The Ruger Blackhawk is now in its 7th decade of manufacture, so you can imagine how many have been customized over the years.
Here I have compiled just a few of the customized Ruger Blackhawks out there.
These 1st six are from a amateur gunsmith from North Carolina. He goes by the name Sharps40. I decided to include his stuff because I like his style & attitude and he does all the work himself.
This first one is an old model "3-screw" .357 Blackhawk that has the following mods:
- barrel & ERH cut down to 3.5" & re-crowned
- modified base pin
- adapted New Model Colt Lightning brass grip frame
- thinned loading gate
- chamfered cylinder
- dovetailed front sight
- a custom made a brass ejector rod button to mimic the grip frame
- hand made curly maple grip panels
- rust blued finish
- shorten & recrown barrel to 5.1"
- barrel re-crowned
- adapted the 1860 Colt brass grip frame to work with the Ruger main spring & trigger return spring
- modified base pin
- chamfered cylinder
- "flat topped" the frame
- modified bullseye ejector rod
- modified & jeweled stainless Bisley hammer
- dovetailed front sight
- handmade bloodwood grips
- rust blued finish
On this New Model .45 Blackhawk he performed the following:
- barrel & ERH were cut down to 3.5"
- Barrel re-crowned
- modified base pin
- modified a Ron Power grip frame into a birds head
- scalloped the recoil shields
- "flat topped" the frame
- added a Stainless Bisley hammer & trigger
- dovetailed custom front sight made from a buffalo head nickel
- Super Blackhawk Hunter rear sight
- modified the ejector rod button
- added SBH sight blade
- hand made bloodwood grip panels
- rust blued finish
This next one he calls "Mr. Belly Gun", he wanted to make a short barreled carry gun. It started out as a 6.5" barreled old model .357 Blackhawk. The custom touches include:
- barrel & ejector shortened to 3.5"
- re-crowned barrel
- customized base pin to allow for extraction of spent shells
- custom Buffalo Nickel front sight
- Customized Bullseye ejector & notched ejector rod housing
- New Model Blackhawk stainless grip frame, adapted to work with the trigger and then given a round butt treatment
- flat-topped frame and S&W style front contour
- smoothed barrel (no roll marks)
- chamfered cylinder edge
- scalloped recoil shields
- back-cut on the loading gate
- custom grip panels made from Afzelia Xylay
- rust blued finish
Another Sharps40 creation, this one started out as a 50th Anniversary 357 Blackhawk: smaller frame, flat top, old school rear sight.
He calls this one the "New Model Old Model Blackhawk" or "Rusty". The modifications include:
- barrel & ejector shortened to 3.75"
- re-crowned barrel
- customized "cam-over" Ejector Rod Housing to allow for extraction of spent shells
- Stainless Bisley Hammer & Trigger
- Removal of main spring lock
- chamfered cylinder edge
- scalloped recoil shields
- Fitted 9mm cylinder
- Bear Paw Amboyna burl grips
- Custom blued & browned two tone finish
Yet another one by Sharp's 40 (perhaps I should have dedicated this whole post to him?). This one is an old model Super Blackhawk 44 Magnum. The mods include:
- Shortening the barrel to 3.6" & recrowned
- Adding a rifle barrel band/front sight with brass faced Patridge blade
- custom fitting the ejector rod housing including a brass accent ring
- scalloped recoil shield
- back cut loading gate
- New Model Bisley grip frame adapted to the 3-screw frame
- customized base pin
- Ruger Hunter rear sight
- Custom two tone finish in rough brown and smooth black oxides
This custom build was chronicled on one of the Ruger forums. The guy took a New Model Bisley to a new level....
- Shilen Premium 4140 .451 barrel, cut to octagon shape
- Ruger .357 Maximun cylinder, rechambered/throated in .45 Colt with recessed case heads
- Belt Mountain over-sized base pin (.257)
- Cylinder line bored to bore axis (within .0005)
- Barrel to cylinder gap set at .0015
- Power Custom over-sized cylinder latch, machined to fit the stop notches
- Custom made over-sized trigger & hammer pins fitted to frame and parts
- Bowen Custom rear sight and custom made interchangeable front sight
- Custom made brass Ruger grip emblems and screw escutcheons.
