Opinions/Experiences with the Ruger Blackhawk .357/9mm combo?

Question

I was considering purchasing one of these convertible models from Ruger - probably the 6.5" barrel length. The gun will be mainly a plinking and fun gun, not anything for HD or even hunting, as I have many other guns that fit those roles better, but I wanted to hear from people who have experience with these guns.

From my understanding, the .357 Magnum and .38 Special both use a .357 inch diameter bullet, while the 9mm Luger uses a .356 (.355 according to some sources) diameter bullet. I've heard conflicting stories regarding the accuracy of the 9mm through the same bore - some say they've had abyssmal accuracy with the 9mm, while others claim it's more accurate than the .357/.38s they shoot out of the same gun.

Answer 1

I owned one of these convertibles back in 1979-80, it too had a 6.5" barrel.



My thoughts had been to use cheap 9 mmP ball ammo for plinking and Magnum ammo for more serious use.



In honesty, I don't remember shooting much 9 mmP ammo or the accuracy it produced.



I do remember that the .357's turned out acceptable but not outstanding accuracy.



What I mainly remember is the cumbersome nature of the pistol. A 6.5" or 7.5" revolver might have been just dandy for a horseman, but it is downright unhandy when transport is behind the wheel of an auto rather than in the saddle. IIRC, I kept it about six months or a year before selling it to a friend.



If I were going to get another convertible, whether .357 Mag/ 9 mmP or .45 Long Colt / ACP (preferred), I'd opt for one with a shorter barrel (a 5.5" or preferably a 4.75") for easier carry in a belt holster.



Doc Hudson

Answer 2

The usefulness of the interchangeable 9x19mm cylinder in the .357 Mag. Blackhawk revolver is only to increase the availability of useable ammuntion in the revolver. It is good at close range to plink and even as a weapon of opportunity in the event one must either defend himself or dispatch small vermin such as a snake or skunk. Strictly close range as further out the 9mm bullet will tend to tumble.



Now the .38-40/.40 S&W or 10mm combo works far better because the .38-40, .40 S&W and 10mm are all forty calibers and so accuracy doesn't suffer as much. I own the 'old' Ruger Vaquero in .38-40/.40 S&W and find it quite accurate with either or. The .40 is especially nice because there is hardly any recoil and even young adults find it pleasant to shoot. I keep some Hydra Shok 180 grain rounds handy in case I have to call it into service for home defense.



H

Answer 3

Older blued models were polished to a high shine. Ruger no longer does that. Also if you get the three screw early model you will want to make sure it has been updated for safety. If you are buying a new one, if you take care of it and clean it after every use it will last almost forever. The only way I have heard of one being destroyed is if someone reloads and does it wrong and uses too much powder. They do not have the smoothest of actions but with a single action gun, that really is not a big deal as you have to thumb cock it anyway. Keep in mind that once you cock it, it has a very light trigger when compared to any double action fired double action. You might want to get a matching Single Six 22 with the convertible cylinders (22 LR and 22 Mag) as that will be a lot cheaper to shoot and yet have the same characteristics of the bigger gun. (If you get western style holsters you will have to get two as the one for the 357 will be too loose for the 22. I have both.)

Answer 4

when these combos first came out the general wisdom published in gun magazines was the the 45 acp cylinders were very accurate but the 9mm option for the .357 was not. From personal experienced I know that the .45 acp cylinders can be extremely accurate and often deliver better accuracy with 230 -grain ball loads than accurized 1911s.

I don't know if the 9mm is generally inaccurate or not but it became popular for convertible owners to use the nine mm cylinder for conversions to such things as 44/357 Bain and Davis or .44/357 bobcat.

Answer 5

Do you really think Ruger would make a gun with "tumbling" bullets? Don't buy into the urban legends of weapons. This one was probably started by a S&W fan...ha ha. I fired many a 9mm through a Ruger .357/9mm combo and love the versatility of the weapon. You can sort of shoot whatever is on sale out of 3 calibers. I can shoot bulls-eyes all day long a 25 yards with the 9mm standard out of the box loads. I saw no accuracy issues. If you can get a good deal buy that pistol asap and you will never regret it.

Answer 6

I used to own one & i used the 9mm cylinder most of the time. I didn't then (& still don't) consider it to be a "target" gun, but for the plinking i did, it was a blast. At my gun club, we have a rack of metal plates set up, roughly 10" in diameter & the shooting position is prob. 9 yards back. I could usually hit 4 out of 6 with one shot, which, while not bullseye worthy, was plenty accurate for me. Mine had the 4 5/8" bbl.

I would highly recommend it as a fun gun, w/ either cylinder, as i don't believe the 2 or 3 thousandths of an inch diff. in actual bullet diameter vs. bbl. diameter really matters.