41 mag blackhawk with super blackhawk grip

[DixonCreekDrifter]

IN 1986 in Denton Texas a 41 mag single action was sold in a pawn shop on the square to finance a graduate degree in Industrial Technology Education. The Blackhawk had been returned to the factory to have the dragoon style grip installed properly. It had some oversized grips in place and in the box was the factory original frame and grips. The barrel was 6". The shop keeper even labeled it 44 mag and I had to show him the barrel markings and the box. Finally he tried to load a 44 mag in the cylinder. Last I saw of it he was headed to the safe in the back.

The graduate degree was rewarded with a 2700$ pay raise the year that Texas reduced teachers salaries across the board by 2000$.

I know this is a long shot, but has anyone seen it?

 

[contender]

Welcome back to the Forum!
A grip frame swap is an easy thing to do. Quite often many folks here do it all the time. Without a serial number,,, not likely to get that exact gun back.

 

[David Bradshaw]

Welcome back to the Forum!
A grip frame swap is an easy thing to do. Quite often many folks here do it all the time. Without a serial number,,, not likely to get that exact gun back.

*****

Handled, a while back, one of Ruger’s own sixguns, a nicely polished Blackhawk .441 Mag 6-1/2-inch, to which Southport had fitted the brass Super Blackhawk grip frame. Doubt it was done as a vanity, Rather, Bill wanted to heft the .41 with that grip frame.

As for swapping grip frames, Sturm, Ruger offered the service. When IHMSA adopted the “no modifications” for Production category guns at the delegates meeting, 1979 International Championships (Black Canyon, Arizona), Ruger stated that a grip swap done at the factory was not custom work.
David Bradshaw

 

[bisleyfan41]

IN 1986 in Denton Texas a 41 mag single action was sold in a pawn shop on the square to finance a graduate degree in Industrial Technology Education. The Blackhawk had been returned to the factory to have the dragoon style grip installed properly. It had some oversized grips in place and in the box was the factory original frame and grips. The barrel was 6". The shop keeper even labeled it 44 mag and I had to show him the barrel markings and the box. Finally he tried to load a 44 mag in the cylinder. Last I saw of it he was headed to the safe in the back.

The graduate degree was rewarded with a 2700$ pay raise the year that Texas reduced teachers salaries across the board by 2000$.

I know this is a long shot, but has anyone seen it?

There was one on GunBroker I watched for over a year. Seller was warfire. He had it listed pretty high so I kept watching it, hoping he would reduce the starting bid. Well, I missed following it a couple of weeks and when I went back to look for it, it had sold. He finally changed the starting bid to $.01 and it ended up selling for just over $300. I just checked, but can't find it under the completed auctions so it must have aged off.

The reason I wanted to get that one was that whoever fit the grip to the grip frame did a perfect job mating the surfaces; it looked like factory work. Like mentioned above, it's not too hard to have another made up like yours if you really want it.

 

[DixonCreekDrifter]

Thanks for the replies, not looking to find the actual gun just wanting to see if it had been seen or if some one was enjoying the super Blackhawk grips on a 41 mag.

Mr. Bradshaw you are right. It was a 6 1/2 inch barrel. Made some sitting jack rabbit silhouettes for 3/8 plate and the 41 Blackhawk would bounce them around with ease. Introduced several young men to the sport of shooting and gun safety with that Blackhawk.

bisleyfan41 The Ruger service department did a very professional job on the grip. It was smooth and straight and the revolver may have even been re-blued. Wonder how many were changed to Super Blackhawk frame during that time. I sold several guns to get that degree, but not my service revolver or the heavy barreled Ruger 22 pistol.

I have moved on and now have too many 45 Colt Vaqueros. If (and that is a big if) I decide to chase a custom Vaquero it would be in 41 mag, or maybe in 41 special or maybe 44 special or maybe.... I need some powder therapy with a certain 45lc stainless birds head Vaquero that has a 4 5/8 inch barrel ..

Again thanks for the feedback.

 

[Hondo44]

Thousands of many calibers have been changed to Dragoon grip frames, even Single Sixes, usually with Super BH wide hammer as well; in brass and more in steel and stainless.

This Single Six had an old model SBH grip, wide trigger and hammer installed. A SBH hammer normally looks way out of proportion on the small frame. This one has been re-contoured and shortened in both length and height to improve its proportion:

45 original Vaquero, stainless SBH grip:

Life's too short to wait; have a 41 Vaq made or make one.