Friends,

I am now the proud owner of a Ruger New Model Blackhawk which belonged to Terry Murbach. It was born in 1993 according to the serial number and the Ruger website. A pristine .357 with a 4 & 5/8's barrel.

While the factory grips suit me just fine, I'm thinking a nice set of custom stocks may be in order.

Here's the problem. After more hours than I care to admit searching Google, I had no idea Ruger made so many different grip frames.

So, will someone kindly point out to me exactly what grip frame came on that model? And, is it an alloy metal or steel grip frame?

Thanks!

Murphy

Blued or Stainless?

Blued would be an Aluminum XR3 RED and stainless would be a Stainless XR3 RED. Unless it was changed.

Thanks Jared.

This one will always be special to me. Back when Terry was actively writing quiet a bit, I couldn't get enough of his teachings.

Actually, I haven't owned a single action in decades, like since the 70's. I had a couple back then but wasn't into reloading and shooting at the time. Then, I discovered Ed McGivern's book Fast and Fancy Shooting. From then on, I was a die hard S&W fan.

Now the really great part. It was when Terry came to CSA some years back. I wound up sitting on the couch in the motel lobby with him and he happen to have a single action with him. He let me handle it a bit and it was one fine piece of metal for sure.

I'd never noticed until a friend of mine who owns Colt SSA's, pointed it out to me how the trigger set to one side and was not centered in the frame. He told me it was so the Calvary soldiers could hold the gun in their left hand, and use their sword with their right, as the sword was intended to be the main weapon in close battle. All a fella had to do was keep it in his left hand (thus the offset trigger), shoot it empty, open the loading gate, empty it and reload it with his right. I told Terry this and he looked at me like I must be from Mar's.

Anyway, Terry sat there that evening and showed me the 'proper' way to load and unload a SAA, PERIOD. Furthermore, he didn't care what John Taffin had to say about it either. What a hoot.

So yeah, this one is staying with me.

Murphy

I am proud to have called him a friend. It is still hard to believe he is gone.

ECH OTHER IN 1988. I STILLTHINK ABOUT CALLING HIM.