http://www.airgunfix.com/blog/airgun-reviews/ruger-blackhawk-review/

I forgot to mention a few things. First off, the SOLID METAL trigger has a discernable 2 stage feel and breaks nicely. It's not as light as the Panther, but it's not bad either. I can live with this. A huge plus for me is the weight of the rifle. While it's a little lighter than the Panther, it's not very front heavy like the Panther is. I didn't get a precise measurement, but the barrel of the Blackhawk has a slightly smaller diameter than that of the Panther. The OD is a hair larger than a Crosman springer barrel and I think that has helped out a lot in the weight department as well as the overall balance of the rifle...

looks like a neat rifle. it would look cool as hell with a custom camo paintjob all over...

That safety looks alot like the winchester 1000 I just got... are they cousins?

Not sure about the winchester, but I do know this one is an almost identical match to the RWS 34 Panther.

Not sure about the winchester, but I do know this one is an almost identical match to the RWS 34 Panther.

http://www.pyramydair.com/cgi-bin/zoomed_model.pl?model_id=464

lot of similarities

That Ruger is a nice looking rifle. It's just a shame they put a cheap plastic stock on it.

Nice well done review!

Regards,

Amigo

Jon:
nice looking Ruger. I have the wood version and when you get around to tearing it down it will be exactly like the 34 with the addition of a thin metal tube the spring goes into and then into the piston ala the 350. I would not be surprised if you could swap the trigger assemblies between the two guns as the Ruger uses the same T05.

The reason you can hear the spring twisting is that the "can" the spring fits in, unlike the 350, has a small raised area which causes you to "screw in" the spring. When you cock it you feel the spring coils riding over that little bump. That little raised area is not in the "can" in the 350 and I have no idea why they did that. So when you tune it flatten that spot and you won't hear or feel the spring. If you've tuned a 34, 350, or B28 you'll feel right at home.

How's the quality of the synthetic stock compared to the Panther? Based on my gun and your pics, I don't think there is a better Chicom or Turkish gun in it's price range. I'm pretty sure Ruger has a say in the quality control as they wouldn't allow their rep to be sullied by a crappy gun with their name on it. And since you can use 34 parts, tuning is a no-brainer. I have the T01 tuning guide if you need it.

Ray

Hubster:
the Ruger is a German Diana clone while our Winchesters are Hatsan designs influenced by the British Walthers. It's a down-sized version of the Walther Talon/Falcon which is why they are such stout shooters (Daisy Powerline 1000 included).

The Ruger is manufactured by Xisico in China who also makes parts for some of the German RWS/Dianas. So Xisico is in bed with Diana (B28=350) and makes guns and parts and ONLY imports BAMs. The Xisico version of the Ruger is the B25. Confused? Their guns have XS in the model numbers where as the BAMs do not.

Ray

Jon:
shim the breech seal. It will help.

Amigo:
the wood stock version is $89 at www.sportsmansguide.com for members. The 34 Panther is a hit for RWS and I think they're just following their lead and giving the folks another option. From Jon's pics, I see no difference from my wood stock model.

Ray

Thank you Super, like you I appreciate the look and feel of a wood stock. For an older guy like me, it's hard to get away from what I grew up with.

The Sportsmans Guide info gives a weight of 6lb. 3 oz. and looks like an nice finish on the wood. I also like the ventilated rubber recoil pad. That $89 price for a nice rifle is hard to pass up!

Thanks again & best regards,

Amigo

It's a light, easy handling gun with performance on par with the 34. With a simple lube tune and a little moly in the trigger assembly, it's a smooth cocking and shooting springer. And the quality is high and consistent, unlike the other Chicoms, which seem to be hit and miss. I have a Xisico XS-B28, a true clone of the 350, and I think the Ruger may be a little better in quality but plainer in overall appearance. It would be interesting to compare the Ruger to its twin, the B25, and see if the quality falls off any on the Xisico branded version.

The reason you can hear the spring twisting is that the "can" the spring fits in, unlike the 350, has a small raised area which causes you to "screw in" the spring. When you cock it you feel the spring coils riding over that little bump. That little raised area is not in the "can" in the 350 and I have no idea why they did that. So when you tune it flatten that spot and you won't hear or feel the spring. If you've tuned a 34, 350, or B28 you'll feel right at home.

Yep, I pulled her apart last night (couldn't help myself) and found that can/sleeve. The sleeve fits the spring like a glove, but now I can see why it grinds. The spring was grabbing those notches and it wasn't turning easily on the piston as well. I'm thinking of just adding a fitted thin washer inside the sleeve and in between the sleeve and piston.

http://www.airgunone.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=334


How's the quality of the synthetic stock compared to the Panther? Based on my gun and your pics, I don't think there is a better Chicom or Turkish gun in it's price range. I'm pretty sure Ruger has a say in the quality control as they wouldn't allow their rep to be sullied by a crappy gun with their name on it. And since you can use 34 parts, tuning is a no-brainer. I have the T01 tuning guide if you need it.


