Tag Archives: ruger redhawk

An 8-shot 357 and the .44Spl returns to Ruger’s wheelgun line

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ruger-brings-new-caliber-options-to-revolver-line

Ruger announced Wednesday they will produce their well-loved double-action wheelguns in some new offerings including a 5-shot GP100 in .44 Special and an 8-shot .357 Mag Redhawk.

The GP 100, as detailed in the above video, has been around in a bunch of .357/.38 and .327 loadings, but that was about as beefy as it got. Now, some 30 years after its introduction, is being offered in a 5-shot .44 Special with a three-inch barrel.

I’ve always been a fan of the .44Spl and for about half a decade carried a Charter Arms Pug as my CCW piece.

The once-vaunted .44 Special dates back to before World War I but fell out of favor after Elmer Keith campaigned successfully for his hard-hitting .44 Magnum in the 1950s. With just a few manufacturers marketing new revolvers chambered in the easier handling but still effective .44 Special by the 1990s, the round seemed to be staring into the abyss. Now, with modern self-defense loads (Hornady Critical Defense, Speer Gold Dot, et. al) upping the ante on what the near cult-status round brings to the table, the new Ruger offering will no doubt be popular with .44 Specialists.

MSRP is $829 but you can expect prices at your dealer or online to be closer to $700, and if I like how it handles at SHOT Show, I may be a huckleberry.

Another new entry from Ruger is a .357 Magnum variant of the Redhawk, which hasn’t been offered since 1991. Best yet, the cylinder has been reworked to accommodate 8 cartridges, which brings a whole new element to the famous “Feel Lucky Punk?” scene.

ruger-redhawk-8-shot-357-relieved-cylinder-for-moon-clips

The new 8-shooter, which still fits in standard Redhawk holsters, comes with 3 full moon clips for its relieved cylinder and a 2.75-inch barrel. MSRP is a respectable $1079.

More info (including vids) are in my column at Guns.com.

The ‘carry Colt’: Ruger’s brief flirtation with the 4 inch Redhawk .45LC

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A decade ago, Sturm, Ruger put its .45 Long Colt chambering of their vaunted Redhawk double action revolver on hiatus and only this year brought it back– well that is true, except for a brief run of standard service sized wheel guns.

Redhawk background

Introduced in 1979, the Redhawk built on Bill Ruger’s proven Security Six and Single Six, popular military and police style revolvers with standard 4-inch barrels chambered in .38/.357, but supersized them to come in .41 and above. These new guns were huge, using 5.5 and 7.5-inch barrel length options and tipping the scales at 50-55 ounces depending on options.

As a one up on the competition, the frame is a one-piece investment casting to which the trigger group, swing out cylinder, and hammer was affixed to. Not only did this simplify production, but also it gave a more solid feel to the gun. A unique single spring mechanism that used a music wire coil spring for both hammer and trigger allowed for a smooth, light trigger pull.  The cylinder double locked to the frame at the rear, and bottom at set up to help keep the timing regular shot after shot. A transfer bar safety system kept the gun from going off when the hammer was carried down on a loaded chamber, which is always nice to have. On top of this, a crane latch held the cylinder rock-steady to the frame, giving it a triple-locking cylinder.

They were meant for heavy trail use in dangerous areas where bear and large predators are a problem, as well as hunting and long-range target shooting. Sure, in a pinch, you could use one for home defense, but truth be told, the huge size– especially in the 7.5 inch/55 ounce options– was just awkward.

Originally just offered in .44 Spl/Magnum, within a few years it was also offered in .41 (1984-91) and .45 Long Colt (98-2005) while the Super Redhawk, introduced later came in bear-busting .454 Casul and .480 Ruger.

Then in 2007, the company restarted the .45 LC offering– but in a more compact size.

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Read the rest in my column at Ruger Talk

Ruger finally coughs up a .45ACP moon clip Redhawk

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This week Sturm, Ruger announced that their popular Redhawk line, which from its inception 35 years ago has defined large-bore wheelguns, has resumed production of the popular six shooter in .45 Long Colt– and it accepts .45ACP as well.

Redhawk background

Introduced in 1980, the Redhawk built on Bill Ruger’s proven Security Six and Single Six, popular military and police style revolvers with standard 4-inch barrels chambered in .38/.357, but supersized them to come in .41 and above.

As a one up on the competition, the frame is a one-piece investment casting to which the trigger group, swing out cylinder, and hammer was affixed to. Not only did this simplify production, but also it gave a more solid feel to the gun. A unique single spring mechanism that used a music wire coil spring for both hammer and trigger allowed for a smooth, light trigger pull. The cylinder double locked to the frame at the rear, and bottom at set up to help keep the timing regular shot after shot. A transfer bar safety system kept the gun from going off when the hammer was carried down on a loaded chamber, which is always nice to have. On top of this, a crane latch held the cylinder rock-steady to the frame, giving it a triple-locking cylinder.

Originally just offered in .44 Spl/Magnum, within a few years it was also offered in .41 (1984-91) and .45 LC (98-2005) while the Super Redhawk, introduced later came in bear-busting .454 Casul and .480 Ruger.

However, its been a decade since there has been a .45 caliber Redhawk. Until this weekend, anyway, and this, one is somewhat unique.

ruger 45acp

Read the rest in my column at Ruger Talk