Old Model .41 Magnum Blackhawk

Hello, A couple of questions about a recent treasure I was fortunate to buy. Its an unconverted, OM Blackhawk, .41 Magnum, 4 5/8" Barrel, Ser. # 40- 01XXX. Some holster wear, original wood grips, one panel chipped. Shooting it, in my opinion, is not comfortable. Trigger guard raps the knuckle of the middle finger when fired. Gun rolls back substantially too. Recoil Roll Back/Short Barrel makes sense, is what it is. Trigger Guard rap to the knuckle, is what it is too. My question; Would an OM Super Blackhawk Grip Frame solve both of these issues? Is it worth the bother to change? Just shooting factory loads. Thanks.

Grip frames are like shoes, what fits me, might not work for you. Seek out a person with a Super or a rental gun etc. & try it before you start changing things. I'm not a Super fan, had a bunch of them, but can't get along with that grip.
With the knuckle busting, grip the gun a bit lower, maybe even to the point that your pinky is underneath the grip frame. I prefer to roll or twist my hand clockwise around the grip, which moves my middle finger knuckle away from the trigger guard.
The recoil roll is what the standard grip frames do, that's their nature, whether a 4" or a 7" barrel. The shorter being more pronounced. Try to use a firm & consistent grip, but don't fight it. Some say "relax & enjoy the ride"
One more thing, shooting lighter loads for a while might help getting more familiar with the gun.

Enjoy! 8)

"Grip frames are like shoes, what fits me, might not work for you."

This.

I teach handgunning. I can have 3 guns, exactly the same, except for the grips. Invariably, different folks will choose one over all the others.

Next,,, I don't know you,,, but have you had proper instruction on how to properly hold a SA revolver? Sometimes,,, learning a different way to grip the firearm can make all the difference in the world.

Swapping a grip frame out isn't a hard thing to do,,, but I'd try one first before I'd go to the expense of buying one only to find out it didn't work as you hoped.

As stated, the grip swap MIGHT help you out. If nothing else, the Super grip frame is long enough to really get a good grip with all your fingers.

Finding an Old Model Super grip frame could be a difficult, expensive effort. Good luck.

It is possible to use a New Model Super grip frame on your Old Model Blackhawk. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this, but I'll not go into it unless you actually want to give it a try. No modifications to your Old Model are necessary, just the grip frame swap.

My OM 41 rapped my finger too, so I swapped grip frames. It helped alot, but the hotter the load, i'd still get rapped. I think it is how you hold the weapon, and the grips themselves.

veeman said:

My OM 41 rapped my finger too, so I swapped grip frames. It helped a lot, but the hotter the load, i'd still get rapped. I think it is how you hold the weapon, and the grips themselves.

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. . . and the size of your hands.

Thanks for the replies. To be honest, I'm just curious about this. Changing the grip frame is not a high priority. As for my skills, probably not great. I know that I do not fight the recoil, and let it ride. I've done this whether shooting rifle or shotgun, as well as various handguns. Among other toys, I have an OM Super Blackhawk .44, and an OM Blackhawk .357. They are all factory grips. The .44 Super Blackhawk, 7 1/2", does not recoil as bad, has less roll back. Likely due to the larger grip frame. The .357 Blackhawk, 6 1/2", is the most comfortable to shoot, as the recoil is a straight back push, with very little roll back. I also have a .357 Dan Wesson, 6 1/2", full under lug, whose recoil is much different. The characteristics of each are interesting, and different. Cost of .41 ammo makes reloading an option, and lighter loads would change the recoil some. I guess I'll just enjoy this for what it is, an occasional shooter. Thanks again for the replies.

small, like everything else

Nice looking .41 by the way. Looks great. Aftermarket grips, or, original?

In addition, your OM Super has an additional 3-1/2" of barrel way out front, and a non-fluted cylinder along with the steel grip frame . . . all of which add weight to help moderate the recoil effects. Shooting loads in the shorter, lighter .41 that approach the .44 loads in the Super will still be noted, for sure.

I have relatively small hands, and the guns that beat my knuckle the worst are the 4-5/8" ones with "exuberant" loads. I put a SBH grip frame on my short .45 Blackhawk, and it helped, some. If I'm careful about my grip, I can usually avoid knuckle damage . . . usually.

;-)

SBHRSSSSS said:

Nice looking .41 by the way. Looks great. Aftermarket grips, or, original?

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Aftermarket, Sambar stags, got them from a member here in the classifieds.

You might try wearing a motorcycle style fingerless glove.
I keep a pair in my range bag for the days I need a little padding due to something like this.

