Fixing my .41 Blackhawk

[Bill in Oregon]

I finally got around to figuring out why the excellent boolits from my Accurate 41-240V mold, carefully handloaded, would not chamber in my Blackhawk, when loaded to normal OAL: cylinder throats are .409-ish. I thought this garbage issue was mostly limited to Ruger's crummy .45 Colt cylinders, but nooooo. They apparently cheaped out and used their gang reamers until they were worn out on other centerfire single-action revolvers.
I sent my cylinder off today to a gentleman in North Carolina who uses a Sunnen hone to correct the egregious Ruger factory sins. Will report when I get it back. The bloom is getting pretty well off the rose with me regarding Ruger centerfire single actions. I am tired of dealing with their sloppy messes. Rugers are not quite the Yugos of the gun world --yet.

[Ysabel Kid]

That is really sad. I've never had a problem with any Ruger I've ever owned... before I lost them in that tragic boating accident.

[Bill in Oregon]

Guess I might have been a little too harsh, but it just gripes me to spend $100 to make a tool fit for its intended purpose.

[Grizz]

Guess I might have been a little too harsh, but it just gripes me to spend $100 to make a tool fit for its intended purpose.

I know what you mean, it is irksome. My redhawk has the trigger related ignition problem AND tight cylinders. I was putting off sending the gun back for maybe 15 years, until I decided to rectify it myself. This means being able to thumb the bullets thru the cylinder, and then dealing with the chamber throat, and then fire lapping the barrel to get the innards all polished up. Someone is gonna inherit one terrific hunting tool!

[Walt]

Grizz, I've done the same thing with my big-bore revolvers. It makes a big difference. I asked John Linebaugh about fire-lapping once to get an idea of grinding compound grit and the number of firings he recommended. Some of the stories I'd read talked about 50 to 100 firings but John said he did it as few times as possible, like less than 10, and used fairly coarse grinding compound like 180 or 240. I have hand reamers in all my larger calibers for chamber throats and also sometimes ream and polish my forcing cones.

[Grizz]

Grizz, I've done the same thing with my big-bore revolvers. It makes a big difference. I asked John Linebaugh about fire-lapping once to get an idea of grinding compound grit and the number of firings he recommended. Some of the stories I'd read talked about 50 to 100 firings but John said he did it as few times as possible, like less than 10, and used fairly coarse grinding compound like 180 or 240. I have hand reamers in all my larger calibers for chamber throats and also sometimes ream and polish my forcing cones.

Thanks Walt. I have a kit from BTB that I got years ago. And an article by Marshall about honing the chambers to size. Something like a dowel with crocus cloth... not exactly, but something less precise than a reamer. All new to me, and a one-time project I hope . . .

[Griff]

Ignorance is bliss. Back when I owned a Ruger Blackhawk, (.357) I didn't know about such issues. I just loaded it up and shot the dern thing... Since it was mostly just plinking in the desert at rocks and other inanimate objects, the frequency with which it struck said objects was not objectionable. When used at the range, (always at 25 yards & offhand), the same could be said... It was never quite as accuracy as my S&W or 1911... but not nearly as expensive either... and both of those had been gone over by an actual armorer.

[Pisgah]

I've never had a Ruger single action or double action, or rifle, or shotgun that didn't shoot a whole lot better than I do, so you thousandth-of-an-inch fellers have my sympathy...

[GunnyMack]

Huh, I guess I ought to mic my cylinder on my 41, until your rant Bill I never gave it a thought...

[Bill in Oregon]

Gunny, so many fellas say "Those Ruger .41s are accurate." I hope this is the answer, and expect it will be. Pisgah, I am talking 3-4 inch groups at 25 benched; that ain't no thousandth of an inch. I do expect to be able to shoot under two inches with a good handload and taking my time.

[lonesome dave]

my super blackhawk preditor from magnaport is as slick as they come. circa 1958

[GunnyMack]

I had a SBH 44 that was a track driver, I haven't even started looking for a 41 load as I just don't shoot handguns enough to worry about it. Yeah I know I should shoot the ones I have more often but primers, powder & bullets have been scarce AND I'm a terrible pistol shot, always was no matter if I was practicing or not.

[JimT]

I like accurate handguns but I have not always checked bore and chamber throat diameters. From a bench a few of the pistols were so-so in the accuracy department. But shooting offhand at game they were plenty accurate. I always tried to get close. And usually the game was moving, even if slowly at times. And I was usually not my steady cool self at those moments.

I had a Ruger Vaquero .45 Colt that had tight chambers and folks told me to have them reamed to the proper diameters. But it worked well enough and I never changed it. Taking a running Javelina at 15 or 20 yards was no problem and it worked just fine.

