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1860 Army Blackhawk
- Thread starter Sharps40
- Start date
Step one is seeing if the 1860 Army Colt brass grip frame will fit the New Model Blackhawk frame. Whether is does or not....a fit is no guarantee it'll work in the end. I still need to make up a plan for cylinder bolt spring and plunger, trigger return spring and coil mainspring assembly. That plus see if I have room left to make up true one piece grips or if I have to default to a two piece grip.....lots of sittin on the milk crate sippin bourbon without getting drunk.
But for now, we see that the back strap is a direct bolt up. The slot for the hammer notch is a bit wide and we might either rebush the frame screw holes for the small head ruger screws or get some screws with bigger heads that will fit the ruger....but first touch is a good one and two screws home free.
The trigger guard and lower grip strap...two of three ruger screws driven home thru the Colt Army holes. Again, could consider either bushing the holes or larger headed screws. The front screw hole is as I thought, a bit out of line...so I'll have to fill that and redrill the brass trigger guard to match the ruger frame. But this is good....4 out of 5 ruger grip screws in place and snugged down and the brass parts are a whisker proud of the steel frame...so room to fit the width to perfection.
Final rough assembly looks pretty spanky good.
But for now, we see that the back strap is a direct bolt up. The slot for the hammer notch is a bit wide and we might either rebush the frame screw holes for the small head ruger screws or get some screws with bigger heads that will fit the ruger....but first touch is a good one and two screws home free.
The trigger guard and lower grip strap...two of three ruger screws driven home thru the Colt Army holes. Again, could consider either bushing the holes or larger headed screws. The front screw hole is as I thought, a bit out of line...so I'll have to fill that and redrill the brass trigger guard to match the ruger frame. But this is good....4 out of 5 ruger grip screws in place and snugged down and the brass parts are a whisker proud of the steel frame...so room to fit the width to perfection.
Final rough assembly looks pretty spanky good.
Some size comparisons between the 1860 Army Colt grip frame and the New Model Ruger grip frame.
The grip is not as thick front to back and the trigger guard is closer to the grip than the ruger.
This is the rough positioning of the ruger mainspring assembly in the 1860 Army Colt frame. Close and may need a bit of relief along the lower loop. In addition, the original 1860 Army Colt flat spring mounting screw should make a nice spot for a mainspring bracket....something for it to push on. Its going to be a tight fit for sure.
The grip is not as thick front to back and the trigger guard is closer to the grip than the ruger.
This is the rough positioning of the ruger mainspring assembly in the 1860 Army Colt frame. Close and may need a bit of relief along the lower loop. In addition, the original 1860 Army Colt flat spring mounting screw should make a nice spot for a mainspring bracket....something for it to push on. Its going to be a tight fit for sure.
Here are some comparisons of the assembled 1860 Army Colt grip on the Ruger New Model Blackhawk as compared to a pristine and bone stock 1968 Ruger Old Model 3 Screw Blackhawk. (Comparisons to the 3 screw are made cause I don't have wood for the New Model frame....just an ugly Pacmeyer and I don't want my old model wood buggered by movin it around on frames. But, the comparison's below to the Old Model frame should be close enough to the New Model to give one an ider of the changes.)
The 1860 Army Colt grip has a lot less wood down the back than the Old Model, effectively allowing smaller hands to reach the trigger.
The 1860 Army Colt grip has a lot less wood all the way around than the Old Model. It'll be more pinkie wrap friendly for everybody.
The 1860 Army Colt grip is lots longer than the Old Model.
From above you can see the 1860 Army Colt grip is smaller and slightly more forward than the Old Model.
With the faces of the recoil shields lined up we can see some differences in the thickness and length of the trigger guard loop and plate where it attaches to the frame.
The 1860 Army Colt grip has a lot less wood down the back than the Old Model, effectively allowing smaller hands to reach the trigger.
The 1860 Army Colt grip has a lot less wood all the way around than the Old Model. It'll be more pinkie wrap friendly for everybody.
The 1860 Army Colt grip is lots longer than the Old Model.
From above you can see the 1860 Army Colt grip is smaller and slightly more forward than the Old Model.
With the faces of the recoil shields lined up we can see some differences in the thickness and length of the trigger guard loop and plate where it attaches to the frame.
Time to fix the number one flaw in every New Model Blackhawk. Ya can't pull the cylinder pin out of the frame cause its a couple of fingernails thickness too long.
Nice big bulbus rounded end smacks into the ejector button and ya can't get the cylinder pin out for cleaning....at least not without unscrewing the ejector rod housing from the barrel which leads to boogered screw heads and in short order a set of stripped threads in the barrel and yer off to the gunsmith hopin for a repair an not a new barrel.
