PBJ Ported Blackjack

Dinadan · December-31-13 14:12

I was browsing around a nearby gun shop last week when I saw a used Ported Blackjack. Not a Mini that I have ever especially craved, but it did look good. After thinking about it for a few days I went back yesterday and bought it. I doubt it has ever been fired, looks new in box. I have never shot a ported revolver, so this will be new for me. Hopefully the porting will help tame the terrific recoil of the WMR. I have always thought that the 1 5/8" Magnum Mini was a good looking revolver, and I find that this black version looks just as appealing. I do wish it came with a LR cylinder; on the other hand I doubt that I will carry or shoot the PBJ as much as my Magnum Mini. Probably twenty or thirty rounds to test it out, then into the safe except for the fondling sessions.

nastruck · December-31-13 14:12

They do look good in BLACK don't they?

OV-1D · December-31-13 15:12

Now just imagine a nice set of elephant ivory BOOT grips that you craved yourself , WOW .

cfsharry · December-31-13 15:12

Minis look better blued, (black?). Great buy!

glenn · December-31-13 16:12

Looks nice ... I also think it would look good with a SS cylinder

OV-1D · December-31-13 16:12

By the way Dinadan how did you get James Bonds ring gun ??

dk · December-31-13 18:12

Nice BJ.Does the porting help in that short barrel?

Dinadan · December-31-13 18:12

Quote from: dk on December-31-13 18:12Nice BJ.Does the porting help in that short barrel?

I have not tested it yet. I will let you know what I think after I shoot it.

Quote from: OV-1D on December-31-13 15:12
Now just imagine a nice set of elephant ivory BOOT grips that you craved yourself , WOW .

You mean like this? These are not ivory, they are Tagua nut grips that I made. It is sometimes called vegetable ivory.

OV-1D · December-31-13 18:12

Wow it looks just like aged ivory and you can eat it if times get tough too , how good does it get .

Dinadan · December-31-13 19:12

Quote from: OV-1D on December-31-13 18:12
Wow it looks just like aged ivory and you can eat it if times get tough too , how good does it get .

There may be some animal that can eat the Tagua nut, but it must have one heck of a digestive system. It is just about the same hardness as ivory - used to be used for buttons and the Japanese use it for netsuke. It is a good grip material (in my opinion) but the NAA minis and some derringers are the only guns small enough to use it for grips.

OV-1D · December-31-13 19:12

That's one of the reasons I've collected miniatures because of the cheapness and size of materials to make upgrades like grips and holsters , a little bit goes a long way . Happy New Year Dinadan

heyjoe · January-01-14 13:01

very nice dinadan, may you use it in good health for many decades to come. happy new year!

heyjoe · January-01-14 13:01

Quote from: glenn on December-31-13 16:12
Looks nice ... I also think it would look good with a SS cylinder

yes like the smith and wesson j frame pinto's! Happy New Year Glenn may you have everything of the best in 2014!

glenn · January-01-14 13:01

Thanks Joe ... & a Happy & Prosperous New Year to You & Yours also !

Couple years ago I was looking for a used SS Ruger MK II or III for my daughter & found a used "2 Tone" at Cabelas. As soon as I saw the Stainless & Blue together, I couldn't resist it. Beautiful little gun. I was instantly prepared to pay more than it was probably worth ... but walked out the door with it for $285. I think I got a hellufa deal !

~Glenn

Dinadan · January-01-14 15:01

Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen. Hope 2014 is a good year for y'all. Here is my Blackjack with a stainless cylinder. Different look for sure.

Dinadan · January-01-14 15:01

Here is a better photo. I have a hard time getting the surface lighting correct for the black.

glenn · January-01-14 15:01

I like it Dan ! Wish my Magnum cylinder was non-fluted.

grayelky · January-01-14 16:01

Congrats on the new one. Once you run some ammo through it, you may decide it will become your EDC.
You forgot to try the SS cylinder pin. You may have trouble getting the lighting "right", but your results are always great!

boone123 · January-01-14 17:01

Glenn.
Nice ruger. Thats kind of how I got my start. Two of my Mark11s I have put adjustable sights on. One stainless, and a blue one. The blue one will hold its own right along side the target models, other than the one I have with the 10 in. barrel They are a fun gun.

cfsharry · January-01-14 17:01

I like it. Agree with gray about the stainless cylinder pin. Unlike Glenn I would prefer the fluted cylinder.

boone123 · January-01-14 18:01

Dinadan.
I think I like the all blue the best, but that could change anytime.
NAA made twotone guns awhile back. Does anybody know if they still do?

