New Model Blackhawk Bisley 44 Special handle 44 Magnum?

[Mus408]

Yes I know the chamber isn't reamed for Magnum length but looking to be well over built for 44 Special pressures could it handle mid level 44 Magnum?
The cylinder OD and OAL are same as my NM 45 Colt Vaquero. Is the cylinder size same for the new 44 Mag Vaquero? Frame measures same top strap size as my 44 Mag Super Blackhawk other than cut for larger cylinder diameter. Materials the same?

Reason for this is I like the size and Bisley grip of my Flat Top and would like the shorter barreled SA revolver to go along with my Uberti 1873 Winchester carbine.
Will the new Vaquero 44 Mag cylinder drop in the Flat Top frame or is it longer than the 44 Special cylinder. Or get another Flat Top 44 Special cylinder and ream the step for 44 Mag?

 

[Xrayist]

IMO, no. The 44 Specials are built on a "midsized" frame and therefore should be used only with safe 44 Special loads.

 

[Cholo]

What Xrayist said They can be loaded warm with 44 Specials.

 

[Mus408]

Did some digging and found that the new .44 Mag Vaquero is built on the larger frame/cylinder than the other 357-.45 Colt Vaqueros.
So 44 Specials it is. I do have a S&W Model 69 44 Mag which is roughly same frame size but lighter than the 44 Special Flat Top...send it to Tyler and get the stainless blued which he does. I only shoot mid level 44 Mag 90 % of the time in the revolvers and that 1873 lever rifle.

 

[KRuger]

When the New Vaquero came out there were several accounts on here of folks who converted it to 5 shot calibers that were larger than 44 or 45. I've always wondered why no one made a 5 shot 44Mag on the midsize frame and also what happened to those conversions actually made. It seems we don't hear of them any more.
KRuger

 

[needsmostuff]

I'm of the "need a 44mag, buy a 44mag" school.

 

[Cholo]

Mus408, the link you provided worked It just had to be copy/pasted. I tried to find a clickable link, but have so far been unsuccessful.

To view this excellent data copy/paste the mess below ↓

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.goodrichfamilyassoc.org/44_Special_Articles/Brian%20Pearce%20on%20the%2044%20Special.pdf

 

[Mus408]

Thanks Cholo! Think I'm just going to stick with the slightly hotter 44 Special loads for the revolver and 1873 Carbine when I take both those out.
I do have the old faithfull SBH with 7.5 barrel for 44 Mag. Also have a new Anaconda that is a real hoot to shoot!

 

[John in WYO]

When the New Vaquero came out there were several accounts on here of folks who converted it to 5 shot calibers that were larger than 44 or 45. I've always wondered why no one made a 5 shot 44Mag on the midsize frame and also what happened to those conversions actually made. It seems we don't hear of them any more.
KRuger

Last month I shot a New Vaquero Stainless Steel Bisley with a 5 shot cylinder, converted to .475 Linebaugh by Dustin Linebaugh.
It shot very well and it was fed handloads of 20 grains H-110 with a 425 grain LFN @994 fps.
I'm pretty sure it would shoot through a broadside elk at 100 yards or less.

Edit:
I'm thinking a 5 shot .44 Magnum cylinder might work in the New Vaquero.
But, I'm no engineer either.

 

[308 Scout]

Interesting thing about the .44 Special vs. .44 Magnum, Ruger New Vaquero, Ruger Flat Top Blackhawk, etc....

It's no secret that the .44 Special can be loaded in these Ruger's as well as Freedom Arms and N-frame S&W's to 25K psi. Loaded with 17.0 gr. of AL2400 and 240-260 gr. bullets, velocities run around 1200 fps and stay within the 25K psi "limit". I bought a 5 1/2" Flat Top .44 Special probably 10 years ago and right away tried this load with a 255 gr. cast SWC. MV averaged 1210 fps. Now the interesting thing is that most of your run-of-the-mill .44 Magnum factory loads (MagTech, Federal Power-Shok, Remington, Winchester white box et al.) using a 240 gr. bullet are advertised mostly at 1180 fps with some at 1250 fps.

That said, I've hunted a fair amount with a couple of .44 specials and never found the need for a 1200 fps load. With the exception of one deer, the load I use runs a 250-ish gr. cast SWC around 950 fps and just shoots right through deer.

 

[Mus408]

Well here is my combo for .44 Special fun.... 1873 Uberti/Winchester 44 Mag/Special carbine and the mentioned NM Blackhawk Bisley.
Love the way that Bisley handles and shoots with it's 4 5/8 barrel. That load on far right is a 300 gr Missouri Bullets cast loaded in 44 Special case over 11 gr. of 2400 giving a 1.575 COL to cycle in the 1873 Carbine. Shoots very well but unsure of .44 Special pressure so for the carbine or other 44 Mag revolvers.

 

[John in WYO]

Interesting thing about the .44 Special vs. .44 Magnum, Ruger New Vaquero, Ruger Flat Top Blackhawk, etc....

It's no secret that the .44 Special can be loaded in these Ruger's as well as Freedom Arms and N-frame S&W's to 25K psi. Loaded with 17.0 gr. of AL2400 and 240-260 gr. bullets, velocities run around 1200 fps and stay within the 25K psi "limit". I bought a 5 1/2" Flat Top .44 Special probably 10 years ago and right away tried this load with a 255 gr. cast SWC. MV averaged 1210 fps. Now the interesting thing is that most of your run-of-the-mill .44 Magnum factory loads (MagTech, Federal Power-Shok, Remington, Winchester white box et al.) using a 240 gr. bullet are advertised mostly at 1180 fps with some at 1250 fps.

That said, I've hunted a fair amount with a couple of .44 specials and never found the need for a 1200 fps load. With the exception of one deer, the load I use runs a 250-ish gr. cast SWC around 950 fps and just shoots right through deer.

A 250 @1200fps will handle a lot of territory.

 

[Rclark]

I too tested 2400 from 15.0gr to 17.0gr in the .44 Special flattop.... Just because I wanted too. As above the 17.0gr load under a 240gr SWC clocked out at 1246fps out of a 5 1/2" barrel. But personally, I am sticking with the Skeeter load (7.5gr Unique under 240gr SWC) for my .44 Special load as it will do everything that I need doing. If I want to go north of that, I have a few .44 Magnums to pull out...