see the build here
Another "Belly Gun", this one a 3-screw .41 Mag, barrel shortened to 3", brass insert in front sight, custom birdshead grip frame with unique trigger guard, see it here
This next one was built by master gunsmith Alan Harton. It started out as a 50th Anniversary 357 Blackhawk (flat top). The modifications include:
- 5.5" banded PacNor .44 barrel
- custom 5 shot .44 mag unfluted cylinder
- Bisley Hammer, trigger & grip frame
- No.5 cylinder latch
- custom Amboyna grips by Harton
This Alan Harton build is another unique gun. Built on an old model/3-screw Blackhawk frame it features custom cylinders in .327 Federal Magnum and .32-20 Winchester (with extra long flutes), a custom tapered octagon barrel, scalloped recoil shields and lower frame, hand fitted NM Bisley grip frame (made lightweight, hot rod style) and Clements custom trigger & hammer. The grips are genuine Ivory. See the build here
Yet another Alan Harton masterpiece. This New Model .357 Maximum Blackhawk had the following performed on it:
- Top strap welded and a Freedom Arms rear sight installed
- A new 414 Supermag cylinder was custom made
- A new .41 caliber octagonal barrel was installed
- A Bisley grip frame, trigger and hammer installed
- The frame was color case hardened
This gun was created by Jason Menefee. It started out as a run of the mill New Model Blackhawk and had the following mods performed:
- Flat Topped frame
- S&W J frame rear sight
- Custom 5 round cylinder in .500JRH
- Black Powder chamfer
- 4½-inch octagon barrel with an integral rib and a custom white bar front sight
- Custom contoured grip frame with custom bird's eye maple grip panels
- Super Blackhawk hammer
- Color case hardening by Turnbull
This next gun started out as an old model .357 Blackhawk. The work was performed by Cosby Custom Gunsmithing, I am guessing this was done before 1993 (pre-Vaquero).
The mods include:
- Rebarreled/rechambered to .44 Special
- Shorten barrel & ERH to 3.5"
- Welded top strap and milled for fixed sight
- Black Powder chamfer on the cylinder
- Colt style patridge front sight
- Modified base pin
- Colt ejector rod
- Custom welded & contoured grip frame
- Custom grips
- Color Case Hardened finish
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See it here
This one is from one of the premier gunsmiths in the country. Hamilton Bowen's work is legendary and this gun is a fine example of his work. The gun started life as a New Model Blackhawk. the mods include:
- the top strap was welded and contoured to look like an old model Single Six
- the recoil shields were scalloped
- custom made titanium alloy base pin, screws, pins, barrel and cylinder
- chambered in .50 Action Express
- .50 cal. barrel with custom machined front sight
- Roy Fishpaw Dall Sheep Horn grip panels
Clements Custom Guns is responsible for this New Model Super Blackhawk Bisley rechambered in .480 Ruger
Gary Reeder is well known for his custom revolvers, especially Ruger single actions. He has dozens of designs. I chose this one because it was a little different. He calls this the "Coyote Classic". The gun is built on a stainless New Model Super Blackhawk frame, the mods include:
- 8" heavy barrel with gold bead front sight
- custom six shot unfluted cylinder
- choice of chamberings: .22 Hornet/K Hornet, .218 Bee or .218 Mashburn Bee
- rounded SBH grip frame
This one is also a Gary Reeder custom, this New Model Super Blackhawk is chambered in .455 GNR, has scalloped recoil shields and frame, Colt style ejector, locking base pin, flat-topped frame, custom barrel and some custom grip frame contouring. See it here
Another one from Hamilton Bowen, this one started out as a 50th Anniversary .357 Blackhawk. The gun was re-barreled in .32 caliber and two custom cylinders made, one in .32-20 and an unfluted one in .327 Federal Magnum. The frame is color case hardened.
See it here
Here is a different one: A custom .45 Convertible New Model Blackhawk in stainless. Built by Jack Huntington, it has a shortened barrel (3.5"?) with a custom locking base pin. Scalloped recoil shields, black powder chamfer on the cylinders and a custom aluminum Bisley grip frame.
The frame has been color case hardened and it has a custom octagonal barrel. Gold accents and full coverage engraving complete the modifications to this work of art.
This stainless New Model Super Blackhawk was built by the 'smiths at Magnaport.
The barrel was cut down to 4", and ported (of course!). The ejector rod and cylinder base pin were shortened as well. Some parts were polished to a high shine with the main parts were bead blasted.
See it here
This gun was built on a 1961 vintage old model .44 Magnum flattop. The gun was built by Milt Morrison who besides being a gunsmith, he also owns (owned?) Qualite Pistol & Revolver as well as MK Technologies.
The gun has a custom 9" half round, half hexagonal barrel with a dovetailed front sight.
A bulls-eye ejector (an MK Tech piece) sits in a steel housing. The brass grip frame is of course a Qualite piece.
After the color case hardening and high polish bluing were finished, an 18 carat gold band was added to the cylinder & barrel.
See the rest of the story on Gunblast
I have no specs on the gun, but from the picture you can see the gun is a flat top New Model and sports a Bisley hammer and grip frame. The hammer and trigger are jeweled, the grip panel has a blind escutcheon. The recoil shields are scalloped.
The frame has been color cased hardened and the entire was gun engraved with gold pin stripes added.
See the gun here
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