I have been waiting for this gun for a long
time. Many of us have. Custom gunsmiths have paid their
mortgages for many years by fitting Ruger single action
revolvers with five-shot cylinders that are chambered for
big-bore cartridges. Ever since Ruger
introduced their Super Redhawk
480 many years ago, I have hoped they would chamber their
excellent Bisley single-action for that new cartridge. Now, at
last, it is here. Ruger did not just fit a five-shot cylinder
with a bigger hole, they also beefed up the Bisley a bit to
handle the extra recoil generated by the 480 Ruger cartridge, as
well as the 454 Casull version of this new revolver. The 454
Casull and 480 Ruger can generate a lot of recoil, and Ruger
tweaked a couple of things to assure that the big gun would
handle a steady diet of these cartridges.
The five-shot cylinder allows for more steel
between chambers, and also places the bolt notches farther from
the cylinder walls, compared to a six-shot cylinder. The Ruger
Bisley grip is one of the best designs ever to handle heavy
recoil without inflicting pain upon the shooter's hand. Ruger
uses a relatively heavy, untapered barrel on these five-shot
revolvers, and the cylinder base pin is secured with a screw, to
assure that it does not jump loose under recoil. Finally, the
cartridge case rims are recessed into the chambers, to prevent
the loading gate from jumping its position under recoil, which
can happen on big-bore single action if a cartridge case is not
present to hold it in place. The rear sight is adjustable for
both windage and elevation correction, and the front blade is
pinned into place, to make installing one of a different height
an easy job, if necessary.
The two revolvers shown here are
pre-production specimens. About six months ago, Ruger shipped to
me the 454 Casull revolver, along with a quantity of ammo, and
instructions to "break it if you can". The 480 Ruger
revolver followed about two months later, with the same
instructions. The 480 stayed secured in my Ransom
Rest for about six weeks, and every time I stepped out to
the range, I would send a few rounds through it. The Ransom
holds a handgun securely, but it does not rotate upon firing as
does a shooter's hand. This can be tough on a handgun, but the
Ruger held together perfectly. Surprisingly, not even a screw
loosened on the revolver.
The Ruger Bisley is built primarily of
stainless steel, but the sights are, thankfully, blued steel.
The wood grips contrast very well with the satin stainless, and
they are fitted pretty well, with just a couple of gaps on one
of the revolvers near the top of the grip. The trigger is curved
and smooth, and the serrated hammer is low, making the revolver
very easy to control. The cylinder can be rotated by just
opening the loading gate, and the ejector rod is plenty long
enough to fully eject the fired cases. The primer indentations
from the firing pin are well centered. The fit of the steel grip
frame to the cylinder frame is perfect.
These two new Rugers are Lipsey's exclusives.
Jason Cloessner of Lipsey's was with me and a few other
single-action fans about three years ago at the Ruger factory in
New Hampshire where we discussed the need for a big-bore
five-shot Bisley. There were about eight or so of us present,
plus Ruger executives and engineers, and among other projects
discussed, this one ranked near the top. It was at the very top
of my personal list. The people at Ruger really listen to what
folks want. There is a link to "Tell
the CEO" on Ruger's website, and they listen to their
customers, even more than they do to writers. This revolver has
been requested by many people over the past few years, and it
has finally come to fruition.
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 adjustment.
|
454 Casull / 45 Colt
|
480 Ruger
|
Chambering |
454 Casull / 45 Colt |
480 Ruger |
Overall Length |
11.9 inches |
11.9 inches |
Overall Height |
5.69 inches |
5.69 inches |
Weight Unloaded |
50.2 ounces |
49 ounces |
Barrel Length |
6.44 inches |
6.44 inches |
Cylinder Length |
1.78 inches |
1.78 inches |
Cylinder Diameter |
1.725 inches |
1.725 inches |
Barrel / Cylinder Gap |
0.005 inch |
0.004 inch |
Barrel Diameter |
0.783 inch |
0.783 inch |
Trigger Pull As Delivered |
3.25 pounds |
3.4 pounds |
MSRP as of August 2015 |
$969.00 US |
$969.00 US |
Shooting the 454 and 480 Bisley revolvers was
a pleasure. Some folks think that recoil would be painful, but
it is not. Now, shooting these in long sessions can be tiring,
as recoil is a cumulative thing, but firing off a few rounds
from either revolver draws no blood. For long sessions with
big-bore revolvers, I wear a PAST shooting glove, but these
revolvers are a lot more pleasant to shoot than some lightweight
pocket guns. The Bisley grip allows the shooter to control the
weapon, but it also allows the gun to roll naturally in the
hand, without hammering the space between the thumb and trigger
finger, as do some double-action revolvers.
