9mm Blackhawk convertibles.....

[davevabch]

Not everyone handloads

If they did, convertibles probably wouldn't exist , This is probably the sole reason for the Convertible, to make use of the dirt cheap surplus ammo and the concept just hung on.

If I had a nickel for everytime someone is like "just hand load for it" like ok, thanks for the advice.......let me just get a press and all the components real quick to crank out some .41 Magnum, no problem

I wish I had the ability to just make .45 LC at will and just to blast away. But I don't. So I buy a few boxes of 9mm and .45 ACP to shoot my various revolvers and autochuckers

I have a set of Lee Loaders for .45 LC and .38 SPL that maybe I'll use at some point to load BP rounds for Uberti repros but that's pretty much it. I will satisfy myself with 9mm and occasionally .45 ACP, with maybe a special treat of .44 Magnum or other pricy rounds here and there.

That is one of the things I have alway's got a chuckle from. I picture some guy coming up to the LGS counter and buying a gun and the clerk then going and placing all the reloading equipment from scales to a reloader to tumbler and all the many supplies/tool etc that go with it, including powder. Clerk saying, well that will be two grand, and think about how much money you will be saving.
Guy then say's, "Don't I need primers as well". Clerk laughs, Primers? Well hell, we haven't seen in any primers in over a year.

 

[davevabch]

Bought m

Present price if you can even find one.

Ruger 6 Round 357 Remington Magnum/9mm Blackhawk W/4 5/8" Ba - $724.29 w/code "WELCOME20"

• $724.29
• Go to deal

 

[Stantheman1986]

That is one of the things I have alway's got a chuckle from. I picture some guy coming up to the LGS counter and buying a gun and the clerk then going and placing all the reloading equipment from scales to a reloader to tumbler and all the many supplies/tool etc that go with it, including powder. Clerk saying, well that will be two grand, and think about how much money you will be saving.
Guy then say's, "Don't I need primers as well". Clerk laughs, Primers? Well hell, we haven't seen in any primers in over a year.

I've gotten lots of chuckles from this kind of stuff, guys just like "just load for it"

I've had old guys at the range rattle off all this super old equipment like, get yourself a Lee turret press , the older ones are better, some lead bullets from my guy Joe but I think he passed......then get yourself some 45-70 brass and cut it down.....get some old Trail Boss from before they changed the formula......and primers if you can find them....

Ok sir thanks for the rundown

 

[contender]

As I've mentioned,, handloading isn't always for everyone.

But for many of us,, it's THE answer to having quality ammo, at very affordable pricing,, allowing us to shoot more often.
And even with the beer virus crap,, even primers are coming back around a bit. Maybe not at the pre-covid pricing,, but heck, nothing is the same as it was pre-covid.

It's just that handloaders have more options than people who rely upon others or a commercial company to provide them with ammo to prevent their favorite from becoming just an expensive paperweight.

 

[woodperson]

I hand load both .357 and 9 mm for my convertible. And for some reason I like shooting both. I have shot .38 Special but I shoot a lot more downloaded .357 and 9 mm. For years I did not shoot the 9 mm but then after I actually tried the 9mm I liked it. Sure, with a .357 and a reloader you can cover a lot of uses. But...I like having the other options also. It is interesting to me that the 9 mm does shoot to a different POI. Groups okay but shoots lower and a little to the right.

 

[TXTad]

I no longer use .38 Specials in my .357 Magnum revolvers. Most of my .357 Loads any more are 158 gr bullets at 1,000 to 1,200 fps. My can of 296 is getting lonely. I recently discovered Winchster 244 which is great for -P .357 loads.

 

[Stantheman1986]

I'm waiting for Turkey to fill the void in cheap (er) range ammo left by Wolf

They already have Turkish 9mm available, at $240 per 1000 it's a decent price by today's standards

I do miss Tulammo steel case .38 Special and .357. I have a particular 4" fixed sight .357 GP100 that absolutely loved that stuff. Empties stuck in the chambers in a lot of revolvers but not in some, it was weird. I have GP100s that wouldn't function with it but this one, 1000s of rounds of steel case .38, not a problem, they all dropped right out, shot like a laser....... I think the gun needs sloppy chambers to work with steel.

