Ruger 30 carbine

[gunseller]

Are Ruger Blackhawk revolvers S# for each cal or are they all in one block? I have a 4 digit Blackhawk 3 screw in 30 carbine 4xxx and was wandering when it was made. It is a 98% gun. Any idea what it is worth? I do not want to sell it. I purchased it 8 or 9 years ago and gave $175 for it.
Steve

[skeeterbay]

Last I knew you could go to Ruger on line and they had a list of manufacture dates for their firearms. As far as it's worth. I have a lot of blackhawks both old and not so old. But the 30 carbine is not a caliber I am interested in. So I don't even notice what those are going for. Checking GB and watching which ones get bids and what they sell for is a good way to tell the current going rate. Hope this helps.

Edited to add: It appears your old model Blackhawk was made sometime in 1968. That was the first year of production for the 30 carbine caliber.


Skeeter!

[bykerhd]

You certainly won't lose any money on what you have invested.
I would think an unaltered 3-screw .30 carbine in 98% condition would be fairly rare. I don't think they were all that popular a seller. You'll need to find the "right" buyer to get what it's worth though.
I paid $ 98.50 for mine in the summer of 1969. Wish I still had it.

Wear GOOD ear protection if you shoot it.
The original advertising called for 1550 FPS out of that 7 1/2" barrel.
Some ferocious muzzle blast too.
I don't recall that being mentioned by the testers.:wink:

[gunseller]

With factory 30 carbine ammo ear plugs and muffs are just maybe enough. Handloads using 2400 are a not as loud and can be shot with just ear plugs. They are more like a hot 357
Steve

[Timber Wolf]

Old Models in general have been steadily going up. I was fortunate enough to pick up my excellent condition unconverted .30 carbine Old Model last year for around $360 on Auction Arms. I felt that was a good price and I have not seen any go that low since. A .30 carbine Blachawk was the first centerfire handgun I ever shot as a teenager. I felt I "needed" a .30 carbine to round out my Blackhawk "collection" caliber wise and did not have an Old Model either so killed two birds with one stone. Actually have not shot it yet. :redface: :( :cry:

[gunseller]

Shot mine yesterdsy. 10 shoots into 2 1/2 group off hand at 25 yards. Loads were 12 grains of 2400 and a mix of new and pulled 110 grain FMJ. OAL was as long as would fit in cylinder. I could tell which holes in the target were from the pulls. The main group was at 2 inches or a little less with flyers that I think were from the pulls. Not bad for a 40 year old revolver.
Timber Wolf you know if you do not shoot it it will melt. Remember plugs and muffs with factory ammo. Oh yes, if you use my load above you are on your own.
Steve

[gunsmoke]

I hzve 2. About 7 years ago I bought the first one. A couple of guys from TX came into my office they were well logging in the neighborhood and some kind of way we got into talking about guns. One of the guys came back in and had a 4 digit three screw, looked unfired in an El Paso Saddlery rig. When I saw what it was and the rig, I asked what he wanted for it and he said $125.

I said OKAY and what do you want for the rig, he said that it went with the gun since he didn't have any use for it without the gun. I asked him if he would mind if I took a few minutes to call the Sheriff's Office across the street and ask them to run the serial for me, when HE didn't run, I called ran the number and it came up clean so I bought it.

I played with it often but it didn't have a cylinder ring and no powder flash on the front of the cylinder or inside the top strap of the frame so I got a nice wood case made for 7 !/2" Blackhawks and put it in the sfe.

Around 2004 or so I bought another 4 digit three screw on AuctionArms, I paid $400 for this one and it is 99%+ easy. A lot of these guns get a half box of .30 carbine put through them and then never get shot again because of the noise. Handloads are definitely the way to go and there are plenty of good bullets and loads to choose from. I have since had two cylinders made for it one in .32-20 and the other in .327 FED.

I've shot maybe 100 rds. of Carbine through it, mostly hot handloads with the Hornady 100 HJ which is my favorite .30 Carbine Bullet to load. I've shot the hell out of .32-20 handloads and done a fair amount of SWL handloads in the .327 but have not shot any .327, 32 H & R or S&W, I mostly keep the .32-20 cylinder in it.

I'm thinking about putting a #5 grip frame, bisley hammer and trigger, free spin pawl and having the frame Color Cased. But I don't know if I will or not.

[K. Funk]

I picked up a nice 3 screw with a Super BH grip frame. It gives it a unique look. I haven't shot it much, but I did run a box of 50 through it. The noise did not seem to bother me much, but I really wasn't paying attention. I got a bunch of brass saved up, 14.0 gr H110 with a 110 gr FMJ or SP has always worked in the M1. I might just have to take it out more often.

krf

[gunseller]

K Funk,
That load in mine needs a punch to get the brass out of the cylinder. It is one of the loads I shoot in my M1 carbine. With a 7 1/2 inch barrel the SBH grip frame would be nicer to hold.
Steve