Single action grip frames

[4t5]

Which do you shoot best ? Plowhandle , bisley or birdshead .
I have only shot plowhandles , can’t comment on the other two.

[Walt]

I kinda hate to admit it but although I have a number of Bisley-framed guns I do seem to shoot plowhandles a bit better.

[GunnyMack]

Only ever shot a Bisley once. I dont like the hammer or grip of the Bisley. Might change if I spent more time with one.
I've never shot a birdshead but I like the looks.
I put a brass frame on my 41mag, yes its heavier but it soaks up some recoil too.

So I guess I prefer the Plow handle.

[marlinman93]

I've always admired Bisley grip frames, but they feel odd in my hand. It always feels like the barrels are pointing downhill and I have to hold the gun up higher to get the proper sight picture. I still shoot the original SAA grips the best, and like the way they point naturally for me.

[samsi]

My earliest handgunning experiences as a kid were with plow handled single actions but I shot way more DA revolvers and 1911's as an adult. I picked up a .44 mag Vaquero in the mid-90's and discovered that it was fine with medium loads but could be quite a handful at full throttle. I fitted a Bisley grip frame to it and found that I got on real easily with that configuration. I've got a few Blackhawks and Single Sixes with traditional grips that I enjoy shooting but I do have to work a little harder with them.

[Ysabel Kid]

Plowhandle all the way!

[jeepnik]

Well, I can't really say. I've tried all three. Prefer the original so I stick with that.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I prefer the standard Colt SAA grip frame. But the grips must be properly fitted.

This one is correct.

[Scott Tschirhart]

This first generation Colt is also shaped right.

[AJMD429]

.
I prefer the Ruger type of Bisley the most, in terms of both comfort and ability to shoot reasonably well with it.

I shot a gun when I was In my 20s that a friend simply identified as a Colt Bisley, but it seemed like the bottom of the grip was way more forward than with the Ruger ones, and it didn't feel natural at all to shoot. My friend said to shoot it one-handed, with my left hand behind my back, tucked into my belt, "the way the old target shooters did" (unsure if that's true), so I tried that; still felt weird. The Ruger ones feel better. I'd like them thicker though.

[samsi]

Amazing ivory on that first one!

Judging by the marks on the butt of the 1st Gen I'm guessing there's a story with that gun.

[veeman]

Never cared for Bisley, or dbl action. I actually prefer the Remingtons over Colt single actions.

[Pisgah]

Forced to choose one, I'd say Bisley suits me best, but I can honestly say that all of them are delightful to me. The only one I lack right now is a birdshead, but I'm keeping an eye out...

[Malamute]

This first generation Colt is also shaped right.

I agree with you on the shaped right part. I get particular about grip shape and fit. Neary all factory grips end up getting worked over to some degree. Most Rugers have blocky feeling grips, and fit the grip frame pretty poorly, with lumpy transitions from grip to metal. The squared part so often left right behind the trigger guard screw is particularly annoying to me and is one of the first things I file down if not entirely replacing the grips.

The recent Uberti grips arent too bad, but feel a bit cheeky along the front sides, I thin that down some. The very best feeling of all to me are the factory eagle grips from colt. Near perfection in feel to me. I fitted a set of take-off Colt eagle grips on one Cimarron/Uberti, and have a set on one other, but not fitted them yet. I may get the project part of that done by mid summer. Its a dixie/uberti flat top target 45, but I think its going to become a 4 3/4" 44 spl with Colt barrel. I have the barrel and Uberti 44 spl cylinder in hand.

Ive tried really had to like the original and Ruger Bisley types, but just dont care for them. Ive had maybe 5 Rugers, and just keep thinking what it would take to put normal grip frames and parts on them, so just get rid if them. Birdsheads feel like something is missing, and it is. When running them one handed, the flair on the lower part of the grips helps index your hand back into firing position, the gun is somewhat floating during the one handed cocking operation.

[KWK]

I've always admired Bisley grip frames, but they feel odd in my hand. It always feels like the barrels are pointing downhill and I have to hold the gun up higher to get the proper sight picture.

I saw a drawing from a book circa 1900 which had a chapter on pistol target shooting. The fellow pictured was shooting one handed with a rather bent elbow. I handled an Uberti Bisley in a store after that, trying to mimic the gent in the book, and the grip then started to make sense.

[Lastmohecken]

I prefer the plow handle grip most of the time. But every gun feels different. I have a Colt 2nd Gen with the black grips that feels really good to me, but I also have an Italian clone "Armi San Marcus", cheap gun basically but shoots like a house a fire. And it has the one piece walnut grips on it. It's one of my favorite grips, for the 45 Colt. Most of the Rugers, I always find a set of Elk Horn grips with lots of bark on them, if possible. Or my favorite Sandbar Stag with plenty of bark.

I had a Ruger with the Birdshead grip in 45 colt. The factory grip was pretty slick and I didn't like it at all, but I later on added a very expensive Sandbar Stags with lots of bark, and it totally changed the personality of that gun. But It had like a 3,5 inch barrel or something like that, and I really didn't enjoy carrying it, that much, so it went down the gun trading trail, after a while.