I'm honestly probably taking the plunge and getting a 9mm SP101 while I can, I miss shooting lots of centerfire Double Action Revolver and buying .38 is killing me

 

[Stantheman1986]

This is what it's all about, put 6 cylinders of 9mm through the Blackhawk, blew probably 10 bucks worth of 9 to shoot "minute of paper plate" at 25. Not all of em hit the plate but I was screwing around , shooting some of them one handed. A little bit of fun after I test fired a new 1911.

I'll fully admit I get bored shooting .22, even through revolvers. I can pop off 50-100 .22's and I've had my fill. I could pop off 9mm through this Blackhawk for hours . I need to feel some muzzle blast and power

 

[GasGuzzler]

I picture some guy coming up to the LGS counter and buying a gun

Lost me a step 1. I am a reloader and do not buy from store. I have a foil hat somewhere but I don't wear it because it's a dead give away.

.357 is a hand loader cartridge.

 

[Rclark]

I need to feel some muzzle blast and power

... with 9mm? .

l that will be two grand

A bit high even at todays prices (maybe tomorrows prices though if inflation isn't curbed) One thing about reloading is for some of us, it is a 'one' time out-lay for equipment. My first single-stage (and associated scales and powder measure) I used for decades (from early 1980s). Still good as new today ... Only reason I recently bought an Iron Press (just the press) was to try out the new Hornady lock system which works great. Half twist and die locked in place. I like. Sure I added a hand priming tool, and a few odds and ends over the years, but the 'expensive' part never changed. Use the same scales, powder measure, etc. Never progressed to a progressive as my single stage is all I need for my modest shooting needs.

 

[Stantheman1986]

... with 9mm? .


A bit high even at todays prices (maybe tomorrows prices though if inflation isn't curbed) One thing about reloading is for some of us, it is a 'one' time out-lay for equipment. My first single-stage (and associated scales and powder measure) I used for decades (from early 1980s). Still good as new today ... Only reason I recently bought an Iron Press (just the press) was to try out the new Hornady lock system which works great. Half twist and die locked in place. I like. Sure I added a hand priming tool, and a few odds and ends over the years, but the 'expensive' part never changed. Use the same scales, powder measure, etc. Never progressed to a progressive as my single stage is all I need for my modest shooting needs.

9mm at least offers "some" recoil and blast

I saw a guy at my LGS 2 days ago when I was picking up a new 1911, who was trading a Super Redhawk .454 in credit toward a new Anaconda because he couldn't afford .454 but .44 is cheap to shoot......so it's all relative

 

[Hankus]

9mm at least offers "some" recoil and blast

I saw a guy at my LGS 2 days ago when I was picking up a new 1911, who was trading a Super Redhawk .454 in credit toward a new Anaconda because he couldn't afford .454 but .44 is cheap to shoot......so it's all relative

Was he unaware he can shoot .45LC in the .454? .45LC isn't "cheap" but it's price is on par with .44 Magnum. I was the beneficiary of this point when I picked up a NIB SP101 .357 DAO snubby AND a five year old Super Redhawk in great shape for $1100 in a package deal last December.

 

[Rclark]

Was he unaware he can shoot .45LC in the .454?

Some people are recoil 'junkies' and the '.45 COLT' maybe was to mild for him. So bought a .44 Magnum instead .

 

[Stantheman1986]

Was he unaware he can shoot .45LC in the .454? .45LC isn't "cheap" but it's price is on par with .44 Magnum. I was the beneficiary of this point when I picked up a NIB SP101 .357 DAO snubby AND a five year old Super Redhawk in great shape for $1100 in a package deal last December.

He probably doesn't handload , and was looking for a reason to get a new toy , so he can walk around the gun club showing off his new Colt that's a downgrade in every way to the SRH he traded

 

[vincewarde]

Lots of 9mms slug at or near .357

AS others have mentioned, there is a .002 difference - in theory - between the bore diameter of 9mm (.355) and .38/.357 (.357) = BUT.... there is reality.

My wife and I have a bunch of 9mms and I case bullets for all of them. Of course, I have to "slug" each barrel to size bullets for them. Fact is, many 9mms are overbore. Many slug to .357 or very slightly under. The only barrels we have the slug to the .355 spec are three target barrels.

So, with a .357 barrel, a Blackhawk firing 9mm should be able to be at least as accurate as a typical 9mm with a stock barrel - unless there is another issue.

