Lipsey’s Exclusive Ruger Bisley Super Blackhawk 44 Magnum with 3.75 Inch Barrel

by Jeff Quinn

photography by Jeff Quinn & Boge Quinn

November 2nd, 2012

 

Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

Lipsey's exclusive Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley, shown with holster by Simply Rugged, knife by Arno Bernard, and hatchet by Kent Forge.

 

 

 

 

Bisley grip takes the pain out of shooting heavy loads.

 

 

Bisley hammer is low and easy to reach.

 

 

Bisley trigger is generously curved and comfortable to use.

 

 

Button-head base pin allows easy removal of the cylinder and a longer ejector rod stroke.

 

 

New Model transfer bar safety allows the cylinder to be fully-loaded with six cartridges.

 

 

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.

Chambering 44 Remington Magnum
Overall Length 9.5"
Overall Height 5.72"
Weight Unloaded 44.6 oz.
Barrel Length 3.751"
Cylinder Length 1.702"
Cylinder Diameter 1.730"
Barrel / Cylinder Gap 0.004"
Trigger Pull As Delivered 4.3 lbs.

The .44 Magnum has proven itself to be plenty capable of taking medium and large game for over fifty years now, when fired from a good sixgun. For protection from animals with teeth and claws, like large bears, I like a heavy cast lead bullet. For lighter game like Southern whitetails, I prefer a good hollow point, and there are many good ones on the market. I think that for all of my hunting and protection from animals with a 44 sixgun, I could get by just fine with only two commercial loads. For hunting medium game, I like the Buffalo Bore loads that use the Barnes XPB bullet. These lead-free hollow-nose bullets expand quickly upon impact, but hold together for deep penetration. For the heavy stuff, I like the bone-smashing power of the 340 grain LBT bullet as loaded by Buffalo Bore. This bullet has a great sectional density, and penetrates deeply. For handloads, I would load the same Barnes 200 grain XPB, pushed to over 1400 feet-per-second (fps) from the short-barreled Ruger, and load the same heavy Cast Performance LBT or the Belt Mountain Punch bullet for the heavy stuff. Chronograph results are listed in the chart below, with velocity readings taken at a distance of twelve feet from the muzzle. Velocities are listed in feet-per-second (fps). Bullet weights are listed in grains. Velocity readings were taken on a cool day with an air temperature in the fifty-two degree Fahrenheit range and a relative humidity of thirty percent, at an elevation of approximately 541 feet above sea level. JHP is a jacketed hollow point bullet. JSP is a jacketed soft point bullet. LBT is a hard-cast lead bullet with a wide, flat meplat. Lead Free is the above-mentioned Barnes XPB homogenous copper hollow-nose bullet.

Factory Loads

Ammunition Bullet Weight Velocity
Buffalo Bore LBT 340 1231
Buffalo Bore LBT 305 1288
Buffalo Bore JFN 300 1257
Buffalo Bore Lead Free 225 1407
Buffalo Bore Lead Free 200 1480
Buffalo Bore JFN 270 1393
Buffalo Bore LWC 200 1219
Buffalo Bore LHP 180 1381
Cor-Bon LBT 320 1246
Cor-Bon JSP 300 1236
Cor-Bon JHP 165 1343

Handloads

Bullet Bullet Weight Velocity
Cast Performance LBT 320 1242
Barnes XPB 200 1414

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.

Again, this special edition of the Bisley Super is available only through dealers who order from Lipsey’s. For the location of a dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.

To order quality 44 Magnum ammunition, go to www.buffalobore.com, www.luckygunner.com, www.midsouthshooters.com, www.doubletapammo.com, and www.theamericanmarksman.com.

For quality handgun holsters, go to www.simplyrugged.com and www.galco.com.

Jeff Quinn

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Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

Adjustable rear sight and replaceable blade front sight.

 

 

 

 

Accuracy was tested at twenty-five yards using a Ransom Master Series machine rest. Group sizes ran from the smallest at 1.5 inches to the largest at 3.125 inches.

 

 

Even the long 340-grain Buffalo Bore loads fit into the Super Blackhawk cylinder.