Stopsign32v
Bearcat
Alright, lets pump the brakes...It isn't as life changing as it seems, but if you got the time please read this post and I think you will agree it's pretty dang cool.
So we will call this my first real post here on this board so I might as well make it a good one.
I have been wanting a 44 Special stainless NM Blackhawk for 4 years as of August 4, 2021. Where it all started was casting lead bullets, it's kinda my thing. I don't get much trigger time but I am able to get down to my building and I enjoy using old Lyman and Ideal molds from the mid to early 20th century. Just like with old firearms...What have those molds heard, done, and what hands have touched those handles? You know, I'm 41 now and was an only child. I've lost my father, mother, and all of my grandparents. The sting of death for us left down here is really rough. And you know, one of the things I hold onto are the material items that I know "My dad touched this years ago". So things like that are what I think of when I reload, I'm much of a nostalgic person, I honestly think our better years are behind us and the future just isn't as colorful. But I digress...
During my casting journey a couple of names were inevitable to come up...Mr. Keith and Mr. Skelton. Skeeter is the one I really favor and honestly because of 1 picture. It's a picture I saw of a man with a revolver and before I knew him I liked him because this picture really just reminded me of my dad back in the 80's. Cigarette hanging from his lips and me thinking he was the coolest guy alive.
I had been reading about Elmer at this point and when I found out Skeeter also really favored the 44 special, well the cement was poured at that point between myself and the 44 special.
You cannot deny the handsomeness of the No. 5 revolver but I didn't want a clone of it. There's no point to that and I planned to shoot this revolver a-lot, so what I needed was my own "No. 5". A Ruger inspired No. 5 if you would. I knew it had to be stainless and I knew it had to be 5.5 barrel, so I asked the Ruger community back in 2021 and this is what set me on my course...
There was only one problem, and it was a big one...Ruger wasn't making this revolver at the moment. I searched the used market and I found a few but they were always asking more than it would cost me to buy a new one. And honestly...It was a big deal to myself to find a new one. With a new revolver, that's YOUR revolver. No one else has owned it and you know exactly how it has been treated it's whole life. I had put out some "Notify me when back in stock" but I quickly forgot about it after a year or so...
Here we are almost 4 years later, I've fallen away from guns a bit in like of different hobbies and honestly I was on GunsInternational about to sell a gun when I just decided to search "Ruger 44 flat top" and there they were...They were out there to the point I knew what had happened! I quickly went to Ruger's site and searched the model number on Google and then GunDeals. There they were!!! But I was in the middle of rebuilding a motor and really needed this money for engine work, so I was at a cross road. I thought one it for 1 day and reasoned with myself on why I needed to buy the revolver. So the next day I went to buy it and for whatever reason the site I was buying it from denied my card due to an address issue. I tried twice, 3 times, 4 times...Ok one more time, won't go through. So I picked the next site on GunDeals and it was the same. I'm a Christian and if you are I'm happy for you, if you're not please find Jesus, but anyways I took this as a sign that I was being told to not spend the money on this revolver...
That night I walked away from it, my revolver that I had wanted for years. I was ok with it. The next day I thought about it and watched a few videos but again, I was OK with passing on it.
The next day however it was different. I drove all over town to find ANY Bisley to hold and see if I even liked it. I knew by holding it I would either have to have it or would be my closure. Not a single NM Blackhawk could be found but regardless I got home and searched the model number. To my surprise the availability of them had dwindled down signifigantly (also keep in mind there are several sites on GunDeals that are scam sites). At this point I had complete panic set in. I saw MidwayUSA had it in stock and I had bought from them countless times. A little more than I wanted to spend but it was security, a well known site! Within absolutely minutes I had ordered it and I didn't have a sigh of relief until I got a confirmation email. I ordered it, went back and refreshed the screen and they were out of stock! Only after I got the email did I realize I got their last one!
Pure relief came over me and I knew I had made the right choice. Midway USA gave me 2 day tracking and I was at my FFL within 2 hours of it being delivered. I told them I was there to pick it up and the guy went back to grab the box. They hadn't even opened it yet! Awesome! He cuts it open and starts the paperwork. I asked if I could open it and he said sure. This is where we take a 180 degree turn...
It was aweful, absolutely terrible.