I tested the two Bisley revolvers for
accuracy at twenty-five yards distance with the guns secured
into my Ransom Master Series machine rest. The 454 was the
more-accurate of the two revolvers, with both 45 Colt and 454
Casull ammunition shooting very well. Five-shot group sizes
ranged from a tight one and one-half inch cluster to just under
three inches, depending upon the ammunition used. The 480 was
also accurate, but did not exhibit the match-grade potential of
the 454 Casull. From the 480, group sizes again ranged up to
just over three inches, but the best only measured as tight as
two and one-half inches. Still very good accuracy, just not as
tight as the 454. The barrel of the 480 has a tight spot where
it screws into the frame, which can sometimes affect the
accuracy of a revolver, but still, it is plenty accurate for its
intended purpose, but of these two, the 454 was the more
accurate revolver.
I
tested for velocity at a distance of twelve feet from the
muzzles of these Ruger revolvers, in addition to the many
different loads fired for function testing over the course of a
couple of months. Velocities are listed in the chart below.
Velocities are listed in feet-per-second (fps). LFN is a
hard-cast lead flatnose bullet. XTP is a jacketed hollowpoint
bullet. JSP is a jacketed softpoint bullet. Velocity readings
were taken at an elevation of 541 feet above sea level, with an
air temperature of seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit and a
relative humidity of sixty-nine percent. Bullet weights are
listed in grains.
454
Casull
Ammunition |
Bullet Weight |
Velocity |
Hornady XTP |
300 |
1707 |
Grizzly Cartridge Co. LFN |
360 |
1187 |
Buffalo Bore LFN |
360 |
1435 |
480 Ruger
Ammunition |
Bullet Weight |
Velocity |
Hornady XTP |
325 |
1289 |
Buffalo Bore LFN |
370 |
1368 |
Grizzly Cartridge Co. JSP |
400 |
1033 |
Buffalo Bore LFN |
410 |
1229 |
Velocities from both revolvers were
impressive, especially with the hotter loads. The Buffalo Bore
410 LFN in the 480 is a hammer! Likewise the 360 grain 454 load.
For a fast-stepping, flat-shooting whitetail load, the 300 grain
Hornady 454 load is hard to beat. The 454 and 480 loads from
Grizzly Cartridge have less recoil, yet carry enough power to
get most any job done that needs doing with a revolver. As
expected, the heavier loads also deliver a lot of recoil, but
the Bisley handles it very well, and does not draw blood from
the shooter's hand while doing so. I know of no other revolver
grip, other than the Freedom Arms, which is as comfortable to
shoot with power in this class.
I get a lot of firearms and accessories
coming through here to review, and I try my best to give every
one of them a fair shake, keeping my personal likes and dislikes
out of the discussion as much as possible. However, like
everyone else, I have my preferences when it comes to pickup
trucks, motorcycles, food, and even guns. Therefore, I enjoy
some reviews more than I do others, and this one, I really
enjoyed. It is a gun for which I have been waiting a long time,
to the extent that my friends at Ruger probably got tired of me
asking about it. In my simplistic way of thinking, I tell them,
"You have machines. You have people. Just make them!"
I am sure it is not as easy as all that, but I do get impatient
at times, and am really happy that this gun is now in
production.
The question might come up among some
shooters asking something like, "What is it good for"?
I'm glad you asked. A big-bore revolver such as this is ideal
for hunting large game at close to moderate distances. Both the
454 Casull and the 480 Ruger cartridges are capable of taking
any game on Earth, and they excel for use against the large
bears and wild cattle. The 454 is very versatile, and can also
fire 45 Colt ammunition for light practice and whitetail, but
can handle heavy bullets which penetrate deeply for the bigger
stuff. The 480 Ruger can throw a large chunk of lead for
excellent penetration in animals with thick skin and tough
bones. The cylinder is plenty long enough to handle bullets in
the 500 grain class, or loading lighter weight hollowpoints for
softer targets.
Rob Leahy at Simply Rugged Holsters has seen
and handled advance copies of these guns, and he has holsters
for every need ready to be made to order. I particularly like
the trim Cattleman holster with the simple retention strap, but
the Sourdough Pancake is more versatile, allowing it to be worn
strong-side or crossdraw, or even across the chest with their
harness system.
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 Blackhawk 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 45 Colt, 454 Casull, and 480
Ruger ammunition, go to www.buffalobore.com,
www.luckygunner.com,
www.midsouthshooters.com,
www.doubletapammo.com,
and www.lehighdefense.com.
For
quality handgun holsters, go to www.simplyrugged.com
and www.galco.com.
Jeff Quinn
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