Grind off the bulbusness, smooth it over slightly round....
Slip it in past the ejector rod button, nice, lotsa room to swing it in and out now, then stab it home and yer done.
Way too long barrel with ugly front sight is shortened a bit. I'll leave the factory barrel 5.1" right now and square, chamfer and crown it. That clears the Ruger Instruction Manual on the Left side.....havn't decided if I'll polish it off for a clean look. But, 5.1" is a good length for a hunting handgun and like I said, a minimum hunting barrel length in several states. The Ruger Lightning on top has a 3.5" barrel and ejector rod assembly....its also set up so that the cylinder pin can be removed without taking off the entire ejection system. Ya should be able to clean and inspect the major components of a Blackhawk without tools and touching up the length of the cylinder pin gets you 100% there.
Initial square, crown and chamfer, done with piloted hand tools as described in my many threads on gunsmithing.
So, todays work....a quick look. I think its coming together nicely. Still need a front sight selection and some other cosmetic metal work....and naturally, some long hours with the 1860 Army Colt brass grip frame.
Nice big bulbus rounded end smacks into the ejector button and ya can't get the cylinder pin out for cleaning....at least not without unscrewing the ejector rod housing from the barrel which leads to boogered screw heads and in short order a set of stripped threads in the barrel and yer off to the gunsmith hopin for a repair an not a new barrel.
Grind off the bulbusness, smooth it over slightly round....
Slip it in past the ejector rod button, nice, lotsa room to swing it in and out now, then stab it home and yer done.
Way too long barrel with ugly front sight is shortened a bit. I'll leave the factory barrel 5.1" right now and square, chamfer and crown it. That clears the Ruger Instruction Manual on the Left side.....havn't decided if I'll polish it off for a clean look. But, 5.1" is a good length for a hunting handgun and like I said, a minimum hunting barrel length in several states. The Ruger Lightning on top has a 3.5" barrel and ejector rod assembly....its also set up so that the cylinder pin can be removed without taking off the entire ejection system. Ya should be able to clean and inspect the major components of a Blackhawk without tools and touching up the length of the cylinder pin gets you 100% there.
Initial square, crown and chamfer, done with piloted hand tools as described in my many threads on gunsmithing.
So, todays work....a quick look. I think its coming together nicely. Still need a front sight selection and some other cosmetic metal work....and naturally, some long hours with the 1860 Army Colt brass grip frame.
Boy O....the New Model Blackhawk frame is noticeable longer than the Old Model. Like 3/16" or so on the calibrated eyeball.
A quick look at the trigger to guard relationships. Mainspring too. Hammer to complete the picture and kinda help rough in the locations of the parts.
This is lookin good so far, some work, but perhaps not insurmountable.
The feel of that grip is pretty excellent. I'll have to get it together and put on a try sight for some shooting. I'm wondering if a bisley hammer is going to be so low when cocked that the hand will be in its way.
A quick look at the trigger to guard relationships. Mainspring too. Hammer to complete the picture and kinda help rough in the locations of the parts.
This is lookin good so far, some work, but perhaps not insurmountable.
The feel of that grip is pretty excellent. I'll have to get it together and put on a try sight for some shooting. I'm wondering if a bisley hammer is going to be so low when cocked that the hand will be in its way.
Dang bro. You got me hooked on another one!
Love them Blackhawks, and your bourbon inspired tinkerinnnnn!
Love them Blackhawks, and your bourbon inspired tinkerinnnnn!Hells Bells....typin the word bourbon, and the word for Knockers that starts wif a B and the word for Kahonies that starts wif an N.....daymn near got me banned last night on another forum. Not family friendly ya see then they inferred I was drunk when I wrote it.
Let em know I was and always am sober and I ment to write it...it were a good way to describe a Ruger Blackhawk, bein as how them there Blackhawk Revolvers is made of Thunderstorms and Bxxbies and will round house kick a Glock right in the Nxts.... I was preachin it, see, preachin has strong visual components, helps ya lern the good lesson.......but I changed the whole mess to water, good looks and left out the kick in the doodads part causa the violence factor. I spect the change means the message lost mosta its power to inspire folks about Blackhawks.....
What was we talkin bout?
Oh yeah, Bourbon inspired tinkerin, yeah, time to time ya gotta lube up the brain cells so stuff thas stuck in there can get out! Then later after the bourbon is burned up, then yer hands can make it happen.
So if ya see me type water, its probably bourbon with rocks but we's keepin it family friendly.....we can look at guns and talk bout guns but we can't write a joke bout Knockers and Kahonies or even mention usin Alkyhol for ta help ya think a'cause that's serious wording that makes a place feel unfriendliated.
Ah well, I prolly ain't never gonna figure how Knockers is more scarier than guns, so........back to work.
