Conundrum (mixed feels)

Whiskeyhotel2020

Whiskeyhotel2020

Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Messages
355
Location
Minnesota
Ok so I've posted about my Great Grandpa's Ruger Blackhawk in .44 magnum. It's a great story I grew up hearing my dad tell many times. Well I took it out the other day and fired three rounds of 180 grain Federal JHP. I must say I did not care for the way my hand felt after the third shot. I'm no YouTube influencers like Scott on Kentucky Ballistics (love his content) and dont measure my manhood by how much
recoil can I absorb. I can shoot it just fine I just don't like to. So here is my where I'm stuck. I'm unsure if I want to part with it for something that I will enjoy shooting more or hang on to it because it i am the 4th in my family line to own this .44.
Perhaps by posting on here will help.

I'm not going to post the story again (I'm not sure how to link it either) it's under my other posts. I'm kinda struggling with this because after losing my dad, my best friend and just recently someone I have grown very close to I find myself wondering why am I so wrapped up with the story behind things like this .44. It's a story that I've told all my friends when I bring it out to shoot or just having a show and tell session. However ultimately when I'm gone that story kinda goes with me. To anyone else it's a funny story sure but the .44 is just another Ruger Blackhawk to anyone else. Or am I wrong?

After the third round was sent down range i asked my buddies if they wanted to shoot it. Afterwards it went back in the house and my mind wandered into the you know why not put it towards something you'll actually enjoy shooting. I know the pawn shop down the road has a couple rifles that I have been looking at lately. I immediately felt like I betrayed my family lineage somehow.

I have been back and forth on this for about a week now. There's a part of me that thinks that if I do sell/trade it for something I will actually shoot more often by Grandpa, my dad and great grandpa would be alright with it. Another part of me cringes at the thought of getting rid of "a family gun". The only reason I made sure I kept it in the first place is because of the story behind it.

I don't recall if I mentioned in that post that my great grandpa had to send it back to Ruger in pieces due to double charging a reload. So it's been refinished from the factory and I have the invoice for the rebuild.

That in a nut shell is where I'm stuck. Anyone in a similar bind or maybe on the other side of it. Perhaps this will help someone out in the future find some peace with whatever decision they make with a gun that was passed on to them (assuming we'll still have that option). I appreciate you for reading this post and welcome any thoughts you may have.
 
I am a sentimentalist and have kept several guns with family history going back to my grandfather and World War One. My son has interest in them as well so I have a place for them to go when my time drawing breath is done. In your circumstance I would keep the Blackhawk but that is me. You and I are different and you have to make the decision that is right for you.
 
Well that is a conundrum. As a father and a grandfather I could never look down upon my sons or grandchildren for trading a gun I gave them. At the end of the day they are in heaven where their Father has forgiven them as well. It’s steel a wood.

However do you have a son or grandson you would care to gift the gun and story too? Maybe do that then go buy the rifle you want. I don’t know if that is an option or not. I highly doubt your dad, grandpa or great grampa could be looking down from above and worrying about an old Blackhawk though. I got lucky I guess, when my dad passed in 2009 I ended up with his old Blackhawk….. in 357 magnum. Much easier on the hands. I myself will only part with it when my middle son is old enough to take possession of it.
 
It's yours, you can do whatever you want to with it.

If you want to know what I would do, here it is: If you're the only surviving relative of your Great Grandpa, then I think it's solely up to you. Otherwise, in your position, I would check with other relatives/descendants of your Great Grandpa to see if it has sentimental value for any of them and then try to work out some sort of deal with one of them.

If you do keep it, you don't have to shoot full-power .44Mag in it, you know.

44 Special Pistol Ammunition | SGAmmo.com

Shop at SGAmmo for 44 Special Ammo. We carry a wide variety of affordable and high quality ammunition ready to order. We're selling bulk ammo at discount prices. Buy now!
www.sgammo.com www.sgammo.com
 
