Since the introduction of the Ruger Super Blackhawk back in 1959, it has been the flagship of the Ruger single action revolver line. Those original Supers wore a polished blued finish, walnut stocks, and were packed in a mahogany presentation case. The Super had better protection for the rear sight than did the original Blackhawk, and had a dragoon-styled steel grip frame. Chambered for the 44 Magnum cartridge, the Super Blackhawk was the choice of hunters and shooters who needed a reliable, strong, and durable 44 Magnum revolver. When the Ruger Bisley was added to the line in 1985, it accommodated shooters who needed a grip frame to better handle heavy recoil, having a more comfortable grip. In some hands, the Blackhawk and Super grip frames deliver pain quickly when shooting heavy loads, and most find that the Bisley grip frame is more comfortable and more controllable to shoot, especially when shooting bullets at magnum speeds which weigh in the 300 grain class. The Ruger single action serves as the chassis for most of the custom heavy-caliber sixguns that are built today, and some top-tier builders, such as Hamilton Bowen, insist upon using the Bisley grip frame on the 475 and 500 caliber revolvers.

Lipsey’s, a large firearms distributor in Louisiana, is now selling a compact, easy-packing version of the Ruger Bisley Super Blackhawk. This Lipsey’s Exclusive revolver is built primarily of stainless steel. The sixgun is chambered for the 44 Magnum cartridge, and being a Ruger Super, it can handle any 44 Magnum load on the market, as well as any 44 Magnum handload that is listed in reputable handloading manuals. The Lipsey's 44 Bisley Super wears a three and three-quarters inch (3.75”) barrel, and has a button-head base pin, giving the ejector a sufficient stroke and allowing for the easy removal of the cylinder without having to remove the ejector rod housing. The sixgun has the Bisley features which make it easier to shoot; Bisley grip, lower sculpted Bisley hammer, and curved Bisley trigger. All of these features make the revolver more comfortable to use, compared to the original Super Blackhawk parts. If your hand is like mine, the standard Super grip frame allows the trigger guard to really abuse the middle finger while shooting heavy loads. The Bisley grip frame alleviates this problem. The sixgun shown here wears a set of laminated grips that are well-fitted to the frame, and the color is a good contrast to the satin stainless metal finish. As they should be, the sights are black, with the front blade pinned to the ramp, and the rear sight is fully adjustable.

Specifications are listed in the chart below. Weight is listed in ounces. Trigger pull is listed as pounds of resistance. Linear measurements are listed in inches. The cylinder length does not include the ratchet nor the integral bushing. Height includes the sights, with the rear set at its medium height adjustment.

Factory Loads

Handloads

As expected, the Bisley Super Blackhawk functioned flawlessly. With the heaviest loads, recoil was stiff, but not painful. While shooting the sixgun for an extended range session of chronograph and function testing, I put on my PAST shooting glove, but even without the glove, the handgun drew no blood from the shooter. Extraction was easy, with the empty cases falling from the chambers without effort using all of the Buffalo Bore loads and handloads, even the heavy 340 grain ammunition. Buffalo Bore uses Starline cases. The Cor-Bon heavy loads did require a lot of effort to extract. The Remington cases that Cor-Bon used stuck tightly in the chambers when using the Cor-Bon 320 grain ammo, but other than that, no problems were noted.

The Bisley Super Blackhawk comes shipped in a hard plastic case with instruction manual and a padlock. Like all Ruger firearms, this Lipsey’s Exclusive Bisley Super Blackhawk is built in the USA.

Check out the extensive line of Ruger firearms and accessories online at www.ruger.com.