Running on Three Cylinders Can Be a Smooth Ride
Resting in a Simply Rugged Cattleman elephant over beef holster
and a belt Tank made, the Ruger BH 10mm dually is a more accurate
gun after Tyler Gun Works worked their magic.
A few years ago, Lipsey’s conspired with Ruger for yet another devious project to seduce unsuspecting gun aficionados appreciating single actions capable of shooting .401” bullets. With all the attention 10mm semi-autos were receiving lately, Jason Cloessner, Lipsey’s vice president of product development, came up with the brilliant idea of releasing a dual cylinder Ruger Blackhawk chambered in 10mm/.40 S&W combination.
The dual-cylindered idea was met enthusiastically. Everyone embraced the 10mm single action, but many were confused about the .40 S&W choice. Cloessner figured there was a lot of unfired .40 S&W ammo laying around for .40 S&W semi-autos; wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to shoot this potent ammo, cowboy style, in a single-action sixgun?
Expending the ammo in a Blackhawk would be a bit more fun, as it reduces recoil immensely. Goodbye stinging hands syndrome semiautos are known for after long shooting sessions.
I for one was happy Ruger/Lipsey’s utilized a .40 S&W cylinder for two reasons. Like most retired coppers, I have an abundant supply of .40 S&W ammo for some sneaky reason I can now confess to. What better way to blow these rounds out than by shooting them through a thumb-cocker as a modern-day make-believe cowboy or sheriff?
The only thing better than a dual-cylinder gun is a triple-chambered shooter.
Old School
The second reason is for more industrious individuals. The .40 S&W cylinder is the perfect donor for having a new caliber punched out in it. Those having a penchant for more traditional, historically hyphenated .38-40 (aka, .38 WCF) can easily have the .40 S&W cylinder re-bored for it. Those with a more modern taste can rechamber with the snappier 10mm magnum.
Color case of the hammer and trigger really spruce up a stainless sixshooter.
Tyler Gun Works Spa Day
I sent my gun and both cylinders to Bobby Tyler to rechamber the .40 S&W cylinder and give the gun a full workover, including a complete action job like only he and his crew at Tyler Gun Works can do. Cocking the single-action Blackhawk now sends feelings of wonder and awe, it’s so smooth.
The trigger is now like Trump’s newly appointed cabinet, creep-free. It averages just under 2.5 pounds for five trigger presses using Lyman’s trigger scale. Bobby then administered his accuracy package. He starts by recutting the forcing cone to 11 degrees, followed by a polish and lapping of the barrel face, ensuring it’s square. Lastly, the cylinder gap is set so tightly that sunlight can barely penetrate the gap. Finally, the barrel receives a target crown to complete the job.
The stainless-steel hammer and trigger are given Bobby’s trademark color case. This provides much-needed warmth for the sterile-looking stainless steel while giving the gun the classic good looks of a custom shooter.
Look at that target crown! Lee Precision dies
did their usual excellent job for Tank’s handloads.
What’s One More?
You’d think having a classic-looking, smooth-actioned, dual-cylinder sixshooter capable of shooting 10mm and .38 WCF cartridges would keep me happy. But, no, I really liked the original idea of being able to shoot .40 S&W ammo. I had a lot of it, along with brass, molds and ammo cans of handloads. Not knowing when to stop, I started looking around for a Ruger Blackhawk cylinder chambered in the short, straight-walled case … and found one.
As luck would have it, the cylinder fit was perfect! Now, I have a triple-threat thumb-cocker capable of shooting three different kinds of ammo.
Arsenal Molds .40 caliber Keith mold is a dandy choice for the .38-40!
Triple Threat Shootout
Shooting the Tyler Gun Works tuned sixgun is harmonic perfection. Shooting cast lead slugs in a single action is a natural. My favorite molds include a Lee 145-grain SWC in the .40 S&W, along with their 175-grain TC design in both .40 S&W and the 10mm.
Keith-style Arsenal Molds drop hard-hitting 200-grain traditional slugs for the .38-40. Loaded over 9 grains of Alliant Power Pistol makes for an accurate and potent load.
Factory loadings for the .40 S&W were represented by Black Hills, including their infamous 115-grain Honey Badger, and a 140-grain Barnes Tac-XP bullet.
10mm fodder was represented with 125-grain HP Honor Defense ammo and some SIG SAUER 180-grain FMJ ammo.
Anything else shoots extremely good in my well-tuned single-action, shooting within 2” or better at 50 feet when sandbagged.
Tyler Gun Works sends a test target back after each accuracy package is completed.
Voluptuous Versatility
Having a triple-threat shooter is handy indeed. By simply pulling the base pin and swapping cylinders, I’m ready to go with another caliber of my choice. Since the rimless cartridges headspace on the mouth of the brass, you can’t shoot .40 S&W out of the 10mm cylinder. Tyler Gun Works does wonderful work, and you will be pleased at what they can do for your favorite shooter.
You’ll shoot better after Bobby and his crew work your gun over, making you realize you are a better shot than you thought you were.
If I happen to stumble over another .40 S&W cylinder, I just may have it rechambered for the 10mm Magnum. It’s the only way I could possibly improve on what I have now. One thing’s for certain: my three-cylinder Blackhawk is one smooth ride.
