Musings (whinings) about the BKH44

[J Miller]

Waaaaaaaaaaaayyyy back in 1976 I stumbled on a nice BKH44 (4 5/8" barreled Old Model .45 Colt BH for those who don't know Ruger lingo) in Phoenix for a good reasonable price. Serial # 45-12332, I paid $126.00 for it. Boy was I thrilled.
This Ruger .45 Colt would shoot anything I could stuff in the chambers with NO leading, and GREAT accuracy. Even the soft Speer 250gr SWCs over Unique. Eventually a gunsmith I knew came up with an ACP cylinder and we added that to my pistol. I was happy with this combo. Shot it as much as I could back then and was actually satisfied with it. That's saying a lot because I normally fiddle with every gun I get till I'm satisfied. Other than the ACP cylinder, I did nothing to this one.

It was stolen in a burglary on 12-2-77.

Over the years I looked and looked and looked for another short barreled Old Model .45 without success. Then in 97 I saw a whole bunch of used Blackhawks on a back shelf in another gun shop in Phoenix. I joked with the owner: "To bad those aren't Old Models." He replied: "One is." It was a 7.5" .45 Colt, (a BKH 45) in almost new condition except for the omnipresent full circumference drag ring.
Well, I bought it, paid $300.00 for it, and it's the one I have now.

I've had it 13 years; I've changed out the grip frame, the rear sight, front sight, put a steel ERH on it, reamed out the throats, did the forcing cone, put on a set of CLC grips, shot thousands of rounds through it ... and I'm still not satisfied.

It's not a 4 5/8" barreled version like I had before.

Well I keep looking at the classifieds here and other places and watch the prices of these guns go up, up, up, up, and then up some more.

I've always wanted a Colt SAA so bad I could taste it, I still do. But the price was always way out of my reach. I'm seeing the short barreled OM .45s prices rising to the point they will, or have by the looks of the non lettered brassie in the classifieds, pass the Colts.

Now, I'm wondering if it's even worth the effort of wanting to replace what I had before, what was stolen.
I'm not a collector, I don't have deep pockets, so I just sit and watch the prices rise.

Well, I guess I could hacksaw the barrel off the one I have now .... naw, I don't wanna do that, I do like it for what it is. Kinda.

Joe

 

[Ale-8(1)]

If it's your "dream gun" then it's not "whining" . . . it's dreaming.

We understand.

Keep looking and good luck.

 

[mraywi]

I know what you mean,in the early seventies I would look at my Shooters Bible and dream of buying a Browning 20 ga BSS sporter. They were listed at $200!!! A like new specimen goes for $2000 up now.. Same thing happened with the Gold Label. Oh well I just have to make do with my lowly Red Label 20!!!

 

[M'BOGO]

Get a smith to make you another barrel. Keep the 7 1/2 in the corner of the safe.

 

[Boge]

...I've always wanted a Colt SAA so bad I could taste it, I still do. But the price was always way out of my reach...

I´ll bet in all those years you bought several guns whereas with a little thriftiness you could have saved & bought a Colt. :wink:

I like Rugers a lot, but nothing equals a Colt for grace, history & instinctive point shooting. :wink:

 

[Aggie01]

I have a 4 5/8" OM .45 barrel that has to be set back a turn or two to be used. I have been debating putting this one up for sale for a while.
INC barrel address.
Yours seems a worthy cause, so I'll give you first dibs.

I prefer 5.5" tubes on all my guns. This one is scheduled for a full "fixin' up" due to extreme frame trauma from somebody with a dremel. It will never be a collector item. It will have a no. 5 grip frame.. .
Make me an offer if interested for the barrel.
S/N of donor available on request. Donor letters as convertable and was purchased with only the .45 ACP cylinder.

Alan Harton has examined the barrel and is ok with either welding up the questionable area or setting it back.

It has been ground on the barrel protrusion - not the forcing cone but on the outside of the barrel. It is very likely perfectly ok with low pressure loads. bluing prolly 85%, showing some holster wear. rifling is sharp and shiny.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I'd suggest taking a look at one of the USFA guns. If you really want, but can't talk yourself into a Colt, the USFA is the next best thing. You're only talking a bit more than the current price of OM Rugers.

-- Sam

 

[TRanger]

Joe, just a friendly word from one gun lover to another. I can certainly understand not having deep pockets, as I've never had them either. But if there is a gun you really want like a Colt SAA; save your pennies, have a yard sale, sell some other gun, work some overtime, or do what you have to to get it. You will sit and watch the prices rise from now on. They are not going to go down. Sometimes it has taken me years to acquire a desired gun, but you will be happier for it. (Wish my wife understood this.)

 

[flatgate]

A less expensive "pre warning" NM barrel may fit your needs. Or, have a NM barrel "turned" to eliminate any/all rollmarks.

I, too, didn't want to "pay through the nose" for a 4-5/8" OM shooter. I found a, gasp, chromed one at a show. It had been plated right over the two plugged scope holes in the top strap. The price was right but I still got burned. I could NOT get the gun to shoot groups. Patterns? Yes.....

