Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

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O.S.O.K.
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Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by O.S.O.K. »

Shot two loads - 7.5 Grains of Unique under a 240 grain Lee swc and 9 grains of Alliant Power Pistol under a Keith 250 grain swc. Both shot fine with the Keith load being a bit tighter. Would cluster all six shots in a one tight 1 1/2" group at 25 yards if I did my part. Sweet shootin revolver.

I sanded the sharp checkering off of the Ruger custom rosewood grips that I put on this and that did the trick for making it very comfortable to shoot now. Prior, the checkering would cut blood with the stouter load.

Really like this little SA. Can't recommend these highly enough.

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txpete
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by txpete »

good looking ruger and those grips are sharp.

I have been shooting the 429421 for years with 7.5 grs unique in 44 spl brass.I need to try your load with power pistol.thanks for the info.

pete
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C. Cash
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by C. Cash »

That is fine, fine, FINE! :mrgreen:
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by 2X22 »

Yep, they are pretty sweet little revolvers, that for sure!

I get about the same group size from all 4 of mine with the 4 5/8" barrel, about 1 1/2" with 7 1/2grs Unique and a 255gr PB SWC. A neat little load that is actually pretty powerful in its own right. Took a nice 3x3 buck last year with that load right out behind the house. DRT.

I put a 7 1/2" barrel on my 5th .44 special flattop. Kind of funny, it really likes the same load as the others until I put the longer barrel on it. Now it DEMANDS I feed it 240 jacketed anything with 7 1/2grs Unique. All the sudden the groups drop into the sub 1" range...... :mrgreen:

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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by olyinaz »

Put a SBH hammer on that baby and you'll be set! :wink:

Very nice,
Oly
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by Pitchy »

The 44 Special has been a favorite of mine too though i don`t shoot it much any more, one of my favorite hand guns was the first Charter Arms Bulldogs. Accurate litte guns and light to carry.
That`s a nice Ruger ya have there. 8)
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by BenT »

Just cast some 200gr bullets last night to work up a more of a plinking load. The 7.5 gr load of Unique is accurate in my flat top also. When throwing bigger chunks of lead I like my Blackhawk Bisley 45 better.

Any one have any good 200gr loads that works well.

OSOK , I do like those grips.
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by Jeff H »

olyinaz wrote:Put a SBH hammer on that baby and you'll be set! :wink:

Very nice,
Oly
It's worth it.
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O.S.O.K, once these came out, I traded/sold the rest of my SAs because this was perfect. I already had a custom that my Dad had made and gave to me, so I gave him a choice of which one he wanted. He took the custom back, but I like this one so much that it is my only centerfire SA now - except the backup twin brother in the safe. Shoots anything I have tried and it a factory gun, imagine that.
Last edited by Jeff H on Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by Jeff H »

Pitchy wrote:The 44 Special has been a favorite of mine too though i don`t shoot it much any more, one of my favorite hand guns was the first Charter Arms Bulldogs. Accurate litte guns and light to carry.
That`s a nice Ruger ya have there. 8)
Those Charters are no good, man - utterly inferior to all others in every way. :wink:

And please tell everyone else that so the price stops going up.
Where I used to enjoy taking a "junk" CA off someone's hands for $125, it just isn't happening anymore.
I think people are catching on.
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by O.S.O.K. »

Thanks guys. Got that load from Brian Pierce - Handloader mag. It's supposed to be moving around 1060fps. A good hunting load.

With the grips smoothed a little I really enjoy shooting it! I don't know why I didn't attend to this earlier... I thought that it might mess up the finish if I sanded on it - but these grips don't have a surface finish per-se - I think they finish these in a pressure tank or something? When I sanded, there was no degredation to the finish - the checkering just got flat on top :)

And as to the hammer... I was thinking maybe a Bisley hammer... but I'm actually OK with the one on it now.
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by Jeff H »

I like your grips, but the Ruger Rosewood (smooth) that I ordered was really, really skinny and didn't fit well at all.
Yours look great. Are thery fuller than the stock plastic?
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by Pitchy »

Jeff H wrote:
Pitchy wrote:The 44 Special has been a favorite of mine too though i don`t shoot it much any more, one of my favorite hand guns was the first Charter Arms Bulldogs. Accurate litte guns and light to carry.
That`s a nice Ruger ya have there. 8)
Those Charters are no good, man - utterly inferior to all others in every way. :wink:

And please tell everyone else that so the price stops going up.
Where I used to enjoy taking a "junk" CA off someone's hands for $125, it just isn't happening anymore.
I think people are catching on.
The early first models were good guns, i`m talking early 80`s and were low cost, loved mine and wish i still had it.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/BlogEnt ... 426&cid=25

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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by O.S.O.K. »

Jeff H wrote:I like your grips, but the Ruger Rosewood (smooth) that I ordered was really, really skinny and didn't fit well at all.
Yours look great. Are thery fuller than the stock plastic?
Thanks - they are just a smidge thicker than the stock grips - I would like em a bit fatter myself. But it feels good shooting it now compared to having the skin on my thumb slowly ripped off of it :wink:

I like your Ruger too BTW - the BH hammer does look good and the smooth grips are nice and I am sure comfortable to shoot with hotter loads.
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by Ysabel Kid »

8) 8) 8)
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by gak »

O.S.O.K. wrote:Thanks guys. Got that load from Brian Pierce - Handloader mag. It's supposed to be moving around 1060fps. A good hunting load.

With the grips smoothed a little I really enjoy shooting it! I don't know why I didn't attend to this earlier... I thought that it might mess up the finish if I sanded on it - but these grips don't have a surface finish per-se - I think they finish these in a pressure tank or something? When I sanded, there was no degredation to the finish - the checkering just got flat on top :)

And as to the hammer... I was thinking maybe a Bisley hammer... but I'm actually OK with the one on it now.
That's a great looking gun! I did the same (with a good dose of 00 and 000 wool) with the stock black "hard rubber" grips--same "exact" gun but .44 New Vaquero--and it made them much more acceptable. Knocked the aggressive points off like you say for your wood grips, but also still appear new (minus the sheeney, plasticky look). I use them for rough camp and field work and they're fine, but got a gorgeous set of Carl "Private" Schultz' crotch walnuts for them for otherwise "just because," and they are more hand filling. Swapped in the SBH hammer too. I forgot the Flattops have the standard BH hammer vs the (too) high/back-swept NV hammer, or might've gone that route with a hammer swap. Love the SBH though, certainly no regrets.
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by TomF »

I have had this bad hankering for one of the Ruger Bisley 44 specials ever since I found out about them. I have a pair of Ruger Bisley 45 Colts. If a 44 special was to present itself and I have the funds, I will certainly succumb to desire. The 5.5" barrel is perfect.

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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by O.S.O.K. »

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =226735726

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I don't [slobber slobber] know what you [slobber] see in these?
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Re: Took the Ruger flat top 44 Special to the range today

Post by TomF »

Killing' me!

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