And this one I do shoot, no regrets

[North Country Gal]

To answer some questions:

The Old Model Blackhawks weighed no more or no less than the New Models, given the same configuration. It's the lockwork that changed. The Old Models (three screw) had a 4 click Colt action with no transfer bar or other built in safety mechanism, so you must carry the gun with 5 loaded, leaving the hammer sitting over an empty chamber. This has been SOP as long as there have been Colt single actions.

When Ruger changed to the New Model in 1974 (after losing a lawsuit), they incorporated a transfer bar safety to the action so that you can safely carry the gun with the hammer over a live round. However, no more four click Colt action and, in general, not as nice triggers, right out of the box. Ruger will still convert your Old Model to a transfer bar safety, even after all these years, but an Old Model with this conversion will not have as nice a trigger and will not hold its value, unless the original parts have been kept with the gun.

The important point to remember, here, is that those of us who love and collect Old Models, now, do so precisely for the sake of them being Old Models. It's that action we want and also the better fit, finish and polishing that Ruger did with the old stuff and, make no mistake, you cannot buy a current New Model Blackhawk with the same polishing, bluing and excellent out of the box trigger, now. New Models are still great guns - have some - but those Old Models were made in a day when Ruger was a different company.

When the 30 Carbine was chambered in the Blackhawk, the 45,000 pressure of the 30 Carbine was considered pretty extreme for a revolver cartridge, but that's actually the same pressure used in some modern revolver cartridges like the 327 magnum, and Ruger has not only chambered the NM Blackhawk for a time in the 327, but, even today, chambers the 327 in their smaller Single Seven with no problems at all. That one is really a non-issue.

30 Carbine Blackhawks have had a rep for poor ignition/light strikes and sticky extraction. The poor ignition issue can be averted by inspecting for endshake on the cylinder before buying. My OM has almost zero endshake and was giving me heavy indentations on the primers. No problem on this one.

The sticky extraction issue is tough to predict via an inspection, but using the Wisconsin Cartridge Company ammo, extraction on my OM was silky smooth, the way it should be on a single action.

[wingnut]

And fun it is ... and loud ... lots of bark. Recoil, though? What recoil? Yup, exciting, but oh so sweet to shoot. And, it's accurate.

A buddy had one and let me shoot it in about 1977. It had the worst muzzle blast I'd felt/heard up to that time. Convinced me to start using ear protection. I had not gotten into T/C Contenders yet.

[Mistered]

It had the worst muzzle blast I'd felt/heard up to that time.

Yep - this is undoubtedly the .30 Carbine Blackhawks' most 'mentioned' attribute!

[North Country Gal]

Given that I've been shooting rifle cartridges in a Contender for decades, many a lot worse than the 30 Carbine in terms of muzzle blast and noise, that's not an issue for me.

[Mistered]

Given that I've been shooting rifle cartridges in a Contender for decades, many a lot worse than the 30 Carbine in terms of muzzle blast and noise, that's not an issue for me.

And we of course are all using hearing protection.

[Mags]

.
WHAT? 🖐

... And we of course are all using hearing protection.

[North Country Gal]

Oh, yeah. Even when shooting 22s, I use ear plugs AND muffs. Doubly important when shooting revolvers.

[markiver54]

Oh, yeah. Even when shooting 22s, I use ear plugs AND muffs. Doubly important when shooting revolvers.

YUP! Wish I had more smarts when younger as I now have significant Tinnitus in my left ear.
I always double up now.

[Mistered]

Like many I didn't start using hearing protection until later in my shooting 'life' but I had the advantage of always shooting in the open woods which provide a level of natural sound absorbtion and that is what probably saved my hearing.

[Mags]

.
I sometimes forget. That first shot is a startling/jolting reminder.