Owner reviews Blackhawk Bisley 45LC?

[RPRNY]

Have never owned one. I have shot New Model Vaqueros in 45LC but not the Bisley or the Blackhawk. I am interested in a Blackhawk Bisley 5.5" in 45LC, with a view towards moderately heavy 4227 and H110 loads.

Can anyone that owns one, or has shot one more than a few times, relate their experiences? Essentially what I would like to get is a view on 1) Bisley vs. non-Bisley handling 2) relative recoil with 45LC +P loads vs standard. I have a Handi Rifle chambered in 454 Casull and have to say that I have no interest in a 454 Casull handgun but I would like to be able to push 300 grs at 1,000 - 1,100 fps if the recoil is not debilitating. I understand that recoil and handling are all subjective, but would appreciate the experiences and opinions of owners.

Thanks very much.

 

[BobWright]

I had a Blackhawk .45 Colt rebuilt to a Bisley:



But then had it put back to a Blackhawk:



And this .45 "Super" Blackhawk was originally a Bisley:



I was shooting some very heavy (350 gr. bullets around 1200~1300 fps) and that Bisley grip was just too uncomfortable for me. I know its supposed to handle recoil better, but it didn't for me. For me the Dragoon grip handles heavy loads much better.

Bob Wright

 

[ECVMatt]

I'll chime in here. First of all, I deeply respect Bob's knowledge, but for me, the Bisley grip is what allows me to shoot heavy bullets out of my Ruger. I think his comments really show how grips are truly subjective and even though everyone says something is the best, it might not work for you. I have three Bisley's currently, a .45 Colt/ACP, a .45 Colt, and a Clements .475.

I got my original .45 after reading a lot of Ross Seyfried many years ago. That gun ended up being about 95% of what I will ever need a handgun to do and has taken many hogs and a few deer as well. Most of my Colt loads are 325 @ about 1050. I am starting to develop some arthritis in my hands, getting older can be challenging, so the .475 might have to go. However, I find the 325's relatively easy to shoot and like I said, handle about 95% of my shooting needs.

All of my Bisley's have the 5.5 inch barrel. That seems to work out the best for me. I carry them in a Tom Threeperson's rig made by El Paso Saddlery. This rig seems to carry them well and they are not overly heavy for me. I have also started to use a Galco SAO when I want to go with a lighter rig and it also carries well.

As much as I would like to unabashedly recommend the Bisley frame, I would suggest you try out the various frames and see what works best for you. Fortunately Rugers are fairly prolific, so finding different frames is pretty easy.

I hope this helps out.

Matt

 

[edwardware]

I like my 5.5 Bisley, and with a gun that heavy, the cowboy loads are powder-puff.

My 45 Colt +P loads are still quite a handful, at the top of the printed range for 320gr over H110. I shoot a few cylinders to put my 357 magnum in perspective, but you need to like recoil to enjoy it.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a 7-3/8" 45 Colt Blackhawk that used to have the Bisley grip. The Bisley grip frame/trigger guard would beat my fingers up under recoil making the gun uncomfortable to shoot even with standard loads. I changed the grip frame out to a Super Blackhawk frame and all is good.

The 7-3/8" barrel makes the gun a bit nose heavy. The 5-1/2" or 4-5/8" barreled versions are handier.

Sorry, no experience with "Ruger" loads in 45 Colt. I only load and shoot standard 45 Colt loads in my 45 Colts. If I need more power, I'll select a cartridge designed for more power like the 44 Magnum, 454 Casull or 460 S&W Magnum.

 

[Airman Basic]

If Pachmayr or Hogue made Bisley grips, I might try one. But the originals are too hard for me, also.

 

[RPRNY]

Thanks everyone for sharing your opinions and experience. It sounds like I may not enjoy the Bisley grip. Will have to think on this some more.

 

[BobWright]

Thanks everyone for sharing your opinions and experience. It sounds like I may not enjoy the Bisley grip. Will have to think on this some more.

I don't know what your situation might be, but I'd say buy the thing and shoot it. The Ruger Bisley/Blackhawk is a revolver that can readily be swapped around as to grip frames, even if you don't feel confidant in doing the work yourself, its not too big a deal for your gunsmith to perform.

Another recent discovery, for me, is that I prefer the XR-3RED grip frame to the original Colt style XR-3 grip. I have one of the new Flap Top .44 Specials and find it not as comfortable as the older XR-3RED.

