Ruger Alaskan
Encyclopedia
Introduced in 2005, the Ruger Super Redhawk: Alaskan is a short barrelled, big bore revolver
. The firearm is distinguished by its 2" barrel, brushed stainless finish, and oversize Hogue Tamer grip designed to help reduce recoil. The Alaskan is offered in .454 Casull
/.45 Colt
, .480 Ruger
, and most recently, .44 Magnum
/.44 Special
. The .480 Ruger version was originally a 6 shot revolver like the .454, but was discontinued in 2007. It was reintroduced in 2008 with a 5 shot cylinder. The .44 Magnum features a fluted
cylinder while the .454 and .480 versions are unfluted.
The revolver is intended for use as a self-defense option against large, potentially dangerous animals such as grizzly bear
, cougar, and wild boar. Some critics feel the Alaskan's barrel is too short for such a large caliber revolver, while others believe its relatively compact size, coupled with big game stopping power
, makes it a practical "pack gun" for hiking, fishing, or hunting trips in the wilderness
. The large magnum cartridges do suffer ballistically from the short barrel, but still produce considerably more energy than is typically available from a compact firearm.
The Alaskan is descended from the Super Redhawk
line of double action magnum
revolver
s made by Sturm, Ruger
beginning in 1987.
and fired 3 shots while backpedaling, then fired a final 4th shot into the bear before the gun jammed due to a defective crimp in the bear-load ammo he had purchased from a local supplier. The bear died mid-charge and slid on its nose approximately 10 feet (3 m) past Greg's original standing position.
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
. The firearm is distinguished by its 2" barrel, brushed stainless finish, and oversize Hogue Tamer grip designed to help reduce recoil. The Alaskan is offered in .454 Casull
.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
/.45 Colt
.45 Colt
The .45 Colt cartridge is a handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It began as a black powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver, but is offered as a magnum level handgun hunting round in modern usage. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as the...
, .480 Ruger
.480 Ruger
The .480 Ruger is a revolver cartridge, introduced in 2003 by Sturm, Ruger and Hornady. This was the first new cartridge introduced by Ruger, and was at time of introduction the largest diameter production revolver cartridge, at .-Design:...
, and most recently, .44 Magnum
.44 Magnum
The .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...
/.44 Special
.44 Special
The .44 Special or .44 S&W Special is a smokeless powder center fire metallic cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1907 as the standard chambering for their New Century revolver, introduced in 1908.-Development history:...
. The .480 Ruger version was originally a 6 shot revolver like the .454, but was discontinued in 2007. It was reintroduced in 2008 with a 5 shot cylinder. The .44 Magnum features a fluted
Fluting (firearms)
In firearms terminology, fluting refers to the removal of material from a cylindrical surface, usually creating grooves. This is most often the barrel of a rifle, though it may also refer to the cylinder of a revolver or the bolt of a bolt action rifle....
cylinder while the .454 and .480 versions are unfluted.
The revolver is intended for use as a self-defense option against large, potentially dangerous animals such as grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
, cougar, and wild boar. Some critics feel the Alaskan's barrel is too short for such a large caliber revolver, while others believe its relatively compact size, coupled with big game stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
, makes it a practical "pack gun" for hiking, fishing, or hunting trips in the wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
. The large magnum cartridges do suffer ballistically from the short barrel, but still produce considerably more energy than is typically available from a compact firearm.
The Alaskan is descended from the Super Redhawk
Super Redhawk
The Super Redhawk is a line of double action magnum revolvers made by Sturm, Ruger beginning in 1987, when Ruger started making weapons using larger, more powerful cartridges such as .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger.-The introduction:...
line of double action magnum
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
s made by Sturm, Ruger
Sturm, Ruger
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated is a Southport, Connecticut-based firearm manufacturing company, better known by the shortened name Ruger. Sturm, Ruger produces bolt-action, semi-automatic, full-automatic, and single-shot rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, and single- and double-action...
beginning in 1987.
In The News
On August 2, 2009, Soldotna, Alaska resident Greg Brush was walking his dog, and heard a twig snap. He turned to see an Alaskan Brown Bear sow charging him. He drew his Ruger Alaskan in .454 Casull.454 Casull
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed in 1957 by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer. It was first announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The basic design was a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case...
and fired 3 shots while backpedaling, then fired a final 4th shot into the bear before the gun jammed due to a defective crimp in the bear-load ammo he had purchased from a local supplier. The bear died mid-charge and slid on its nose approximately 10 feet (3 m) past Greg's original standing position.