When doing some after hunting season gun cleaning several weeks ago, I was cleaning one of my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag revolvers and fumble fingered/dropped it on the ceramic tile floor in my kitchen.
It's a good thing nobody else was home as the curse words flowed. The dogs scattered.

I picked it up and immediately noticed a destroyed front sight blade. Stainless Ruger Blackhawks & Super Blackhawks have a pinned in front sight blade.
I ordered a Hi-Viz fiber optic front sight blade from Ruger's web store.

Today it was in the high 30's outside, so I figured I better go out into the shop and change it before the temperature plummeted for the next week or so.

It really wasn't that big of a job to change the sight blade.
Drive out the pin. (1/16")
Remove the damaged sight blade.
Place the new sight blade into the machined pocket and clamp it into place.
Set up the precision drill press and drill the new sight blade from both sides.
Clean out the metal chips and lightly chamfer the new hole in the new sight blade on both sides.
Reinstall the new front sight blade and drive the pin back into place.
Lightly file with a small Swiss needle file.
Scuff up the stainless steel with a gray 3M scotch brite pad.

The new Hi-Viz sight blade came with three user changeable fiber optic rods. Red, Green & White. They push out with a plastic "key" and are reusable.

I never really liked the stock black front sight blade as it was hard to see at dawn/dusk.

This revolver has a stainless Ruger "Hunter" grip frame and grips installed on it. The original grip frame/grips were too small for my XL hand, and I couldn't get my pinky finger wrapped around the grip.
The "Hunter" grip frame is about 3/8" longer and is a great addition for those with large hands.

IMG_20240113_152248757_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240113_152349529 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240113_153350495_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Nice work! I've always been a little squeamish about drilling those pinned replacement front sight blades, but you made it sound not too bad. I've got a speed-six that I bought with a chewed up front sight that could bear replacing...I ought to give it a try.

That's a good looking Blackhawk...I really like how the color of those grips offsets the stainless. The unfluted cylinder is cool looking too. Did you have to do any fitting when you replaced the grip frame, or did it bolt right up?

There are two ways to install one of the Hunter grip frames.
The first and the most work, is buy a brand new unfitted grip frame.
They can usually be sourced from Brownell's or Midway.
Then laboriously by hand, fit it to your cylinder frame.
Filing, sandpaper sheet on a flat surface, and polishing.
You'll spend days doing it.

The second way for fitting a Hunter grip frame is to buy one used that has already been
factory fit to a cylinder frame and bolt it on. Most of the time they fit pretty good.
Mine was purchased used and installed. There is one spot where the grip frame is a few thousandths proud from the cylinder frame. You can feel it with your fingernail, but not
when just handling the revolver. If I ever have it disassembled again, I will fix it.

At the factory, the cylinder frame has a grip frame attached during final assembly.
They are sanded and polished as a pair. And since they are done by hand, they are never identical. But in most cases, adequate.

I couldn't shoot that .44 until I added the used Hunter grip frame.
I couldn't get enough hand wrapped around the "handle".

Blackhawks and short barrel supers use the "XR-3 Red" grip frame which is tiny compared to
the Hunter grip frame. Long barrel supers use the square back Dragoon grip frame, which
is longer like the Hunter, but the square back trigger guard bashes my knuckles.

The secret when doing a grip frame install is to realize you will have it on & off
dozens of times during the fitting process. Even with the best gunsmithing screwdrivers,
you will ruin the screw slots. Use the OEM screws during the fitting, and when you are
sure you're finished, do the final "I'm Finished" assembly with a set of five brand new
grip frame screws. They aren't expensive and the finished job will look great.
Trashed screw slots are a big turn off for most people.

Changing a pinned in front sight blade is relatively simple.
It can be done with a cordless drill, if you don't have a precision drill press.
The secret is clamp the sight blade into the base before drilling, and drill from both sides of the base.

FYI: New Model Single Six, Blackhawk, Super Blackhawk all share the same screw pattern and dimensions where the grip frame interfaces with the cylinder frame.

Thanks for the detailed breakdown, I may have to give the grip frame swap a try someday. That's a great tip about the screws, too...I hate a buggered screw head!

92fstech,
I don't know if you are aware, but there is a new player in single action grip frames. Ronnie Wells. All CNC machined from brass or aluminum.
I hear nothing but praise for their products.

Link: https://rwgripframes-com.3dcar...GRIP-FRAMES_c_7.html