Current NIB Blackhawk issues?

[Bill in Oregon]

Gang, has anyone taken recent delivery of a new Ruger Blackhawk? Wondering what if any classic Ruger issue presented: throats too small, constricted forcing cone, etc..
What do you like to do to yours to slick it up?

[Walt]

I haven't bought a NM Blackhawk in the past year or so but I do have a routine for new ones I buy.

I run a range rod down the barrel and into the cylinder to check for proper alignment.
I have a pin gauge set with which I check the chamber throats and if they're undersized or uneven I use a reamer to bring them to the proper size.
I remove the hammer and checking with a feeler gauge, reduce hammer notch height to .012", then smooth the faces and edges of the transfer bar and hand.
On standard Blackhawks I normally replace the hammer with a Super Blackhawk hammer.
The edges of the cylinder stop bolt are frequently rough so I smooth them.
I make sure the plunger in the hammer is smooth and lubricated.
I normally replace the hammer spring with a reduced power spring from a multi-weight selection from Wolff Gunsprings.
I carefully bend the trigger return spring to give a 2 to 3# pull weight, putting a close-fitting punch through the coil to prevent distortion.
Rear sights sometimes have rough edges and will not smoothly go through entire travel so I smooth their edges.
I degrease the entire gun and lubricate with a good synthetic lube.

I can see one of the new Lipseys .41 mag Bisley Rugers in my near future.

[Bill in Oregon]

Dang, Walt. Would beers, burgers, fries, chocolate malts and cash persuade you to do a .45 Colt Blackhawk if need be?

[Walt]

Bill, send it to my normal FFL, Omni Arms in Albuquerque or just bring it up here and I'll do it for you. That's what I enjoy.

[1972RedNeck]

Not a Blackhawk but a friend of mine bought a Vaquero last year. Tight throats and terrible thread choke.

[Walt]

Reaming the cylinder throats is no big deal; one of the reamer manufacturers rents their reamers out on request and cutting them to the proper size is a simple matter. The thread choke is a different issue and the best thing to do is to return the Vaquero to Ruger. If they won't take care of it under warranty and they should, there is a remedy. I have a NM Blackhawk in .45 Colt that I've had for about 40 years and it never shot well. The thread choke was actually visible from the muzzle. I don't have much use for an inaccurate gun so I finally firelapped it until my range rod would go smoothly all the way through the cylinder and the gun now shoots better than it ever has. Firelapping has the greatest effect in the first inch or two of the bore so the final result was very good.