I have a OM .41 Mag also. Fairly large hands. And it was uncomfortable to shoot with the factory grips. First problem is the factory ammo. Besides being in the super expensive category most of what I tried was loaded pretty stiffly. Makes sense I guess but not plinking type stuff. I tried several different grips and finally found an old pair of Herretts that I like a lot. But I cannot locate a second pair exactly iike them. When they switched to machine checkering they changed the shape a little and made them thicker. If I am going to shoot the heavy loads I wear a glove. I actually like shooting with the glove (a golf glove). I really can not answer your question about the grip frame. Mine has an Old Army frame on it that is steel but still and XR3-red. I would not shoot the .41 Mag if I did not reload for it. I shoot a lot of loads lighter than the factory and some that should be heavier.

SBHRSSSSS said:

Cost of .41 ammo makes reloading an option, and lighter loads would change the recoil some. I guess I'll just enjoy this for what it is, an occasional shooter. Thanks again for the replies.

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I consider reloading an absolute necessity if your a not a millionaire and like to shoot a lot. Specially if you own and shoot a few big magnums + a couple of the less popular calipers. I bought my .41 Redhawk and my Dillon 450 press right about the same time in the early mid 80's, since along with my 357 and 44 mag's ammo costs were pricing me out of the hobby. Since then I've acquired a few 10mm's and S&W 460V that shoots both 454 Casull and 460 S&W. I would never have purchased these firearms if I didn't load, NO WAY I could ever afford to purchase that elite priced ammo.
A great progressive press like todays Dillon 550C will run you about the same cost of one good new weapon, will last you a lifetime, and will pay for itself in a short time from ammo cost savings.
I'll also say that, at least for me, reloading has become a very enjoyable hobby of it's own. Like my buddy that likes to tie his own flys for fishing, I find time my at the bench to be a very relaxing passtime. Honestly (at least for me) the biggest problem is finding the time and $ to shoot all the rounds I enjoy cranking out.
Save up some $ and get a good progressive press kit, you'll never regret it.

"... unconverted, OM Blackhawk, .41 Magnum, 4 5/8" Barrel... Shooting it... is not comfortable. Trigger guard raps the knuckle of the middle finger..."

*****
Pachmayr Presentation grips for the Blackhawk (and Super Blackhawk) were a mainstay for many silhouette shooters, enabling them to shoot more accurately, more consistently, than with the factory walnut. Some of us handled the Super Blackhawk perfectly well in competition with factory stocks. Nevertheless, the rap to the middle finger is real. Thousands of Super Blackhawks were fired on steel, and a tour of the firing line showed factory walnut in a distinct minority. Likewise, Blackhawks in .357, .41, and .44 Mag.

Avoid finger grooves unless the flutes match your fingers perfectly. Grooves too wide spread your fingers, which results in vertical stringing. The original style Pachmayr Blackhawk & SBH has a smooth frontstrap, and these are winners. Uncle Mike's made an excellent, slightly slimmer copy of the Pachmayr Presentation for the SBH, Blackhawk as well. Pachmayr and Uncle Mike's grips require no alteration to your grip frame.

Standard pattern walnut grips which fill behind trigger guard were popular in the 1970-1980's. Any of these hand-filling grips eliminate battering of the middle finger and require no alteration to the revolver.
David Bradshaw

SBHRSSSSS.... correction to my first response: the original Pachmayr Presentation grips for theBlackhawk continues in production, listing @ $40. Cheaper than damage to your middle finger. Pachmayr is owned by Lyman. As noted, Pachmayr I detest finger groove grips on a single action, as did the vast majority of silhouetters. I shot factory walnut on the Ruger .44 Mag "Silhouette Super" through many tournaments, was just about the last steel shooter to shoot factory stocks on the Ruger. By which time the proximal digit of my middle finger had endured a good pounding.

The secret to marksmanship with a powerful revolver is to NOT FIGHT recoil. Ride the shot. Rugers take dry fire better than any other gun. If the thought of dry firing your Ruger spooks you, use snap caps. Pachmayr Presentation for the Blackhawk (with larger model for Dragoon-grip Super Blackhawk) are one-piece and cover the backstrap. The Pachmayr slows the roll of recoil. At first it may rub the base of your thumb. It so, try a light glove.
David Bradshaw

Thanks to each one of you, for your replies and advice. Much appreciated. I have much to learn.

Had an Old-Model .41, 4-5/8" and I have to say that the Pachmyar grips did more for me than the factory grips, especially with the hot lots. The gun did better than me after a box or two.