New Ruger Redhawk 44s

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Palladan44

Palladan44

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I've always wanted a Ruger Redhawk.
They have a newer run of them, the 4" one really caught my eye.
What's the deal with these? Are they worth it?
I think that unless there is something terribly wrong with them, I'm going to buy one.
 
What do you mean by "newer run"? I bought mine in 2017. Other than never finding a grip I really liked (and I tried hard) it's performed well.
 
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I love my Redhawk. The trigger isn’t as good as a 29 S&W for example but it is fine. What I really enjoy about it as a reloader is that it lets you tap into the full potential of a .44mag that you wouldn’t want to try for long in a S&W and in some cases you couldn’t even try in a S&W.
 
My Redhawk is a 7.5” .41 Magnum. It is a bit unwieldy, I do wish it had the 5.5” barrel as a nice compromise between sight radius, velocity and portability.

That 4.2” .44 Redhawk looks like a winner :thumbup:.

Stay safe.
 
They're on a pretty big frame - too much for my short fingers.
If you have average to lg hands, go for it.

Excellent guns
 
For whatever reason I have not seen for sale brand new Redhawk in years.....this had me assuming they were either OOP or just so Hot off the Press they were difficult to find........just the other day I noticed a number of 4.2" barreled versions available brand new for just North of a grand, which in today's market for a high quality 44 Magnum is a fair price.
I'm under the impression, that as a shooter and working gun, they set the standard for 44s.
 
I was able to find several SRH Alaskans last year but not many Redhawks. I went ahead and bought an Alaskan and it’s been a blast. Of course the 2.5” barrel seems like an oxymoron but I can safely load 180gr XTPs to 1400+fps, 240gr Noslers to 1175fps and 300gr XTPs to 950+fps.

The Alaskan has definitely been worth it. It’s fun at the range and could even be carried if you’re into big heavy revolvers.
 
Looks like the new ones have the sleeved barrel. Not a bad thing in my opinion. I picked up an almost new 5.5 barrel, has the warning on the bottom of the barrel. Trigger was pretty bad. A week at LRK in Prescott was money well spent. They come apart fairly easy so lubing and maybe a little polishing wouldn't be to hard.
 
All of my current 44s have a reason preventing them from being my go-to shooter.

My 29-2. 8-3/8" nickel gun is collectible, and really don't like putting many rounds through it....if I do, it's target velocity loads with lead slugs. I just don't like the carbon buildup on the sides of the cylinders...something more common with the magnum loads. The value has gone up by about 100$ every 2 years for the last 10 years, and counting.

My Vintage Super Blackhawk- the darn squared off rear trigger guard... don't get me started....Any ammo beginning around 260 powerfactor, and that square trigger guard begins to smash the top of my middle finger.....and no way around it it seems.

My Dan Wesson 744 decided to get a pretty bad timing issue....and finding a Smith to work on it has been a challenge. One time, the firing pin hit between the primer and the headstamp, and didn't ignite the primer thank God.
 
At one point I had decided to use my 5.5" Redhawk for handgun hunting. So I developed some 300gr loads. I still have one target from testing a WFN hardcast at around 1200fps. At 50 yards from a bag using iron sights (though not the original ones) I put all 6 shots into 5" centered on the bullseye. Others can do better, but that's pretty good shooting for me.

The Redhawk uses a single spring for both the hammer and the trigger return. This makes for a reasonably good DA pull because you only fight one spring not too. But in SA, because the hammer is cocked and the spring under tension, the trigger pull is heavier than if two separate springs were used (like in the Super Redhawk or GP100). It's still a crisp SA trigger, just heavy. A lighter spring can be installed of course. I did this, and tested it to make sure it went bang 100% of the time. A month or two later I took it to the range, and the bang percentage had dropped because the spring had taken a "set". I went straight home, put the original back in, and went right back to the range to confirm.

A bonus is that the Redhawk and Super Redhawk can take Ruger Only +P loads. There was a Handloader issue with such data in it. It's a very strong design.
 
