NM Super Bkackhawk steel ejector housing?

[Hondo44]

I have a blue NM Super made in 1978 with an alloy ejector housing, stud on the barrel and the 1/4" screw.

Years ago I found a spare barrel that had been cut to 5 1/2" whcih I cut to 4 5/8" and installed in the gun. Now that I have two NM 44 Spec. flattops, I've reinstalled the original 7 1/2" barrel. I decided to also install a steel housing. I had to modify the steel housing I got from Brownell's to accept the larger 1/4" screw with smaller thread size that fits the barrel stud.

I had a 44 mag Blackhawk 5 1/2" NM Ruger that did not have the stud on the barrel and used the standard size screw.

My question is, did Ruger ever swith to a steel housing for the NM Super and if they did, was it during the period when the barrel stud was still used? In other words did Ruger ever make a steel housing with larger hole for the 1/4" screw and studded barrel?

 

[flatgate]

My question is, did Ruger ever switch to a steel housing for the NM Super and if they did, was it during the period when the barrel stud was still used? In other words did Ruger ever make a steel housing with larger hole for the 1/4" screw and studded barrel?

Question #1........No.

Question #2........Yes. The Old Model Super had a barrel stud and a steel ejector housing. However, that part was dropped in favor of aluminum back in '63.

It's been a long time but, IIRC, one can modify the "no barrel stud" steel housing to work with the studded barrel.

flatgate

 

[Hondo44]

flatgate,

Thanks for the info. So to this day the Supers still have alloy housings but without the studs?

In the Brownell's catalog, noted by the order # it indicates a gunsmith is recommended for fitting. Yes as mentioned above I modified it. It's an easy fix; just enlarge the hole for the stud on the underneath and the hole for the screw on the outside and touchup with cold blue.

 

[chet15]

Ruger began putting steel ejector housings on all their steel grip framed models some time back. 1978 production though would have came with an aluminum housing as original.
Chet15

 

[Hondo44]

It sure is satisfying to have a steel hsg on it now. My other 44 sbh barrel that was cut to 4 5/8" mentioned above is now installed in my 357 OM flat top. It has a barrel stud so I need the old smaller thread/larger headed screw # MR-33-44 to mount an ejector housing. Then I'll modify another steel hsg for it.

I'm calling Ruger today to check availability.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

A piece of esoteric trivia . . .

The steel housings weigh (theoretically) three time as much as similar aluminum ones do. This means they produce three times as much inertia when subjected to recoil forces . . . ie, the gun jerks to the rear and up, and the ERH wants to stay behind. This puts load on the screw and/or the barrel stud. It has been surmised that Ruger employed the stud to better absorb the inertia involved here, but a better explanation might be that the .44 barrel (and the later .45) was simply too thin to drill & tap for the screw. Dunno.

At any rate, if you're concerned about this an aluminum housing is a better idea from an engineering standpoint. That said, I have a steel one on my short .45 and have had no problems with it, although I do not shoot superloudboomenwhacker loads.

Just something to talk about over coffee . . .