Ruger, Centerfire, Single Action Grip Frames

By: Larry Weeks

Years ago, after the purchase of my very first Ruger Single Action revolver, I sat alone in my office pondering why my shiny new pistol, of which I was immensely proud, did not feel like my Colt Single Action Army. It had the all the characteristics of a single action, it rolled in my hand and cocked with a feeling of authority, pointed and fired like the cowboy guns of old but something, that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, was missing. I had to know just what that something was, so I gathered together a number of grip panels from various Ruger Single Action revolvers and made a detailed comparison. I’ve included a sketch that I made of the outlines of each of the grips. The Colt Single Action Army grip is very nearly identical in size and shape to the original Ruger Flat top (solid line), but the gripframe itself is closer to the receiver than the XR-3. This is what accounts for the difference and why many shooters prefer the Colt gripframe to the Ruger.

When the subject of Ruger Single Action Grip Frames is discussed in a crowd of single action aficionados, one subject is sure to be argued: which is better?

Over the years, Ruger made three major changes in the gripframes of their single action revolvers and shooters have either lamented or raved about the changes.

Included in the diagram is an outline of grips that fit all three different grip frames. Here is a brief synopsis of the three changes.

XR-3: The first grip frame that graced the flat-top models of the Blackhawk in both .357 Mag. and .44 Mag. It started in 1953, and continued until the major changes of 1963. This is the closest to the Colt Single Action Army in size and feel. In 1963, it was discontinued and was replaced with the XR-3RED.

XR3-RED: The RED designation showed that the grip was redesigned. In all respects this is the same as the current production grip frame that is found on all models of the Blackhawk and the new Vaquero. The current production grip frame eliminates the trigger return spring hole and plunger hole.

Shooters with smaller hands found this grip harder to hold than the previous grip frame, but most folks liked the grip and found it easy to shoot.

SUPER BLACKHAWK: In 1959, the Super Blackhawk was introduced with a square back trigger guard which is similar to the old Colt Dragoon. Some shooters eschewed the idea thinking it was a giant step backward, but to the credit of the designer, the longer grip frame makes the .44 Magnum easier to shoot. There was a design variation that had an even longer grip frame, although this variation is quite rare and most examples are in the hands of Ruger collectors.