It was so bad that the employees at the FFL handed the revolver around to the other workers to look at how bad it was. I was crushed because I knew it would be leaving me to go back to Ruger. I got on the phone the following day with Ruger and I knew them and how good their customer service is. I was given a RMA sheet and a shipping label. If you guys have seen the RMA sheet, I completely filled the part where it asks what is wrong with the firearm. I scolded them and told them it was a new revolver and was in worse shape than any used revolver I had ever bought. Packed it up and off it went. I called back to ask how long it would be and I was told 4-6 weeks. Dissapointment set in but I had waited 4 years so what was another 4 weeks.
It arrived to them on a Friday and on Monday I received an email saying it was with a tech. Well hold on a second...I called Ruger back. "Does it's with a tech mean it's getting worked on now or it's with a tech that has 4 revolvers ahead of me?" I was told they don't know. Ok well it's progress. The next day I got an email saying the revolver was fixed!! Technically 19 hours later I got an email saying it was fixed! Woah woah woah...I called Ruger hahaha. "Hey I'm not complaining but I had a laundry list of issues to this revolver and within 19 hours you guys have it fixed and will be shipping it back? It has to be the same revolver because if you simply replaced it you would have to send it to my FFL..." the guy looked and read me what they fixed. "Polished, reworked gate, replaced grip frame, fit grips." No mention of ejector rod housing loose, no mention of some frame issues, so I told him ok but if it wasn't all fixed it will be coming back...
The revolver just came in today. Guys...Guys, this is why Ruger is so amazing. It's perfect, it's absolutely perfect. Not only did they fix what they said but the ejector rod housing is tight, they retimed the action to where now it's perfect! (I didn't even mention this) and I had just thrown in there that I would like black grips if they were going to replace the grips. I know how manufacturing goes and knew they would include the original rosewood grips but you don't know until you ask...To my surprise they even gave me black grips! So this is THE ONLY stainless NM Blackhawk Bisley 5.5 with factory issued black grips. It's completely comical and I know it doesn't add to the revolver but that's just so stinking cool!!!!!!!!
So we will call this my first real post here on this board so I might as well make it a good one.
I have been wanting a 44 Special stainless NM Blackhawk for 4 years as of August 4, 2021. Where it all started was casting lead bullets, it's kinda my thing. I don't get much trigger time but I am able to get down to my building and I enjoy using old Lyman and Ideal molds from the mid to early 20th century. Just like with old firearms...What have those molds heard, done, and what hands have touched those handles? You know, I'm 41 now and was an only child. I've lost my father, mother, and all of my grandparents. The sting of death for us left down here is really rough. And you know, one of the things I hold onto are the material items that I know "My dad touched this years ago". So things like that are what I think of when I reload, I'm much of a nostalgic person, I honestly think our better years are behind us and the future just isn't as colorful. But I digress...
During my casting journey a couple of names were inevitable to come up...Mr. Keith and Mr. Skelton. Skeeter is the one I really favor and honestly because of 1 picture. It's a picture I saw of a man with a revolver and before I knew him I liked him because this picture really just reminded me of my dad back in the 80's. Cigarette hanging from his lips and me thinking he was the coolest guy alive.
I had been reading about Elmer at this point and when I found out Skeeter also really favored the 44 special, well the cement was poured at that point between myself and the 44 special.
You cannot deny the handsomeness of the No. 5 revolver but I didn't want a clone of it. There's no point to that and I planned to shoot this revolver a-lot, so what I needed was my own "No. 5". A Ruger inspired No. 5 if you would. I knew it had to be stainless and I knew it had to be 5.5 barrel, so I asked the Ruger community back in 2021 and this is what set me on my course...
There was only one problem, and it was a big one...Ruger wasn't making this revolver at the moment. I searched the used market and I found a few but they were always asking more than it would cost me to buy a new one. And honestly...It was a big deal to myself to find a new one. With a new revolver, that's YOUR revolver. No one else has owned it and you know exactly how it has been treated it's whole life. I had put out some "Notify me when back in stock" but I quickly forgot about it after a year or so...
