Stainless Blackhawks vs Stainless SUPER Blackhawks

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SL1

Bearcat
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
39
Can somebody tell me what the difference is between the stainless "New Model" Blackhawks in .45 Long Colt (KBN-44 nd KBN-45 on the Ruger website) and the stainless "New Model" SUPER Blackhawk in .44 Magnum (KS-45N), BESIDES the caliber? They appear the same in the pictures on the website. Although the KS-45N is listed with the SUPER Blackhawks, it has the round trigger guard and fluted cylinder like the regular blackhawk. The prices look nearly the same as well.

So, anybody know what the differences are?

SL1
 

pisgah

Buckeye
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
1,633
Location
Upstate SC
For decades, the only difference between a Blackhawk and a Super Blackhawk has been that the Super is in .44 Mag.
 

Sugar River

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
1,084
Location
S Florida
The Supers come with the SBH hammer, which I happen to prefer.
Other than that and the size of the holes, no difference.

Pete
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
I think you will find that the cylinder frame on the 'Super' is dimensionally larger.....they had been putting the 'rounded' trigger guards on them for some time, but still offered the 'dragoon' style as well, either way...had them BOTH and like the larger ,longer grip........material change of the frames if I recall, they used 'steel' in either, not the 'alloy' llike on the Blackhawks....have NOT looked closely at the current models........will have to check them out at Bills this weekend.....
 

Axehandle

Buckeye
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
1,427
Location
North Alabama
The cylinder frames are identical for the NM Blackhawk and the Super Blackhawk. The MR-3D is the traditional dragoon style grip frame found on the SBH. The round trigger guard you see on the newer SBH is a XR3-Red grip frame which is the same as the grip frame on the Blackhawk... While the SBH had always been a 44 mag by definition... the Hunter model threw a monkey wrench in the while thing. The Super Blackhawk Hunter has a grip frame the same size and shape as the MR-3D but with a rounded trigger guard... The Super blackhawk Hunter also can be a 41, 44, or 45 Colt...

Clear as mud? :D
 

JimMarch1

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
525
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
>>The MR-3D is the traditional dragoon style grip frame found on the SBH.<<

Only when the SRH in question has a barrel longer than 5.5". 5.5" or shorter, it gets a steel XR3-RED.
 

pisgah

Buckeye
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
1,633
Location
Upstate SC
>I think you will find that the cylinder frame on the 'Super' is dimensionally larger

The original .44 Magnum chambering, 'way back, was on the original Blackhawk-size frame, and that frame size was found wanting. They designed the larger frame and, subsequent to that, all BHs and SBHs were built on the same frame. This is why some folks have, for so long, looked for original 3-screw flat-top frames for conversion in to handy .44 Specials -- guns a bit smaller/lighter than the SBH capable of handling almost, but not quite, the oomph of a .44 Magnum.
 

Axehandle

Buckeye
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
1,427
Location
North Alabama
?????? and we thought grip frames were hard... Ruger tried the 44 Mag on the original 357 BH frame and found that it was not up to the task... The cylinder frame of the first 44 mag Blackhawk sold to the public in 1956 is the same size as the original and current Super Blackhawk cylinder frame... When the original NM came to be the NM BH and SBH cylinder frames were the same size... Now that Ruger is making the medium frame gun again we can all get more confused... :D
 

ebg3

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
76
Location
Eastern NC
Yes, now I'm confused. I thought the grip on the SBH was larger/longer than the regular BH frame. I know the trigger guards are different. My dad has a 3 screw .357 BH and a 3 screw .44 mag SBH and there is a big difference in the grip frame size.
 

Rclark

Hunter
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
3,533
Location
Butte, MT
Grip frames are one thing. Cylinder frames are another.

AxeHandle has it right as far as I can tell.

Cylinder frames for .44mag have been the same since 1956 ... Old Model to the New Model. That keeps it 'simple' whether talking about BH and SBH in .44.

In .357, all the old models were medium cylinder frames. When the New Model came along in the early 70s, the .357 was put on the .44 cylinder frame. This was about the time the .45 Colt was introduced too if I remember right. That is why Old model (not just flattops) .357s were/are sought for .44 Special conversions... The medium frame.

Recently now we have the .44Spec, New Vaquero (.357/.45 Colt), and .357 50th all on the medium frame just to 'confuse' us :) .

The Grip frames are another thing which I don't feel qualified to cover properly :) . See here http://www.gunblast.com/Hamm_Ruger-SA-GripFrames.htm
 

s4s4u

Hunter
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
2,085
Location
MN, USA
All I know is that the Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk, Bisley and Hunter all share the same manual, and basic parts list. The only differences are finish, hole size, barrel length, grip. Same basic gun platform.
 

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