J Miller
Blackhawk
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
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