Lipsey's Ruger Mag .357

Somehow perfection never seems to last. In the case of Ruger’s first Flat-Top Blackhawk the time span was well under 10 years. In 1962 the original .357 Blackhawk (introduced in 1955) was “improved” by changing the grip frame and the profile of the top strap. The grip frame was redesigned, hence the original XR3 became the XR3-RED allowing more room behind the back of the trigger guard and the front of the grip strap. For most of us it was not an improvement but a step backwards.

Protective ears were put around both sides of the rear sight resulting in a change in the Flat-Top profile. This has been much easier to live with than the changing of the grip frame.

Today collectors refer to the first Blackhawks as the Flat-Tops while the “improved” versions are known as Three-Screws.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of that original .357 Magnum Blackhawk Ruger brought out a New Model .357 Magnum which was the same size as the original. It also had a Flat-Top frame profile. The differences were the transfer bar action, of course, and the grip frame, which did revert back to the original size and shape, was now steel instead of an alloy making the New Model Flat-Top slightly heavier than the original. This wonderful throwback was only offered for one year.

In the 60th Anniversary of the original Flat-Top, Lipsey’s has teamed up with Ruger to offer what is basically the 50th Anniversary Model again. However, instead of only the all blue 45/8″ configuration of both the original and the 50th Anniversary versions, Lipsey’s is offering four choices. Sixgunners can have 45/8″ or 51/2″ versions both in either all blue or stainless steel. I asked for two test guns with different finishes and different barrel lengths and the result was a 45/8″ blued and 51/2″ stainless steel Flat-Top.

Classic Style

Not only do both of these sixguns have the New Model action, they also have maintained the original Flat-Top profile and the XR3 grip frame plus a well appreciated extra. When the Ruger .357 Blackhawk was in its second stage, the 1962-1972 Three-Screw versions, a few were offered with extra cylinders in 9mm. With the coming of the New Model .357 Blackhawk, the Convertible version became more widespread.

In all of these years I have never shot a .357 Blackhawk with a 9mm cylinder in place. Both of these Lipsey’s .357 Magnums have the extra 9mm cylinder and I was about to be very pleasantly surprised. I started my testing shooting 9mm’s — not expecting much. The offering of the extra cylinder is a good economic move as 9mm’s are the easiest centerfire pistol cartridges to find and also offered at very reasonable prices.

Let’s take a close look at the Lipsey’s Ruger .357 Blackhawks and then see how they perform. Ruger has been making single action sixguns for well over 60 years so they should know how to do it right. These two Flat-Top .357 Magnums are both perfect examples of doing things right. Both guns are nicely polished and the bluing on the shorter barreled gun is excellent. Both sixguns lock up tight and shoot extremely well with about anything which will fit either one of the cylinders.

Both of the front sights are taller than they need to be which is also just about perfect as it allows the individual shooter to file the sights to the height they want. I plan to file them down to basically shoot 180–200-gr. bullets to point of aim when the rear sight is just a couple of clicks off the bottom. This then allows me to raise the rear sight the proper amount for shooting the relatively light-weight 9mm bullets and 158-gr. .38 Special and .357 Magnum bullets.

Shootability

When testing a sixgun I prefer to use a wide variation of loads as well as a large number. For these two Lipsey’s Ruger .357 Blackhawks, I fired more than 40 different loads through each of the two sixguns, going through 9mm’s, .38 Specials, .38-44’s, .357 Magnums and .357 Magnums with heavy bullets. I’m at the stage of my life when I cannot even come close to shooting the big bores as much as I once did. However, .357 Magnums are right at the top of my being able to “shoot as much as I want” threshold and I took great advantage of this situation with these two sixguns.

I’ve learned a lot since shooting that first Blackhawk 60 years ago, at least I hope so, and we do not always need a big bore sixgun for most of what we need a sixgun for. Plus I have a renewed appreciation of the .357 Magnum. Both of these New Model Flat-Top Blackhawks are excellent examples of Perfect Packin’ Pistols in they are very easy to pack and there’s very little which cannot be handled in the lower 48 with a .357 Magnum. Also the stainless steel version with its 51/2″ Artillery barrel length is an excellent compromise between the easier to carry 45/8″ Civilian length and the easier to shoot 71/2″ Cavalry Model. Add in the fact this stainless steel version is like all New Model Blackhawks — virtually indestructible.

These guns shoot just about everything as well, or better, as any Blackhawks I have ever experienced over the past six decades. The stainless steel version was slightly more accurate, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say the slightly longer barrel was easier for me to shoot. Many of the 9mm loads went in 1″ or less for five shots at 20 yards with both guns, and the newest ammunition, the Wilson Combat 147XTP-HP along with the CCI Blazer 115 JHP and the Speer Gold Dot115 JHP, all grouped well under 1″ with respective muzzle velocities of 1,122 fps, 1,261 fps and 1,254 fps. The blued version especially liked the Hornady 147XTP-JHP and the Wilson Combat 125 HAP, both with groups of 1″ and muzzle velocities of 941 fps and 1,123 fps respectively.

Both sixguns liked the Black Hills .38 Special 148 Wadcutter load, with groups of 3/4″ and 7/8″ for the stainless steel and blued version respectively. My .38/44 handloads consisting of the RCBS #38-150 KT over 12.5 grains of #4227 shot under 1″ in both guns at everyday working muzzle velocities of 1,000 to 1,100 fps.

.357 Loads

Switching to .357 Magnum loads and using the same #4227 with 15.5 grains under the Lyman #358156GC gave muzzle velocities of 1,250 fps and a 1″ group and 1,325 fps and a 3/4″ group in the blued and stainless steel sixguns. I can’t ask much more than this from a standard .357 Magnum load. However, the most accurate standard .357 Magnum load proved to be the Hornady 158XTP-JHP over 15.5 grains of H110 for 1,250 fps and a 5/8″ group with the stainless steel Blackhawk.

That brings us to my favorite .357 Magnum loads, namely those assembled with heavier bullets. My favorite bullet for these chores is the 200 grain NEI #358200GC. In the stainless steel Blackhawk, 13.5 grains WW296 is good for just under 1,200 fps and a 3/4″ group; 12.0 grains #2400, 1,240 fps, 7/8″ and 12.5 grains of #4227 clocks out at 1,150 fps and a group of 7/8″. Switching to the blued version gives groups averaging right at 1″ with muzzle velocities about 75 fps slower. Any of these loads would be my choice when wandering off the beaten path.

Lipsey’s has been responsible for a long list of very desirable Ruger sixguns. Place these .357 Flat-Top Blackhawks right at the top.

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