BearHawk 357
Single-Sixer
Ok, now that I've got your attention I would like to introduce myself. This is my first post. My name is Matt. So, I thought I would try to break the ice on here with a funny subject title for my first post. Anyway, I have a short story to share.
Back when I was 21 years old (I'm now 33) I purchased a used, NM Blackhawk, blue, in 357 Mag, from a fellow service member. He was asking $150 cash for this piece. I was all over it like white on rice for that price. After running full speed to the ATM, I gladly took the revolver off of his hands, then rushed home to clean and inspect my new friend (yes, I personify my firearms). The desire to fire this puppy was indeed high to say the least.
I had never owned a SA revolver before this time. Just several weeks prior to buying the BH I had picked up a stainless SBH, with a 7 1/2" barrel, in 44 Mag for my father as a Christmas present. My leave was cut short and I didn't get the chance to shoot my dad's SBH before shipping out. I picked up my dad's "gift gun" for $125 from the recruiter who put me in the Corps. He was short on cash and needed to drum up some money for bills. Folks, I'm telling you....there was something in the air at that time. The moon and stars must have been aligned just right. Who gets the chance to buy two of the greatest guns ever made, in a matter of weeks, for such great prices?
Anyway, back to the blackhawk. When I got the blackhawk I was stationed out in Yuma, Arizona. Talk about a great part of the country for plinking. After cleaning the heck out of my new Ruger I gathered up several of my Marine buddies for a day at the range. We had taken, along with us, 2 Russian Tula SKS's (of the $75 late 90's price variety) and my Winchester 94 in 30-30. My dad bought the 30-30 for me the year I was born for $65. Have these prices made anybody sick yet?
Eager to shoot the 357 I brought that one out first. The NM BH came with some high-end leather which I was wearing, strapped to my belt with pride. So, after kicking around at the local desert-dump for several minutes we stumbled upon a newly discarded TV set. It sat there, on an old flattened pampers box, in all of it's glorious beauty. The tube was just begging to be hammered out by some 125 grain SJHP's.
By now you guys are probably thinking that this part of the story is going to end up in one of two ways. Let me tell you this. I'll never forget what happened. I pulled the BH out of it's holster, pointed it, ready on the left -ready on the right, line secure.....cocked the hammer back and pulled the trigger. I was in the offhand position, support hand at my side, standing about 30 yards from the 21" TV, when I fired my first SA shot.
What happened? Well, I wasn't REALLY aiming for the TV. I just sort of tossed a round down range. But guess what? My 125 grain bullet hit the tube of that TV as square as can be. It looked like a smoke grenade had gone off upon impact. This brought out a roar of dog barks from my neandrethal-like pals. I ended up shooting about 200 factory loads, that day, in the desert. I have loved Ruger pruducts ever since.
I went home, that day, hooked on Ruger revolvers. I have bought and sold many more Rugers since the time of this story. Which brings me to the next chapter.....REGRET!!! That BH was sold several weeks after I had bought it. I found myself in a situation where I needed money for my wedding and flipped it to a friend. The thing is....I didn't realize at the time what a special gun I had owned. I mean, I was like JW with that thing, no joke. The BH hit were it was pointed with shocking accuracy and from all positions. I'm sure some of the members of this forum know the type of "holy grail" super-accurate revolvers to which I am refering.
Some memories are priceless and this story fits into that category for me. I still compare the pointability of all handguns to that of my old blackhawk. I have read many comments, from forum members, on here, that say something to the effect of, "if at all possible....hold on to your guns" and things like, "I kick myself every day for ever letting that one go." Gents, this is good advice. The collective bits of wisdom found on these pages is touching and endless. Let me take this time to thank you all for being here. Some places just feel like home to a guy, ya know?
So, I'll save the story about my dad's SBH for another time. Perhaps further down on this thread if it gets some decent attention. I've got a full gun safe worth of Ruger stories to tell. Unfortunately, I also have an empty safe worth of regrets too, which is....i guess, the central theme of this post.
Back when I was 21 years old (I'm now 33) I purchased a used, NM Blackhawk, blue, in 357 Mag, from a fellow service member. He was asking $150 cash for this piece. I was all over it like white on rice for that price. After running full speed to the ATM, I gladly took the revolver off of his hands, then rushed home to clean and inspect my new friend (yes, I personify my firearms). The desire to fire this puppy was indeed high to say the least.
I had never owned a SA revolver before this time. Just several weeks prior to buying the BH I had picked up a stainless SBH, with a 7 1/2" barrel, in 44 Mag for my father as a Christmas present. My leave was cut short and I didn't get the chance to shoot my dad's SBH before shipping out. I picked up my dad's "gift gun" for $125 from the recruiter who put me in the Corps. He was short on cash and needed to drum up some money for bills. Folks, I'm telling you....there was something in the air at that time. The moon and stars must have been aligned just right. Who gets the chance to buy two of the greatest guns ever made, in a matter of weeks, for such great prices?
Anyway, back to the blackhawk. When I got the blackhawk I was stationed out in Yuma, Arizona. Talk about a great part of the country for plinking. After cleaning the heck out of my new Ruger I gathered up several of my Marine buddies for a day at the range. We had taken, along with us, 2 Russian Tula SKS's (of the $75 late 90's price variety) and my Winchester 94 in 30-30. My dad bought the 30-30 for me the year I was born for $65. Have these prices made anybody sick yet?
Eager to shoot the 357 I brought that one out first. The NM BH came with some high-end leather which I was wearing, strapped to my belt with pride. So, after kicking around at the local desert-dump for several minutes we stumbled upon a newly discarded TV set. It sat there, on an old flattened pampers box, in all of it's glorious beauty. The tube was just begging to be hammered out by some 125 grain SJHP's.
By now you guys are probably thinking that this part of the story is going to end up in one of two ways. Let me tell you this. I'll never forget what happened. I pulled the BH out of it's holster, pointed it, ready on the left -ready on the right, line secure.....cocked the hammer back and pulled the trigger. I was in the offhand position, support hand at my side, standing about 30 yards from the 21" TV, when I fired my first SA shot.
What happened? Well, I wasn't REALLY aiming for the TV. I just sort of tossed a round down range. But guess what? My 125 grain bullet hit the tube of that TV as square as can be. It looked like a smoke grenade had gone off upon impact. This brought out a roar of dog barks from my neandrethal-like pals. I ended up shooting about 200 factory loads, that day, in the desert. I have loved Ruger pruducts ever since.
I went home, that day, hooked on Ruger revolvers. I have bought and sold many more Rugers since the time of this story. Which brings me to the next chapter.....REGRET!!! That BH was sold several weeks after I had bought it. I found myself in a situation where I needed money for my wedding and flipped it to a friend. The thing is....I didn't realize at the time what a special gun I had owned. I mean, I was like JW with that thing, no joke. The BH hit were it was pointed with shocking accuracy and from all positions. I'm sure some of the members of this forum know the type of "holy grail" super-accurate revolvers to which I am refering.
Some memories are priceless and this story fits into that category for me. I still compare the pointability of all handguns to that of my old blackhawk. I have read many comments, from forum members, on here, that say something to the effect of, "if at all possible....hold on to your guns" and things like, "I kick myself every day for ever letting that one go." Gents, this is good advice. The collective bits of wisdom found on these pages is touching and endless. Let me take this time to thank you all for being here. Some places just feel like home to a guy, ya know?
So, I'll save the story about my dad's SBH for another time. Perhaps further down on this thread if it gets some decent attention. I've got a full gun safe worth of Ruger stories to tell. Unfortunately, I also have an empty safe worth of regrets too, which is....i guess, the central theme of this post.