Greg Mercurio said:
It is most assuredly not a Bisley. My wife has one in .44 Mag and loves it.
Your 5 1/2" SBH came out about 20 years ago and is all steel including grip frame and ejec housing. It was nicknamed the "Gunfighter" and had the only SBH fluted cyl. It's same size grip frame on the standard Blackhawks is alum alloy. That's one thing that makes your gun balance so well.
When I want the maximum knuckle space with the SBH large grip size and round trigger guard, I use the SBH Hunter.
When I reproduce Cary's sketch below, and do the measurements the Bisley grip is .177" (almost 3/16") closer to the trigger guard than the standard XR3-RED size grip frames (aluminum and steel), SBH Dragoon & Hunter. Because the larger Bisley trigger guard is also closer to the grip frame, giving the Bisley the absolute least space of any Ruger grip frame. Even closer than the old 'knuckle busting' XR3 size plow handle grip frame! The XR3-RED size and the SBH plow handle grip frames have the same distance behind the trigger guard, and the most of any Ruger grip frames with the benefit of less chance of rapping the knuckle under recoil.
Here's a link to a good illustration of the increased difference (~3/16") in horizontal finger distance behind the trigger guard on the Hunter (and standard XR3-RED size Gripframe), compared to the Bisley grip with less space. The Hunter and Bisley GFs I've measured are actually identical in vertical forestrap length space for fingers to the butt as the Bisley. The Bisley is longer on the backstrap which I think is why some prefer it
Readily apparent here:
http://www.dustinlinebaugh.com/gallery_009.htm