Back Home with Single Actions

[North Country Gal]

Been a long time coming, but we finally got out to the range to shoot. Our range never closed during the pandemic, but when the lockdown was in place, a lot of folks with nothing else to do headed to the range, making it a bit too crowded for our liking. Now that the restrictions have been lifted and folks back to work, our range is back to its usual quiet self during the week. Today we had it to ourselves, in fact.

We had a large backlog of new guns to put through their paces and pleased to report all performed flawlessly, including a couple new 1911s. My heart, though, has always been with the single actions. My very first handguns of any kind were single actions and I shot those for years before even trying other types of handguns. Here's a couple beauties I'd like to share with you.

Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag, Turnbull edition.
Shooting the old knuckle busting Super Blackhawk with its dragoon style trigger guard is like going home to me. One of these was my first ever centerfire handgun, back in the 70s. That same SBH was my first deer rifle, accounting for several deer. This particular one is a special Turnbull edition with its Turnbull case coloring with Turnbull being as good as it gets in case coloring. Have to say, too, that this is the best Super Blackhawk I've owned in terms of fit and finish. Cost a premium, but well worth it to me.


First time to the range, all shooting done with Mag-tech standard 240 grain JHP 44 mags. A little rusty after a long layoff, but I shot well enough to test the gun.


Skipped right to 50 yards from a standing position, because that's my standard for a keeper single action with adjustable sights. This SBH passed the test.


Over fifty years of shooting a Super Blackhawk 44 and still going strong.


Colt New Frontier Buntline model 22 LR, 1976 vintage
Here's another beauty and a real, honest to goodness Colt to boot. These 7 1/2" Buntline versions in good condition, like this one, are now hard to find.


Definitely a more pleasant gun to shoot than the big Ruger.


Once again, right out to 50 yards, shooting fro a standing position. This sweetheart of a single action also passed this test.


As classic as it gets in a 22 LR SA.


As I said, I'm a little rusty with such a long layoff, but shooting single actions for me is like riding a bike and for me, that says a lot. Hope you enjoyed it.

[RanchRoper]

The layoff didn't hurt you at all. Great shooting. Welcome back.

[Ernie]

Good shooting and very nice pistols.

[Rifletom]

Very good shooting indeed! Heck, that SBH looks like a buntline! 7.5" barrel? Good to see you back at the range.

[dasmoeturhead]

Good shootin, and real nice pistolas. Had me the same .44mag years ago. Fun times.

[RetiredSeabee]

Ma’am as always outstanding shooting. And your standard of beautiful firearms is once again upheld. Certainly nothing wrong with your eyesight, that 6 inch target at 50 yards would be a very fuzzy dot the size of a dime for me.
I would love to just sit and watch you shoot for a range trip.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks, folks.

Come on up anytime, Seabee. Always welcome. Sometimes folks at the range seeing an old gal shooting a 44 mag and the like stop and gawk, but the club members who know me don't give it a second thought, now. No one ever takes me up on my offer to give it a try, though. Even Bill wants no part of shooting one and these square trigger guard SBH models are notorious knuckle busters if you don't grip them correctly. To me, though, this original version of the SBH 44 mag is the gun I visualize when someone mentions the 44 mag.

Yeah, the standard for the Super Blackhawk for many years and the only length available was the 7 1/2" barrel. The move towards other SBH barrel lengths is a fairly recent thing.

I did replace those ugly composite rosewood grips that came stock with an old set of real deal SBH walnut grips, the same grips I have always used on a SBH. I'm toying with the idea of some custom grips, maybe bone, since this Turnbull edition is a one of a thousand.

[Sir Henry]

Great shooting. Looks like you haven’t lost anything from not shooting. My days of knuckle and shoulder busting are long gone. That Colt is more to my liking.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks, Gene. The various Colt single action 22s were brought out by Colt to compete with Ruger's Single Six after Colt saw the market response to the Ruger Single Six. This was in the 60s and into the 70s during the heyday of the TV Westerns. The Colts, as always, were more expensive and production never approached that of the Single Six.

The Frontier Scout with its alloy frame and grip came first, then was replaced by the New Frontier (adjustable sights) and the Peacemaker (fixed sights) in 1970. These last two featured better construction quality and case color frames and were discontinued in 1977, though the New Frontier made a brief reappearance in the 80s, but this version featured a funky cross bolt safety which was a turn off to just about everyone. No one mourned its disappearance.

The fit and finish on the New Frontier and the Peacemaker were superior to the Ruger Single Six, but, as I mentioned, were more expensive. Finding any of these Colt 22 Single Actions, especially one in good shape as mine, is getting harder with each passing year. They never approached the production numbers of the Ruger. Mine probably came with an extra 22 mag cylinder that got lost somewhere along the way.

The New Frontier and Peacemaker were beautiful examples of a 22 single action and were the real deal Colt with that famous Colt action. Great addition to any single action collection.

[BigAl52]

Yup as always NCG your shooting is outstanding. No rust there at all in my book.