Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns ruger redhawk 41mag 2.75inch

I shot a couple of cylinders through this in july, and found what i had seen on the net to be true. From the box it was way low and to the left.
I am going to be running around tomorrow and decided to take it along to adjust the sights and found something interesting.
had a bottle of loaded ammo, starline new brass and a 228grain keith style bullet loaded up.
These went in two different smith's just fine, but putting them in the cylinder of the little redhawk, they were protruding out just a couple of thousandth's, just enough that the cylinder would not turn properly. I reseated them a little deeper, and a little more tamper crimp to get them to fit. They fit well in the smith's, but still a little snug in the ruger. The only thing i can think of offhand is those cylinders on the ruger are cut pretty tight. I could just reload to make allowances for that or maybe i need to take it and have it worked on a little.
I seem to remember rugers having a reputation for this, true?

Yup...tighter chambers and shorter leads into the cylinder throats than a S&W... The true Keith bullets with the front driving band as wide as the other two won't fit in my Rugers or Freedom Arms. It can be cured by a .409 sizing die for the lube/sizer..picked mine up at Midway... The Rugers are almost as tight as the FAs...

Bob

i might have to do that, as it is annoying. i got it resolved at least for tomorrow, but still aggravating.
on the other hand, the 41special with the mitech 180works slick.

i cranked up the rear sight, and got it to shoot point of aim with those 228grain keith style, and the 180grain mitech hollowpoints. You are definitey right about the bands. I put some 265grainers in it this morning, fit just fine, but don't have that big driving band.
Having said that, I probably to my doom had a grandson with me that had never fired a 41 before. He was packing that 657 mountain gun, fired it, the three inch smith, and the ruger.
commented on difference as he should in trigger between the smiths and the ruger. Just no comparison, ruger is much heavier. Now he covets my three inch smith. Fired a box of those 180grain mitech projectiles loaded in starline brass in 41special. I really liked them. Easy to shoot, plenty of power for most purposes, and easy in/out of all three guns.
I didn't save a target, but after adjusting the sights i was able to group all three into about a one inch circle at ten yards. The ruger too, but it was more work with that trigger.
My gut feeling is unless needing the top end in power, that 41special is a better choice. Just real consistent and easy to shoot. Kind of like my dads old colt 38wcf, but in a modern package. I think i am going to pick up that .409 sizer die this week, thanks for the tip.
not a pistol, but introduced grandson to my remington 660 350rem mag. Ammo loaded up close to the firewall. He found out what recoil was.

rjm:
i got that .409 lubersizer die in. Are you just using that on those projectiles with the wide band for the small ruger, or sizing all of your 41 with it?
I was reading keith's six gun's yesterday. Good comments on the .41special. My experience has been limited so far, but i do like that round more and more.

For now I am just using the .409 die on the bullets that won't go into all my .41s... The real Keith Bullets and the 300 grain Mountain Mold are the only ones I can think of that I am using them on... Probably doesn't make a difference but I've been using this .410 die since 1973 with no problems and great accuracy so I don't want to mess with success...

I was recently told there are three rear sight blades available for the Ruger rear sight...I am going to see if there is a taller one so I can crank the rear sight down where it isn't as susceptible to damage...

As to the .350s...great minds think alike... I have a 600, 7KS, shortened Ruger K77MKII and a custom Montana Rifle Company...just a great round. If you have not tried them yet, the Speer 220 FP is the perfect bullet for Remingtons with a 2.800 LOA limit. Lee will also make you a Factory Crimp Die if you send them a dummy round and $29.00.

Bob

ps...let the grandson have the 3"...if however he wants the Mountain Gun tell him to find another Grandfather...