Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Ruger Redhawk

I have decided that I need a Ruger Redhawk 5.5" barreled .44 Magnum. I really don't but I am telling myself that I am. I have never seen one around my local stores so I am wondering what a good used Redhawk in blued or stainless would go for? Looking online I see used ones from $400-$700, new ones are around $650-$700 it seems.


For anyone that has/had one, any comments on accuracy and what not is appreciated.


Thanks

I like the Redhawk. I think with the exception of a tuned Colt Python the Redhawk's DA trigger pull is the best of the best. Unfortunately, the SA pull can't be improved much without sacrificing reliability. The Redhawk's internal mechanism drives off a single spring.

My first blued RH w/ rings shot around 1.5 inches at 50 yards with several loads. That's more than adequate. The second, 5-1/2 barrel, blued, wasn't quite that good, but adequate. The 3rd was a 5-1/2 incher in stainless and it was a problem gun. Turned out it had only one crane bearing. Once that was fixed it got better. Imagine that, huh?

The only down side to a Redhawk, IMHO, is the weight. They're a pretty hefty gun. Good huntin' gun, a little heavy for a packing gun.

Tom

Thanks for the info. I have a 4 5/8" Super Blackhawk that I pack around quite a bit. I really don't know why I like the Redhawk since I have never even messed with one.

I bet that the fixing of the crane bearing did make quite the improvement, strange how stuff like that works.

Just good taste I guess.

My normal carry gun is a 4-5/8" Super Blackhawk. The only thing the Redhawk offers is faster reloads. That might matter. Considering how many fewer variations of Redhawk there are today than there were 5 or 10 years ago, I wouldn't be shocked to see it dropped entirely in the future. That would be too bad. It's a great gun.

I can't shoot most DA revolvers real well, the S&Ws focus the recoil on the joint at the base of my thumb and it hurts like all hell. Redhawk is the most comfortable of any of the DA .44s for me.

Tom

Nope, fast reloads don't matter. All that would allow me to do is put more misses down range at a greater rate.

I had a S&W 629 Mountain Gun but traded it off because I never could shoot it very good. I had a 629 Classic, traded it because it was way to heavy to carry. It had a 6.5" full lug barrel. I still have a 29-2 pinned and recessed in the presentation box. I look at it sometimes. It has those nice target grips that don't fit my hands at all.


I noticed there were fewer Redhawks on Ruger's site than I thought there was a couple years back.

Used 5-1/2 in Redhawks are being scalped on the auction sites right now because there aren't any new ones available. A local gun shop has a used 5-1/2 44 mag for $850.00, and he's confident that he'll get that price. If you can find a pair of 5-1/2 in Redhawks for $400.00 ea, buy one, then tell me where the other one is so I can buy one too. I still see an occasional 4 incher on some boards for around $700.00. I just bought a S&W 44 Mountain Gun because I couldn't find a suitable Redhawk. Used 7-1/2 in Redhawks remain steady at about $500.00 on the auctions.

I have a 7.5 in Redhawk I purchaced the first year they came out. I have put over 1000 rounds per year on average since then thru that gun and it has not hicupped one time. It has been run hard and often and still tight as new.That is over 30 years of hard shootin and little cleanin and still rockin. That says something to me. You ain't got enough money to buy that one. My boy has one in 5.5 inch. Both are stainless and the old gun and the old man can still out shoot the kid and the shorter barrel.
Give me another 30 plus years and I am still gonna be shootin that one.

I have my brother's Redhawk 44 7" SS
He bought it late in the '90's and only shot it once ( after his stroke )
My son and I have poured a few thousand rounds through it without a hitch.
I love the SA trigger pull and it will shoot better than I can hold it all day long.
If I were to chase deers again, it would be my weapon of choice.

The long barrel DOES preclude it from being a carry gun, but when I pull it out, people step aside!

If only it would talk back to me like SledgeHammer's...

I have had several Redhawks over the years, all in stainless, and in both 7.5" and 5.5". I wish I had all of them back as the price keeps going up.

Had one customized by Bowen Classic Arms; cut the barrel to 4" and did a full action job. That was before Ruger made them in that length and it was a shooter. Got talked out of that one on a rifle trade.

Had a 7.5" that Bowen did an action job on. He can get the trigger as slick as a whistle. That one went for a Sig 226.

The only one I have left is a stock 5.5" that is slick. Best fitted Redhawk I've ever seen, even in the crane area which is usually pretty " gappy ". I'm keeping this one!

Thanks for the info guys. For some reason the 4" Redhawk looks funny to me, not sure why as I usually prefer 4" revolvers to 6" revolvers.


I like my SBH and it shoots better than I can with several different loads.


I don't know if you can have to many .44's?

Here's a picture of my 5.5 Redhawk in my previous. Notice the Bowen Rough Country front and rear sight. This is the first picture I've posted--trying to work the kinks out!

Greetings Bearcat74,

I just picked up a SS Redhawk in 44mag with the 5.5" barrel a little while ago. With hunting season and work I've only got a couple hundred rounds down it so far but I think I like it.

Functions quite well, triggers nice, does not group as well as my Anaconda yet but it's getting tighter and to be fair it needs a little time. And so far it's no slouch.

The one thing I did not like was the factory wood grips - too small, the grip got lost in my hand. So I picked up a Pachmayr Gripper grip which feels a lot better.

I'm no expert but I like this revolver. Well made, I think it's going to be accurate, and kind of compact feeling next to my Anaconda.

I think it's because of the ugly-ast oversized grip Ruger puts on the 4" Redhawk. I don't care for it, it's too fat and long for my hands.
A friend and I both have .45 Colt Redhawks. He's already switched his stock grips out for a another Hogue grip that's thinner, reverse tapered with much shallower fingers grooves and it changes the overall looks of the gun. Not to mention that they actually fit me and are what I'll be swapping mine out for.

Lastround, great looking Redhawk there. I like the Bowen sights also.


Westcoaster, a friend has one of the Realtree .44 Anaconda/Burris scope combos. It is amazingly accurate. I have tried to buy it but he won't let it go. I don't blame him though. Sounds like your new Redhawk will be a keeper.

Stevelyn, maybe it is that funky looking gip. I prefer Hogue grips on double action guns also. I will have to revisit my thinking about the 4" then.

Lastround, your picture came out fine. I used to have a stainless Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt that looked nearly identical to yours. I had a tough time liking the factory grip contour/design myself and ended up selling it and buying a NM Blackhawk in .45 Colt to replace it.

Check out

Triggershims.com

if you want an easy do it yourself way to tune a Redhawk Trigger