My daily carry 'cannons'

[American1776]

I'm on a large-bore wheelgun 'kick' (pun intended), and I've integrated these two six-guns into my daily carry (not both at once).

For those who might wonder about how they carry, they both carry VERY WELL. I use an OWB pancake style thumb break that holds the revolvers high and canted. Weight is ~42 ounces, which is not much heavier than a 1911.

For the Ruger Alaskan, I consider it a 45 Colt gun that is able to handle 454 casull. When I bought this one used, it had a lot of endshake. I sent it back to Ruger and they fixed it up for free. Talked to a retired gunsmith, who advised me that even though Ruger revolvers are strong, the snub-nosed magnums are susceptible to developing endshake quicker due to the high pressures that cause the cylinder to 'jackhammer' against the crane-tube. The crane-tube and cylinder begin to peen and deform, which causes endshake. I want this gun to last, so light loads is what it will see with the RARE 454 cartridge for an adrenaline rush.

As far as carry, the Ruger Super Blackhawk 3.75" barrel actually carries better than the snub-nosed Alaskan. It's thinner in profile, and the plow-handle makes the grip-frame MUCH more compact. It's actually easier to carry and conceal than a 4 inch Smith N-frame.

If anyone is considering a large-bore revolver for carry but is unsure: try it. it's not as bad as you might think.

[lemko]

I'm on a large-bore wheelgun 'kick' (pun intended), and I've integrated these two six-guns into my daily carry (not both at once).

For those who might wonder about how they carry, they both carry VERY WELL. I use an OWB pancake style thumb break that holds the revolvers high and canted. Weight is ~42 ounces, which is not much heavier than a 1911.

For the Ruger Alaskan, I consider it a 45 Colt gun that is able to handle 454 casull. When I bought this one used, it had a lot of endshake. I sent it back to Ruger and they fixed it up for free. Talked to a retired gunsmith, who advised me that even though Ruger revolvers are strong, the snub-nosed magnums are susceptible to developing endshake quicker due to the high pressures that cause the cylinder to 'jackhammer' against the crane-tube. The crane-tube and cylinder begin to peen and deform, which causes endshake. I want this gun to last, so light loads is what it will see with the RARE 454 cartridge for an adrenaline rush.

As far as carry, the Ruger Super Blackhawk 3.75" barrel actually carries better than the snub-nosed Alaskan. It's thinner in profile, and the plow-handle makes the grip-frame MUCH more compact. It's actually easier to carry and conceal than a 4 inch Smith N-frame.

If anyone is considering a large-bore revolver for carry but is unsure: try it. it's not as bad as you might think.

Nice artillery! The only large bore revolver I have is a S&W 629 with a 4" barrel. It's a bit bulky for carry.

[sprrdhawk44]

My biggest threat is from predators of the two-legged variety. As such, a large bore revolver isn't ideal for me. Too much recoil negatively impacts my ability to make quick follow up shots, and I worry about over-penetration in public.


Very nice guns, though.

[cruzans]

Very nice - I carry pancake or serpa and I feel the same, fairly easy to conceal a larger gun with shirt untucked, even a heavy T sometime Got me wanting an Alaskan now

[American1776]

Nice artillery! The only large bore revolver I have is a S&W 629 with a 4" barrel. It's a bit bulky for carry.

thanks! They are a bit bulky and heavy, but I suppose it's all relative. Compared to a 1911, there's not a WHOLE lot of difference. Compared to a J-frame or Glock 26, yes, they are bulkier.

One of the benefits, to me, that outweighs the drawbacks of weight and bulk, is the ability that these two revolvers have to load and carry bullets that are heavier than the 45 auto and with even higher muzzle velocities.

I once had a very close call with a large and vicious quadrupedal beast with my young daughter and wife with me (that's all I'll say), and I was very glad I had one of these on my hip (which didn't leave the leather, but my hand stayed on the grip for more than a few moments).

[American1776]

My biggest threat is from predators of the two-legged variety. As such, a large bore revolver isn't ideal for me. Too much recoil negatively impacts my ability to make quick follow up shots, and I worry about over-penetration in public.


Very nice guns, though.

Thanks, I like these two a lot.

Those are good points about those big revolvers. With full house .44 magnums, the Ruger SBH 3.75" kicks like the dickens, not to mention the roar it makes. I carry with heavy .44 spl, and it helps mitigate some of those concerns.

[American1776]

Very nice - I carry pancake or serpa and I feel the same, fairly easy to conceal a larger gun with shirt untucked, even a heavy T sometime Got me wanting an Alaskan now

If you can find a 454 version, go for it. They are not nearly as common as the .44 mag version, but the larger bore just looks AWESOME in this configuration. Prices have come down on these (you could find them used for ~800, new, they are up around 950+). Back when the most recent 'gun scare' happened, these were going for well over 1000 bucks.

Some folks think of the Alaskan as a 'novelty' without much use, but I think it's a great option for both home and carry defense, especially with heavy 45 colt.

[ChemDave]

Beautiful guns! I especially like the Super Blackhawk. When did Ruger make that version?

[jakebrake]

Nice artillery! The only large bore revolver I have is a S&W 629 with a 4" barrel. It's a bit bulky for carry.

not to derail, but, does that have a heavy underlug (like a 686 would)?

[SuperVel]

Those are a couple of seriously powerful "little" revolvers. I don't know what one I like more.

Is the short SBH all factory?