American Hunter First Look Ruger .454 and .480

[Ed Ames]

Another sign that the firearms industry is getting back to normal. Between this, the return to the .327, and the new take-down AR Ruger is making some smart moves.

I am going to have to get one of the .454s. I have a .45c Blackhawk today but I don't use it to full potential because I also have a bunch of weaker .45c guns (e.g. a repro Schofield) and I don't want a hot load to slip into my normal supply. This will allow me to share hot loads with my Alaskan and m92 lever gun.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Msrp not yet posted grrrrr

$969
I imagine that would make the real world price come in at around the $900 mark.

Man I want one.

I would like to make a different observation than most folks on this string about this revolver. It OBVIOUSLY is Ruger's attempt to STEAL the creative designs of Freedom Arms' Revolvers. This new pistol everyone is singing praises about is OBVIOUS THEFT of intellectual and creative property. Shame on you Ruger. Quit cheating and do your own work. Bill Ruger wouldn't have it any other way, would he?

This may very well be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on any forum.

So is everyone making bolt action .270s stealing Winchester's intellectual property?

It would make more sense to say they are ripping off Colt, but that is nonsense as well.

Exactly.
They aren't ripping off FA any more than FA ripped off Colt.

Both ideas are equally ridiculous.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I just watched the Gunblast video of Jeff Quinn shooting these guns. Looks like both of them kick pretty good.

 

[CraigC]

Street price should be around 75-80% of MSRP.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Craig, forgive my ignorance but since this is a Lipsey's product what does that mean?

Will you have to order them from Lipsey's or will places like Bud's carry them?

Again, I know that may sould silly, but I'm unfamiliar with the process.

 

[Ed Ames]

Bud's carries Lipsey's exclusives all the time. Otherwise you can usually order from a local dealer and still get a discount.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Bud's carries Lipsey's exclusives all the time. Otherwise you can usually order from a local dealer and still get a discount.

Sweet!
I'm thinking seriously about selling my NM Blackhawk in .45 Colt to go towards funding one of these.
I would go with the .454 since I'm already set up to cast and load for the .45 Colt.

I don't see where I'd be losing anything.

I have always been a sucker for big bore revolvers.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Just went to Ruger's website and found another that you single action fans may be excited about.

Craig, sorry if this is a thread hijack, but they are also making short barelled .44 mags as well as offering the Blackhawk Hunter in .41 mag.

 

[CraigC]

The .454's are already trickling out with a street price of $759 plus transfer.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=226824

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

Wouldn't mind having one in 480. I love that chambering.

 

[CraigC]

I have to amend to add that RealGuns erroneously reported that the frames and barrels are made of Carpenter Custom 465 stainless. It is only the cylinder.

 

[HOOfan_1]

I would like to make a different observation than most folks on this string about this revolver. It OBVIOUSLY is Ruger's attempt to STEAL the creative designs of Freedom Arms' Revolvers. This new pistol everyone is singing praises about is OBVIOUS THEFT of intellectual and creative property. Shame on you Ruger. Quit cheating and do your own work. Bill Ruger wouldn't have it any other way, would he?

What intellectual property? The Ruger Blackhawk came out 23 years before Freedom Arms was even founded.

Freedom Arms' founders used altered Ruger Super Blackhawks as prototypes.....so who is copying whom??

 

[Zaydok Allen]

454's are listed on Gunbroker. Buy now prices are under $800.

 

[CraigC]

I went ahead and ordered a .454 too but it had already sold out. Probably get the .480 first then.

 

[CraigC]

RealGuns admitted their factual error and slandered me on Facebook in the process. I wish I'd saved the comments they deleted because they were not inflammatory at all.

 

[eldon519]

Either caliber would also go nicely in the Super Blackhawk Hunter configuration.

Very tempting but I don't know if I'll bite. The .480 is tempting, but I'm not sure I wanna deal with more reloading kit/supplies.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

CraigC, I'd very much appreciate a review after you've shot the 480, if you do get one. Jeff Quinn almost looked like he was limp wrist shooting, though they were Buffalo Bore rounds. I'm very interested in this gun in both chamberings. I'm invested in the 454 already so it seems the natural choice. But the 480 appeals to me too.

But..... I don't hunt right now..... So.....

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

I deer hunt with the 480 in Super Redhawks and Raging Bulls and love the round. I think it would be great in the Ruger single action and I'm thinking real hard about getting one.

Besides poking a huge hole another great thing I've noticed about the 480 is that it isn't so terrible loud that I don't mind shooting it once in a while hunting without ear protection. It's more of a boom than the loud ear piercing crack that the 454 and 460 has.

 

[CraigC]

I'll give a full report, I've got both versions ordered. I wasn't very impressed with Jeff's shooting in that video but he has had some health issues as of late.

I very much look forward to shooting the SBH and SRH .480's side by side.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

The .480 is tempting, but I'm not sure I wanna deal with more reloading kit/supplies.

That's part of the fun for me.

I initially said I should go with the .454 because I already load for .45 Colt. The only reason I say this is I would have to sell something in order to help fund the new Ruger, so the logical choice would be to sell the .45 since the new one would be able to shoot those as well if that's what I wanted.

If money was not an issue, I would go with the .480 just because I would get to start loading for another round.

 

[Cowhide Cliff]

I'll give a full report, I've got both versions ordered. I wasn't very impressed with Jeff's shooting in that video but he has had some health issues as of late.

I very much look forward to shooting the SBH and SRH .480's side by side.

I'll be interested in hearing the report compared to the SRH.

 

[MaxP]

"I would like to make a different observation than most folks on this string about this revolver. It OBVIOUSLY is Ruger's attempt to STEAL the creative designs of Freedom Arms' Revolvers. This new pistol everyone is singing praises about is OBVIOUS THEFT of intellectual and creative property. Shame on you Ruger. Quit cheating and do your own work. Bill Ruger wouldn't have it any other way, would he?"

This is patently false. The SBH platform predates the FA83 by decades (actually nearly a quarter century). One could argue that all modern single-actions are based on the Single Action Army, so I'm not sure who stole from whom first.

 

[Nom de Forum]

"I would like to make a different observation than most folks on this string about this revolver. It OBVIOUSLY is Ruger's attempt to STEAL the creative designs of Freedom Arms' Revolvers. This new pistol everyone is singing praises about is OBVIOUS THEFT of intellectual and creative property. Shame on you Ruger. Quit cheating and do your own work. Bill Ruger wouldn't have it any other way, would he?"

This is patently false. The SBH platform predates the FA83 by decades (actually nearly a quarter century). One could argue that all modern single-actions are based on the Single Action Army, so I'm not sure who stole from whom first.

Max you are new to THR so let me tell you we have frequent posts from The Twilight Zone and posts that are often unintentional comedy relief. You have replied to one that is an example of both. Shucks, I'll admit I've posted a few from Mr. Serling's territory.

 

[SDGlock23]

I was sort of wanting a 480 version until I read that the one Gunblast reviewed had a barrel constriction...and didn't shoot so well. To me that's a huge turn off, oh look I have to shoot 150 lapping bullets down the barrel to smooth out the constriction...why is it there in the first place? Several other reports are claiming the 454 version is more accurate. Hopefully the one reviewed was an exception.

 

[Ed Ames]

It was a preproduction sample with obvious signs it wasn't finished to normal Ruger standards (index marks, grip fit, etc). A bit premature to make production quality judgments.