Bob Wright

 

[RPRNY]

Took your advice Bob

 

[CraigC]

IMHO, the Bisley is the finest grip available for handling heavy recoil. There is a very good reason why most custom five shot .45's, .475's and .500's are on the Bisley.

 

[Beach Bum]

Took your advice Bob

RPRNY.....I had the same dilemma when I bought my Super Blackhawk Hunter's which grip frame did I want ?...........I had to know ....so I bought both..
even though I like both , I prefer the Bisley I find it more comfortable and natural .....Craig is dead nut's on about the recoil , I would not own anything but the bisley with those kind of guns......But when it get's down to it , it is personnel preference . These day's I load in the middle on down, that's why I am comfortable with both, Because I just Plink , but if I was going to play out on the ragged edge it would be with the Bisley

 

[Airman Basic]

Back to my dreams, does anybody know of a hogue or pachmyar type grip for Ruger Bisleys? My curiosity is working.

 

[CraigC]

Back to my dreams, does anybody know of a hogue or pachmyar type grip for Ruger Bisleys? My curiosity is working.

Thankfully, no. Custom grips of wood, stag, ivory, micarta, etc., will do more for shooting comfort than any oversized rubber monstrosity ever could.

 

[Fishslayer]

No law says ya have to shoot full house Casulls in your Bisley. I load up 250gr bullets with a light .45LC sized charge of BE86 in Casull brass for fun (non brutal ) range fodder. I also have a standard Blackhawk in .44 mag & the Bisley is WAY more comfortable & just feels better in my hand. The standard grips feel ridiculously small.

Obligatory revolver photo...

 

[ravenn]

Love the Bisley gripframe on my stainless 5.5" .45. Had the corners at the bottom of the grip rounded and the wood tapered a bit. Handles my go-to load of 255 gr swc over 9 gr. of Unique great.
thanx...

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I might as well chime in on this one.

I bought my 45 Colt/45 ACP Blackhawk back in 1975. Never had any problems firing standard 45 Colt ammo out of it. Never fired anything other than standard SAAMI Max 45 Colt loads. Recoil was not a problem, the grip frame rotated in my hand like it is supposed to.






Flash forward to around year 2000 or so, the year I started shooting Cowboy Action. I bought an 'original model' Vaquero, the ones built on the same large frame as my Blackhawk. I was not shooting your typical downloaded Cowboy ammo, I was shooting 250 grains of lead over about 7.5 grains of Unique. Not a barn burner, but not a pipsqueak load either. Never had a problem with recoil.






Then I bought a pair of Stainless 'original model' Vaqueros. Same large frames. No problem with recoil.





Then I decided to try Black Powder. The conventional wisdom at the time was a case full of Black Powder under a 250 grain bullet would recoil so much that the Bisley grip was a must. So I bought one. Took it to exactly one match. Just did not like it. And I found the conventional wisdom was wrong, there was nothing about a Black Powder load that could not be handled with the regular plow handle grip. I sold the Bisley Vaquero and used the money as the down payment on my first Colt.

Now, don't get me wrong. My Black Powder 45 Colt loads probably do not recoil as much as some of the cartridges being discussed here, but the recoil is stout. If one is going to shoot really heavy loads, perhaps the Bisley grip is the ticket. But for run of the mill 45 Colt, even +P 45 Colt, what ever that is, the standard plow handle grip will handle them fine, if you allow the grip to rotate in your hand with recoil. These days I shoot regular Colt Single Action Armies with my Black Powder Colt loads, and they handle the recoil just fine. And the SAA is a lighter gun than a Blackhawk.

 

[AJumbo]

My 5 1/2" Vaquero Bisley in .45 Colt has been everything I need in an all-around outdoors revolver. I haven't really missed the adjustable sights as much as I thought I would, but I did tune the front blade a bit to get it shooting "center." It's been given a trigger job and a Belt Mountain base pin, and I changed out the aluminum ejector shroud the day I bought the gun. It still looks pretty much stock, blue and case colored, with factory rosewood stocks. It rides in a San Pedro cross draw, or a self-crafted Mexican loop strong side. I'd share some pics, but Photobucket..... don't get me started. I am in the camp that appreciates the Keith-like grip frame for it's recoil-taming abilities. My working load is a 260 gr. WFN loping along at 900FPS (harvested two mules deer with that choice), but it seems to shoot everything from 185 gr and up well enough to suit me. My "ignorant load" is a 325 at around 1050; I'm spoiling to launch that at a bear.