Here we are almost 4 years later, I've fallen away from guns a bit in like of different hobbies and honestly I was on GunsInternational about to sell a gun when I just decided to search "Ruger 44 flat top" and there they were...They were out there to the point I knew what had happened! I quickly went to Ruger's site and searched the model number on Google and then GunDeals. There they were!!! But I was in the middle of rebuilding a motor and really needed this money for engine work, so I was at a cross road. I thought one it for 1 day and reasoned with myself on why I needed to buy the revolver. So the next day I went to buy it and for whatever reason the site I was buying it from denied my card due to an address issue. I tried twice, 3 times, 4 times...Ok one more time, won't go through. So I picked the next site on GunDeals and it was the same. I'm a Christian and if you are I'm happy for you, if you're not please find Jesus, but anyways I took this as a sign that I was being told to not spend the money on this revolver...
That night I walked away from it, my revolver that I had wanted for years. I was ok with it. The next day I thought about it and watched a few videos but again, I was OK with passing on it.
The next day however it was different. I drove all over town to find ANY Bisley to hold and see if I even liked it. I knew by holding it I would either have to have it or would be my closure. Not a single NM Blackhawk could be found but regardless I got home and searched the model number. To my surprise the availability of them had dwindled down signifigantly (also keep in mind there are several sites on GunDeals that are scam sites). At this point I had complete panic set in. I saw MidwayUSA had it in stock and I had bought from them countless times. A little more than I wanted to spend but it was security, a well known site! Within absolutely minutes I had ordered it and I didn't have a sigh of relief until I got a confirmation email. I ordered it, went back and refreshed the screen and they were out of stock! Only after I got the email did I realize I got their last one!
Pure relief came over me and I knew I had made the right choice. Midway USA gave me 2 day tracking and I was at my FFL within 2 hours of it being delivered. I told them I was there to pick it up and the guy went back to grab the box. They hadn't even opened it yet! Awesome! He cuts it open and starts the paperwork. I asked if I could open it and he said sure. This is where we take a 180 degree turn...
It was aweful, absolutely terrible.
- Where the grip met the frame someone had buffed the area so badly. It didn't match and the hammer pin was flattened at an angle!
- The backstrap had a huge gash in it where it was missing metal
- The bottom of the backstrap had a dent in it
- The grips didn't line up at all with the backstrap
- The grip frame was off to the right a good bit, enough to feel it
- Top strap had pitting
- Front of frame had scratches
- Barrel finish wasn't brushed past the front site
- Rear sight pin was sticking out
- Ejector housing was loose but screw was tight
- Timing was off and caused a double click at the end
It was so bad that the employees at the FFL handed the revolver around to the other workers to look at how bad it was. I was crushed because I knew it would be leaving me to go back to Ruger. I got on the phone the following day with Ruger and I knew them and how good their customer service is. I was given a RMA sheet and a shipping label. If you guys have seen the RMA sheet, I completely filled the part where it asks what is wrong with the firearm. I scolded them and told them it was a new revolver and was in worse shape than any used revolver I had ever bought. Packed it up and off it went. I called back to ask how long it would be and I was told 4-6 weeks. Dissapointment set in but I had waited 4 years so what was another 4 weeks.
It arrived to them on a Friday and on Monday I received an email saying it was with a tech. Well hold on a second...I called Ruger back. "Does it's with a tech mean it's getting worked on now or it's with a tech that has 4 revolvers ahead of me?" I was told they don't know. Ok well it's progress. The next day I got an email saying the revolver was fixed!! Technically 19 hours later I got an email saying it was fixed! Woah woah woah...I called Ruger hahaha. "Hey I'm not complaining but I had a laundry list of issues to this revolver and within 19 hours you guys have it fixed and will be shipping it back? It has to be the same revolver because if you simply replaced it you would have to send it to my FFL..." the guy looked and read me what they fixed. "Polished, reworked gate, replaced grip frame, fit grips." No mention of ejector rod housing loose, no mention of some frame issues, so I told him ok but if it wasn't all fixed it will be coming back...
The revolver just came in today. Guys...Guys, this is why Ruger is so amazing. It's perfect, it's absolutely perfect. Not only did they fix what they said but the ejector rod housing is tight, they retimed the action to where now it's perfect! (I didn't even mention this) and I had just thrown in there that I would like black grips if they were going to replace the grips. I know how manufacturing goes and knew they would include the original rosewood grips but you don't know until you ask...To my surprise they even gave me black grips! So this is THE ONLY stainless NM Blackhawk Bisley 5.5 with factory issued black grips. It's completely comical and I know it doesn't add to the revolver but that's just so stinking cool!!!!!!!!
. IMHO ... Ha!
