OM Blackhawk questions from a newbie owner

[gunhacker]

Hi Folks,

In about a week I'll be picking up my first ever 3 screw OM Blackhawk... a .357/9mm convertible. It was one of those wasn't really planning on getting one, but one popped up that I couldn't resist.

It sat in a forum classified for over a week without a nibble, and I couldn't stand it any longer when the price was reduced to $400, which is a bargain for California.

So I have a few questions about it.

All I've owned is a NM Bisley Blackhawk and a pair of the OM Vaquero's... how does the grip frame size on an OM Blackhawk compare to the new model grip frames, slightly smaller?

On the Vaquero's I outfitted them with the freewheeling pawl conversion, to make loading more "civilized", is that not needed with the 3 screws or can it even be done?

Here's a pic of what I bought... shot very little, nothing else came with it except the extra cylinder in the red draw string bag:

 

[Robb Barnes]

Welcome aboard gunhacker! You bought a great looking old model. Your gun was a unique size for the old model Rugers in that it was larger than the single sixes but smaller than the 30 Carbine, 41, 44 Mag or 45 old models. It was real close to the Colt SAA size frame. As such, it is smaller than the original Vaquero but real close in size to the New Vaquero and the new 44 Special flat tops Ruger is offering. As far as the free spin pawl is concerned, I have to pass on that one. I don't have this in any of my old model guns, facotry or custom, but I do love it in my new model Rugers. It may be as simple as reworking the end of the pawl but someone with more knowledge than myself will have to say for sure. Hopefully Flatgate will chime in with a definitive answer.

 

[Cherokee]

You don't need the free spin (even if you could do it) because the cylinder lines up properly for loading & ejecting the cases. And welcome to the forum.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Hey welcome to the Forum.
You will find that the cylinder will line up the way it was ment to.
So no ya don't need any fancy stuff.
Looks like a nice one for sure. Is it a pre-fix or a non pre-fix S/N
Jim

 

[Bucks Owin]

Howdy, and very nice looking OM. You did good IMO! 8)

 

[gunhacker]

Hey welcome to the Forum.
You will find that the cylinder will line up the way it was ment to.
So no ya don't need any fancy stuff.
Looks like a nice one for sure. Is it a pre-fix or a non pre-fix S/N
Jim

Jim... it's a prefix SN, I plan to call Ruger and try to get a date on it . It also hasn't been messed with and has not gone through the conversion (and never will), which made it even more of an attraction for me.

The more I hear about it from you kind folks here on this forum, I am even more amazed and thankful that it languished on the forum where I bought it.

I signed up here in this forum back in 2007, kind of floated in and out, but really didn't have anything to contribute until now with this Blackhawk purchase.

I've mainly been an active S&W revolver collector/accumulator, but I've always liked the Ruger SA's for their merits... and they are just plain fun to shoot. I've put a lot of rounds through the Bisley I have from shooting CAS back in the 80's. I'm too old, fat and slow to being doing that anymore. :lol:

I bought the Bisley right after they came out. My only beef with it is the 7 1/2" telephone pole hanging on the front of it One of these days I'll find a shorter "take off" barrel from another NM Blackhawk or maybe have the one on it bobbed.

For my next Ruger revolver, I would like to find Flat top... ever since I read about them in Skeeter Skelton's articles/stories in Shooting Times, I've been looking out for one.

Oh.. and folks, thanks for the welcomes, it's much appreciated !!

 

[DGW1949]

Far as price goes, $400 is about right for an OM shooter 357/9MM. I doubt you'd have done any better buying off the forum.

Don't need no stinkin' "free spin" or "reverse index" on an OM. It already works proper because it was designed right to start with.

Keep an empty chamber under the hammer while you're carrying it.
You can download a copy of the old Ruger manual right off their website.

Enjoy that gun. It's a good one.

DGW

 

[Dave T]

I've mainly been an active S&W revolver collector/accumulator, but I've always liked the Ruger SA's for their merits... and they are just plain fun to shoot.

Welcome and I'm in much the same position. I am a real fan of the S&W N-frames but my first center fire handgun was a Ruger Blackhawk 357. My second was a Blackhawk 44 Mag. This was all back in the early 1970s. I just bought a NM 44 Special thinking I would get back into the SA thing, as you say just because they are fun to shoot, but it just didn't feel right. I managed to find a very clean 3-screw Flat-top 357 and a 3-screw Flat-top 44 shooter. Just sold the NM 44 Special. Love the 3-screw Blackhawks of all calibers.

Dave

 

[gunhacker]

Dave,

I agree about the 3-screws... as soon as I had it in my hand checking it out at the FFL it's being transferred through, I knew it just felt right as opposed to the larger OM Vaquero's I had. I used past tense on those because I recently traded them off for an unfired S&W 586 commemorative made for the SF BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Police that I've wanted for a really long time.

If my budget was in better shape, I would have easily hung on to them, but something had to go. I figured, it wold be easier to replace them later than passing up the 586.

So this 3-screw is really a blessing in disguise for me, after giving up the Vaquero's. Next I'd like to find a Hawkeye one of these days... just for it being so unique.