1980 SBH Accuracy

[eskimo36]

I posted about this gun a few days ago and a conversation with Mr. Bradshaw ensued. I bought this gun in 1980 and began to feed it large amounts of 296, 24 grains at a time, and jacketed 240 grain hollow points, mostly Sierra. In the the late 80's, I had a friend that was a machinist and gunsmith that lightened the hammer, did an action job, and made the scope mount for me. The scope mount is machined on bottom to match the contour of the barrel. This machining makes the top of the base parallel with the bore. I wanted the scope mounted forward (pre Ruger hunter days) to put the ocular lens near the rear sight blade. This made scope use more natural for my eye. I felt the lack of overhang also put the scope in a safer place. The base is low enough to allow for open sight usage when the scope is removed. The following pictures show the gun, a 25 yd target, the crown and the forcing cone. You can clearly see erosion. I don't have a round count on it but it's thousands. I have never used this gun for light or medium loads. Although I do not have a picture of it, it has the flame cutting line across the top strap. It's not severe but is present. This gun has shot sub 3" 100 yd groups in the past and has been very reliable and accurate for the past 38 years and hopefully for the rest of my days.

[magnum314]

Thanks for sharing! I love guns that have spent a lifetime doing what they were built to do--and a lifetime for whom they were built to do it! A testament to the workhorse that Ruger SBH's are! She's a keeper!

[bradshaw]

Observations worth paying attention to. These New Model Super Blackhawks[/b], along with predecessor “old models,” represent the single most popular sixgun on early IHMSA firing lines. These have George Wilson barrels turned from round stock and broach rifled. The best of these barrels run a groove diameter of .428 to .429-inch which, in conjunction with a short, concentric forcing cone, place some of them into the 5x5, 2-inch group @ 100 yard category, which it shared with better examples of the S&W M-29. I suspect groove diameter of above SBH to be about .429-inch. (I have encountered Wilson grooves up to .432”, which require an oversize cast bullet for accuracy, and cannot duplicate the extra-ordinary accuracy of tighter Supers.)

Evident work to match scope base to barrel taper, setting scope axis parallel to bore axis, shows care taken to hold scope reticle close to the center of its adjustment, a key to reducing optical distortion. (A reticle adjusted off-center bends light waves; POI is less affected than visual comfort.)

Hole milled in hammer slightly speeds lock time, yet the effect is more readily noticed in FOLLOW THROUGH. With such a large hole, I would be leary of the hammer snapping in two. Nevertheless, Eskimo36 has shot the arrangement rather extensively without ill affect. Once I retired from silhouette, I had Freedom Arms drill a hammer for my M83 .44 Mag, performing my own trigger job, and keeping the original as a spare. Freedom Arms introduced hammer drilling not the phenomenally accurate Model 252 .22 Long Rifle (built on Model 83 frame); it should be noted, FA will not drill a hammer for cartridges of more recoil than the .44 Mag.

Eskimo36.... good report, with photo and text detail important to students of the sixgun. As sixgunners, it is our job to continue,
David Bradshaw