Bisley Hunter vs. standard Hunter

[kelbro]

Well chalk up another Bisley convert. I know everybody has different hands and recoil sensitivity. I never had a real issue with the recoil on my standard Hunter but the Uncle Mikes grips did feel better and I shot better with them. The pistol was well balanced with a Leupold or Eotech on it and shot very well. Didn't think there could possibly be a better SA 44Mag.

I kept reading about the Bisley and was intrigued. Found a nice one and figured that I would give it a try and sell the one that came in second. After one range session, I'm convinced. The Bisley frame likes me! Same balance. Same accuracy. It just 'feels' better to me, even with the standard grips.

 

[Onty]

I always preferred Bisley but I did not like relatively sharp edge on the grip behind trigger guard. One day I grabbed vacuum tube and some sand paper and rounded it, just as you could see here on this custom revolver done by Clements for Axehandle (see this and other custom guns http://www.clementscustomguns.com/gunpictures.html )

Now, it feels much better so even my very stubborn friend, died in the wool Keith follower, who never liked Bisley, admitted that it feels almost as good as his beloved TLA #5 Improved. I do not think that he is telling complete truth because Bisley grip is longer; his hands are larger than mine and I know that he likes NM SBH.

One warning; go slowly with this grip modification. Even small amount of material removed will change feeling considerably. If you remove too much, you might find that grip suddenly became too small. Also, remove grip from grip frame prior to sanding, just to make sure that metal frame will remain intact. Regards, Onty.

 

[GhosT]

Sweet pic Onty,

Do ya got a "BEFORE" pic so can compare?

 

[Axehandle]

Shooting Clement's #5 side by side with a standard Bisley 44 the Bisley is more comfortable to me... Clement's current #5 grip frame starts as a Bisley but is significantly modified... The pictured gun started life as a FT 357...

A limited run of mid size frame Bisley 44 Specials just started delivering... Piclked up one last week...

 

[Axehandle]

Regulars here know that the Clements #5 on David's web site is mine... The grip frame is made from a Bisley but is shaped like the two piece gip frame that David originally made for his #5... Here are pics of what we are talking about... I'll add one of a NM Bisley FT 44 Special too! Take note that these guns are all the meduim frame Blackhawk (OM 357) size and are 44 Specials!

 

[Onty]

Sweet pic Onty,

Do ya got a "BEFORE" pic so can compare?

FYI; that Flattop is not mine, I saw this picture first time on http://www.clementscustomguns.com/gunpictures.html . However, on that website resolution was too small so I searched and stumbled upon this larger in one of the posts here.

Shooting Clement's #5 side by side with a standard Bisley 44 the Bisley is more comfortable to me... Clement's current #5 grip frame starts as a Bisley but is significantly modified... The pictured gun started life as a FT 357...

Thanks for aditional info and congratulations on this beautifull revolver. As you pointed, this is Clements #5 with heavily modified Bisley grip. Well, Keith had bit smaller hands so he commissioned gun that fitted him. I also like standard Bisley grip more than TLA #5 for heavier loads, especially after modification I described.

Back to the first question; unfortunately, I have no pictures "before" and "after", but if you look at the area just behind trigger guard on #5 above, and compare with this one bellow with original Ruger grip, you'll see the difference:

BTW, this picture is clear proof that 41 Bisley has rifling twist/turn 1 in 16" so it could stabilize those extra heavy bullets; very welcome information for all of us that have this excellent revolver.

 

[Axehandle]

There is just so much subjectivity on the matter of grip frames and grips too... Each one of us has to determine exactly what we like best... That "best" doesn't have to stay the same across the board for all applications either... My "set" is clear evidence of that fact...

Good catch on that 1 in 16 twist... Ruger's specification calls out a 20 twist for the 41 Blackhawk... The 357 and 45 Colt have 16 twist barrels. Can't see them doing a special barrel for a 41 Bisley. Could your label be a typo? Have you checked the barrel to see if it is in fact a 16 and not a 20? I'd pull mine out and check it but it is off having a faster twist barrel installed...

 

[M'BOGO]

I thought those .41's were on the 50th .44 mag frame. Now I'm kicking myself.

 

[Axehandle]

We may have a miscommunication here... The recent FT 41s are on the large frame FT BH....

 

[M'BOGO]

We may have a miscommunication here... The recent FT 41s are on the large frame FT BH....

I'll take full responsibility.

 

[Onty]

There is just so much subjectivity on the matter of grip frames and grips too... Each one of us has to determine exactly what we like best... That "best" doesn't have to stay the same across the board for all applications either... My "set" is clear evidence of that fact...

Good catch on that 1 in 16 twist... Ruger's specification calls out a 20 twist for the 41 Blackhawk... The 357 and 45 Colt have 16 twist barrels. Can't see them doing a special barrel for a 41 Bisley. Could your label be a typo? Have you checked the barrel to see if it is in fact a 16 and not a 20? I'd pull mine out and check it but it is off having a faster twist barrel installed...

I agree, grip is very personal thing. As for that rounding of the stock behind trigger guard, every custom Bisley I had seen had it.

As for the twist, I did not check it on my 41 Bisley so I cannot confirm this. BTW; picture of 41 Bisley is not mine either, the one I purchased was without any box or paperwork, I got manual from Ruger.

Not 100% sure but I might have some pictures of my revolver on another computer that is now somewhere in the basement. If I find something, I'll post. Regards, Onty.

 

[Axehandle]

Yo dude! FWIW No offence taken on posting the picture... It thrilled me when Dave Clements asked for permission to post it on his web site... I think that his intent was to make it available to everyone and that makes it fair game.....

While I like the 16 twist thought I think that if we check our Bisley 41s we will find 20 twist barrels...