Dinadan · January-01-14 19:01

Glenn - I like that Ruger a lot! Two tone is nice but the barrel is what I really like. There was a stainless one just like that at the shop where I got my Blackjack but I somehow held back from buying it. I have a Mark I that was my father's, it is a fine shooting gun but it has a bull barrel which I do not like. I should just go ahead and buy one I like, I guess.

Gray and Harry - next time I will include the stainless pin!

Boone - I have never seen a blue Mini except in photos, but I have a feeling that I might prefer it myself. The shop did have a color case hardened Mini, on consignment from the same fellow who had the Blackjack. I really liked the way it looked, but I am just leery of the CCH guns: as I understand it they are not really color case hardened, just surface colored. I bought a Uberti reproduction revolver last year, and I was trying to smooth a couple of burred screw heads when I polished the color case hardening right off that area in about ten seconds. I understand that the Blackjack coating is pretty tough.

ikoiko · January-01-14 21:01

Nice black jack. I have an unfired one myself. Don't know that it will remain that way, as it has never been my habit.

Two of my buddies and I have Ruger Mark II SS bull barrels. We like them a lot. I'm guessing you don't like the extra mass? Have never shot the regular barrel.

OV-1D · January-01-14 21:01

Love my Ruger Marks , it's just something about the weight and the firepower with an semi-auto . I also have a bull barrel along with that very quite one . Have an older Browning semi which is just as fun , seems lighter though . With 10 or 15 magazines for those Rugers they are a hoot to shoot .

Dinadan · January-01-14 21:01

Ikoiko - I have shot the Ruger Mark bull barrel and the regular barrel. I cannot say that one is better than the other for shooting, for me. The extra mass of the bull barrel does not bother me. But I just like the way the short standard barrel looks a lot better. That Ruger that Glenn posted seems to me to have lines that are just classic, like a short barrel Single Action Army has. Nothing logical here, I am the guy that says: "I do not know anything about art but I know what I like!"

Ovid - I have not shot the Browning pistols. Maybe someday.

Dinadan · January-05-14 14:01

I did take my PJB out for some shooting today. I only shot a couple of cylinders of CCI Maximags from the Blackjack, and I also shot my 1 5/8 Magnum Mini because I wanted to see if the ports actually made a difference in muzzle jump. I figured that shooting them just a couple of minutes apart I should notice any difference. My conclusion was that if the porting did reduce jump then I could not detect it. Maybe someone more sensitive could. Unfortunately, the porting did seem increase muzzle blast; the Blackjack was definitely worse than the Magnum Mini. Actually I guess it was porting blast since it came from the ports, but the effect was just more blast! On the plus side the Blackjack was as accurate as my Magnum Mini, which is pretty accurate. I do like the pin front sight on the Blackjack

OV-1D · January-05-14 14:01

Gotta get one of those 3inch Earls there Dinadan , need it to see how it shoots compared to the longer barrels . Nice bunch you have there .

Pghchief · January-13-14 16:01

I have the PBJ and it almost jumped out of the hand using the CCI rounds plus lots of muzzle falsh. Using the Hornaday Critical defense it seemed to be less recoil and less muzzle flash. I can hit the target but dont group very well. Still trying to figure out the pin front sight. It seems if i raise the muzzle up and see the pin and front of the barrel I can hit the target better. Just my first observations.

Dinadan · January-13-14 19:01

Pghchief - regarding the sights on the PJB and Magnum Mini, you really just need to sight down the top of the barrel. Because it is smaller, the pin sight on the Blackjack is less distracting, or misleading, than the far larger blade sight on the magnum Mini. So you need to be looking down the top of the barrel with the whole of the front sight visible. I find that I am more accurate if I grip my Mini or PBJ real tight, too.