The stock doesn't look cheap at all, and is surprisingly well made. Maybe I just got a good one from the bunch or maybe they're all like this, but I'm very surprised at this 110.00 rifle. It's not bad for a chinese made rifle.

I used two washers, one in the can and one between the can and the piston. That was before I knew about springs, clearances, etc., plus I'm using Maccari's spring. My point is I don't know how much room you have to work with with the stock spring. Prior to buying Maccari's spring and seal, I had bought the Air Venturi spring and guide(s) kit from Pyramyd for the RWS's but it wouldn't fit in the can so in my ignorance I didn't use it. It's in my 34 now.

But now I would try it without the can, after checking all the measurements before buying. Since it's shorter it would be less likely to bow or cant but the diameter is larger. It's better than the stock 34 spring and the best "magnum" spring from Maccari that Chris and I could find that fit. The price has gone up about $10 but you get two delrin guides along with the spring which puts it close to a tune kit. Or you can just do a good lube tune and a new Apex seal and call it a day. I'll try to get mine out this week and run it through the chrono and post some numbers. It was my first tune.

Your"can" doesn't have the pressed in bump that mine has so it probably is the turning spring in the can that you hear and feel. A couple of polished washers should fix that and maybe add a few fps.

Ray

Am thinking seriously about the Ruger for myself and am pondering a lubricant mix for the spring/can situation that I'll run past you.

I'm thinking about mixing about 1/2 tsp. of my 70% moly which is in a lithium grease (NGL2) base and adding it to about another 1/2 tsp. of Lucas Hi-Tack Red also a (I think) NGL2 lithium base. The Hi-Tack Red is really clingy and just might be the carrier needed keep the moly on the spring and walls of the can and also act as a buffer to reduce or eliminate the spring to can noise.

I bought the Lucas last at an auto parts store and am presently out of it, but for the life of me, I can't remember the name, yes I do, it was Advance Auto Parts (a chain store).

Anyway, Jon while you got her apart...

Your thoughts on this lube combo would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Amigo

Amigo - I haven't really messed with other lube mixes yet, since the JM lubes I ordered awhile back are still pretty plentiful. I don't really use tar at all - just the moly for friction areas. I haven't heard any difference in noise from the panther 34 that doesn't have the can and the blackhawk which does. This may change though with the installation of a new spring.

Amigo:
after I flattened the pressed in high spot near the opening in the can, added the two polished (sorta) washers, and used just Maccari's moly on the washers and in the can, there is no noise while cocking and closing the breech. The firing cycle is a short "thunk." So, I don't think you need to do anything different with lubes, especially clingy ones which may impact your spring performance.

To further clarify....on my earlier Ruger this pressed in bump in the can was put there to force you to screw in the spring into the can. Why? I don't know. Plus the gun was very dry like your typical RWS. So when you cocked the gun you could both hear and feel the coils riding over that bump in the can, which, in turn, was not rotating well, nor was the spring rotating well as you can see in Jon's pictures. The rough end on the can is identical to the can in the RWS 350, but no bump. So two washers with some moly and no problem. It appears from Jon's gun, the bump in the can is gone and may not show up at all in newer production guns.

So, I'm sorry for any confusion. Tune the Ruger like a 34 or a kid brother to the 350 plus you're dealing with the exact same trigger assembly only with a real metal trigger. As far as black tar, I use very little in the center part of the spring....practically none compared to some tuning pictures I've seen. I have no twang/bananas.

Ray

You guys have me stumped. What is a can?

A few posts up (#13) shows a pic of the can or sleeve that sits in the piston.

cw1:
it's only in the RWS350, Xisico xs-B28, and the Ruger. In the 350/B28 the spring is very long so I think Diana used it to better control the spring and provide a smooth surface for the cocking shoe to slide over. I assume that's its function in the Ruger.

Ray

Ah, I see. It's like the outer spring guide in the piston of the HW 95 (R9).

Amigo:
after I flattened the pressed in high spot near the opening in the can, added the two polished (sorta) washers, and used just Maccari's moly on the washers and in the can, there is no noise while cocking and closing the breech. The firing cycle is a short "thunk." So, I don't think you need to do anything different with lubes, especially clingy ones which may impact your spring performance.

To further clarify....on my earlier Ruger this pressed in bump in the can was put there to force you to screw in the spring into the can. Why? I don't know. Plus the gun was very dry like your typical RWS. So when you cocked the gun you could both hear and feel the coils riding over that bump in the can, which, in turn, was not rotating well, nor was the spring rotating well as you can see in Jon's pictures. The rough end on the can is identical to the can in the RWS 350, but no bump. So two washers with some moly and no problem. It appears from Jon's gun, the bump in the can is gone and may not show up at all in newer production guns.

