .44 Mag is far more revolver than I can use, control, or want especially in the long barrelled iteration. With that 7 1/2" barrel, my opinion is that it is more a carbine than a handgun.
I've said before, and I'll say again, I'm one of the lucky ones who has or has had nearly every firearm I've ever wanted. The one which remains is a 4" or 4 1/2" double or single action revolver in .357 or .41 Mag. (Deer legal here in WA State.) That's just me.
If it 'speaks' to you, buy it. $375 is CHEAP! You should shortly be able to sell or trade it at a respectable gain.
Gerry N.
I agree $375 is cheap. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but I'm a recoil hound anyway.
Buy it.
My most accurate handgun is my Colt Anaconda .44 Mag 4". I can hit deer-size targets (in the "boiler room") at 100 yds, just resting it on a stump, with it's adjustable open sights. That's with 240-gr factory.
I paid $900 for my Anaconda, and that Ruger has to be a bargain, but yes, check it over with a fine-tooth comb.
If you get it, consider using some sort of lace-on wrist brace if you're going to shoot more than 2 cyls of factory at a time.
You can load some light stuff for practice, or even buy .44 Special.
Re: recoil. A reloader doesn't have to shoot factory level or beyond loads in a 44 mag pistol. With 44 special level loads, a 44 mag SBH is a pussycat. Take a few grs of Unique, etc., and a 240 gr lead bullet from 900 to 1,000 fps and shoot all day. And kill deer to 50 yards, too.
My Lee 310 gr/1000 fps load I mentioned can be increased to 310 gr/1200 fps. But about two of those were plenty for this ol' boy!
I bought mine at a pawn shop years ago -- I had to convince myself to do it (much as you are doing now). It has turned out to be one of the most enjoyable handguns I have ever owned. It is a pleasure to shoot; all I have used it for is plinking. Other items are used for hunting and personal carry, but I love that Super Blackhawk.
pjk
I believe I'd get that SBH, it being such a reasonable price. Admittedly, an established handloader with a solid .45 Colt has a less pressing NEED for a .44 mag than some others. It is really a niche item. Personally, I'd probably leave the tube at 7.5 inches and use it mainly for handgun hunting and long range plinking.
What a versatile piece it can be. You can buy almost any level load off-the-shelf, from poofter .44 Spl to painfully powerful, heavy bullet, full house manglems that'll stop a range bull in its tracks. As a fully competent home loader, already set up for bullet casting, you can do everything a revolvista would wish, and for mere pennies per shot. I like Unique powder in Special cases, for 750 to 850 fps with 240 SWC bullets. In mag cases, the classic Lyman Ideal 429421 bullet over 2400 or H110 at around 1200 will handle any deer you want to take, at reasonable ranges.
With the BIG heavy bullets, you're on your own, Bro. I gave my custom SBH to Elder Son. With mag loads, the trigger guard smacked my arthritic trigger finger, so I tend toward a .44 Spl DA revolver, or a .45C Mountain Gun.
Good luck to you.
JPG
I wouldn't give more than $370 OTD, unless Shylock held firm on his price, then I'd buckle to pressure and buy it anyway. The 429241 will kill deer as far as you can hit them if you launch it at 900-1000fps.I've not shot a 7 1/2" barrel but I do know that there is a HUGE difference between my 3" 629 and my 10" SBH in perceived recoil.
Ah heck, go ahead and "buck the tiger" and get it. Elmer Keith swore by the 44 Special, saying that it would do just about anything that he could want or desire out of a handgun.
And as the other folks said here, you can always get your money back out of it plus some at a later date.
Jump on it.
Hell, if it ain't trashed an' you don't like it I'll give ya 400 of Obamas for it.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
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