New Model .357 BH conversion to 9mm????????????

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Emaho

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
32
Location
SE Tennessee
As we gun nuts do, sometimes, I stumbled in to a local pawn shop and what did I see??? A gorgeous New Model Blackhawk .357, 4 1/2" bbl, SS and nice wood grips. $275 OTD, so I grabbed it, no doubt.

Now, I'm wondering if this particular Blackhawk can be fitted with a 9mm cylinder, making it a sort of "convertible" model? I've had, for a long time, a nice Single-Six .22 LR/Mag and am wondering if my new BH .357 mag can accept a 9mm cylinder. And, what's involved in a conversion.

I'll call Ruger in NH to see what they say, but if any Ruger Forum brothers or sisters have any experience with this or a similar issue, I'd appreciate any guidance you can supply.

Happy Holidays to all out there. Gun rights for all!!!

Bill
 

JWhitmore44

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
987
Location
NW Kansas
I believe that was a cataloged item for Ruger so they would be willing to fit a 9mm cylinder to your blackhawk. The other option would be to find a 9mm cylinder and have it fitted. You would want to make sure that the length and dimensions were about the same as your current cylinder. Lots of folks add 45acp to their 45 colt blackhawks and there are quite a few articles in that respect.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
It's a painless thing to make it convertable,, as long as spending a little money is painless. It's a common conversion,, and many of us have them.
 

DGW1949

Hunter
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
3,916
Location
Texas
Emaho":1ba3yrcx said:
As we gun nuts do, sometimes, I stumbled in to a local pawn shop and what did I see??? A gorgeous New Model Blackhawk .357, 4 1/2" bbl, SS and nice wood grips. $275 OTD, so I grabbed it, no doubt.

Now, I'm wondering if this particular Blackhawk can be fitted with a 9mm cylinder, making it a sort of "convertible" model? I've had, for a long time, a nice Single-Six .22 LR/Mag and am wondering if my new BH .357 mag can accept a 9mm cylinder. And, what's involved in a conversion.

I'll call Ruger in NH to see what they say, but if any Ruger Forum brothers or sisters have any experience with this or a similar issue, I'd appreciate any guidance you can supply.

Happy Holidays to all out there. Gun rights for all!!!

Bill


Creating a 9MM convertable from a .357 BH is a fairly simple thing. If one is lucky, it might even be fairly easy. If not though, you might need some professional help in getting the new cylinder to fit right.

First step is to measure both the body-length and the total-length of your present .357 cylinder so's you'll know what to look for as you shop around for an appropriate 9MM cylinder. Maybe you'll get lucky but if not, remember that too long is easier to work with than too short.....and that when dealing with gunsmiths or machinist, easier=cheaper.

Or you can cut through the chase and contact Ruger. They just might add a 9MM cylinder to it themselves.
There's also competant gunsmiths around who can do it...and may have an appropriate cylinder on hand.

Anyhow..... Bottom line is yeah, it can be done. I have an OM-357 that I'm doing the same thing to right now. Comparatively-speaking, NM parts are a bunch easier to find.....and a bunch cheaper when you do.

About all you need to do is decide how you want to go about it.

DGW
 

Emaho

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
32
Location
SE Tennessee
Thanks, y'all. Have looked into this and I think the best and least inexpensive route is to go with Ruger factory mods---at least as far as my serial # goes. Wish I was a talented machinist and could pull this switch myself.

Ruger NH factory guy says it will cost $90 for the cylinder, $50 labor to fit and time it, plus $30 return shipping. No way will Ruger send a cylinder alone to be fitted by myself or local gunsmith. Not a deal, IMHO.

My opinion, after all this, is just try to find a .357/9mm conversion model to begin with, like the nice .22LR/.22Mag Single Six I have. Eyes always wide-open for Ruger deals.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
no, just wait and look and ask on the clasiffieds or the gun auctions, for gun parts and you will find a ''new model' 9mm cylinder that will work in YOUR gun, not a big deal, not 'rocket science' either...any GOOD gunsmith and man,y just plain "gun plumbers" can do it,,,,,,,,,main thing is "KNOW" the exact, overall dimension of the cylnder that is currently in the gun, use this as a basis for finding another cylinder...same size ( over all length), maybe just a 'tad' longer,but save your money and your time and do NOT waste it on a shorter one, too much to try and make it work....
wish we would have heard sooner, just sold one two gun shows back, a new model 9 mm cylinder......hang in there, you'll find one
 

flatgate

Hawkeye
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
6,784
Location
Star Valley, WY
I take it your new .357 is stainless steel?

Ruger made a very limited run of stainless .357/9mm's back in the 1970's. You're NOT going to get them, at this date and time, to fit your gun with a stainless 9mm cylidner. (I'm sure Redstick cleaned 'em out a while ago!)

A blued cylinder will work if you can find one that fits properly.

JMHO,

flatgate
 

Emaho

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
32
Location
SE Tennessee
Well, I've thought and thought and thought about this. Seems like the best idea is to be patient and wait for a 9mm gun to come around. The guy at Ruger factory service said they could make me a cylinder for:

$90---cylinder + $50---shop labor + $30---return shipping + shipping cost from TN to NH because they need my gun to work on, fit and time, etc. Around $200, I'm guessing, all said and done.

I guess I don't want one that much, after all. Patience is, after all, a virtue. I'd be glad to hear from anyone who has such a piece for sale. Thanks for all the advice and help, friends.
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
yessir, if its going to 'HAGE' to be stainless, we too have been unable to ever get one ourselves....though it has happened...they will not tell you ,but when it has been done, the person had sent in their gun, and then got the work done...maybe as you noted, they will "make one" and at that higher dollar value, perhaps in 'stainless' make sure you are upfront with them on that...we've had to send 'blued' cylinders out to 'Mehovskys metalife ' over in Pa. and Ron would do his 'metalife SS' finish on them and they looked and wore BETTER than the stainless actually........hhmm. wonder if maybe the factory did something like that , and folks "think" they got a 'stainless' version..........interesting concept. Will have to ask Ron, next time we see him......
otherwise, it is going to be "blued" ..............