Let em know I was and always am sober and I ment to write it...it were a good way to describe a Ruger Blackhawk, bein as how them there Blackhawk Revolvers is made of Thunderstorms and Bxxbies and will round house kick a Glock right in the Nxts.... I was preachin it, see, preachin has strong visual components, helps ya lern the good lesson.......but I changed the whole mess to water, good looks and left out the kick in the doodads part causa the violence factor. I spect the change means the message lost mosta its power to inspire folks about Blackhawks.....
What was we talkin bout?
Oh yeah, Bourbon inspired tinkerin, yeah, time to time ya gotta lube up the brain cells so stuff thas stuck in there can get out! Then later after the bourbon is burned up, then yer hands can make it happen.
So if ya see me type water, its probably bourbon with rocks but we's keepin it family friendly.....we can look at guns and talk bout guns but we can't write a joke bout Knockers and Kahonies or even mention usin Alkyhol for ta help ya think a'cause that's serious wording that makes a place feel unfriendliated.
Ah well, I prolly ain't never gonna figure how Knockers is more scarier than guns, so........back to work.
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Getting some of the front end stuff done cause its gonna be the same whether its 1860 Army Colt or Birdshead out back.
So. A pic of where its at and usein my standard methods, duct tape a try sight, in this case a shortened Williams ramp into place with a 3/32" brass bead....just to start getting a feel for how a slimmer trimmer ramp sight with removable blades might look. May have to epoxy this into place for a shooting test before going final.
Did the cylinder chamfer. Not much to it. Run it both ways in the drill press or if not reversible, run it one way up and one way down to get an even chamfer on both sides of the flutes. (the file cuts hardest at the leading edge of each flute, so your chamfer looks tapered wide to narrow between the flutes unless you reverse directions to even it up....it ain't no lathe remember? Also, not too deep, so as not to uncover the back of the barrel, just to the bottom of the flute or shallower is fine.) Then some work with 120 grit backed by a file to remove almost all o the pitting on the cylinder. Just a touch left near one locking notch. I don't know iffin it'll come out or not. I'll get back to it later....this cylinder may get an experimental home caustic blue before final polish and finishing out the entire gun. We'll see.
A quick tour around the rough assembly as it stands now.
The lettering sure is ugly and the back of the ramp could use a bit of thinning.
But the Operational View is pretty spankey right on....
So. A pic of where its at and usein my standard methods, duct tape a try sight, in this case a shortened Williams ramp into place with a 3/32" brass bead....just to start getting a feel for how a slimmer trimmer ramp sight with removable blades might look. May have to epoxy this into place for a shooting test before going final.
Did the cylinder chamfer. Not much to it. Run it both ways in the drill press or if not reversible, run it one way up and one way down to get an even chamfer on both sides of the flutes. (the file cuts hardest at the leading edge of each flute, so your chamfer looks tapered wide to narrow between the flutes unless you reverse directions to even it up....it ain't no lathe remember? Also, not too deep, so as not to uncover the back of the barrel, just to the bottom of the flute or shallower is fine.) Then some work with 120 grit backed by a file to remove almost all o the pitting on the cylinder. Just a touch left near one locking notch. I don't know iffin it'll come out or not. I'll get back to it later....this cylinder may get an experimental home caustic blue before final polish and finishing out the entire gun. We'll see.
A quick tour around the rough assembly as it stands now.
The lettering sure is ugly and the back of the ramp could use a bit of thinning.
But the Operational View is pretty spankey right on....
We should know more in a few weeks. I want to get all the front half metal work done to about the 80% level and then pull the wood stock and see how much trouble I'm gonna be in with the Colt grip. Theys a lot of butt scratching and head rubbin to do back there if it stands any chance at all of comin out functional an reliable.
Challenges include:
a. Room and fitting the mainspring assembly and its foot.
b. Fitting either of two possible trigger return springs, new or old model style.
c. Opening the trigger slot in the guard and/or thinning the trigger.
d. Drilling the trigger guard for the locking bolt spring and plunger.
e. Filling one hole in the trigger guard and redrilling it to match the forward most grip screw hole.
f. And, modifying the original wood grip for clearance of all the new guts in the grip or making up a two piece grip panel or both.
Challenges include:
a. Room and fitting the mainspring assembly and its foot.
b. Fitting either of two possible trigger return springs, new or old model style.
c. Opening the trigger slot in the guard and/or thinning the trigger.
d. Drilling the trigger guard for the locking bolt spring and plunger.
e. Filling one hole in the trigger guard and redrilling it to match the forward most grip screw hole.
f. And, modifying the original wood grip for clearance of all the new guts in the grip or making up a two piece grip panel or both.
