Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Internal locks in Ruger Revolvers

I had a weird day. Earlier in the week I had my local gunshop order a Super Blackhawk for me. While waiting, I decided I wanted a Hogue finger groove grip for it, so I called them to ask about availability of the one I found I like in their on-line store.

The lady I talked to warned me that their grips would not fit a Super Blackhawk with an internal lock, which she said is located inside the grips and would interfere with their saddle. She also said that all Super Blackhawks made since 2006 had them. This really surprised me but she spoke in such detail that I assumed she must know what she was talking about.

I quickly checked Ruger's website, and found not a word about internal locks. I even opened the exploded drawing of a Super Blackhawk and found no lock - ???.

So then I called Ruger's customer support in N.H. and talked to a lady there. She told me that sure enough all Ruger Super Blackhawks with a blued finish now have the locks, but the stainless ones do not yet.

So I stopped by the gunshop on the way home and the owners looked at me like I was crazy when I told them what I had heard. I had to admit it sounded bizzare, but I had heard it from two different sources. Well, he had a SBH with 4.62" barrel, blued, and took the grips off. No internal lock there.

The one I ordered is supposed to be there tomorrow, so we'll see what's in it. The shop owner told me I could take the one he had if mine came in with a lock, but I could tell he didn't believe it. In fact he had called his wholesaler who knew nothing of it.

So are internal locks in Rugers some kind of urban myth that even Ruger customer support employees believe or what?

A search on Google found nothing but vague rumors. I mean putting an internal lock in a place where you would have to remove the grips to access - even if this were April Fool's day that is not something I could make up.

Curiously strange ... ???

It's there alright ...
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Googled a Ruger Instruction Manual online PDF:

"Your NEW MODEL BLACKHAWK revolver, also is equipped with a manually operated internal lock.

"When actuated this internal lock will secure the hammer in the uncocked or 'full down' position"."

(Also shown was an illustration of the "lock" inside the grip.)

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What'll they think of next ??? ~ A Cowboy pistol with a Special Secret Hidden Lock !!!

YOU wanna be the first kid on your block to get one of THESE !!!

Certainly they have locks. It is surprising to me that they have only been there since 2006. Seems like longer. Most folks don't use them and they don't have the reputation for failure that the Smith locks do.

You would never know they are there unless you take the grip off. I think (in states that require locks) the gunshop has to drill out the grip to expose the lock. So far the Rugers that have the black plastic grips have locks. The ones I have purchased with wood grips don't have locks, but I cannot say that is a hardfast rule.

If the catalog no. for a Blackhawk ends in "L" it definitely has the lock.
Ex: BN-44L is a 45 Colt, 4 5/8" with lock.

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkBlued/models.html

Plus all New Vaqueros and mid-frame Flat tops have the lock.
But, I see no indication that any Supers have the lock, yet.

Pete

Yep, and the grips don't fit because there is not hole in the bottom of the metal frame to put the hogue grip through.

I've got one so I can tell ya it's a problem.

Holy bad idea, Batman!!!!!!!!!!!

Do the ruger gp100's have the internal locks? I bought one last year and did not not one. Perhaps, I should take off the grip to take a look? That was my main reason for picking a ruger over the S&W.

I bought a GP100 last year too, and if there's a lock hidden inside the grips there sure was no key for it. Do they only send keys with guns sold in California and Mass?

I'll give Ruger credit, they have sure kept this thing undercover. Google "Smith and Wesson locks" and you get a million hits. If I hadn't have called Hogue to order a grip I would not have known. And even if you can ignore the lock, the fact that you can't replace the too-small-for-the-average hand grip with one that's oversized is a big drawback for me.

No insider info, just a regular observer of gun store stock.

The only way I know to tell without taking off the grip is that Ruger Blackhawks which have the black plastic grips will have the lock inside. The old grips won't fit the new grip frames and vice versa, at least that's what the lady at Ruger told me as well when I tried to order some black plastic grips for a BH that originally came with wood grips.

Unlike S&W the lock is not visible and out of sight, out of mind. You can remove the grip panel or if you want to lock and unlock it frequently you can drill a hole through the grip panel to reach it. The instructions have been expanded to show that. Or, just leave it alone and ignore it. Better not to have it at all, but for something they had to do to comply with some stupid state laws to be able to sell their revolvers there they did pretty good.

Hmm, I'm starting to recall that Ruger was putting internal locks on their sa revolvers and not their da revolvers. but I'm not 100% sure. My ruger gp100 did not come with an key so don't think it had an internal lock.

You can't see the lock or a hole in the grip at all, you've got to tear if apart to see it.

Spot

What I *think* is the pattern here is that if you have a gun with wood grips, you probably have the old style w/o the internal lock. Blued Single Sixes and Blackhawks, probably Super's as well, which have the narrower sort of black checked rubber grips seem to be of the new style with the lock. I haven't seen that lock on any stainless guns yet.

If you are buying aftermarket grips, be careful. The lock triggered relocation of the little roll pin used to "locate" the grips relative to the frame so grips meant for the older guns will not fit right on the newer frames. I don't know if there are replacement grips for the newer frames available yet.

Tom

PS: this I believe to be true. The pattern fits the guns I've handled. I can't swear there are no exceptions.

Are you saying that a new revolver that does not have a lock might still have a modified frame that will keep an aftermarket grip from fitting it as it would an older model?

Well, if any of you are really heartbroken about the lock and/ or small grips, we might be able to work something out. I have small hand and the lock doesn't bother me, but... I am looking for a deal. Just hoping someone might swing at a wild pitch.

Luckily mine didn't have the lock. The lady at Ruger's customer service said all new blued SBH's have them, so maybe I got one of the last ones that didn't.

No, I'm not saying that.

As far as I know .. based on the examples I've seen, which is not a whole lot, the pin "locating" the grip panels only is moved if you've got the lock. The guns I've seen w/o the lock, w/ the regular old pin location, all have wood grips. The guns I've seen with the lock, with the pin location changed, all came with thinner/narrower, checked, hard black rubber grips, and all were blued guns. I've not seen one with the pin location changed in stainless yet but I 'spect that's coming.

I've been wrong before, so check it out, don't assume I'm right.

Tom

Probably. The pipeline between manufacturer and actual buyer can be a long one.

There is a lock on my Lipseys 44 special and they sent a key that looks like a scaled down handcuff key with it. Have had no issues, because it has a good trigger and I like the grips, so I just leave it hidden. I have not had one of my newer Smiths malfunction, but have heard many who have had problems. I was never partial to the looks of the Hogues on a single action myself, so never had opportunity to notice. Ryan