I think in the last number of years they've went to sleeved barrels on the redhawk, other than that, not sure much has changed. I like the Redhawk except the trigger system, not nearly as nice as the GP100/Super Redhawk setup.
 
WrongHanded said:
At one point I had decided to use my 5.5" Redhawk for handgun hunting. So I developed some 300gr loads. I still have one target from testing a WFN hardcast at around 1200fps. At 50 yards from a bag using iron sights (though not the original ones) I put all 6 shots into 5" centered on the bullseye. Others can do better, but that's pretty good shooting for me.

The Redhawk uses a single spring for both the hammer and the trigger return. This makes for a reasonably good DA pull because you only fight one spring not too. But in SA, because the hammer is cocked and the spring under tension, the trigger pull is heavier than if two separate springs were used (like in the Super Redhawk or GP100). It's still a crisp SA trigger, just heavy. A lighter spring can be installed of course. I did this, and tested it to make sure it went bang 100% of the time. A month or two later I took it to the range, and the bang percentage had dropped because the spring had taken a "set". I went straight home, put the original back in, and went right back to the range to confirm.

A bonus is that the Redhawk and Super Redhawk can take Ruger Only +P loads. There was a Handloader issue with such data in it. It's a very strong design.
Click to expand...
I'm curious that the 44 magnum has a 20,000psi less PSI rating over say a 454 Casull....and these 2 cartridges have a lot,lot LOT in common.
The case dimensions/aspect ratio proportions are the similar, the platforms are often the same. Bullet weights, profiles and powder selections for Magnum loads are similar.... It's no wonder they Hot-rod 44 mags to so called +p+ etc.
Because the platforms, being effectively the "same" as a 454 Casull, but just a bit smaller in dimension.
I suppose the primer pressure tolerances (large rifle primer/ Large pistol Mag may have their pressure limitations too) as might the brass near the case head also limit being able to push the 44 Mag to 454 casull pressures.....but other than that.
I say if a standard pressure 44 Magnum round isn't enough to do what you need to do, then get a bigger gun I guess. Standard pressure 44 Mags with 300gr hardcast against an attacking wild beast...one could do a helluva lot worse.
 
WrongHanded said:
Other than never finding a grip I really liked (and I tried hard) it's performed well.
Click to expand...

The factory RH grip is way too small for my hand. The Pachmyer grip is an improvement. However, the best grips I’ve come across for this RH are these wooden, target sized ones bought off of eBay a couple years ago:

IMG-20190209-132830.jpg

I’d love to get a set of Target sized white grips for this RH but I have been unable to locate same despite diligent searches and inquiries.

Bayou52
 
Bayou52 said:
The factory RH grip is way too small for my hand. The Pachmyer grip is an improvement. However, the best grips I’ve come across for this RH are these wooden, target sized ones bought off of eBay a couple years ago:

View attachment 1065540

I’d love to get a set of Target sized white grips for this RH but I have been unable to locate same despite diligent searches and inquiries.

Bayou52
Click to expand...

Having tried a number of grips including some expensive ones from Nils, I've come to the conclusion that nothing is going to make it as comfortable to shoot those 300gr pills as my SBH Bisley conversion. But I can still shoot it okay, it just doesn't feel all that great doing it.
 
Y'all...
I purchased me the 4.2" brand new Redhawk today.
Bought off of a respected retailer of the Ole internet for $1,088.00 shipped to my ffl.
This is a first for me in that, I've never held or fired one of these....but I just know It will work out, I have a gut feeling. I have the option to return to sender before I walk out the door with it....I dont see that happening though.

Now, do the grips interchange on this 2021 mfg. Redhawk with say a 1980s Redhawk?
Before I shop for some beautiful wood stocks, it would be helpful to know this. Bayou52- The ones you have there would be a real nice find for me.
Thank you!
 