Whiskeyhotel2020 said:
I'm no YouTube influencers like Scott on Kentucky Ballistics (love his content) and dont measure my manhood by how much
recoil can I absorb. I can shoot it just fine I just don't like to.
Click to expand...
It really has nothing to do with "manhood" Whiskeyhotel2020. My 5'1" 120 lb. wife ran tens of thousands of full-house .44 Magnum rounds through her 10.5" Ruger Super Blackhawks back in her IHMSA days (back in the "80s). She was one of the top competitors in the state, and she has a shelf lined with trophies in the spare bedroom in the basement to prove it.
On the other hand (no pun intended), my wife has arthritis in her right thumb joint that's so bad she can't even shoot a lightweight 9mm handgun without pain nowadays. And that's no doubt the direct result of the tens of thousands of full house .44 Magnum rounds my wife ran through her 2 Super Blackhawks back in the '80s.
BTW, my wife still has 1 of her .44 Mag Super Blackhawks. She shipped it back to Ruger and had the 10.5" barrel replaced with a 6" barrel (to make it more practical), and she still shoots it once in a while. Which brings me to my second response to your questions:
Whiskeyhotel2020 said:
I don't recall if I mentioned in that post that my great grandpa had to send it back to Ruger in pieces due to double charging a reload. So it's been refinished from the factory and I have the invoice for the rebuild.
Click to expand...
If you took up reloading, you could easily build .44 Magnum ammo that is really pleasant to shoot - hardly enough recoil to worry about, and not very loud either.
And regardless of the fact your great grandpa blew up a gun with a reload, it doesn't have to happen. I've been building most of my own and my wife's centerfire ammo for close to 50 years now, and I've never even come close to blowing up a gun. Furthermore, there are thousands and thousands of reloaders out there that are just like me - never blown up a gun. Heck, there's probably a couple of hundred of us right here on THR. :)
 
My son's are with their mother at this time . They have their things set aside already and I'm not sure if they're interested in those. Their mother is very much on the other side politically so I'm not sure how my boys are going to be when it comes to the subject. So like I said the story behind the Ruger and the reason I kept it seems to end with me. Which kinda makes keeping it impractical and silly. On the other I like the fact that I have the gun to go with the story.

I'm not trying to be argumentative (I'm struggling at this point to make sense of purpose).
 
My son's are with their mother at this time . They have their things set aside already and I'm not sure if they're interested in those. Their mother is very much on the other side politically so I'm not sure how my boys are going to be when it comes to the subject. So like I said the story behind the Ruger and the reason I kept it seems to end with me.
Click to expand...
Like I said, you can do what you want--it's your gun. But I would:

1. Check with your sons. They may not be pro-gun but owning something their Great-Great Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Grandfather and father all owned might still be very important to them.
2. It seems unlikely that you and your sons are the only descendants of your Great Grandfather. I have my Great-Great Grandfather's pistol and when I decide I don't want to own it any more, I will pass it on to one of my cousins (who would also be Great-Great Grandchildren) or one of their children if any of them want it.
Which kinda makes keeping it impractical and silly.
Click to expand...
If you're getting rid of it because you don't like how it shoots, you might want to shoot it at least once with .44Spl ammo before you decide keeping it is impractical and silly. You might find out it becomes your favorite gun after that.

I don't mean this unkindly, but it sort of seems to me, based on your responses that you made up your mind on this before posting. I think that this thread is going to get frustrating for you.
 
@ JohnKSa thank you I'll check out the link.

@ .308 Norma my great grandpa was a avid hunter and thought all ammo should be loaded let's say stout. I grew up reading John Taffin articles on American Hanguner and noticed as I got older be wasn't writing about the latest big boom stick as much. I commented on that and my dad told me that years of firing magnums. So I really didn't have any interest in them because it would cause damage in the long run cutting my shooting time shorter ( without having the days of pain following).

I apologize for the not keeping up my connection is rather slow here.

I am going to get a box of 44 specials to try. And none of my cousins can own a firearm for one reason or another and I wouldn't feel right offering something that could possibly get them and me in trouble.

You are right that it is mine and I can do what want with it.

JohnKSa said:
I think that this thread is going to get frustrating for you.
Click to expand...

It's not frustrating to hear other people's thoughts on the thread. It's my way of being able to sort things out. I don't think your words were unkind. I think they came from an honest place and I appreciate your honest response.
 
