Ruger Bisley 45 colt/45 Acp

[Pistolero]

I have a blued one that came with the regular grip frame. I put the Bisley on it
and made some grips and have been testing it that way. Can't decide which I like
more, the Bisley or the regular grips.

It shoots very well, more accurate with ACP than Colt cyl. Mine had very tight throats,
.449 on one cyl and .450 on the other. I reamed both up to .4525 and load .452 bullets
in them, work well, but I think there is more there to be had, will be looking into some
mild fire lapping next. Still looking for a round tuit.

Bill

 

[2011redrider]

I have the 5.5 inch Bisley. Bought it in 2014 a my retirement gift from my wife. Took an hour and some documents to convince Buckeye Firearms to ship it to Commiefornia since they couldnt find it on the roster......its exempt as a single action, so its not on the roster.
Only shot about 50 rounds od 45 ACP thru it since I have several 1911's for that.

Think it was a Lipsey's exclusive when I bought it. Looked at Davidsons and they show it now in blue, both 4 5/8 & 5.5" available 749 retail and 600 at the local shops.

 

[Rick]

Dang, is that purdy or what?

 

[2011redrider]

And it matches my 41 Hunter! Would prefer rosewood grips, but those silver black are growing on me.

 

[2011redrider]

I love blued with wood but it is a Lipsey exclusive in Stainless only....
My dad always told me if you can’t shoot well or hunt well you should at least look classy with beautiful guns... Wood/Blue = classy
His take on stainless is it makes nice boat props...!

tried posting the screenshot from Gallery of guns, but they have both blue versions in stock (4 5/8 & 5 1/2). Picture keeps reverting to my stainless model.

 

[Bret4207]

I should see if those Bisley kits are still available. Brownells had them at one time. I have a SS 32 Mag with a 9.5" barrel on I'd like to cut to about 5.5 and Bisley-fy. I only got the 9.5 because it was the sole 32 of any make I'd seen in years of looking. The gun currently wears a Bushnell 1.3x Phantom scope and I hate it. I won't go into how long it took me to find a mount for the Phantom scope I just happened to have on hand!

 

[Rick]

Bret . . .

https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/frame-parts/frames/grip-frame-prod44165.aspx?psize=96

 

[Pistolero]

Yep, that and some files and a lot of patient work and you can be there. The good news is that mine
fit up reasonably well to start, but about 1/16th" too wide each side and high on the back, and all
surfaces casting rough.

Bill

 

[fiver]

so 100$ to pour about 4oz's of metal in a mold.

 

[Pistolero]

LOL! Yeah, so easy when you say it like that, fiver. It's the part about holding the tolerances
everywhere on the shape and no pinholes and proper alloy, and such that can add "just a bit"
to the effort.

Bill

 

[Bret4207]

Thanks! There hammer and trigger are different too, aren't they?

 

[Rick]

Yes they are . . . I didn't look for those parts, just the grip frame but I'm sure if they have the grip they will have the rest of the kit.

 

[CZ93X62]

AFAIC, Ruger should make their entire line of S/A revolvers with Bisley grip frames, and get rid of that 1836-vintage Paterson Colt plow-handle and lodge it in museums where it belongs. The plow-handle is fine up to the point of 45 Colt/1873-level recoil. Past that, NO THANK YOU. I am probably in the minority with this viewpoint, but I can live with that.

 

[Bass Ackward]

Depends on the use for the gun. Bisley grip for range work. The plow handle for quick draw / snap shooting. Try pointing both & see what you think. The Bisley always points / shoots low for me.

 

[Jeff H]

I missed this thread, but I have had experience with the earlier 45 Colt/45 ACP stainless Bisley, I believe a 5.5" model, around 2007 - 2009.

At that time, I was shooting a lot more 45 Colt than about anything. I had an OM 5.5" (long story) 45 Colt and a 4" Smith N-Frame in 45 Colt, both blued. The stainless ones were fairly recent and I had a line on one for a really good price. At the time, I was shooting fairly often with two friends who were also SA buffs, particularly in the Ruger flavor. One of those two guys had the new stainless convertible model and it was pretty much "all that" and more as far as 45 Colts went. I used up a couple hundred rounds in his Bisley and nearly bought one for myself. I stalled, Ruger seemed to have stopped making them for a while and they got harder to find and the prices went up.

My impression was that it was typically Ruger and typically Blackhawk - not meant as a slight, with the added benefit of being chambered for two rounds I shot a lot of. It seems a versatile gun I'd be able to use forever and the 45 Colt would have done anything I'd have asked of it. When Ruger came out with the 44 Special Flat Top, I moved my 45s and went all 44 Special, which was another favorite, and I moved the ACPs in deference to 44 Special carry guns. The smaller-framed Ruger was the game-changer in the evolution of my battery.

This Bisley is a "full-sized" gun, which was OK for me at the time, but my own OM 45 Blackhawk was lighter and handier. Still the allure of the subject revolver was the versatility. I was on the fence at the time on the Bisley grip frame and did not want to admit to myself that it was just too big for me. If it fits YOU, I think this is a marvelous gun to have. For me, I had to pick between the 45 Colt and the 44 Special and, as much as I like the 45 Colt, the 44 Special won out for the compactness and lighter weight offered in smaller frames - one of which was Charter's Bulldogs, so that's the way I leaned. I definitely didn't ditch the 45 caliber because I didn't like this particular gun - it's a great cartridge and a great SA revolver. Just didn't fit my scaled down battery and component inventory.

 

[Bret4207]

Nothing wrong with a Charter BD if you get a decent example. Love mine!

 

[fiver]

no you ain't the only one Allen.

I relieved myself of my old model stainless Vaquero in 44 mag pretty quickly, it was a pretty little gun with some gold scroll work around the cylinder, but it was no 44 mag in my hands.
the Dan Wessons I have had were a lot easier for me to hold and shoot accurately.
my hands have stubby fingers but are wide and I seem to hook the bottom of my palm and pinky finger on the bottom of the 73 frames.
not cool.
the Bisleys are a better fit for length,,, if I can reach the trigger.

 

[Pistolero]

When I converted mine, left the hammer and trigger alone. Can't see any problem
with them.

And the Ruger "Bisley" is (thank goodness) not much like the real Colt Bisley grip frame,
which is, IME (once, briefly holding one) awful feeling.

Bill

 

[Bret4207]

Fiver, large wide hand wit stubby fingers here too. Probably the reason I'm not Chet Atkins despite my best efforts.

 

[Winelover]

Have a 7.5" BH that all it's fed are Ruger only loads. No spare ACP cylinder, nor do I want one. Don't own or load that caliber. It's Cindy's hunting handgun. She has taken two deer with it, when she hunted.



The rubber Pac's make a huge difference, as far a recoil goes. Even I can get all three fingers on it. Currently, it's wearing an Ultradot. That Bushnell reflex didn't survive fifty rounds, before the lens cracked.