Good old flattop

[Walt]

Great pictures, Six.....thanks!

[Sixgun]

You’re welcome …..but in reality, they are only Rugers…Colt SAA’s are the ones that “stir the soul” as John Taffin says…….

[Walt]

Heck, Rugers stir my soul too!

[JOG]

Dam Gentleman, some fine old Ruger Blackhawks!
Six is showing off his fantastic collection again!
I guess I can't blame him!
I've got one Blackhawk that's 20+ years old {357}
Now I'm thinking of buying a 1996 Vaquero in 45 Colt.
I'm worried about the sights being off.
I had one year ago that was off at least three inches!
Johnny

[Scott Tschirhart]

The new vaqueros seem to be pretty well regulated. Front sight might be a little high ( which is a good thing).

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’ve been shooting this 1957 version and I find that it shoots better from my hand than almost anything else.

I’m planning on taking a Single Action course at the Holiday this year and I think I’ll just take this one.

[Scott Tschirhart]

They also made light and handy .44 Magnum flattops. It’s a good shooter but better with warm .44 Specials than full house magnum ammo.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Even better as a pair.

[JimT]

Two of my favorite Old Models

old models.png

[Scott Tschirhart]

Seems like I’m seeing so many old flattops coming out for sale these days. There’s just something about the old 3 screw Rugers that makes them my favorite handguns to shoot.

[Farmerjohn]

Hey Fellers, love my 1956 6&1/2" 44mag but I also like the warm 44 special loads. 7&1/2gr of unique with a 240gr cast gives me about 950fps and doesn't wreck my old hands, one of my favorites.... John

IMG_20240511_171052960.jpg

[Scott Tschirhart]

Very nice! Those grips look perfect on that flattop.

I agree on the .44 Special loads. Mine is just a little light to comfortably shoot full house .44 Magnum. Unfortunately my front sight needs to be a bit taller.

[JimT]

Seems like I’m seeing so many old flattops coming out for sale these days. There’s just something about the old 3 screw Rugers that makes them my favorite handguns to shoot.

What I like about them is that they are like the single action Colts I grew up on.
- the old XR3 grip on the Ruger is nearly identical to the Colt and is what I prefer
- the action is close to the same ... some difference due to coil springs vs flat springs ... but close
- the feel in my hand is almost identical ... so "instinctive" point-shooting is basically the same
- I never got used to the "New Model" Ruger action. Some of my gripes about it are: -the redesigned grip shape doesn't fit me as well as the original -the trigger stays quite a way forward sort of like a double action -under heavy recoil the forward position of the trigger takes a chunk of skin off my trigger finger -the action sounds like a cheap cap pistol when you dry fire -the transfer bar system lightens the hammer blow and will not ignite primers as easily and as well as the old models.
THE ABOVE ARE MY PERSONAL GRIPES AND NO ONE NEED AGREE WITH THEM!
I do have several New Model Ruger sixguns and they are well-built and very accurate sixguns. My favorite hunting gun is the .41 Magnum built by Hamilton Bowen on the new model Ruger. It has several things done to it to make it more to my liking such as the Ruger Bisley grip and the "set-back" trigger that keeps the trigger at the rear of the trigger guard like they should be. (in my biased opinion)

-and if you have read this far, thanks for putting up with my complaining and don't let it influence what you personally like-

[Scott Tschirhart]

Jim,

I understand completely. I also happen to have an Old Model .357 that Hamilton Bowen converted to a .41 Magnum. A handier powerful sixgun would be hard to imagine.

But I have to admit that the.41 magnum bug has never bitten me.

[GunnyMack]

I had a new model SBH 44 mag, got it for a song. The prior owner tried to do a trigger job with a file and he most certainly took too much off. It would trip from full cock unless the stars were aligned and you curled your tongue just right. New parts in it cured the problem but even though it was a 7¹/²" it was obnoxious with the grooved trigger and square trigger guard - I know that was supposed to not happen but I always got rapped at least once while shooting it. I traded it for a S&W K22. The SBH became a 22 K Hornet and recoil was no longer a problem!

My BH 41 is now my go to house( bear ) gun when walking the dogs. Much handier 4⁵/⁸, brass grip frame. I really need to shoot it more with the mould I got from Bill , 240 odd grain 41 is nothing to sneeze at.

[Scott Tschirhart]

From our old friend Jeff Quinn:

https://gunblast.com/JW_Flattop.htm

[Pat C]

I’ve been shooting this 1957 version and I find that it shoots better from my hand than almost anything else.

I’m planning on taking a Single Action course at the Holiday this year and I think I’ll just take this one.

Cactus never had a chance!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Cactus never had a chance!

I reckon that’s true. But I didn’t make it to the Holiday this year either. So I don’t have any idea about how I stack up against the other sixgun aficionados.