In the early 1950s, Westerns were popular in movies and television. Colt had discontinued the iconic Single Action Army prior to World War II, and few single-action revolvers were available to meet market demand for cowboy-style revolvers. In 1953, the new firm of Sturm, Ruger and Company introduced the Ruger Single Six, a scaled-down .22LR rimfire single-action revolver. The Single Six proved to be a popular seller, leading Ruger to develop and market a full-sized revolver similar to the Colt Single Action Army: The Ruger Blackhawk. Ruger introduced the Blackhawk in 1955. Chambered for the .357 Magnum, the Blackhawk was a simple and strong design, and sold well. The early models of the Blackhawk still operated the same way as the Colt, in that the hammer was half-cocked to load and unload, and that the firearm was not safe to carry with all six chambers loaded due to the hammer resting upon the sixth chamber. In 1973, in order to eliminate accidents occurring from the hammer jarring against a round loaded in the sixth chamber, Ruger introduced the New Model Blackhawk. The New Model Blackhawk did not require the hammer to be half-cocked for loading and unloading, and employed a transfer bar mechanism which prevented the cartridge under the hammer from being fired without the trigger being pulled. Stampings on this example suggest manufacture in 1976
Marks and Stamps: (L side of barrel) STURM RUGER & CO INC. SOUTHPORT, CONN. U.S.A. (Logo) (Top of barrel) MADE IN THE 200TH YEAR OF AMERICAN LIBERTY (L side of frame) RUGER .357 CAL NEW MODEL BLACKHAWK (R side of frame) Serial no (Grips) Logo| Accession Number: 43 | Period of Use: 1973- present |
| Type: Revolver | War Zones: |
| Country of Origin: USA | Type Date: 1973 |
| Manufacturer: Sturm Ruger & Co Inc. Southport Conn. | Serial Number: 33-16026 |
| Manufacture Date: 1976 | Calibre/Ammunition: 0.357" Magnum |
| Weight: 1360g | Length Overall: 310mm |
| Cyclic Rate: revolver | Length Barrel: 143mm |
| Deactivation Certificate Number: DA 21001 |