So, I'm sorry for any confusion. I have no twang/bananas.

Ray

Ray:

Thanks for the detailed explanation - I now understand. Thank goodness. I really prefer keeping things simple and would rather not have to work up a concoction for one gun only. If I get a Ruger that happens to have the spring interfering "bump" I'll just remove it.
Like you, I prefer to avoid the heavy tars and tacky greases that can impede consistent spring power and cause a heavy drag on the piston.

Thanks again for your patience and effort so could understand this situation.

Best regards,

Amigo

Another nice thing I just noticed this morning, is that the trigger is solid metal.

NOTE: As per request of Jon and Splash, this article made by Jon was moved from www.airgunfix.com (http://www.airgunfix.com/) to here at AirgunOne site. Here is the full article:

Just when I thought I knew I would be getting a B26 as my next rifle, someone here mentioned that Pyramyd was selling a new Ruger branded rifle, the Blackhawk:
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/Ruger-Blackhawk-air-rifle-with-scope.shtml


Now I’m a fan of the RWS 34 Panther (I’ve owned a few). This rifle looked to be a pretty close clone to it. Plus, the Ruger Air Hawk has some pretty good reviews (a clone of the wood stocked 34) so I decided to give this one a try.


It arrived this morning and as soon as I took it out of the box, I was pretty stoked at how nice it looks for a 110.00 rifle. The bluing is nice and deep, there are no sharp edges and the stock is almost identical to that of the Panther. There’s a few small differences as far as the stock goes.



First, the Ruger’s stock is a but shorter than the Panther, but up front where it meets the breech block. I never did care about how far the Panther’s stock extended past the breech block because it made it a little harder for me to wipe down the base of the barrel. The Blackhawk’s forend just about lines up with the breech block. It’s also a little aesthetically pleasing to me at least.


In the following photo, the Panther Compact is the rifle in the bottom.

http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu182/speedturtle810/Jons%20airgunfix%20picture%20file/Ruger%20Blackhawk%20review%20pics/pic1.jpg

Ruger Blackhawk and RWS Diana 34 Panther Pro



There’s also some slight checkering differences that’s pretty obvious from looking at the photo. Another difference that’s not visible is that the checkering on the Blackhawk is much finer than that of the Panther’s (about half the size of the Panther’s squares). It’s still nice and cleanly cut just like the Panther.
The front and rear sights are similiar to the Panther’s as well (the one that does have them). The only issue was that the rear sight was a little rough around the edge, but a needle file took care of that right away.



http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu182/speedturtle810/Jons%20airgunfix%20picture%20file/Ruger%20Blackhawk%20review%20pics/pic2.jpg



http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu182/speedturtle810/Jons%20airgunfix%20picture%20file/Ruger%20Blackhawk%20review%20pics/pic3.jpg



The Blackhawk doesn’t have a riser rail welded onto the tube like the Panther does, but it does come with an integrated stop. I’ll add more on this later after I scope her and shoot her a bit.


http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu182/speedturtle810/Jons%20airgunfix%20picture%20file/Ruger%20Blackhawk%20review%20pics/pic4.jpg



The lockup is similar to the 34’s - a ball bearing type detent. The barrel pivots nice and smooth and the lockup is tight as well. I did notice a little bit of barrel wobble when I first cocked it, but found out that the pivot bolt was a little loose. Tightening the bolt got rid of the wobble and it’s now nice and stiff.


http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/uu182/speedturtle810/Jons%20airgunfix%20picture%20file/Ruger%20Blackhawk%20review%20pics/pic5.jpg



When I pulled the first patch through the barrel to clean it before shooting it, it came out VERY dirty. It took about a dozen patches before they started coming out clean. I pulled the first one soaked in goo gone through first, let that sit for a few minutes then started pulling the rest through one by one.


It took about 30 shots for this thing to settle down. The first 10 or so sounded like a .22 lr and the rifle felt like I was strangling a cat. It definitely pack a huge punch just like the Panther does, and now that it calmed down and stopped dieseling, it feels just like a stock 34. There’s absolutely no twang whatsoever and it has a nice hard punch to it. The only thing is that I can hear the spring twisting when I cock it. If the internals are just like the 34’s, then it’s probably the spring end against the bare piston catching and grinding as I cock it. That’s an easy fix I can take care of later.


So far so good. My 10 meter groups are at about 1″ with open sights and I’m getting ready to scope her. My overall out of box impression? Not bad for 110.00! Do everything on that pre-shooting list (cleaning, checking bolts, etc) and you should be good to go. For the price, this rifle has exceeded my expectations (they were pretty low to start with) and so far I’m happy. I think she may tune up to a nice shooter…