Blackhawk with a Steel Grip Frame?

[RugerForMe]

Is my Blackhawk special with the steel grip frame?

I have a Blue, 5.5", .45 LC, Blackhawk with a Steel Grip Frame. All the other Blackhawks I have even owned have had the Aluminum grip frame.

Looking at the Ruger site I see the grip frame is listed as Aluminum, And only the .44 Special models are listed as steel.

Reason I was looking it up was because I'm looking to trade for a Redhawk in the same caliber. I'm Just not a single action person.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

My new .45 Colt blued Bisley has a steel grip frame. That and the .44 FT`s are the only blued ones I know of that are made of steel.

 

[k22fan]

RugerForMe, does your .45 BH have the Dragoon grip frame with a square back trigger guard? If so it's a safe bet its grip frame was swapped.

 

[RugerForMe]

No it does not.

Ill post a picture when I get home.

 

[gmartinnc]

If it is one of the Lipsey's flattop's it will have a steel grip frame. Should have two cylinders with it though.

 

[Mohillbilly]

Buckeyes came with steel grip frames , 5 1/2 .44s came that way too. never seen any other blackhawks except ss guns or changed over ones ...

 

[chet15]

Who knows with Ruger they way they build stuff. Probably confuse themselves a lot as to which guns are supposed to have what parts.
chet15

 

[RugerForMe]

Maybe this will help.

SN puts its birthdate 2002

The grip frame has the last 3 digits of the SN vibrio peened under the grips & XRN cast into the grip frame.
Grips have XR machined into them, on the frame side.

And yes I shoot this often.

 

[KWYJIBO]

My new .45 Colt blued Bisley has a steel grip frame. That and the .44 FT`s are the only blued ones I know of that are made of steel.

The anniversary models came with steel, both the .357s and .44s. So, I guess you could say all the New Model flattops did. Of course, these had the XR3 frame, a bit smaller than XR3-RED in any material.

 

[RugerForMe]

My Bisley had the steel grip frame also.

 

[gmartinnc]

Well it ain't a flattop and it ain't a Bisley. With my limited knowledge of the subject, I'm guessing it's a frame from one of the short barreled blued Super Blackhawks. All of my guns like that have aluminum grip frames, and I'm jealous. Did you buy it new?

 

[RugerForMe]

I did some horse trading and got this off a friend of mine about 10 years ago. He bought it new and HE never did give me the box for it. The last 3 digits of the SN are marked on the grip frame. I never noticed it till today when I pulled the grips.

Was thinking about trading for a .45 LC Redhawk, not sure if I want to now.

 

[gmartinnc]

I hope someone that has been hooked on SA Rugers longer than me will chime in, but I am not aware of that gun ever having been made intentionally, with a steel grip frame. The only gun I'm aware of now with that size grip panel in blue steel, is the short barreled Super Blackhawks, and I don't know when the production on them started. Keep us updated.

 

[KWYJIBO]

The last 3 digits of the SN are marked on the grip frame. I never noticed it till today when I pulled the grips.

Was thinking about trading for a .45 LC Redhawk, not sure if I want to now.

If the s/n is marked on the grip frame, it just might have come from the factory that way. Stranger things have happened.

If you're thinking about trading, I wouldn't let the potential collectible value dissuade you. Those .45 Redhawks are very nice. Then again, maybe you've decided you really love this Blackhawk? Decisions, decisions...

 

[RugerForMe]

I could list it as ("RARE" steel grip framed .45 LC Blackhawk) and ask 3x what its really worth. :roll:

I had a .44Mag Redhawk back in the 80's always wanted one in .45LC.

 

[lfpiii]

Call Ruger to see if they can give you some history. This could be a clean up gun made from spare parts to lower inventory.

 

[RugerForMe]

Yeah thought about that.

 

[bisleyfan41]

Looks like it also has a steel ejector rod housing which would not be as offered by the factory either. Since the "ears" on the top rear of the grip frame don't smoothly and seemlessly transition to the cylinder frame, I'd guess that your friend (or somebody) had the parts installed at some point, replacing the factory aluminum parts. Nice gun though and would be a keeper for me.
JMO

 

[RugerForMe]

Never noticed the ejector rod housing was steel before either. damn

I would have to say the grip frame fits better on this than on any I have had in the past. Side to side is almost seamless.

I did talked to him this morning, and tried to pick his brain. He says he bought it new, but it had some extras provided by the dealer. Trigger, de-burred, and some thing with the cylinder. He said he paid quite a bit extra for it. He never told me that before. (He's not much of a gun guy. knida like my Dad buys it cause he likes it.)

He said he tossed the box and papers that he had with it years ago. I gave him a hard time over that cause he was supposed to give them to me.
I know for sure there are no sharp edges on this, trigger is smooth as glass. But he said he never sent it back to Ruger for anything, It's is just they way he bought it.