Aluminum grip frame Blackhawk?

[Mayor of Hobbs Knob]

Can anyone give me any information on a Blackhawk with an aluminum frame and ejector housing? It's a .357 with wood grips. Never seen one before. How common are they and do the have any more or less value than a regular Blackhawk?
Any information would helpful. Thanks

 

[BlkHawk73]

Ahhh...they're common.

 

[flatgate]

The VAST MAJORITY of Ruger Blackhawks made from their inception in 1955 until today were shipped with aluminum grip frames. The steel ejector housings were replaced with aluminum in 1962.

It's only been in the past decade or so that some Blackhawks have been shipped with other that aluminum components. I'll stand aside and let the New Model collectors explain......

flatgate

PS Now if you mean Aluminum Cylinder Frame then that's a whole different story....

I know of ONE example...... :shock:

 

[BlkHawk73]

Ok, flatgate...do tell abut that! Do tell!

 

[chet15]

Yup, as flatgate said, the vast majority of blue NM Blackhawks have aluminum grip frames and ejector housings.
Then a few years ago, Ruger changed the ejector housing to steel on all New Model SA's that had steel grip frames...Bisleys, NM Super Blackhawks, Vaqueros...all separate variations.
A little history here for you, I think this way of thinking might have been started while Paul Lantuch was engraving SA's privately for WBR and/or the company. You will note that at least some (all?) of the SA's he did had steel ejector housings on them (check out the offset :shock: housings on the guns pictured in "Ruger & His Guns" by R. L. Wilson, pages 139 and 140!), but this got a few at the factory to start experimenting again with steel housings (and for those involved with Cowboy action shooting....even a few brass housings were made).
Chet15

 

[flatgate]

Ok, flatgate...do tell about that! Do tell!

Page 66 RENE Ruger Reference.

Not my gun......

flatgate

 

[BlkHawk73]

Verrry interesting. I can understand why it never went into production. You KNOW someone would think "it's a Ruger, it'll take the hot loads" and blow it up only to blame someone other than themselves.