Conundrum (mixed feels)

[Show Me]

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.

Keep it. Save for something else. We'll you asked. 44mag 180 is spunky. Very spunky. You can calm down and find a softer load. I do

 

[Kookla]

Keep it. Either get .44 specials or better yet- dip your toes into reloading and then you can load .44to however you'd like to.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

After it's sold, it's gone. Usually there's no do-over opportunity, and sentimental regrets just don't seem to go away.

My advice would be to first try some cowboy .44 Special or .44 Russian ammo and see whether you like the gun better when it doesn't make your palms go numb.

If you still don't like shooting it, set it aside for a relative who hasn't come of age yet.

Or gift it to a treasured friend. When my wife died last year, I took some of her possessions to the memorial and allowed her friends to have their pick. Yesterday I noticed my best friend's wife was wearing my wife's favorite insulated jackets -- it gave me a good feeling.

Or just hang onto it and take it out whenever you want to remember your grandsire in that way.

 

[Mosin77]

If it were mine, I’d probably keep it. A .44 mag Blackhawk can be a versatile revolver for a lot of purposes and loaded with specials (esp handloaded specials) it can be pleasant and economical to shoot. I can’t see the amount of money I get being worth it… and I’m not particularly sentimental.

That being said, if you really don’t enjoy it, getting rid of it should get you enough cash or trade value to substantially cover something more interesting.

 

[.38 Special]

I have very, very few things that belonged to my parents and theirs. The bits I do have are absolutely precious, and I could never consider letting them go.

I'm at the point where I don't enjoy recoil any more. I'm happy to put up with it when needed, but for fun, things like full-house .44 Magnums are just too much. So I just use lighter loads in those guns.

 

[Random 8]

I would try 44 specials. Look for the "cowboy loads", they will be .44spl light with a sedate velocity cast bullet. That is my solution to shooting a standard frame BH .41 magnum. With full hunting loads it is downright unpleasant. I can't imagine a standard BH 44 being any more fun. With a light charge and a cast bullet, it is more enjoyable than my heavy .357. I still work myself up to full power loads each fall, but I don't enjoy them!

 

[barnfrog]

One factor that hasn't been mentioned yet is how many other things you have that have been in the family for multiple generations. My family has a house that has been handed down for 150 years and is full of heirlooms. We're kind of big on handing stuff down and preserving family history. But that also means not every item has to stay because there are other items that mean more to us. If the Ruger is one of the only items you have that hold a connection to your ancestors, there may be more reason to keep it. Having other keepsakes to remember your forebears by might make it easier to part with the .44.

But see how those .44 Specials work out first.

 

[5whiskey]

I don't see the conundrum friend. To me, at least, the answer is quite obvious. You keep that revolver. There are options. You can learn to handload (if you like to shoot, it's a good skill to have) and load some mild .44 mag. Buy .44 Special. Put it in a box and display it, that way you can tell the story any time you have guests. If you have any fondness for the family member you inherited the revolver from, and it reminds you of that person, keep it. Pass it on to your kids/grandkids.

To be fair, some people aren't sappy and sentimental. I am. I have a junky H&R revolver in .32 long that was my dad's. Only handgun he's ever owned as far as I know. He wasn't a gun person. Only guns he had was that H&R Revolver and my great-grandfather's shotgun (that I also inherited, there's people in my family that would break in my house for that Remington Model 3). At any rate, I will never get rid of that any guns inherited from my family. Even the useless ones.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Another thing you could try is a different grip like the Hogue Monogrip. I get the point of the SA grip but never liked it. I put a set of these on my .357 and .45 Blackhawk and they work great.

View attachment 1201403

I would try a set of these grips before trading it off and later regretting it. They are ugly but they work and they keep your middle finger out from behind the trigger guard. Much more pleasant to shoot.

 

[drobs]

OP I read your other posts on this Scoped Ruger Blackhawk.
IIRC, your Dad had a huge gun collection that you and your brother were able to pick a couple guns from. I take it this is the handgun you selected as it belonged to your Grandpa?

If I were you, I'd just put it back in the safe and forget about it. Otherwise, if you hate the scope, look into getting a set of sights added back to it. Sure it might require the services of a gunsmith. Check out Bowen's offerings:

+ BCA Catalog + Ruger SA Basic Packages

I inherited my Dad's Colt Series 70 Government Model 45 acp, When I was younger, I had whole bunch of modifications done to it, with the goal of making it more reliable. Hindsight being 2020 I probably should've left it stock. Oh well. I've mostly retired it to the gun safe.

 

[Mostly Lead]

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.

Wait to make a decision until you're sure.

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?

You may yet meet someone to whom the story matters. Time's not up yet and you're not gone..

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.

Heavy factory loads are what got me into reloading. Create your own lighter loads and see how you like the gun then.

