How to Repair the Super Blackhawk

The Ruger Super Blackhawk is an iconic western-style revolver chambered in .44 magnum. The weapon is favored by those who hunt with handguns and silhouette target shooters. As with all weapons, periodic maintenance is required from time to time. One common problem associated with the Super Blackhawk is excessive rear sight movement resulting from heavy recoil. This problem affects accuracy when firing multiple shots. Repairing a loose rear sight on the Super Blackhawk can be accomplished at home with a few common gunsmith tools.

Things You'll Need

  • Padded gun vise
  • Screwdriver
  • 1/16 punch and hammer
  • Hardwood block
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Instructions

    • 1

      Open the weapon cylinder. Visually inspect the chambers to ensure that no live ammunition is present.

    • 2

      Secure the weapon into a padded gun vise. Ensure that the rear sight is accessible to work.

    • 3

      Unscrew the side screw on the rear sight. Slide out the sight and base. Note that a small spring rests under the sight base. Take care not to lose the spring.

    • 4

      Set the sight assembly upside down on a hardwood block. Position the sight in such a manner that the sight blade hangs off the edge of the wood block.

    • 5

      Ping both edges of the rear sight base using a 1/16-inch punch and hammer. A few hard pings on both edges will expand the sight base slightly and allow it to fit tighter into the sight groove.

    • 6

      Slide the sight back into position and check for a tight fit. If the sight is still too loose, ping the edges a couple more times and check again. Reassemble the sight and test fire the weapon on a safe gun range for accuracy.