Blackhawk frame sizes

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GoodnDusty

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Messages
2
Location
Pacific Northwest
I have noticed the difference in holstering my Old and New model blackhawks, cylinder size is obvious. I have read in these forums that there is a third frame size.

What is its size in relationship to what I have?
Do Old or New Models have two frame sizes, and if so is there a serial number range?

Thank You
 

oregon73

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
618
Location
Portland, Oregon
Hello!

Are you comparing old model and New Model .357 Blackhawks?

There is a size difference there. The old models had two frame sizes--the .357's were smaller, the .41 mag, 44 mag, 45 cal and 30 Carbine guns were larger. When the New Model appeared the .357 was built on the same large frame as the other guns.

That's the extent of what I know this morning! Perhaps others will chime in as well.

Welcome to the forum!

Rob
 

GoodnDusty

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Messages
2
Location
Pacific Northwest
Yes, I am comparing .357's, I am starting cowboy action shooting and wanted to match up a pair of 4 5/8" revolvers. Currently I have 2 new model, 1 old model, and one old model flat top. The new models do not come out of the holster as well due to the larger size. Are all the Old Model .357's going to have the small frame size, and will all the New models have the larger frame size?

As for the third size, I can not find the posts that mentioned it, but was wanting to know if there was a serial number range to avoid if trying to match up a pair.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Welcome to the Forum!
Yes,, the OM's will all have the mainframe & cylinder sizes alike,, and the NM's will also have the same sizes as each other. Just don't mix OM's & NM's for holster size.
As for the serial number range,, just use the OM & NM differences.
The only "third" size MIGHT be the 357 Maximum guns..!
Then,, there are the NM 50th anniversary Flattops which use the smaller frames,, as do the New Vaqueros,,,!
A bit confusing,, but not too bad.
 

Dale53

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 29, 2007
Messages
925
Location
Hamilton, Ohio USA
There are four frame sizes:
1 - Bearcat

2 - Single Six

3 - Medium frame:
Original Old Model Flat Top .357 magnum
Fiftieth Anniversary .357 Magnum Flat Top
.44 Lipsey Special
New Model Vaquero

4 - Large Frame
Original Old Model .44 Magnum Flattop
Old Model BlackHawk .45 Colt
New Model Black Hawk .357 and above calibers
Old and New Model Super Black Hawk
Vaquero (that's right, just plain Vaquero)
New Model 50th Anniversary .44 Magnum Flattop

I THINK I have it covered but there is always a chance that I have forgotten something. Feel free to chime in if necessary.

Dale53
 

Stubshaft

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
31
Location
State of Confusion
Dale53":10p4ci96 said:
There are four frame sizes:
1 - Bearcat

2 - Single Six

3 - Medium frame:
Original Old Model Flat Top .357 magnum
Fiftieth Anniversary .357 Magnum Flat Top
.44 Lipsey Special
New Model Vaquero

4 - Large Frame
Original Old Model .44 Magnum Flattop
Old Model BlackHawk .45 Colt
New Model Black Hawk .357 and above calibers
Old and New Model Super Black Hawk
Vaquero (that's right, just plain Vaquero)
New Model 50th Anniversary .44 Magnum Flattop

I THINK I have it covered but there is always a chance that I have forgotten something. Feel free to chime in if necessary.

Dale53

Dale,

Where does the 357 maxi frame fit in? It was the same width as my old SBH but the cylinder cutout was longer.

Is the Hawkeye made on the BH frame also?
 

CraigC

Hawkeye
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
5,197
Location
West Tennessee
Dale53":26wf8r3d said:
I THINK I have it covered but there is always a chance that I have forgotten something. Feel free to chime in if necessary.
Just to clarify, ALL Old Model .357's are on the medium frame, not just the flat-tops.

The large frame also includes all .30Carbines, .41Mag's, as well as .32-20/.32H&R and .38-40/10mm New Model convertibles.
 
Joined
May 28, 2004
Messages
1,337
Location
MN
A couple of useful links, in addition to the other info posted here.

Re: frame sizes-
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=80217

Re: grip frame sizes-
https://gunblast.com/Hamm_Ruger-SA-GripFrames.htm
 

David Bradshaw

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 11, 2012
Messages
933
Dale53 said:
There are four frame sizes:
1 - Bearcat

2 - Single Six

3 - Medium frame:
Original Old Model Flat Top .357 magnum
Fiftieth Anniversary .357 Magnum Flat Top
.44 Lipsey Special
New Model Vaquero

4 - Large Frame
Original Old Model .44 Magnum Flattop
Old Model BlackHawk .45 Colt
New Model Black Hawk .357 and above calibers
Old and New Model Super Black Hawk
Vaquero (that's right, just plain Vaquero)
New Model 50th Anniversary .44 Magnum Flattop

I THINK I have it covered but there is always a chance that I have forgotten something. Feel free to chime in if necessary.

Dale53
*****

The Blackhawk .357 Maximum is built on a "stretched" Super Blackhawk frame.
David Bradshaw
 

gak

Buckeye
Joined
Oct 13, 2007
Messages
1,552
Location
Aridzona
And to muddle things further: the mentioned 50th Anniversary 44 Mag uniquely COMBINES the large cylinder frame per all other .44 Mags (and all other "regular" New Model (73+) Blackhawks (and original /"old" Vaqueros*, just different topstrap) - WITH the smaller/narrower backstrap "XR3" pattern gripframe of the 2005+ midframe New Vaquero, 50th Ann .357 and .44 Special flattops, all of which I believe were steel.

(*And recent years' .44 Mag "New Vaqueros", so called as they have the 2005+ NV reverse index pawl system (RIPS))
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
I think Dale's chart is the easiest to understand with my edits as he requested:


There are four frame sizes excluding the Bearcat which is a different design:

1 - Small frame:
All Single Six .22s and .32s with and w/o adjustable sights

2 - Medium frame:
Old Model Flat Top 357 up to 1962 and ribbed sight top strap .357 up to 1973
All New Model Flat Top Blackhawks excluding the 41 and 44 mags
All New Model Vaqueros excluding the 44 Mag

3 - Large Frame:
All old model center fire calibers including the .44 Magnum Flattop BH and BH/Super BH except the 357
All New Model Black Hawks/Super BHs with ribbed rear sight top strap in all center fire calibers except BH 357 Max
New Model Flat Top BH in 41 and 44 Mag
All original Vaqueros and New Vaqueros in 44 Mag

4 - Stretched Large frame (same as large frame except longer for a longer cylinder):
Only the Blackhawk 357 Maximum
 
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