Question on Lipsey's Super Blackhawk Bisley,grip odd or off?

[shootingintexas]

Okay. So I need some expert help from the Blackhawk guys.
So today I went to my LGS to take a look at the Lipsey Super BlackHawk with Bisley Grip, the 44magnum with the sub 4 inch barrel.

Anyway. I was holding it, and my right hand (mostly inside middle finger)was getting very irritated by a ledge, a small one but noticeable, between the grips and the frame. It wasn't flush and in fact was kind unset. I took pictures of both sides on the inside of the grips and frame. Are all of these models like this? Or is it just this one? Because honestly to be a limited edition, and frankly a desired model, it just didn't feel right.
Help me out here. Don't know if this is the way they all are or just this one. I'd really like to put some bisley hogue grips on it , but don't even know if they make that.

 

[contender]

Unfortunately, way too many of Rugers Bisley stocks do not fit as snug as they should. The best way to get a good fit is to have a custom set made to fit YOUR gripframe.

 

[shootingintexas]

Unfortunately, way too many of Rugers Bisley stocks do not fit as snug as they should. The best way to get a good fit is to have a custom set made to fit YOUR gripframe.

Damn!! You just saved me 650 bucks. Because that was very uncomfortable to me.
It's a shame. I don't know how much more time it would take for ruger to clean it up a tiny bit.
Or maybe I need to find someone to put on super nice grips on the bisely to for perfectly....and that would cost me ALOT more...damn.

 

[contender]

Gee,, I guess I didn't word things right. You need to buy that Bisley, & get on this Forum, and get one of our fine members to make you a set of properly fitting stiocks. I'd NEVER let a little thing like a set of stocks prevent me from buying & enjoying another Ruger. You can spend a lot on stocks or you can spend a reasonable amount.
OR,, you can also try your hand at making a set yourself.
I aquired a pair of New Vaqueros a few years back. They have the infernal lock in them. I didn't care for the plastic stocks, and normal stocks wouldn't fit due to the infernal lock. And I knew I was getting a few more guns with infernal locks. So,, I chose to make a few sets of stocks myself. The first set, had a few issues. I got better with the second set. By the 3rd set, I had learned a few things, AND was quite proud of myself for personalizing my guns with my own craftsmanship. It's not as hard as it seems, if you go slow. Plus, there have been tips posted around here on how to do it.
I'll NEVER try to compete with the folks who do this for extra money or any commercial venture. I just like to make my own stocks from time to time.
Now, go rescue that Bisley,, you can make more money!

 

[single action]

I call that crap! Buying a gun with grips that dont fit is akin to buying a car with a steering wheel that hurts to use. A lot of the ruger single actions over the last few year have been poor i expect some grips that are at the very least functional! IMHO SA

 

[MaxP]

Gee,, I guess I didn't word things right. You need to buy that Bisley, & get on this Forum, and get one of our fine members to make you a set of properly fitting stiocks. I'd NEVER let a little thing like a set of stocks prevent me from buying & enjoying another Ruger. You can spend a lot on stocks or you can spend a reasonable amount.
OR,, you can also try your hand at making a set yourself.
I aquired a pair of New Vaqueros a few years back. They have the infernal lock in them. I didn't care for the plastic stocks, and normal stocks wouldn't fit due to the infernal lock. And I knew I was getting a few more guns with infernal locks. So,, I chose to make a few sets of stocks myself. The first set, had a few issues. I got better with the second set. By the 3rd set, I had learned a few things, AND was quite proud of myself for personalizing my guns with my own craftsmanship. It's not as hard as it seems, if you go slow. Plus, there have been tips posted around here on how to do it.
I'll NEVER try to compete with the folks who do this for extra money or any commercial venture. I just like to make my own stocks from time to time.
Now, go rescue that Bisley,, you can make more money!

I agree completely! Besides, every Ruger deserves a custom set of grips! It's the one change that will make any gun more pleasurable to shoot. And by custom, I don't mean off the shelf products, but grips made for your hand. Like these:

 

[CraigC]

I call that crap!

Call it what you want, it's reality. Personally, I call ALL of Ruger's factory single action grips since the early flat-tops "crap". The XR3's were the best of the bunch but even they could stand some refinement. They went downhill from 1962 to present. The newer they are, the worse they are. They're terribly shaped, have corners where they should be rounded, are thick where they should be thin and thin where they should be thick. Do I get upset? Not really, it's a Ruger, not a hand-fitted turn of the century Colt. Ruger's guns are made in one factory, the grips are farmed out. If people want to pay an extra $200 for their guns, I'm sure Ruger can start hand-fitting them. That's not how they do business and most buyers don't care anyway.

As stated, the solution is a set of custom stocks fitted to your grip frame. After a lot of expensive experimentation with different makers, I have several sets of Cary Chapman's Bisley stocks and he does them right.

