quote:

Originally posted by cas:
The safety update is THE LAST reason you should send it to Ruger. Yes, you'll safely be able to carry 6 rounds instead of 5. In exchange for an awful trigger.

I read that before.
It is the main reason I haven't done it.
Thank you the input..

92, from what I’m reading and learning, most single action work is easily accomplished by any owner with some common sense mechanical knowledge and patience. Also maybe a honing stone or two.

Cylinders, grip frames, hammers, and triggers seem readily available online.

Thinking after 500 rounds or so I’ll break it all the way down for a full cleaning and hone the action on this one myself.

I probably won’t undertake a grips frame, hammer, and triggers swap myself. If that’s what I deem necessary for a Bisley conversion, but for a single part I’d likely take on the challenge.

ETA: is that’s not in the cards, if your current 357 doesn’t hold any sentimental value. You could sell it and add the cost of a new cylinder to the pile. That would likely net you a convertible for the 750$ I’ve been seeing them. Hard to pass up at that price.

I want my 357 stainless and the 44 blued for some weird reason though, which the stainless seems to being another 50$ premium sometimes.

Cee_Kamp has mentioned more than once that his 6.5” version is his finest machined revolver.

While this one is all that Ruger blackhawks are meant to be, it still has some error. The grip frame can catch a fingernail on the fit. The non loading gate side recoil shield has some machining errors against the cylinder. I’m still convinced there is a slight burr in the loading gate.

Also, the rear sight pin seems to walk to the left. I may need to buy a new pin or oversized pin.

All that said, it’s a fine gun. I’m definitely in for 2-3 more in 44, 357, and 22. Maybe even a 45 acp convertible.

The good:

Grip fit is incredible. Can’t feel but the slightest gap on the heel of the grip frame.
Loading gate for to right side recoil shield is really good with only slight gap in the corner. Bevel on front of cylinder is nicely done as well.

Almost no cylinder wobble, bad spin is just fine. I won’t be bothering replacing it.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
92, from what I’m reading and learning, most single action work is easily accomplished by any owner with some common sense mechanical knowledge and patience. Also maybe a honing stone or two.

Cylinders, grip frames, hammers, and triggers seem readily available online.

Thinking after 500 rounds or so I’ll break it all the way down for a full cleaning and hone the action on this one myself.

I probably won’t undertake a grips frame, hammer, and triggers swap myself. If that’s what I deem necessary for a Bisley conversion, but for a single part I’d likely take on the challenge.

ETA: is that’s not in the cards, if your current 357 doesn’t hold any sentimental value. You could sell it and add the cost of a new cylinder to the pile. That would likely net you a convertible for the 750$ I’ve been seeing them. Hard to pass up at that price.

I want my 357 stainless and the 44 blued for some weird reason though, which the stainless seems to being another 50$ premium sometimes.

Yeah, cee_kamp emailed me and we've been talking about it offline. I didn't realize that Ruger kept the indexing tolerances pretty tight and that there won't be any ratchet cutting necessary, so the lengths are the only concern. That seems pretty do-able, I just need to find one. The 9mm cylinder isn't a necessity in my mind...I handload so rolling some .38 or .357 doesn't cost me any more than making 9mm. I just think it would be fun and make the gun a little more versatile.

Single action grips have been a fun thing to play with. There are a few sellers on Ebay that make unfinished grip panels for them, for cheap, and you can sand them down and poly them for an exact fit to your gun (the only problem is if they're a little under-sized somewhere, you can't make them bigger). That's where I got the maples for my two. It's a fun and satisfying project, and depending upon how much you want to spend there's all kinds of wood grain options out there to fancy things up. I went with simple maple due to the price, but a nice birdseye would be really sweet.

Unfortunately the left panel on my .45 took a nasty gouge from the front sight protector of my M1917 in the safe. Damn rifle is so long I had to cut a hole in my lower pistol shelf so it sticks up through. Too many guns, not enough safe, and not enough house for a bigger one .

I have only one I got from my father-in-law after he passed from my mother-in-law. It is an older "Single-6" with a holster by George Lawrence. It is a fun gun, especially with the Calibre ammo.

OttoSig,
Take that rear sight pin (the one that "walks" out of the hole) and put a very tiny/slight bend right in the middle of it, and reinstall it. It will then stay where it belongs.
Very slight, make it look like a miniature banana. If you need oversize, with careful measuring/cutting with simple hand tools, the unfluted shank of a properly sized twist drill
will also do a fine job as an oversize sight pin.

92fstech,
The info thread I started for you at the link I sent you, the Ruger Old Model experts there say that a .357/9mm Old Model Convertible WAS made for a period of time.
So, somewhere out there in the "wild" is a factory Old Model 9mm cylinder that you can fit into your OM revolver, and turn it into a Convertible .357/9mm yourself.
eBay, Numrich, Forums. Additionally, YouTube is your friend for the 9mm cylinder fitting process, or you can call me and I will walk you thru the process.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
The safety update is THE LAST reason you should send it to Ruger. Yes, you'll safely be able to carry 6 rounds instead of 5. In exchange for an awful trigger.

Agreed. I have owned or shot both an original and a converted one. The converted had a very hard trigger.

This only applies to pre-1973, aka "old model" or "three-screw,' i.e., three screws in the frame instead of the New Model's two pins. If you should branch out into collecting these and it has not been safety-converted, leave it alone and don't send it to Ruger for any repairs. If you do, it will be converted whether you wanted it or not, and they don't give the replaced parts back.

I’ve watched so many western movies lately.

Cee_Kamp, not sure how many kids you have in your fold, but can I have that Ruger old army passed to me in your will

OttoSig,
I have children, and my oldest son has recently gotten into firearms and CCW, and in NYS, THAT IS an accomplishment!
My youngest son is a prohibited person thru his own stupidity & ignorance, and my step daughter at this time, doesn't have any interest in firearms.
The youngest son had his NYS CCW about the time he turned 21, and then drifted off into behaviors/conduct/lifestyles that now makes him ineligible for the remainder of his life.
It's somewhat sad, as he really enjoyed firearms, particularly handguns, and now cannot be around them.
So you would likely need to fist fight the oldest son for the Ruger Old Army.

.45ACP /.45Colt convertible, both cartridges are very accurate, initial rested testing when I first got it.

Sprung from a consignment cell at a local LGS (Model 05234), freed it this past week and put about 100 rounds of 44 Special through it over the weekend.

Had to move fast before anyone realized how much of steal this was

$399? I would have been all over that!

^^^something like the .44 Spl. that toxophilus84 found is what I went to gun shows in search of.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
$399? I would have been all over that!

Yeah, that's a screaming deal!

Bisley Blackhawk in 45 Colt. Bowen base pin and cylinder holes cleaned up by a forum member.

Winkler Belt Knife.

I've always liked revolvers, owned several single actions. Several years ago I got the bug for a 327 Fed Mag and Ruger is the got to for single actions. Both of these have Chig's Grips.

5.5" Bisley


Birdhead

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
Both of these have Chig's Grips.

LIKE!!!; Stunning Stocks!

Also a fan of Chigs.

I’ve stumbled upon his site in my research and holy shit are they cheap for what you get!

The maple Burl is amazing! Like some checkering on grips, especially in hotter climates like GA and my hometown of Pensacola. I know Culina grips doesn’t do checkering, I don’t think Chigs does either. Kinda sucks to get a great set of grips then have some other person do the checkering.