"Fixing" a Super Blackhawk trigger guard?

[BCRider]

I recently got a Super Blackhawk in .44Mag. I've shot about two dozen rounds through it over a couple of range visits. Love the gun but I'm finding that unless I get a death grip on it the recoil moves the sharp edges of the Dragoon style trigger guard back sharply enough to dig into my top middle finger rather harshly. I haven't drawn blood YET but it's been close

I was thinking about a few of options. The first is to wrap the rear of the guard with a thin deer hide or similar leather lacing to pad the guard. The other is to man up and using a small fine cut file and stone to dress, re-polish and touch up blue the rather squared off and sharply edged rear of the guard to a more oval like cross section. Finally the last is to look into some new grips that fill the area behind the guard such as the Hogue style wood grips.

I'll likely try the lacing first since it's easily removed.

From there I'll look more into the idea of the new grips that fill in much or all of the rear area. This seems like not a bad option since I find that I can't get a tight grip on the top of the plowshare due to the grips not being full enough up top. Hence the gun has room to recoil backwards and drive the guard into my finger. A set of grips that fills in that area would fill my grip moreso as well as keeping the edges away from my finger. But then the grips would take away from "The Look" of the single action. But if it lets me shoot it in more comfort then I may need to do that. But then I have a gun that's neither a regular SA shape nor a DA shape and it becomes yet another grip style to have to master and remember.

The times I shot it without hurting my finger were with a two handed grip where I used my support hand thumb to press down on the web of my strong hand to aid in "filling" that area. But that hurts the web of my strong hand so it's not a long term solution.

Or is there some other option I haven't found or thought of that could work out?

 

[rcmodel]

A standard Blackhawk grip frame is a bolt-on fit.

Not sure what they sell for anymore, but they didn't used to be all that bad.

rc

 

[1911Tuner]

Nature of the beast, I'm afraid. Gotta wonder what Bill Ruger was thinkin' with that trigger guard.

The good news is that the 5.5-inch Super Blackhawks were equipped with standard grip frames, and you should be able to order one from Ruger.
You can go with aluminum or steel...but for the SBH, I recommend steel.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The SuperB is a rugged yet elegant revolver ... until you actually shoot it.

From there I'll look more into the idea of the new grips that fill in much or all of the rear area.

That would be my recommendation. Check out Herrett's for their made-to-measure stocks. It would be much cheaper than a new grip frame.

 

[ThomasT]

I have a SBH with the round trigger guard and just could not get a good grip with the factory grip. I bought a Houge finger groove grip and what a difference that made. Now I have something to hold on to. I am tired of rubber grips but the only time this gun will ever see the factory grip again is if I decide to sell it.

On the other hand the factory grips are just fine for my single six 22 and two 32 mags. But these guns are much lighter in weight and almost recoiless.

 

[Drail]

I think that the standard SA grip was designed back when they were all chambered in low pressure black powder rounds that didn't generate much recoil (and it does roll back in the hand to place your thumb close to the hammer for cocking.) But when Elmer (bless his little heart) gave us the .44 Magnum it instantly changed the recoil characteristics of the SA revolver. When I first started shooting lots of Magnum rounds from a Blackhawk I couldn't find any way to stop the backstrap from tearing up the palm of my hand when the gun rotated. Even with gloves (which I hate) it still took most of the fun out of it. The only solutions I ever found were 1) the Hogue grip which is a most ugly abomination on a SA revolver but it does help - 2) the Bisley grip frame. The Bisley grip makes a SA revolver feel just like shooting a S&W N frame. The recoil comes straight back into your hand with no rotation. And after looking at the Keith No. 5 grip shape I think that Elmer must have come to the same conclusion. It may look weird to some but it works very nicely. I can shoot my Ruger Magnum SA revolvers all day now with no blisters. If you've never shot a big bore Bisley you need to try it and see for yourself.

 

[BCRider]

Thanks guys. It sounds like some new grips will be the cure.

Drail, you make a very wise and valid point about the classic style not being in synch with the smack of a .44Magnum. I serously doubt that ol' Sam Colt had such a beast of a kicker in mind for this style of frame and grip.

The more I thought about it after posting the original post the more I realized that the issue is that I'm not getting a good fit up high to the palm and web of my thumb to forefinger area. Since I'm a woodworker as one of my hobbies and I've done a few grips already I may just have a go at something rather custom that produces a more DA style grip for my SBH. A bridge of wood that crosses over the shoulder of the backstrap much like the part up forward that bridges over the area behind the trigger guard. If it turns out that the upper backstrap "hook" is a bad idea then it's easily removed to produce a more Pachmayr or Herrets looking grip.

I notice from looking at Bisley grips that there's more "meat" around the upper portion of the grips and frame. That alone would produce a nicer grip since those of us with bigger hands would have something to actually hold up high instead of barely making any contact.

Buying a new frame is not really in the cards. Something about bringing specific gun parts into Canada from south of the border. So I'll likely need to work with what I've got and make up some grips.

I wiped up a set of "fat" grips for my Single Six in a couple of hours one afternoon despite my currently very primitive shop conditions. A set of nice grips for the SBH shouldn't take more than twice that much time.

 

[Steve C]

I picked up these Sile rubber grips for my .41 mag. Pachmeyer has a similar grip and they look more traditional than the Houges. The rubber grips do not slip in the hand like the traditional OEM factory grips.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Try letting that plow handle grip work the way intended. It should rock back in your hand when fired with the muzzle pivoting up. The trigger guard should move away from your finger, not in to it. If that doesn't work for you try shooting gloves.

