Ruger Blackhawk Convertible 38-40/10mm

[OilyPablo]

This could be a "kick myself" thread.

At the Gun Show yesterday a seller had a nice table of Ruger Revolvers. One I eyeballed is the Ruger Blackhawk Convertible 38-40/10mm with 6.5". NIB. (Cardboard box). He was asking $750. What is the current value?

I have a .357/9mm 6" convertible (but I rarely use the 9mm CYLINDER). I was so tempted to buy the big brother. I had the money on me.

 

[CraigC]

That's a little steep. I paid $500 for mine a few years ago and they haven't skyrocketed since then. Wouldn't pay more than $600 for one.

 

[OilyPablo]

Thanks. I saw some for $800 online, buy hard to say what they actually sell for.

Maybe I don't need to kick myself!

Sure would love to shoot 10mm in an accurate revolver. Never shot 38-40. How is that in a hand gun?

 

[DesertFox]

Never shot 38-40. How is that in a hand gun?

Expensive! 38-40 ammo is crazy priced. 10mm shoots very accurately out of the Buckeye special edition, you're right. At $750, it is a bit high but they aren't made anymore and you have it's little brother right there with you already...

 

[CraigC]

The .38-40, at standard pressures, is relatively mild out of a handgun. It's quite potent, capable of 180's@1200fps but recoil is very manageable. In the large frame Ruger you can push them much faster but case life suffers. It's typically considered a handloader's cartridge as factory ammo is very expensive. Starline makes the best brass for this cartridge. Beartooth has a very nice 200gr LBT and DoubleTap has a 220gr. You can also utilize virtually any 10mm/.40S&W jacketed bullet by simply turning a cannelure into them. I use the Corbin tool. The 180gr Gold Dot zipping along at 1450fps out of an 1873 Sporting Rifle is a very effective load.

 

[Catpop]

The history of the 38-40 is very interesting. Caliber being 41 and not 38 at all.

 

[mavracer]

The history of the 38-40 is very interesting. Caliber being 41 and not 38 at all.

it's a 40 cal

 

[murf]

yes, that's why the other cylinder is 10mm (.400").

murf

 

[OilyPablo]

Does seem like you could load the 38-40 pretty hot and the Ruger could handle it. Plus the very hottest 10mm shouldn't be a problem in that beefy cylinder.

 

[Catpop]

You are correct, I was trying to remember on the go and thought it was .4?? something. I stand corrected. History is still interesting.

 

[mavracer]

History is still interesting.

Agreed, I find it most amusing that 125 years ago with the 38-40 they found out that a .400 180gr bullet at 950fps was a pretty good balance of shootability and stopping power then 25 years ago after a long way around the barn the 40 S&W is revolutionary lol.

 

[BCRider]

So mavracer.... you're maybe saying that the FBI and other police should have just gone with a re-birth of the old .38-40?

Actually all kidding aside it DOES make one wonder at the creation of the .357Mag when a re-birth of the .38-40 in the revolvers at the time could have provided the police and others with the harder hitting and harder penetrating round that they wanted. Not with the old black powder pressures of course. But with a bump up to a rating of around 20K to 22K these could have pushed 180 grain bullets along at around 1000 fps to give pretty good punch for busting thru those windshields and door skins.

Then again, at that time there were likely still a goodly number of .38-40 handguns and rifles still in use as working guns on ranges and such. So the risk of confusion and loading the hotter ammo in the older guns was perhaps a little too likely.

Anyway, back to more or less on topic. A gun of that sort would be great fun and once this current panic buying reaction dies down, as it will, components for reloading both .38-40 and 10mm will become more available again. At that point it doesn't cost any more to load one than the other. Esepcially given that the ultra low chamber pressure in the .38-40 means that the brass will essentially last pretty much forever. It's at more risk of peening the heads flat and pizza like after up around 100 or more uses than it is of splitting the casings.

 

[CraigC]

You don't need 20-22,000psi for that. 180's will run up to 1200fps at standard pressures. Looking at Speer #14, all they have is mousefart CAS data.

.38-40 brass doesn't last forever at any pressure level. All I've ever used is new Starline brass. Start looking for mouth splits around 10-12 firings.

 

[mavracer]

So mavracer.... you're maybe saying that the FBI and other police should have just gone with a re-birth of the old .38-40?

Nope more that they spent a lot of money studying ballistics to figure out something that was well known for 100 years.
Caution thread vear I also find that the 357 sigs developement to put 357 mag ballistics in a autoloader funny as the 357 mag was developed to get 38 super ballistics in a revolver.

 

[BCRider]

Craig, that's interesting data. Thanks.

I would have expected the brass to last a lot longer than that. Could it perhaps be due to the slight bottleneck shape?

Mavracer, but if they'd simply accepted the .38Super they would not have been able to attach THEIR name to a round of ammo....

 

[CraigC]

Compared to something like the .45Colt or .44Mag, the case necks are just really thin. Same with the .32-20 and .44-40. You still need to put a good roll crimp to keep the bullet from setting back in leverguns or with heavy revolver loads and it works the case mouth pretty good. Supposedly, Dustin Linebaugh was going to have Starline do a batch with thicker necks, for his monster masher loads in a custom oversized cylinder 6-shot Ruger but I don't think it ever materialized.

Think 180's at 1800fps and 200's at 1600fps from a 6½" barrel!

 

[tinygnat219]

The .40 S&W energy and velocity is virtually identical to the .38-40. Kind of amazing when you think about it.

 

[MI2600]

Getting back to the original OP's query, I paid $600 a month or so ago. The deal included 38-40 reloading dies and a couple hand fulls of brass.

 

[OilyPablo]

Getting back to the original OP's query, I paid $600 a month or so ago. The deal included 38-40 reloading dies and a couple hand fulls of brass.

NIB?

Good deal either way!

 

[MI2600]

It was used in good condition. I bought it primarily because I also have a '92 Win in 38-40 (not fired in years) and wanted something to shoot my old reloads and generally have something I could shoot at my indoor range. A hoot.