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I got mine and 2007 and wrote this, now it has 1800 rounds of 44Mag and 44 Special through it. It is still tight as a bank vault

Review from 2009
This is an older review from 2007. After 2 years I have a difference of opinion about this firearm. I have since found a nice load that it loves and will be updating the review soon.
ruger44mag.jpg
My First Impressions with a Ruger Firearm
This 44magnum is surely built like a tank, but the 4inch ruger balances well and points very easy and natural, to me it does not feel as heavy as it looks. It is very easy to get your sight alignment and sight picture with this weapon even though the barrel length is only 4inches. The trigger pull is just right for my big hands but seems to be a bit long in DA. Even in SA there is a bit of take up that is longer than any other revolver I have shot. For reference I have been shooting for about 15 years and during this time I have owned and or shot these big bore revolvers of 44magnum and greater, Colt Anaconda44, Raging Bull44, S&W25, S&W629, S&W29, TaurusM44, S&W460, S&W500. The recoil of the Ruger seems to be more of a flip than a straight push back to the palm of your hand like the S&W629 exhibits. I believe this is due to the 4inch barrel on the Ruger vice the 6inch barrel of the S&W629, which adds additional weight out front. The Ruger seems to flip back and torques left but with that being said it is not uncomfortable to shoot. For a 44mag exiting a 4 inch barrel at about 1200fps I was amazed at how quickly I was able to acquire sight alignment and sight picture to return the weapon back on target. Tonight I only put 60 rounds through it as there were a bunch of women on the range and every time I pulled the trigger or went in my lane with this weapon they would stop shooting and watch me. Though I love my big bore revolvers I hate spoiling others time on the range so I shot in between them taking breaks or reloading.

Ammo Used
The local shop where I purchased the firearm threw in two boxes of Magtech JSP 240 grain projectiles. The photo attached to this thread shows the first 5 shots I took. The Ruger seems to shoot high out of the box. Now before you all question the ammo, I reload 44 also and tonight I used 200grain HornadyXTP on top of 16.3gr of BlueDot with large pistol primer and those shot high as well. I had a friend tag along as he had a brand new Kimber 9mm to to break in what a nice 1911 it is, he tried it and thought it shot left and high for him. The distance we were using was 15 yards. And of course there were no malfunctions.

Overall Thoughts
I love this firearm but is it perfect NO! When pulling the trigger as the cylinder spins you can feel a slight clunk in the palm of your hand as it locks up, but it does lock up very tight. I noticed with me it caused a slight jerk of the trigger a few times, this will take some getting used to for me. Though my friend that tagged along said he could feel it and knew what I was talking about it did not bother him one bit. Is this weapon a keeper it sure is and I suspect I will have it a very long time as I do not purchase weapons to resale, I want to keep them for life unless I buy a lemon and knock on wood that has not happened yet. After all these years, for my very first ruger I think I made a good purchase. And note to Ruger you should have had this out years ago!

Good luck with yours Palladan44 wish you many years of satisfaction with it. Please do me a favor and shoot it with the rubber grips before you swap it out for the looks of the wood grips.
 
Mr.Revolverguy said:
I got mine and 2007 and wrote this, now it has 1800 rounds of 44Mag and 44 Special through it. It is still tight as a bank vault

Review from 2009
This is an older review from 2007. After 2 years I have a difference of opinion about this firearm. I have since found a nice load that it loves and will be updating the review soon.
View attachment 1065669
My First Impressions with a Ruger Firearm
This 44magnum is surely built like a tank, but the 4inch ruger balances well and points very easy and natural, to me it does not feel as heavy as it looks. It is very easy to get your sight alignment and sight picture with this weapon even though the barrel length is only 4inches. The trigger pull is just right for my big hands but seems to be a bit long in DA. Even in SA there is a bit of take up that is longer than any other revolver I have shot. For reference I have been shooting for about 15 years and during this time I have owned and or shot these big bore revolvers of 44magnum and greater, Colt Anaconda44, Raging Bull44, S&W25, S&W629, S&W29, TaurusM44, S&W460, S&W500. The recoil of the Ruger seems to be more of a flip than a straight push back to the palm of your hand like the S&W629 exhibits. I believe this is due to the 4inch barrel on the Ruger vice the 6inch barrel of the S&W629, which adds additional weight out front. The Ruger seems to flip back and torques left but with that being said it is not uncomfortable to shoot. For a 44mag exiting a 4 inch barrel at about 1200fps I was amazed at how quickly I was able to acquire sight alignment and sight picture to return the weapon back on target. Tonight I only put 60 rounds through it as there were a bunch of women on the range and every time I pulled the trigger or went in my lane with this weapon they would stop shooting and watch me. Though I love my big bore revolvers I hate spoiling others time on the range so I shot in between them taking breaks or reloading.