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Now if I was gonna devote the gun to targets, sure. I probably would have worked on the chambers, throated it, maybe changed the front sight. But for a carry gun and for hunting it was great. So I never messed with it.

[Walt]

Yup, good for "minute of javelina".

[Bill in Oregon]

Oddly, I have had a number of Blackhawks over the years in .44 Magnum and .45 Colt, and I always found the former more accurate.
While my cylinder is away for "rehabilitation," I ordered a new front sight from Fermin Garza after seeing Dick Thompson with one on a custom 3-screw in .45 Auto Rim.
Dick also came up with this collaboration with Barranti Leather. I am intrigued.

https://barrantileather.com/shop/ols/pr ... shot-sling

[Bill in Oregon]

And wow, no sooner do I order the front sight from Fermin than he calls me personally to make sure I have picked the model most compatible with my revolver!

[Bill in Oregon]

Well, boys, I got my cylinder back from Doug in the mail this afternoon -- nice turnaround -- and the chambers not only looked beautiful, but the handloads with that big old Accurate 41-240V boolit dropped in like they were born there. Before, they would hang up a quarter-inch or more when chambering and would go no farther. There is something comforting to me about a sixgun with big, wide meplats greeting you from the business end of the cylinder.

[JimT]

Glad you got it running again.
As to those bullets, When you care, send the very best!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Well, boys, I got my cylinder back from Doug in the mail this afternoon -- nice turnaround -- and the chambers not only looked beautiful, but the handloads with that big old Accurate 41-240V boolit dropped in like they were born there. Before, they would hang up a quarter-inch or more when chambering and would go no farther. There is something comforting to me about a sixgun with big, wide meplats greeting you from the business end of the cylinder.

I really like it when my bullets fill the cylinder like that.

[Bill in Oregon]

Scott: Amen!

[GunnyMack]

Great Bill! That bullet looks NICE! I need to look for a heavy 41 mold.

[Walt]

Scott, what .41 mag loads work best for you?

[JimT]

I am not Scott, though I do admit to being his friend.

I have been shooting the 41 Magnum for quite a few years. My favorite load is the 210 gr. HTP over 20 gr. of WC820. I have taken a lot of game up to and including cow Elk with this load and it has never failed.

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With the NEI 230 gr. cast flat nose

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[Scott Tschirhart]

Hard to beat Jim’s pet load. I can attest that his hunting gun is a shooter with that load.

But my .41 is a Bowen conversion on a Ruger Old Model .357 frame. So I have to stay at or under specs for overall length and I am working on a cast bullet at a more moderate velocity. I have not settled on a load just yet.

[Bill in Oregon]

I'm going to range test this boolit on top of the old tried-and-true 8 grains of Unique. Not looking for a heavy load quite yet.
Also have some of the Hornady 210 XTPs that Jim likes, loaded over 10 grains of Long Shot for around 1,350 or so.

[GunnyMack]

I just loaded some 210 swc over 7.5 CFEPistol, hope it will be a nice load as I don't want to go full Magnum with 110/296 yet so I can ease back into shooting a single actions, been a few years.
I have a good load for my Henry that I really don't want to shoot in the BH. If

[Walt]

My all-time best moderate .41 mag load is an RCBS 41-210 plain base cast bullet over 14.5 gr of AA-9 for 1050 fps.

[GunnyMack]

Hey Bill,
Having reread the part about your mold, 41-240V I see that mold on their site but did you have your mold customized in any way? Dia? Change the lube grooves etc?
I still haven't mic'd my cylinder, I'd hate to order a mold and waste 155 smackers for something that is not right for my intentions...

[Bill in Oregon]

Gunny, I ordered that mold stock, just specifying alloy as range scrap. Do you need a coupla dozen to play with?

[Scott Tschirhart]

I'm going to range test this boolit on top of the old tried-and-true 8 grains of Unique. Not looking for a heavy load quite yet.
Also have some of the Hornady 210 XTPs that Jim likes, loaded over 10 grains of Long Shot for around 1,350 or so.

8 gr of Unique sounds about right to me.

[GunnyMack]

Gunny, I ordered that mold stock, just specifying alloy as range scrap. Do you need a coupla dozen to play with?

Thanks Bill, let me think on it and I'll get back to you, I still need to mic my cylinder.
I got a 210 mold from Catshooter, it throws 412" and I sized some to 410/411 and I gotta go shoot them before I get too carried away!

[Walt]

My notes indicate that with a 210 gr cast bullet over 8 gr of Unique, I got 1070 fps out of a 6" Smith m57 with a standard deviation of 9 fps.

[GunnyMack]

So my cylinder mic's at 409-ish. My sized 410s were a tight fit through the throat but they measure 410 after being pushed through.
If I order a mold I'll get like you said Bill, range scrap at 410.