The Ruger Super Blackhawk
is a very popular and accurate pistol that is great for hunting and silhouette shooting. One important
improvement on this model is eliminating excessive play in the rear sight. This extra play is common on
almost all Ruger pistols that use this type of rear sight base. If you grip the rear sight assembly,
you will find that it can easily be moved left and right with very little force. With the recoil from a .44 magnum,
it is easy for the rear sight to shift around. The good news is that this problem is very easy to fix.
First, remove the rear sight (be careful not to lose any springs), then place the sight assembly
back on the frame to observe the horizontal play. This play is very easy to observe when the sight is not
"attached" to the frame. What you need to do is eliminate this play by expanding the width of the sight base.
This is done with a small hammer and a punch. Just place the rear sight assembly upside down on a
flat, hard surface (with the rear blade hanging over the edge of that surface) and pound a few light punch marks near
the edges of the rear sight base. You can place the sight assembly on the frame to examine the width of this
part as it expands. With a little trial and error you can remove all of the excessive play. Just be sure
that the sight doesn't bind up from being too tight. Then reconnect the rear sight. This should improve
your accuracy. At the very least . . . . you will know that your sights will always stay exactly where
you set them.