 

[Stantheman1986]

Lots of 9mms slug at or near .357

AS others have mentioned, there is a .002 difference - in theory - between the bore diameter of 9mm (.355) and .38/.357 (.357) = BUT.... there is reality.

My wife and I have a bunch of 9mms and I case bullets for all of them. Of course, I have to "slug" each barrel to size bullets for them. Fact is, many 9mms are overbore. Many slug to .357 or very slightly under. The only barrels we have the slug to the .355 spec are three target barrels.

So, with a .357 barrel, a Blackhawk firing 9mm should be able to be at least as accurate as a typical 9mm with a stock barrel - unless there is another issue.

This makes sense , it's just mass produced firearm spec overlap......as long as they shoot within a "standard" they are serviceable

I'd imagine the more expensive brands like Sig probably have more consistent barrel sizing vs something like a Taurus 9mm

My 357-9 Convertible I just fired is a little more accurate than my other one, just law of averages, it probably has a little tighter bore

Mass Produced "budget" firearms makers know most end users can barely keep them inside a basketball sized group at 10 yards so bores don't have to be precise.....tighter QC and scrapping slightly oversized barrels costs money

I don't know if Ruger test fires at a target but CZ provides a factory target to verify the gun can shoot to standard

 

[vincewarde]

This makes sense , it's just mass produced firearm spec overlap......as long as they shoot within a "standard" they are serviceable

I'd imagine the more expensive brands like Sig probably have more consistent barrel sizing vs something like a Taurus 9mm

My 357-9 Convertible I just fired is a little more accurate than my other one, just law of averages, it probably has a little tighter bore

Mass Produced "budget" firearms makers know most end users can barely keep them inside a basketball sized group at 10 yards so bores don't have to be precise.....tighter QC and scrapping slightly oversized barrels costs money

I don't know if Ruger test fires at a target but CZ provides a factory target to verify the gun can shoot to standard

Actually what I have heard is that ammo specs can vary widely around the world and people can let bores get very dirty before cleaning. It seems that most manufacturers believe that a thousandth or two of extra space is a good safety margin - and makes little difference with jacketed ammo. Certainly not enough to really notice, as you mention, given the typical shooter's skill level.

 

[Stantheman1986]

Actually what I have heard is that ammo specs can vary widely around the world and people can let bores get very dirty before cleaning. It seems that most manufacturers believe that a thousandth or two of extra space is a good safety margin - and makes little difference with jacketed ammo. Certainly not enough to really notice, as you mention, given the typical shooter's skill level.

It's the old practice for military revolvers and pistols, and also rifles , to build in a little "slop" to account for rushed production wartime ammo and dirt from lack of cleaning and field use

I used to buy that garbage Pakistani Ordnance Factory POF 9mm years ago when it was dirt cheap ( also known as POS ammo by shooters ) and it would only work well in sloppier 9mm pistols like a Norinco 9mm Tokarev I had. I'm guessing Pakistan used it in clapped out Hi Powers

Plus previously, almost everyone used cheap stuff like Tulammo which was probably less than precise as far as bullet and case specs so it wasn't conducive for gunmakers to make super tight 9mm pistols unless they were high end match pistols

Ruger has said they use heavier than necessary springs in their revolvers and make them a bit generously fitted because they know some customers will use the cheapest crap they can find and not really clean them so it's better to dummy proof them . Also overseas police contracts where they are using ammo made on a dirt floor and guns are never cleaned

 

[gramps]

In 2010, I was going through a divorce. While perusing the local pawnshop, I found a LEE single stage press for $30. I had been reloading since 2008 with a LEE hand loader. I also found a RUGER New Model Blackhawk with the 6.5 inch barrel for $250. Later I found in our classifieds a 9 mm cylinder for a NM Blackhawk, and it dropped right in. It shoots ok, but I prefer the .357 magnum. I don't shoot a lot, and my stocks remain high because I scored on a couple of estate sales that had powder, projectiles, primers, and brass. I paid more than I needed to, but I wasn't going stab my friends grieving mother in the back. I still didn't pay LGS prices. Hand loading takes time, patience, and FOCUS. I have a permanent set up, for .44 mag/spcl, .357 mag/spcl. I had a .45 Colt and reloaded for it, but sold it to a friend. I like my Rugers!!!
gramps