 

[Rclark]

After I shoot it and verify it's a keeper, I get new grips for it. For example,

I went from this :

To this

I Just couldn't stand the factory grips.

BTW, the factory Bisley grips should fit better than that! I have had 'bad' factory grips ... but never that bad. Bisleys seem to be more fickle though... I ordered some gunfighter Buffalo horn grips for my .44Spec and they were no way going to fit, so sent them back. Right now it has factory grips on it which don't fit bad... just not my preferred style of grip.

 

[CraigC]

There seems to be a lot more variation among Bisleys than any other grip frame. It's widely recognized that there's a big difference between blued and stainless grip frames but none of the fitted grips will interchange between my stainless frames. The pair on my Bisley Vaquero look really out of place on my Super Blackhawk, converted to a Bisley. Even though they're both stainless and of similar vintage. The XR3-RED's don't seem to be anywhere near as bad.

 

[single action]

The Letts grips for the most part were okay functional but the workmanship on the new ones are like crudely shaped 2X4's they really can do better. IMHO

 

[Hammerdown77]

I'd love to see the video of the person at the factory sitting there with a giant box of Bisley grip panels trying them all on a gun to see which ones actually fit well enough to pass QC.....

 

[Hammerdown77]

That's actually the worst I've seen. I've got some Bisleys whose factory grips don't fit perfect, but most are pretty good. What you've got there deserves a call and trip back to Ruger.

 

[CraigC]

Those are particularly bad but I honestly wouldn't bother sending it back to Ruger. Go to Cary's site, pick out a blank and send him an email about sending in your grip frame.

http://www.clccustomgrips.com

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

The grips on mine were not exact fit but way better than those you pictured.
I made my own set to replace them.

Wow guys, those are some sweet grips in your pictures.
I would have bought it without any grips on it.
Love that little six shooter!!!

 

[CraigC]

Nice!!!

 

[caryc]

I've said it over and over but it always needs to be said again as in this thread. Ruger builds a great gun that's built like a tank for a great price. If you want precision factory fit grips then pay the price for a Freedom Arms gun.

Ruger doesn't make grips. Their stainless and blued Bisley grip frames are actually different sizes and the grips they get must fit both frames. In the pics below you see the same stock grip panel on a stainless frame and on a blued frame. The second pic is a carbon steel frame that just hasn't been blued yet.

 

[JesterGrin_1]

I just got the Lipsy's Bisley Stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag with the 3 3/4 Barrel and the stock set it junk as you mention.

I called Ruger about the misfitting grips and was informed that they only have 1 size set of grips made for the Ruger Bisley. And they just sent me out a new set of Grips of which I am waiting on but feel if they only make one size then I am sure they will fit just as bad lol.

But as said the Ruger itself is a Tank and they are good shooters with a little personal attention.

On mine I had to hone a few sharp edges and remove some mill work flash from the Cylinder Ratchet but it was no big deal.

I will say that if you wish to have a smooth working Ruger Single action pick up a bottle of STP and put some on the cylinder pin and where the front of the cylinder meets the front and rear of the frame along with a dab on the mating surfaces of the trigger and sear. It will amaze you and also greatly reduce wear on the cylinder pin and front and rear of the bearing surfaces.

 

[smorin2]

My Lipseys Bisley SBH also has the poor fitting grips and the trigger pull that could be alot better. I understand that Rugers are not custom firearms but what i don't understand is the frame variations.I mean if it comes from a mold how come the other parts of the gun have the same tolerances ie: cylinder,barrel and hammer but not the grip ? Could someone explain why? The answer is probably obvious but i don't see it.

 

[caryc]

My Lipseys Bisley SBH also has the poor fitting grips and the trigger pull that could be alot better. I understand that Rugers are not custom firearms but what i don't understand is the frame variations.I mean if it comes from a mold how come the other parts of the gun have the same tolerances ie: cylinder,barrel and hammer but not the grip ? Could someone explain why? The answer is probably obvious but i don't see it.

I'm guessing that they have a mold for carbon steel and a mold for stainless. I know Ruger used investment casting. Maybe someone will come along that can explain it to you.

Cylinders and barrels are not molded.

 

[andyo5]

I have a stainless and a blued Bisley.
The grips on the blued gun are a pretty precise fit. Those on the stainless gun have small gaps between the frame and the wood similar to caryc's first photo, but less extreme. The fit of the wood to the front strap is less than perfect, but not nearly as bad as in the first of Shootingintexas's first photo. All in all, I'd be nitpicking to complain much about it. I don't notice it when shooting the gun.
Maybe I just got lucky.
If I were Shootingintexas, I do think I would complain to Ruger about it, and I suspect they would do something about it. Offer to email them your photos.