Dumped it and kept looking. Several years ago I spotted a 4-5/8" OM in a gunshop here in WY. Hmm, warning barrel.... OK, I can live with that on a shooter. Hmm, XR-3 grip frame with black plastic OEM grips. No way, I HATE the XR-3 on a big bore. Sold the grips and grip frame and got a brass XR3-RED and had money left over. The gun is a treasured shooter.

You've seen me post it's image many, many times......

It's companion is a .44 and the story on that one will be saved for another time....

flatgate

 

[J Miller]

Boge,
Yeah, I probably have spent more than a Colt costs for multiple hand guns. But they've never been bought so close together that the funds would have equaled a Colt had I put them together. Many were also trades, and most were bought used.
BTW, that's a nice shiny single action you have there. You could use it as a mirror to shave with.

Aggie01,
Thanks for the offer but I'll pass on the barrel. I don't restrict my Blackhawks to light loads. If I wanted to stay with light loads I would have never gone with Rugers.
Coincidentally my OM that was stolen had the ACP cylinder in it at the time. Might want to compare the serial number I listed to yours. Just kidding you. That kind of coincidence even I don't believe in.

Sam,
I want the OM Ruger for it's durability and ability to use the heavy loads if I decide to shoot them. That's something the Colt and USFA guns can't do. Nice as they are.
For normal .45 Colt loads I have my Uberti Cattleman and S&W 25-5. My desire for a short barrel is a want, not a need. But what the heck, what's need got to do with it?

TRanger,
Yep, when I get back to work, if my health allows it, and we get moved out of IL, I'll be selling and saving all I can. I'm greedy, I want that BKH-44 and the Colt SAA.

flatgate,
It's strange how some guns just will not shoot good no matter what you do with them. Others can't shoot bad. I guess that's why I lament the theft of my first one because it fits the "can't shoot bad" category. My current BKH-45 is barely OK. I can actually shoot better with my ancient Uberti than I can the Ruger. It's disillusioning really. I don't know if it's my eyesight with the two different barrel lengths, the trigger pulls ( the Rugers trigger does need work ) the balance, or a combination of all of it.
That's why I want a 4 5/8" barreled version along with my 7.5" one. That way I can determine what the deal is.

I've considered shortening my existing barrel, not hard, I've shortened barrels before and there is numerous different types of front sights I can put on it. I've also thought about an early NM barrel as you suggested. But each time I get to the point of reaching for the hack saw I just can't do it.
For handgun hunting that longer barrel is a bonus. And I do like to hunt with a handgun. I've gotten lazy in my old age and really don't like to carry a heavy rifle around. That's what my waist ( when I had one ) was for.

Joe

 

[targetshootr]

Maybe it's the trigger. The only guns I can shoot worth a dern have triggers about 2 lbs... and the hammer doesn't rub against anything as it drops.

 

[contender]

Darn Joe,, you make me feel guilty for buying 2 OM 45 Colts last year. Both were the short barreled ones,,,,,! They were added to the other 2 I already owned. having 4 of them,,, well, you just make me feel a little bit guilty!!!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!! the two I bought last year both had brass grip frames AND they lettered. I got them for waht I felt were "reasonable" prices for what they were.

 

[J Miller]

targetshootr,
You could very well be right. The trigger pull is sort of a two stage that not consistent. A trigger job would do wonders for it.

contender,

I don't begrudge anybody their guns. Buy all you can afford is what I've always done. It's just that I've never, not even when was working full time with over time, had the spendable income others seem to have. So I buy what I can afford.

My biggest whine is that I did have what I wanted, and some pond scum stole it. Had it not been stolen I'd still own it. That Ruger was a keeper.

Oh, and should I ever come across a brassie that looks legit I'll let you guys know about it. I'm a shooter, I'd just take the brass off and put an XR3 on it. Better to let someone else have it.

Joe

 

[flatgate]

Joe,

How are the throats in your .45's cylinder? Have they been opened up to 0.4525 or so? Forcing cone OK? Muzzle's crown OK?

flatgate

 

[J Miller]

Joe,

How are the throats in your .45's cylinder? Have they been opened up to 0.4525 or so? Forcing cone OK? Muzzle's crown OK?

flatgate

flatgate,
Yes the throats have been opened up several years ago. As far as I can see the crown is fine. I've looked at it closely and can't see anything wrong.

Joe

 

[gotcha]

Jmiller
I fully understand your point most of my regret is that of having traded away for some new wonder Item and then it not being what I expected
within the next few days I am to go and pick up a single six 32 H&R The shop is very large and I will see what might be available in what you are looking for
carl

 

[BlackEagle]

Jmiller
I fully understand your point most of my regret is that of having traded away for some new wonder Item and then it not being what I expected
within the next few days I am to go and pick up a single six 32 H&R The shop is very large and I will see what might be available in what you are looking for
carl

What shop are you going to?