Ruger after-market grip frames

Sample · February 4, 2001, 08:21 AM

Has anybody installed the Qualite Pistol steel grip frame to their Ruger Blackhawk revolver? These are offered directly through Qualite Pistol or from Brownells's. I'm wondering what is involved in "fitting" these frames to the gun. Qualite pistol offers custom fitting for $100.00, which leads me to believe that there is more involved than a few short passes with a file. I am not a gunsmith, but feel that I could handle the job depending upon the amount of cutting that is required.

Charlie D · February 5, 2001, 12:02 PM

I had a steel grip frame installed on my BH by Ruger. When it came back it fit terribly. I sent it back again and they made it fit and refinished the entire gun. Now the gun has the deepest, most lustrous blue that I've ever seen. I had to check the serial number to be sure it was the same gun. I think they rewarded me for the hassle involved. Especially after they saw the terrible job that was done the first time.

It's not the kind of job I'd undertake on my own and I've done some pretty professional Dremeling, filing and rebluing.

You say that Qualite charges $100 for custom fitting. How much is the frame itself? I =seem= to remember that the entire job done by Ruger was in the $120 "or so" range in 1991. You might want to check with them also.

Sample · February 5, 2001, 07:07 PM

Charlie D. - Thanks for the post. After reading your reply & checking with Brownell's, I do NOT think that I would undertake this project on my own. I e-mailed my question to Brownell's, and they sent me a detailed reply (I was impressed) in which they told me that the frame was over-sized & that just about every surface needed to be filed-down. Qualite's stainless grip frame is $120.00, or $170.00 for a frame with birdshead grips (they look pretty nice). I'd not thought about having this job done by Ruger, it would probably be a heck of a lot cheaper.

Sample

Charlie D · February 6, 2001, 11:10 AM

Sample,

I'm glad to hear that Brownell's is still top notch. Some years ago I had a =lengthy= discussion with one of their reps about the trigger on my Ruger MkII. I'd had it worked on by a "gunsmith." It came back crisp and light. After a while It got creepy again. He explained how the sear was only surface hardened and the smith had probably honed through the hard layer. We discussed alternatives and I decided to leave it as is for then.

Good luck on the Blackhawk. I'm not sure how much the steel frame helped the balance of mine, but I just couldn't abide having an aluminum grip frame on a sixshooter.

February 4, 2001, 08:21 AM	#1
Sample Member Join Date: February 3, 2001 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 40	Has anybody installed the Qualite Pistol steel grip frame to their Ruger Blackhawk revolver? These are offered directly through Qualite Pistol or from Brownells's. I'm wondering what is involved in "fitting" these frames to the gun. Qualite pistol offers custom fitting for $100.00, which leads me to believe that there is more involved than a few short passes with a file. I am not a gunsmith, but feel that I could handle the job depending upon the amount of cutting that is required.

February 5, 2001, 12:02 PM	#2
Charlie D Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Location: Newark, DE USA Posts: 166	I had a steel grip frame installed on my BH by Ruger. When it came back it fit terribly. I sent it back again and they made it fit and refinished the entire gun. Now the gun has the deepest, most lustrous blue that I've ever seen. I had to check the serial number to be sure it was the same gun. I think they rewarded me for the hassle involved. Especially after they saw the terrible job that was done the first time. It's not the kind of job I'd undertake on my own and I've done some pretty professional Dremeling, filing and rebluing. You say that Qualite charges $100 for custom fitting. How much is the frame itself? I =seem= to remember that the entire job done by Ruger was in the $120 "or so" range in 1991. You might want to check with them also.

February 5, 2001, 07:07 PM	#3
Sample Member Join Date: February 3, 2001 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 40	Charlie D. - Thanks for the post. After reading your reply & checking with Brownell's, I do NOT think that I would undertake this project on my own. I e-mailed my question to Brownell's, and they sent me a detailed reply (I was impressed) in which they told me that the frame was over-sized & that just about every surface needed to be filed-down. Qualite's stainless grip frame is $120.00, or $170.00 for a frame with birdshead grips (they look pretty nice). I'd not thought about having this job done by Ruger, it would probably be a heck of a lot cheaper. Sample

February 6, 2001, 11:10 AM	#4
Charlie D Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Location: Newark, DE USA Posts: 166	Sample, I'm glad to hear that Brownell's is still top notch. Some years ago I had a =lengthy= discussion with one of their reps about the trigger on my Ruger MkII. I'd had it worked on by a "gunsmith." It came back crisp and light. After a while It got creepy again. He explained how the sear was only surface hardened and the smith had probably honed through the hard layer. We discussed alternatives and I decided to leave it as is for then. Good luck on the Blackhawk. I'm not sure how much the steel frame helped the balance of mine, but I just couldn't abide having an aluminum grip frame on a sixshooter.