 

[bigpower491]

I have my Great Grandfather's Colt New Army 41LC, and it's right rough and although I wouldn't shoot it(even if I had ammo) I sure as heck wouldn't let it go. I've got my dad's single six, and it gets heaps of use. I'll have both til the day they put me in the box and burn me. If my brother is still around, he'll get em, and everything else.
Full house 44 mag isn't fun in a stock gripped blackhawk, but you could also look for a set of larger grips to put on there just for shooting purposes.
Or just shoot specials. Or handload special level in 44 mag cases.
Family heirlooms.....you'll kick yourself down the road for letting it go. I know I would, but then that's me.
You've got options at your disposal to make that an enjoyable shooter

 

[bannockburn]

As other's have already stated: if it were mine two things I would do: 1) run .44 Specials through it and 2) get a better feeling set of grips. A buddy of mine had a Ruger Super Blackhawk that he hated to shoot because of the pain it caused him every time he fired it. Then he found a set of target grips that filled in the gap between the trigger guard and the grip frame. Made a world of difference (even with my small hand I felt very little recoil and less muzzle rise with those grips). They sort of looked like these grips here:

 

[Hookeye]

Funny, I prefer the Super Blackhawk w dragoon frame and regular grips.....over reg Blackhawks, rounded Supers, or Bisleys.

But i get kinda low, gun doesnt shift even w 255gr.
But my palm takes a beating. Takes a bit of practice to toughen up.

Now w RA, dunno if i can get used to full throttle stuff.

 

[Hookeye]

As other's have already stated: if it were mine two things I would do: 1) run .44 Specials through it and 2) get a better feeling set of grips. A buddy of mine had a Ruger Super Blackhawk that he hated to shoot because of the pain it caused him every time he fired it. Then he found a set of target grips that filled in the gap between the trigger guard and the grip frame. Made a world of difference (even with my small hand I felt very little recoil and less muzzle rise with those grips). They sort of looked like these grips here:

Look like old Herrets

 

[Hookeye]

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:

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

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.

Guy i know got a 329PD for bear country sidearm.
I tried it w 255gr hot hard cast. With the fingergroove wood grips. Wasnt bad. Muzzle rise was significant, like bbl was on top of a rocket LOL

It was Boom.....whoosh! Boom ...whooosh!
Take some work for me to get quick followups.
Used to shoot a 4" 629-1 w hot loads. Got decent with it.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

You don’t want to be at the pearly gates of Saint Peter and your grandpa comes up to you and says: hey, how’s my Blackhawk ? Don’t sell it. You will feel it down the road. Take the scope off and shoot some wax wads in your garage. It will change your mind.

 

[bigpower491]

I reckon I'll throw this out there, don't wanna hijack or anything....
A while back I purchased a Ruger Redhawk 357, six shot, 1984 manufacture. They're a bit on the rare side, and I seen it on the broker. No one was bidding on it because it had a message engraved on the bottom of the barrel. It was a Merry Christmas from a guys wife and son , 1984. No big deal to me, I bought it to shoot, and it won't be a problem if I want to bring it in to the shop and laser weld said engraving and bench and polish it back. You'd never know it was there. I really thought about it, and those thought led me to questions.....who was this person? What happened to him? If he passed why doesn't his son have this? Why didn't he keep it, or did something happen to him or is he prohibited?
It saddened me to think that something like this probably brought the guy so much joy on Christmas day 1984, and it ended up in a pawn shop. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to have it, but just the thought that someone in his family cared so little about hanging on to it, I dunno. Things like that kinda bother me. I realize I'll never know the story or what the situation was, but I take it out back and will continue to do so every Christmas and let go a couple cylinders with it, and give its original owner a nod and tip of the cap.

Again, do yourself a favor....hang on to it

 

[d2wing]

+ 44 Special.

 

[Pat Riot]

Add me to the “try the .44 Spl” list and perhaps a different grip. Also, if you ever get into reloading you can tailor .44 Magnum loads to a power level you can shoot comfortably.
I am with you on the macho BS and heavy recoil @Whiskeyhotel2020

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

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.

 

[drobs]

Guy i know got a 329PD for bear country sidearm.
I tried it w 255gr hot hard cast. With the fingergroove wood grips. Wasnt bad. Muzzle rise was significant, like bbl was on top of a rocket LOL

It was Boom.....whoosh! Boom ...whooosh!
Take some work for me to get quick followup shots
Used to shoot a 4" 629-1 w hot loads. Got decent with it.

I've owned a few 44 mags over the years but never kept any of them.
My 1st was a 6 inch 629 bought in my mid 20's. Shooting a couple boxes of full house 44 mags in each shooting session made me question the trade.

I also got a steal of a deal for a beautiful Model 29 S&W, maybe 10 years ago. It was too pretty and I didn't want to mess it up with holster wear. I prefer working guns that are either stainless or already have some finish wear on them. I sold that one off as well.

I like 45 Colt & 357mag revolvers, plus 22LR, and 38spl.

 

[jmorris]

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.

If it was something that had sentimental value to me I'd keep it. Unless a couple hundred bucks really changes your world, I'd understand it then.

That said, I still have cars and even tractors that I don't use much but keep for the memories they give me. Once, I'm dead, its up to the new owners...

 

[Bill M.]

Keep the gun!

Try the .44 special. If they are too strong then find a reloader to load you some "bunny breath" loads for it.

This is the reason I reload.

Grips do make a difference. I would rather my hand hurt than to use the rubber ones though.

 

[Whiskeyhotel2020]

You don’t want to be at the pearly gates of Saint Peter and your grandpa comes up to you and says: hey, how’s my Blackhawk ? Don’t sell it. You will feel it down the road. Take the scope off and shoot some wax wads in your garage. It will change your mind.

Funny I have a few of great grand dad's wax loads and was just discussing removing the scope with my wife. Thank you for the feed back. I'm on the hunt for some 44 spl ammo. I've decided that if those don't do the trick then I'll figure out something else. Not sure if sights can be easily replaced but will put it on the project list. Again thank you for the feedback and advice.