My father has owned a .44 mag Super Blackhawk for many years, and I want to say it has a 6.5" barrel although they don't appear on Ruger's website. I've always thought that this barrel length seemed a good balance. It would be pretty hard to carry such a beast concealed in my opinion. Otherwise it is a fantastic gun and as accurate as you could hope for. Since I have yet to carry concealed, I'm really not a good resource on that. Good luck!

First I would forget about carrying a single action revolver. If you want a carry revolver get a S&W Model 29 in a 3" or 4" barrel in .44mag and you can shoot .44spls in it to. That's still a large gun to pack all day. That would give him a good home/range gun that he'll never wear out. He could get a J frame for carry. If he is a hunter then by all means get a Blackhawk with a long barrel 6" or over.

My own observation is that there is not enough difference between 4 5/8" and 5 1/2" to matter. For maximum potential of the Super Blackhawk I'd go with the 7 1/2" barrel. This length offers best recoil handling with longest sight radius and optimum cartridge performance.

This my experience, at least.

Bob Wright

Barrel lengths caliber and finish are matters of personal preference. I prefer 5 1/2" barrels and stainless, but your friend may prefer something else. If you are going to shoot factory ammo, you may prefer the .45 Colt to the .44 mag. Either will work fine.

go with a 6'' barrel

Well, here's a pic comparing my two Ruger single actions. My .22 and of course the .44 super blackhawk.



Care to guess my choice in barrel length?

Of course this is not for carry or home defense. I use it for 50-100 yard open sight shooting, usually from a rest. I havent done any real performance testing but having shot others I know there is far less muzzle flip with the long barrel. I wouldn't even suggest it for most uses, but it's just a toy for me an a really fun one at that. Maybe a bit over the top, but every collection needs at least one like that.

Hey Highside thoes are a couple of good looking guns there. I got the .22 New Model and I am looking around for a 6" .44 mag now. I'd like to put one more pig in the pot if I can.