Merry Christmas......and good luck in your 'search'....
 

woodperson

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
460
Location
Knoxville, TN
And then you probably have to add $60 to ship it to Ruger to. I used the 9mm cylinder so little in mine that I ended up loosing it. I would skip it. I just shoot .38 in it whan I what a light load. Never really liked the 9mm anyway.
 

Emaho

Bearcat
Joined
Sep 10, 2009
Messages
32
Location
SE Tennessee
Woodperson: Yep, yer correct, specially if you're a law abidin sort. I'm looking for 9mm just because it's so much more inexpensive and easier to come by. BTW, I'm in Harriman, belong to ORSA and love Rugers of any sort. If you find that lost cylinder, let's talk. PM me if you want.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
I saw a like new 9mm cylinder on another auction and the starting bid was $150. Sounds like the factory is a better deal.I've used my 9mm cylinder once and accuracy was not good so I cleaned it and put it away.
 
A

Anonymous

I have a Blackhawk old mod. with 9mm drum. I never used it the accuraty is bad.Maby you can made your owen bullit too match the barrel. But mine is in the red sack for no use
Jorgen
 

raw6464

Bearcat
Joined
Aug 12, 2008
Messages
85
krudt":3egwekvw said:
I have a Blackhawk old mod. with 9mm drum. I never used it the accuraty is bad.Maby you can made your owen bullit too match the barrel. But mine is in the red sack for no use
Jorgen

krudt... I agree... converting a Blackhawk to a 9mm is really not worth the effort. They're not very accurate... you need moonclips to add to the already laborius loading and unloading the cylinder. It will be very inexpensive to shoot because you spend more time loading than shooting.

You can get a new Ruger semi 9mm for less than $300. Relatively inexpensive ammo is only one of 9mm advantages. The other advantages of the 9mm really go to waste in a Blackhawk SA revolver.

I am a 9mm advocate for all the reasons it has become the number 1 caliber for the majority of M&P... but putting it in a SA is not one of them... to each his own.
 

DGW1949

Hunter
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
3,916
Location
Texas
raw6464":29nkli8i said:
krudt":29nkli8i said:
I have a Blackhawk old mod. with 9mm drum. I never used it the accuraty is bad.Maby you can made your owen bullit too match the barrel. But mine is in the red sack for no use
Jorgen

krudt... I agree... converting a Blackhawk to a 9mm is really not worth the effort. They're not very accurate... you need moonclips to add to the already laborius loading and unloading the cylinder. It will be very inexpensive to shoot because you spend more time loading than shooting.

You can get a new Ruger semi 9mm for less than $300. Relatively inexpensive ammo is only one of 9mm advantages. The other advantages of the 9mm really go to waste in a Blackhawk SA revolver.

I am a 9mm advocate for all the reasons it has become the number 1 caliber for the majority of M&P... but putting it in a SA is not one of them... to each his own.



Actualy, a 9MM BH don't require, use, or even need moon clips. The rounds load one at a time and the empties eject one at a time, same as the 38's/357's do when used with the "other" cylinder.

Can't speak for others but to me, having a 9MM clyinder for my BH aint just about cheaper ammo, it's also about having one gun that can handle either of several different cartridges should the desire (or need) arise. Best as I can count, mine will now chamber/fire/eject 7 different rounds...and all 7 of them can use the same powder and primers....which is not a small thing when one lives in an unsure world. And being's how one of them seven happens to be the current NATO round, I kinda figure that it'll be available from one sorce or another, even if the other six aint.
We aint that far out of the latest ammo/powder/primer "crisis" that's happened, and far as that goes....who knows when it'll finaly end, or happen again?

But that's just me and my line of thinking....to each his own.

DGW
 

gerryb158

Single-Sixer
Joined
Nov 27, 2005
Messages
173
Location
New Hampshire, USA
Agree with DGW all the way. I must say it's disappointing to read, fairly often, that Blackhawks using the 9mm cylinder are not accurate. I added the 9mm cylinder to my OM Blackhawk and it shoots really well. Also, I've only recently taken up reloading the "9" as in the past I didn't like tinkering with those tiny little peices of brass. In the past couple years I've become a bit of a "convert" to the 9 mm; also in auto pistols. I have a Sig P229 that fires .40 S&W, .357 Sig, and (with a Barsto barrel) 9 mm just fine! I do like the versatility of a firearm that can use two or more types of ammo. Gerry
 

edlmann

Blackhawk
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
790
Location
lovely downtown Central Florida
Emaho":vn1jug3x said:
As we gun nuts do, sometimes, I stumbled in to a local pawn shop and what did I see??? A gorgeous New Model Blackhawk .357, 4 1/2" bbl, SS and nice wood grips. $275 OTD, so I grabbed it, no doubt.
Now, I'm wondering if this particular Blackhawk can be fitted with a 9mm cylinder, making it a sort of "convertible" model? I've had, for a long time, a nice Single-Six .22 LR/Mag and am wondering if my new BH .357 mag can accept a 9mm cylinder. And, what's involved in a conversion.
I'll call Ruger in NH to see what they say, but if any Ruger Forum brothers or sisters have any experience with this or a similar issue, I'd appreciate any guidance you can supply.

Had this done by the factory to a NMBH ca. 1981 or so.
 
Top