Whiskeyhotel2020 said:
@ .308 Norma my great grandpa was a avid hunter and thought all ammo should be loaded let's say stout.
Click to expand...
Whiskeyhotel2020, just like firing "high recoil" loads in a handgun has nothing to do with proving your manhood, loading all your ammo "stout" has nothing to do with being an "avid hunter." I'm an avid hunter, so is my wife, and neither of us use loads in our hunting guns that are up to their full potential as far as "stout" goes. Besides, you wrote that your great grandpa blew up a Ruger Super Blackhawk by "double charging a reload" - that had to have been a mistake, not a "stout" load. o_O
 
Whiskeyhotel2020 said:
Ok so I've posted about my Great Grandpa's Ruger Blackhawk in .44 magnum. It's a great story I grew up hearing my dad tell many times. Well I took it out the other day and fired three rounds of 180 grain Federal JHP. I must say I did not care for the way my hand felt after the third shot. I'm no YouTube influencers like Scott on Kentucky Ballistics (love his content) and dont measure my manhood by how much
recoil can I absorb. I can shoot it just fine I just don't like to. So here is my where I'm stuck. I'm unsure if I want to part with it for something that I will enjoy shooting more or hang on to it because it i am the 4th in my family line to own this .44.
Perhaps by posting on here will help.

I'm not going to post the story again (I'm not sure how to link it either) it's under my other posts. I'm kinda struggling with this because after losing my dad, my best friend and just recently someone I have grown very close to I find myself wondering why am I so wrapped up with the story behind things like this .44. It's a story that I've told all my friends when I bring it out to shoot or just having a show and tell session. However ultimately when I'm gone that story kinda goes with me. To anyone else it's a funny story sure but the .44 is just another Ruger Blackhawk to anyone else. Or am I wrong?

After the third round was sent down range i asked my buddies if they wanted to shoot it. Afterwards it went back in the house and my mind wandered into the you know why not put it towards something you'll actually enjoy shooting. I know the pawn shop down the road has a couple rifles that I have been looking at lately. I immediately felt like I betrayed my family lineage somehow.

I have been back and forth on this for about a week now. There's a part of me that thinks that if I do sell/trade it for something I will actually shoot more often by Grandpa, my dad and great grandpa would be alright with it. Another part of me cringes at the thought of getting rid of "a family gun". The only reason I made sure I kept it in the first place is because of the story behind it.

I don't recall if I mentioned in that post that my great grandpa had to send it back to Ruger in pieces due to double charging a reload. So it's been refinished from the factory and I have the invoice for the rebuild.

That in a nut shell is where I'm stuck. Anyone in a similar bind or maybe on the other side of it. Perhaps this will help someone out in the future find some peace with whatever decision they make with a gun that was passed on to them (assuming we'll still have that option). I appreciate you for reading this post and welcome any thoughts you may have.
Click to expand...

When my father passed away, my brother and I split his guns in 3. We each kept a couple we considered family guns, but the others that he had just sort of acquired were sold and my mom got the money. I’d also suggest reloading or looking for some 44 Special ammo before you swear off the 44 magnum. Not every round you shoot needs to be full power. I actually like the 44 Special so much that I’d be happy to have a revolver chambered for it rather than 44 mag.
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't part with it in a million years. The thing about heirlooms is that it isn't just about you, it's about who comes after you as well. Someone somewhere down the line will be thrilled to have it one day and I'd never want to rob them of that.

Oil it and put it away and start saving for something you really want to shoot. A Blackhawk isn't going to fetch a life changing amount of money but once it's gone no amount of money will get it back.
 
You can not put a price on something that was handed down from your family. I happen to be in the situation where I wish there was more things handed down from my family, especially if there is a story attached to it. I've been working at making it possible that my kids and grandchildren have things that they inherited from me when I'm gone, and I try to spend time with them to make memories. Just my opinion.
 
I’d say keep it. It sounds like an heirloom at this point. Since it seems to be an heirloom, remember to be a good steward. Some things take years to build and seconds to destroy (like a marriage). Do you want to be the family member that put an end to this family story?

Of course, you’re your own man. I’m not trying to make you feel bad. But you asked.
 
As others have said, get some 44 special.
Cowboy Action 44 special is even more "softer shooting" than regular commercial 44 special.

