Bisley grip

[FunnyRunner]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of the Bisley type grip?

Can you get a non-Bisley Ruger with the lower Bisley type hammer?

Thanks!!!

[RHL]

You can get Bisley Hammers put on guns but the rules state that Bisley Hammers are to only be used on Bisley grip frame revolvers.

 

I've seen another style of lower hammer spur and I'm sure more knowledgeable folks will post on those.

[MMJ#89586]

I've never had that type of grip. But from what I understand you can use super red hawk low hammers on blackhawks.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of the Bisley type grip?

Can you get a non-Bisley Ruger with the lower Bisley type hammer?

Thanks!!!

Bodley?

 

Bisley grips have a more vertical angle and are longer, so one effect is that the gun recoils more straight back rather than rolling up as a hogleg grip does. Bisley hammer spurs are lower and set to the rear more than standard hammers, thus they are easier for a Duelist style shooter to reach quickly without shifting their one handed grip on the gun. Thus faster for Duelist style.

 

It's illegal in SASS matches to shoot a Bisley grip frame with any hammer but a Bisley hammer. Illegal to shoot a Bisley hammer on a gun with any other grip frame. That is what was decided several years ago by the TGs. Makes less sense now than it did when they decided it, IMO.

 

However, Super Blackhawk and Blackhawk and Montado hammers can all be installed pretty easily on standard frame or birdshead frame Rugers. SBH are the popular swap out. None of the lowered hammers are usually needed for a two-handed shooting style, in fact, the lower hammer can be a detriment as it is easy to mis-stroke when cycling to the next chamber.

 

The large majority of grip frames used in CAS are standard frames. Go with that unless you are already quite certain you will shoot Duelist style (such categories as Duelist, Sr Duelist, Frontier Cartridge Duelist, Gunfighter, Classic Cowboy). Even then, you should try them before you buy, because all you can effectively do if you don't like Bisleys is sell them/trade them off.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Noz]

The Bisley grip was intended to be used on a target pistol in a slow fire mode. For that it works remarkable well. I had very little luck with them in CAS.

[Anvil Al #59168]

As pointed out. The Bisley hammer can only be used with a bisley grip frame.

And the Ruger Bisley is a great gun for one handed shooters.

Almost every top Duelist shooter I can think of shoots the Ruger Bisley.

Not all. But most.

Not sure I would like them if I was shooting two handed. But have seen a few

use them for that also. But sure would not be my choice for that.

Many other Duelist that do not shoot Bisleys have went to the SBH Hammers

on there Ruger V's new or old. I have a pair that I put the SBH hammers on and can

shoot them very well Duelist also. But not as good as the Bisleys.

 

Have seen many two handed shooters also going with the SBH Hammers.

But as pointed out.

Depends on how you are going to shoot. And what fits YOU.

 

Try before you buy.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

The Bisley grip was intended to be used on a target pistol in a slow fire mode. For that it works remarkable well. I had very little luck with them in CAS.

 

Howdy

 

Let's be sure we are talking about the same thing. Colt originally came up with the Bisley grip design in 1894 for the National Target matches that took place at the Bisley range outside of London England. The Bisley Colt was indeed designed as a target pistol. It's grip shape was very different than the grip shape of the standard SAA. In addition, the Bisley Colt had a different hammer and trigger than the standard SAA. Interestingly enough, the Bisley Colt frame was slightly deeper than a standard SAA frame and the Bisley grip could not be mounted onto a standard Colt SAA frame.

 

Here is a photo of an original Colt Bisley target model. Notice how far forward the grip sweeps. When one picks up an original Bisley Colt, the gun tends to point down a little bit. I believe that is because pistol target shooting was done a little bit differently in the 19th Century. Pistols were often held with the elbow slightly bent, rather than with a straight elbow the way we do today. When held with a slightly bent elbow, a Bisley Colt will point straight ahead.

 

Bisley Colts were made in both target versions and with fixed sights. Colt stopped producing the Bisley model in 1915. Uberti still makes, at least they were a few years ago, a replica of the Bisley Colt and the grip shape is the same as the Bisley Colt.

 

 

Bisley Colt

 

 

The Ruger version of the Bisley grip is quite different than the original Colt Bisley grip shape. It does not sweep as far forward as the original Colt version did, it is much straighter up and down.

 

Bisley Ruger

 

For what it's worth, I have read that the Ruger version of the Bisley grip is actually based more on Elmer Keith's famous #5 revolver than the original Colt Bisley. Here is a photo of #5. You can see the similarity.

 

Keith #5

 

 

All that aside.........when I first started shooting Black Powder I had read that the more powerful recoil meant that it would be a good idea to be shooting it from a Ruger Bisley. So I bought a stainless Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt. I only used it for one match and eventually sold it. I realized I much prefer the standard plow handle grip of a Ruger or SAA. I can handle the heavy recoil just fine with a plow handle grip.

 

Some shooters like the Bisley grip because being longer, it allows them to cram their entire hand onto the grip. I have found that I prefer to allow my pinky to curl under the grip, and I allow the grip to rotate a bit in recoil. This eats up some of the heavy recoil.

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

To me the Bisley Grip is fine for Target shooting ....

 

But for one handed CAS shooting give me the Standard "P" ,shape or a "Uberti Thunder" with a checkered grip, or a Navy grip such as on the 1851 or "Open Top"

 

 

Jabez Cowboy

[Smithy]

The Ruger Bisley grip frame (I own four Bisley's) is one of the few that I can fit my whole hand onto without having to curl my pinky under the bottom of the grip frame. A big thumbs up from me. Smithy.