44 Bisley

[Joe S.]

I picked up this old Bisley 44 a few weeks back and finally got a day that was too hot fer deer huntin and not rainy. So i grabbed a variety of ammo and went to the range. I decided to start heavy so i grabbed one 300 grain loaded long with a case full of H-110 and let er rip from 50. I hit the ground at the 25 yard mark!

So i grabbed some of my lighter loads and moved up to the 15 yard mark. Shot under the target a few times and finally started aiming at the top of the 12" gong and hitting the very bottom. So I'm guessing this thing was assembled yet never test fired.

So i popped off a couple cylinders of my plinking ammo just to get a feel for the gun and put it away.

When i have more time, I'll put it on paper and start adjusting front and rear sights. I like the sight picture the gun has with these sights though and think I'll like it. It does need an action job and new grips as the grips on it are FAT!!

[lscg]

good looking gun Joe.

standard bisley cut down? pinned in front sight?

[Joe S.]

The sight base is actually attached with a screw. But yes, the blade is pinned to the base. And the barrel was cut to 5.5". The rear sight is ILIASON, or something like that. I think it's gonna be nice when i get right.

[ezekiel38]

Some bench time and a file will make it all right. It's tougher if you're shooting high! Nice Bisley, keep us in the loop!

[kings6]

The 500 Clements gun I picked up last month has those same fat grips on it. It sounds like it may have an Eliason rest sight kind of like what the current Colt New Frontier is getting. It is nice the the sights are already upgraded and the barrel shortened. 5 1/2" is my favorite length on the single actions.

[Joe S.]

That is what sold me on the gun. Grips are cheap and easy to change compared to sights.

[bradshaw]

Joe S..... the Elliason rear sight takes its elevation and windage adjustments off scallops on the screw head, a blueprint for consistent clicks. Whereas, a screw head with detents stamped into the underside is more easily subject to uneven adjustment. Bo-Mar is said to have used the Elliason concept in designing its superior sight. Since then others have copied. Colt offered the Ellison as standard on the 1911 National Match, and as an option on the Colt Python and Woodsman Match Target pistols. Never tried dropping the Ellison into the Ruger trough, as non-factory sights were verboten on revolvers in the IHMSA. On a Colt Python or 1911 National Match, the elevation on the Ellison moves .002” per click, same as the Bo-Mar. Before a critic correctly tells me the Bo-Mar moves a fractional thousandths less than the Elliason, and the Bo-Mar is a bit more consistent, with less play, permit me to say We know that.

The front sight looks high. Note that Smith & Wesson, which installed the Patridge----most elegant target blade ever fastened to a sixgun----held the blade flat along the top, allowing serious leather work. Of course, a flash blade gives the sun a place to skin your eye. Smith & Wesson for this reason installed a slightly drafted top, which steel shooters preferred against the constantly shifting light of silhouette. Made a few ambulance runs with 8-3/8-inch M-29 thrust through my belt. Always cognizant of twist-on-draw to clear the blade from hooking the belt.

Curious about the Elliason on your Ruger----it provides a cleaner picture, with finer adjustments----as to whether an extra cross pin hole was drilled in the sight, and whether Ellison and Ruger share the same thread pattern for the elevation screw. I would have thought the Ellison finer.

As to your fat grips, save ‘em. They look good, although beefy. Some day you may have a cannon wants that spread in your palm. Appreciate your dedication to the art of handgunning. Humility builds mountains.
Good shooting,
David Bradshaw

[Joe S.]

Mr. Bradshaw,
Rear sight...


The spring perchhad to be moved slightly but that appears to be the only mod, unless the hole had to be retapped. I didn't have a factory screw to try.

[boxhead]

Nice piece. Looks like Hogue grips given the "beefyness".

[Joe S.]

Probable. But they fit the gun pretty nice. Have considered thinning them but i think i will probably just make some from wood i have at home when i get over the lazies. Lol

[jdoc]

Joe S you are the beneficiary of a Ruger that somebody went to a lot of effort. You should consider yourself lucky to say the least. Modifying a Ruger and Elliason rear sight took some planning and skill. First off the tenon of the Elliason is generally the correct width but is too long and the pivot pin hole is not even close. To complicate matters the Elliason elevation screw location is also too far rearward by at least 0.070". Looking at your posted pics and comparing to one of my New Models. You can see that the rear face of the frame ears have been milled forward. The cut is no deeper than the cut for the tenon of the Ruger sight. If you compare the bottom of the Elliason sight to the factory Ruger. You will see the Elliason leaf housing is level with it's tenon. The Ruger leaf housing extends lower than it's tenon. If you view your first pic. You can see the bottom of the Elliason sits on what was part of the original cut for the Ruger tenon not the original relief cut. When in the lowest elevation. The Elliason tenon could now be shortened and a new pivot hole drilled to match the Ruger frame. I believe you can see part of the original pivot pin hole in your pic of the sight. I checked the elevation screws of the two sights. I believe the thread pitch is slightly different even though the Elliason screwed into the Ruger frame two turns before getting tight. I checked the OD of the two screws and found them to be almost identical. Most likely a tap for the Elliason elevation screw was used. Also as you noted an extra spring perch was machined into the frame to accommodate the springs both being located in front of the elevation screw.

I was somewhat surprised when you stated it shot low. Looking at the pics, I would have guessed it was sighted for heavy bullets at the upper pressure limits. Pics can be misleading. Anyway it is easier to fix a low shooting gun than a high shooting one. Good luck.

[ebg3]

It does look like the ears were machined and it also looks like the elevation screw hole may have been welded up and re-drilled.