 

[rcmodel]

It's not your trigger finger the dragoon guard hits.

It's the second finger right behind the square edge guard.

And there ain't no way to hold it tight enough to stop it.

The only two solutions are.
*A round trigger guard grip frame.
*Or new grips that fill in the gap and keep the square guard edge away from your finger.

rc

 

[BCRider]

Rc's hit it. It's the fact that the gun IS pivoting like it's supposed to do. But the pivoting and coming back is driving that sharp edged guard into my middle finger, not my trigger finger.

 

[msparks]

Try letting that plow handle grip work the way intended. It should rock back in your hand when fired with the muzzle pivoting up. The trigger guard should move away from your finger, not in to it. If that doesn't work for you try shooting gloves.

That's the way it has always worked for me. I thought i was the only one that seemed to never have a problem with the stock SBH grip. I like it.

 

[billybob44]

Rc's hit it. It's the fact that the gun IS pivoting like it's supposed to do. But the pivoting and coming back is driving that sharp edged guard into my middle finger, not my trigger finger.

I had the same problem with my SuperRedHawk .44Mag. Went to the Hogue Mono grip+never looked back. No it is not as pretty, but it is a lot easier on my right middle finger!! Bill.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

New grips is the only satsifactory answer. Even a standard Blackhawk trigger guard is going to bang your knuckles. I have a Blackhawk in .45 Colt, and "Ruger Only" loads will bruise my middle finger after a dozen rounds or so. I put on a set of rubber grips like Steve C pictured.

 

[CraigC]

IMHO, a single action grip is not supposed to roll "in" your hand or slide around like a bar of soap. The sixgun rolls up in recoil due to the frame/grip geometry but your hand is supposed to roll with it. The problem with rubber grips, in addition to being ugly as sin, is that they are too sticky, direct recoil directly into your palm and tend to abrade your hide. I think the only reason they're popular is because they're cheap and due to the misconception is that rubber "absorbs" recoil.

The problem is that there is no one-size-fits-all in sixgun grips/frames. You have to go through a lot of trial and error in finding a comfortable grip/frame combination for big bores. I surely did. I've got $200 sets of custom grips that don't work for me. The Super grip frame does not work for me at all, neither does the standard Blackhawk grip frame. The Colt SAA, Colt 1860 or Ruger XR3 pattern, with grips slightly thicker than stock with beveled bottoms, works for me up to 1200fps. Heavier than that, I need a Bisley with grips that are slightly thicker than factory, rounded where appropriate and flat on the bottom.

The Super grip frame can be "fixed" by either replacing it with the Hunter grip frame, which is the same pattern with a round triggerguard. Or it can be cut and welded into that shape. Replacing it with a standard Blackhawk XR3-RED (standard issue on short Supers) is a step backwards, as you lose the extra length at the bottom.

 

[hogcowboy]

I had the same problem with my plain old Blackhawk .357 until I went with these grips. http://www.grips4guns.com/revolver/ruger/item_1612022.html . They solved the problem real well.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Nice grip -- but note to the OP, that's for a Blackhawk. If you order one, make sure you tell them you have a Super Blackhawk.

 

[hogcowboy]

Yeah...similar one for Super Blackhawk. http://www.grips4guns.com/revolver/ruger/item_1613014.html .

 

[LlanoEstacado]

By "dragoon" grip, do you mean the one that is flat at the back of the trigger guard? I've heard those tend to "grab" the middle finger on the grip. I've had the same problem with a Blackhawk (.327) and 4 5/8" in SBH - both of which had/have round trigger guard. OTH, I have a SBH Hunter which does NOT cause me any problem. Only difference I see is a larger gap between the trigger guard and the grip. Solved the problem with the 4 4/8" SBH with a Hogue Monogrip. Had to do a bit of filing in the grip frame to make it work, took about 15 minutes. Shoots well with the Monogrip. The Monogrip does have more the look of a DA though, if the look of the SA "plowhandle" is important to you.

 

[BCRider]

LlanoEstacado, that is exactly what I meant by "Dragoon" style trigger guard.

Being a wood worker as one of my too many other hobbies I've looked at all the grips you folks have been nice enough to provide links for and I'm going to have a go at doing a set of my own grips in black walnut. I'm going to go with a filled in upper portion behind the guard and with an extended lower so the pinky has somewhere to rest. Pictures to follow as they take shape.

 

[Legionnaire]

I did a full Bisley conversion on my SBH. Got all the parts excluding the grip panels from Midway. An elegant (but not inexpensive) solution. Much more comfortable to shoot now.

 

[murf]

bcrider, you might concider a palm-swell for the right grip panel (a la elmer keith). may roll your knuckle out from under that durn trigger guard.

murf

 

[BCRider]

I'm living in Canada. There's some issues with getting some gun parts over the border these days thanks to the Homeland Security measures. So buying a new Bisley or other frame to fit to the gun is pretty much a non starter on this front.

 

[CajunBass]

Pachmeyer grips for shooting. Stock grips for looking.

 

[BCRider]

Murf, I tried some google'ing for this palm swell grip shape. No luck. Any chance you can post pictures or links to such pictures?

I've seen some references to how one or both sides are shaped to fill more of the palm and even out the pressure felt in the overall grip. That I can do and I'll try to shape my own grips to achieve that. Such is the advantage of going with my own shaping.