Ruger Bisley

I recently acquired a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk. It has a fluted cylinder which confuses me. I thought all Bisleys had unfluted cylinders. I look forward to reading your replies.

Very early ones had the fluted cylinder.

Thanks Jimbo. This one dates to 1990 as far as I can tell.

Very nice Bisley. Which caliber?
If one has the box, an X in the catalog # indicates a roll engraved smooth cyl. All four calibers; 357, 41 M, 44 M and 45 Colt could be had with fluted or smooth cyls.

Used gun?
Cyls are often sold and replaced, or swapped. Some like fluted, some smooth. The engraving on the smooth Bisley cyls is easily polished off and used in the 5 1/2" SBHs which come with fluted cyls.

I bought the gun without the correct box. It did come with two sets of stocks, the originals and a set of faux ivory seen above. I doubt the revolver has been fired a lot. It is chambered in .44 magnum.

I would have expected a 1990 SBH to have the smooth cylinder and Dragoon gripframe.
Remove the cylinder, look at the rear for hand engraved numbers, the last 3 of the serial number. If so and they differ from the serial number then the firearm has been refitted with that cylinder and likely the Dragoon gripframe swapped for a Bisley.

And that is a 1989 serial number.

To educate myself and further confuse the issue, best I can tell.
Like Jimbo said, that model Bisley was introduced in the mid 1980's with fluted cylinders but about 1986 or 1987 they changed to unfluted rollmarked cylinders.
See if cylinder has the serial number scratched in it.
Could simply be a bench clean up factory gun.

According to the RENE,,, by it's appearance,,, it'd be a model RB-44. (RB = blue, Ruger NM Bisley Blackhawk)
However, the RB-44 has a known serial number range of; 85-40742 to 85-50240.

The RB-44W, the model with the roll marked cylinder has a serial number range of; 85-47522 to 87-57402 with many thousands made.

To get the proper ID,,, a letter from Ruger would be in order. Be specific in your request, to make sure they give you to all important RB-44 or the RB-44W info. If it turns out to be a lettered RB-44,,, then the RENE gets an update.

I have a RB44 and a RB41 Both fluted cylinders, they are 1986 guns.
The 44 serial no. 85-48xxx
The 41 serial no. 47-12xxx

My understanding is the development of the roll mark process was moving slower
than anticipated. I order to get the Bisleys to market they sent them out with fluted
cylinders. They are a bit scarce and sweet guns IMO, really like mine. ps

ETA Your serial number does not match the early production guns, the cylinder
may have been swapped out, Hard to say with Ruger almost anything is possible.

My Bisley 357 w/flutes.

Back in the spring a friend of mine who does a lot of trading, came across a .357 cal. blackhawk. It had a seven and one half in barrel, don,t remember if the cylinder was flutted or not.

Hondo44 said:

Very nice Bisley. Which caliber?
If one has the box, an X in the catalog # indicates a roll engraved smooth cyl. All four calibers; 357, 41 M, 44 M and 45 Colt could be had with fluted or smooth cyls.

Used gun?
Cyls are often sold and replaced, or swapped. Some like fluted, some smooth. The engraving on the smooth Bisley cyls is easily polished off and used in the 5 1/2" SBHs which come with fluted cyls.

Click to expand...

rfo1 said:

I recently acquired a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk. It has a fluted cylinder which confuses me. I thought all Bisleys had unfluted cylinders. I look forward to reading your replies.

Click to expand...

With that high a serial number (86-011xx) I'd say somebody's changed the cylinder.
The next thing is...if Ruger did make it that way, it would have been in error, so good luck getting a letter from the factory saying it left as RB44 instead of RB44W.
Chet15