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Ruger Blackhawk .357 ?

Task Force 16

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A neighbor lady has a Ruger Blackhawk .357 that I cleaned for her. I noticed that it had magnum wad cutters in it before I started. The barrel had .357 cal stamped onit, but not magnum. I went online and checked the serial number against Ruger's reference page. This revolver turns out to be an "Old Model" .357 (prefix number 30-) and not a "New Model" .357 Mag (prefix numbers 600-).

Is there a danger of her using the Magnum rounds in this gun, instead of standard .357?
 

Legba

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No - they take the same ammo. The "new model" Blackhawks just have a transfer bar to avoid discharge by dropping and such. I think Ruger will retro-fit a transfer bar (they were doing it for free) onto an older model if you send it in. The older ones differed in the number of screws and clicks that the hammer made as it was cocked also, IIRC, but are otherwise functionally the same.

-ljp
 

SouthernBoy

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An "old model" Blackhawk is also known as a 3-screw Blackhawk and they are worth more that they cost on the used gun market. I used to have one in the late 60's and I wish I never sold it. I killed a deer with it.

All .357 revolver ammunition is .357 Magnum and the Ruger is incredibly strong to boot.
 

Task Force 16

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OK, Thanks. Wanted to make sure about the ammo for tis pistol so she didn't have it blow up in her hand.

She said that she had a bunch of .38 ammo, but gave it away. She didn't know that it would work in the .357.
 

jayspapa

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If this is the old model without the transfer bar , I hope you left an empty chamber under the hammer. The old blackhawks are just like the old Colt SAAs . If dropped with a shell under the hammer it could go off.

That's why Ruger offered the free update to make them safer. If I had an old 3 screw single action Ruger I would keep it as it came from the factory . However I would only carry 5 rounds in it.
 

tcmech

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I got one of those myself, mine is the convertible model with both 357 and 9mm cylinders.

I have not had the free safety update from ruger either, but I don't mind carrying it with an empty chamber under the hammer.
 

Marco

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SouthernBoy wrote: snip
All .357 revolver ammunition is .357 Magnum
Off topic:
Not true, there is .357 maximum.

It is basically a.357Magnumcase lengthened .300".
Firearms that are chambered in Maximum can also fire .357 mag and .38spl.
Ruger produced Blackhawks in this round from 1982-1984.
Remington was the only factory that made ammo for it iirc, factory brass can still be found.
I still have two boxes of factory ammo for my rifle (.357 Max over 12 ga) chambered in this powerful round.

[line]
Back On topic:
The gun the OP is discussing is probably as others have stated, a 3 screw BH.
Ruger will do the transfer bar safety conversion, without the TBS I would carry with the hammer on a empty chamber.
 
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