I kind of like the Bisley Ruger for heavy loads, but I hate the Bisley hammer, so I always change them out to either a Super Blackhawk or just a Blackhawk hammer. But the current Bisley that I
have, has a set of those laminated Ruger grips on it and they are too slick, its going to get some Elk Horn grips or nice wood checkered grips on it or something.

Another grip I like pretty good, is the Ruger Super Blackhawk grip with the squared trigger guard, but only if it has a nice set of Sandbar Stag grips on it.

Generally, no matter what grip I have on the singleactions, I don't like them to be very slick, because the gun rolls too much in my hand, usually. But with some wood stocks that are a bit rough, or a nice set of Stags or Elk Horn, give just a little bit more resistance and I shoot and handle them much better.

Ruger 45 colt Right Side.jpg

Simply Ruggd Pancake with 44 Super Blackhawk.jpg

[Lastmohecken]

Here's a few favorites of mine, all plow handle. But over fifty years, I have found that I can deal with different frames to a degree, but the actual grips make a lot of difference, also.
Here's my cheapest Colt copy singleaction 45, and ironically it has the best grips and grip frame, from the factory of all of my guns, I think. This is just a cheap, Armi San Marcos that I gave about $200 for brand new, granted it was maybe 15 or 20 years ago.

Grips, Armi San Marcos.jpg

[Lastmohecken]

Here's a couple of pictures of a Ruger SBH square trigger guard gun. I can't shoot these very good with the stock walnut grips on them, but with these Stag grips, I can hang on to the gun, much better, and could always shoot them pretty good, then. I like this grip frame, with the right grips on it. I am left handed, and if you look at the left side of this gun, you will see a lot of bark on the grip, and the palm of my hand contacts that area, pretty good, and the right side has some bark down low where my pinky finger contacts it and for me it just works. It slows the roll of the gun, just enough during recoil, that a fast follow up shot, is easier for me, cocking the gun with my off-hand thumb, of course.

Grips, Ruger SBH Square trigger guard left.jpg

Grips, Ruger SBH Square trigger guard right.jpg

[Lastmohecken]

And here's an actual Colt .357 2nd Gen, which was customized before I got and is a wonderful shooter. But it has the stock grips on it, and they are a little fat at the bottom, but because of the texture of the grips, I really like them. I will never change them out.

Grips, Colt SAA.jpg

[765x53]

I'll shoot anything I can get my hands on and adapt myself to it.

[Lastmohecken]

Now, here's a Ruger Bisley I recently purchased. I like the Bisley for extreme heavy loads, but I don't like these factory grips because they are too slick. They are those laminated wood grips with somekind of slick finish on them. They got to go, so I might go back with a set of factory Rosewood, or if I can find the right Elk Horn or Sandbar Stags, or maybe a set of checkered grips of some flavor. But for me, the other thing about the Bisley is I hate the factory hammer and on this one, I have swapped it out for a Blackhawk hammer which is much better for me. IMHO, the Bisley is more of a specialized grip for hard kicking guns. But I wish Ruger had copied Elmer Keith's #5 grip more closely.

Ruger Bisley, Hammer change.jpg

[Lastmohecken]

I'll shoot anything I can get my hands on and adapt myself to it.

I can shoot about anything, but I am pretty picky, If a gun doesn't suit me, I make changes to it, or send it down the road, for someone else to shoot, and keep the ones that I love. And one hard lesson I have learned over many years is when I find a gun that I do really like, I never trade it off. I have definitely let a few go that I wish I had held on to, but If I don't like them, I don't miss them.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I'll shoot anything I can get my hands on and adapt myself to it.

Of course. Part of my adaptation might involve a sanding block and a little time.

[Bill in Oregon]

Mark me down for the plain old plowhandles as well -- and the shorter (1851) Navy vs longer (1860) Army grip. My hands aren't big enough to need the extra length of the Army grip, and Colt stuck wth the Navy grip for its classic SAAs. I sure like the looks of the Ruger version of the Bisley, but believe that grip works best for bigger hands. The one birdshead I had was a cheap Heritage .22 back when they first came out in-- what-- the 1980s? The grips were surprisingly hand-filling, but the way they fall away at the back made me leary of trying that grip style on a heaver recoiling revolver.

[marlinman93]

I've always admired Bisley grip frames, but they feel odd in my hand. It always feels like the barrels are pointing downhill and I have to hold the gun up higher to get the proper sight picture.

I saw a drawing from a book circa 1900 which had a chapter on pistol target shooting. The fellow pictured was shooting one handed with a rather bent elbow. I handled an Uberti Bisley in a store after that, trying to mimic the gent in the book, and the grip then started to make sense.

I'd guess that's correct, although it certainly isn't the way I held my arm when shooting in Bullseye league matches. We also shot one handed, but with your arm out straight. So bending my arm not only feels odd, but not sure how you can repeat the exact same hold each shot when you likely never bend your arm exactly the same each shot?