Ammo Used
The local shop where I purchased the firearm threw in two boxes of Magtech JSP 240 grain projectiles. The photo attached to this thread shows the first 5 shots I took. The Ruger seems to shoot high out of the box. Now before you all question the ammo, I reload 44 also and tonight I used 200grain HornadyXTP on top of 16.3gr of BlueDot with large pistol primer and those shot high as well. I had a friend tag along as he had a brand new Kimber 9mm to to break in what a nice 1911 it is, he tried it and thought it shot left and high for him. The distance we were using was 15 yards. And of course there were no malfunctions.

Overall Thoughts
I love this firearm but is it perfect NO! When pulling the trigger as the cylinder spins you can feel a slight clunk in the palm of your hand as it locks up, but it does lock up very tight. I noticed with me it caused a slight jerk of the trigger a few times, this will take some getting used to for me. Though my friend that tagged along said he could feel it and knew what I was talking about it did not bother him one bit. Is this weapon a keeper it sure is and I suspect I will have it a very long time as I do not purchase weapons to resale, I want to keep them for life unless I buy a lemon and knock on wood that has not happened yet. After all these years, for my very first ruger I think I made a good purchase. And note to Ruger you should have had this out years ago!

Good luck with yours Palladan44 wish you many years of satisfaction with it. Please do me a favor and shoot it with the rubber grips before you swap it out for the looks of the wood grips.
Click to expand...

10-4 on the grips. Thank you.
I also notice a huge muzzle jump on my Ruger Super Blackhawk......I mean, the torque wrenches on the wrist quite a bit. I guess it must boil down to bore axis, and lateral energy getting transferred to rotational energy. (No way around it unless you're into the Chiappa Rino)
 
Palladan44 said:
I'm curious that the 44 magnum has a 20,000psi less PSI rating over say a 454 Casull....and these 2 cartridges have a lot,lot LOT in common.
The case dimensions/aspect ratio proportions are the similar, the platforms are often the same. Bullet weights, profiles and powder selections for Magnum loads are similar.... It's no wonder they Hot-rod 44 mags to so called +p+ etc.
Because the platforms, being effectively the "same" as a 454 Casull, but just a bit smaller in dimension.
I suppose the primer pressure tolerances (large rifle primer/ Large pistol Mag may have their pressure limitations too) as might the brass near the case head also limit being able to push the 44 Mag to 454 casull pressures.....but other than that.
I say if a standard pressure 44 Magnum round isn't enough to do what you need to do, then get a bigger gun I guess. Standard pressure 44 Mags with 300gr hardcast against an attacking wild beast...one could do a helluva lot worse.
Click to expand...

I have the SRH in 454.
The stainless they use for that is a bit different alloy than the 44, much stronger.
Quite a difference in boom from the 24+ gr max with 296 for the 44 Mag to the 36+ gr max in the 454.
Kinda why I stick to Ruger only 45 Colt loads in it for hunting.
Redhawk is a nice piece, love to find one in 45 Colt
 
As big power said, I recall the alloy in the cylinder being different in the 454 vs 44s.

my 454 Alaskan SRH is a tank. And since it also shoots 45 colt gives me a ton of load options if I want to load it down for range shooting.

Also from what I recall the RedHawk grips interchange with gp100 grips. So maybe you can find a set of those that fit your hands if needed.

I am thinking your gonna love the Redhawk

d
 
Palladan44 said:
.Any ammo beginning around 260 powerfactor, and that square trigger guard begins to smash the top of my middle finger.....and no way around it it seems.
Click to expand...
this is the only way i know to handle the hard recoil:
0101192025.jpg

that is a cheap hogue grip. you may want to get a grip for your sbh so you can run a comparison with that brandy new redhawk.

luck,

murf
 
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