Example - muzzle velocity 850fps:
www.gmansportingarms.com

HSM 44S5N Cowboy Action 44 S&W Spl 200 gr Round Nose Flat Point (RNFP) 50 Bx/ 10 Cs

<p>Cartridge: 44 S&W Special - Description: 200 gr RNFP-Hard - Velocity: 850 - Muzzle Energy: 321</p>
www.gmansportingarms.com www.gmansportingarms.com

Years ago I was at a manufacturer's shoot and had the opportunity to try out the S&W 329PD - scandium 44mag. I know what pain is, and grabbed some cowboy action 44 special to shoot out of it. It was pleasant to shoot with that ammo.
 
I would consider it a heirloom and keep it for posterity. Or let the kids take on the bad karma of selling it.

I am a handloader and can make it do what I want it to, but apparently the OP is not.
OK, he can shoot Specials comfortably.
Once upon a time, Remington made a "medium magnum" about like .45 Colt, but I do not see it listed any more.
 
The first time I shot a .44 Magnum it was a borrowed Super Blackhawk that a friend inherited and hated. I bought a box of the hottest Magnums I could find and a box of specials. I hated the Magnums but loved the Specials. The .44Special became one of my very favorite cartridges and over time I even came to love the Magnums. I'd keep that gun and start reloading .44 Specials and tailor the load to the level you like.
 
I inherited my dads 3 screw SBH.
Its well used.
And I prefer to buy my own stuff.
Plus pops and I were different, often didn't see eye to eye.

He used to leave it in a Lawrence western rig hanging on the outside of the bathroom door.
Gun buddies would come over on weekends, show latest magazine, or purchase, or just to drink coffee at the kitchen table (RCBS A2 on a stand over in corner).
Thud thud every time somebody went to the bathroom to take a leak, the gun in holster hitting the door.

Even my hunting/gun buds from college remember that thing clunking.

So here I am now, with the gun, the holster's stitching fell apart (bug repellent) and was gone years ago.

I don't want my dads stuff, have no use for a 7.5" Ruger single action (prefer Smith 629s, and have been looking at a 6" new Anaconda).
But I don't need any .44 mag, as I have a Contender in 35 rem LOL

So what do I do?

Oil it up and put in the back of the safe for a family member when I'm gone.
Maybe they'd want it for the historical aspect.

Heck I could send it to Bowen to chop to 6" and use it myself. Maybe.

I don't like it when folks sell stuff with the stipulation that if the new owner wants to sell it, the prev owner gets first crack.
Stuff has gone up silly in price, and my guess is that prev owner would want to pay for what they sold it for.

Hurt feelings gonna happen.

So IMNSHO.................if one is going to sell an item, then live with the result. The price, and that you're never gonna see it again.
If there's any attachment, put it in the safe.
I do think that perspective and emotions can change over time.

I'm not sentimental, but then Ive had a fair bit of stuff over the years, and am a realist.
My handgunning deer days are few at best. Heck I hardly shoot any w a rifle.

My ol lady says buy a nice western rig and hang it on the outside of our bathroom door.
Not kidding. She liked my dad a lot.
 
BTW, my kids are grown and there are no grandkids.
An unsecured/display firearm would be rendered inop (remove part/parts).
Figured folks would understand that, but might as well explain.
 
It's your so do what you want with it.

I am not getting rid of any gun I inherited or was given, even the Hi-Point C-9 that my oldest grandson gave me to play around with. When it's time he will get it back although somewhat altered for the better as that was what it was meant for. Family heirlooms are to remind you of the person that left them to you and that is important to me. My dad has been gone for 44 years but I still have the guns he passed to me and I can see him every time I look at one of them.

As already stated turn it into a 44 special, a completely different experience. If you reload some lightly loaded specials are a real joy to shoot from either the BlackHawk or it's larger brother, the Super version. Arthritis and a tunnel thing have done me in with 44 mag but I still greatly enjoy using them as 44 specials.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Whiskeyhotel2020
  • Locked
A storied blackhawk
Replies
10
Views
553
Whiskeyhotel2020
Whiskeyhotel2020
F
  • Locked
Cylinder interchangeability
Replies
4
Views
362
Virginian
V
7
  • Locked
Dan Wesson treasure
2 3
Replies
50
Views
4K
dcarch
D
O
  • Locked
Inherited Handguns from My Gun Collector Dad
2 3
Replies
59
Views
4K
Tusker10mm
Tusker10mm
Whiskeyhotel2020
  • Locked
What is the best distance to sight in a .44 mag
Replies
9
Views
2K
Gordon
Gordon
Back
Top