Ruger Redhawk
Encyclopedia
The Ruger Redhawk is a double/single action large frame revolver that was first introduced in 1979 by Sturm, Ruger & Company
. Made from high grade steel, it is available with either a blued
or stainless steel
finish. The Redhawk is reinforced to handle extra stress, making it very popular for use by hand loaders as it handles the hottest of Magnum loads with ease. In addition, the cylinder, itself, is longer than most competitors', allowing ammunition to be loaded to a longer overall length. This allows for either increased powder capacity, heavier (and therefore longer) bullets without compromising the powder load, or a combination of both. Custom ammunition manufacturers even have loads made specifically for Ruger revolvers that cannot fit in shorter chambers or revolvers of weaker construction (such as the Smith & Wesson
). This makes the Redhawk popular as a bear defense gun among hunters and trappers.
where he designed the High Standard Sentinel revolver. The grip profile of the Sentinel was used on the "Six" line of Ruger .357 double action revolvers, which included the Speed Six, Security Six, and Service Six. These revolvers were produced from 1970 to 1988, and were unlike other double action revolvers in that they used a one piece frame, rather than a removable sideplate, which lent them superior strength. The Redhawk, introduced in 1980, was a scaled up and improved version of the Security Six, the target model, with a square butt grip, adjustable sights, and 5.5 and 7.5 inch barrel lengths. The Redhawk was available in blued or stainless steel
, and was primarily used by handgun hunters. The Redhawk, designed for long term use with the heaviest .44 Magnum loads, included a new latch at the crane, to firmly lock the cylinder at front and rear, a feature last seen in the Smith & Wesson
triple lock
design, discontinued in 1915.
The Ruger Redhawk uses modern coil springs design instead of old fashioned leaf springs that are found in most modern revolvers. The revolvers also used a single spring for both the hammer and the trigger, and this meant that the force required to pull the trigger was higher than similar offerings from other manufacturers, and there was no way to adjust or correct this as it was inherent in the single-spring design.
The revolver has forward ramp sights with four different interchangeable sight inserts. The rear sights are fully adjustable featuring a white outline. The Redhawk is available with scope mounts and rings.
The Redhawk holds six rounds of ammunition in its cylinder and until recently was available with a 4 inch, 5.5 inch, or 7.5 inch barrel. A 4.2 inch barrel was also recently added to accommodate the Canadian rules for minimum barrel length (the same was later done for the GP 100 revolver) When introduced it was only offered in .44 Magnum
/.44 Special
. Later on .41 Magnum, .357 Magnum
/.38 Special
, and .45 Colt
were added to the lineup. Gradually options in chambering were pared down, and by 2007 the Redhawk was again only offered in .44 Magnum. However, in 2008 Sturm, Ruger & Co. once again began marketing the Redhawk in .45 Colt chambering.
Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
carried a Redhawk on the 14 month long Fiennes-Burton Transglobal Expedition
and used it to ward off a polar bear
.
During the mid-1980s, Ruger began to have reports of failures in the Redhawk revolvers. Some Redhawks were reported to be separating at the junction between barrel and frame. It was not known at the time why this was happening; the Redhawk had been on the market for years with no reported problems, but Ruger decided to address the issue by extending the frame 2.5 inches past the cylinder face, all the way to the end of the ejector rod, to provide a massive surface into which to thread the barrel. The extended frame also provided enough length to allow scope bases to be mounted on the frame, rather than on the barrel as was done on the scoped versions of the Redhawk. It was determined that the barrel separations on the Redhawks were due to a change in the lubricant
used when attaching the barrels to the frames, but by that time the new Super Redhawk
design was already well underway and the extended frame was kept.
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...
. Made from high grade steel, it is available with either a blued
Bluing (steel)
Bluing is a passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface...
or stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
finish. The Redhawk is reinforced to handle extra stress, making it very popular for use by hand loaders as it handles the hottest of Magnum loads with ease. In addition, the cylinder, itself, is longer than most competitors', allowing ammunition to be loaded to a longer overall length. This allows for either increased powder capacity, heavier (and therefore longer) bullets without compromising the powder load, or a combination of both. Custom ammunition manufacturers even have loads made specifically for Ruger revolvers that cannot fit in shorter chambers or revolvers of weaker construction (such as the Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
). This makes the Redhawk popular as a bear defense gun among hunters and trappers.
Design and construction
The Redwawk was the first large-bore double action revolver made by Ruger. It was designed by Harry Sefried who previously worked for High Standard Manufacturing CompanyHigh Standard Manufacturing Company
High Standard Manufacturing Company Inc. is an American manufacturer of firearms, based in Houston, Texas. The company was originally founded in Hamden, Connecticut in 1926 as a supplier to the numerous firearms companies in the Connecticut Valley.-History:...
where he designed the High Standard Sentinel revolver. The grip profile of the Sentinel was used on the "Six" line of Ruger .357 double action revolvers, which included the Speed Six, Security Six, and Service Six. These revolvers were produced from 1970 to 1988, and were unlike other double action revolvers in that they used a one piece frame, rather than a removable sideplate, which lent them superior strength. The Redhawk, introduced in 1980, was a scaled up and improved version of the Security Six, the target model, with a square butt grip, adjustable sights, and 5.5 and 7.5 inch barrel lengths. The Redhawk was available in blued or stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, and was primarily used by handgun hunters. The Redhawk, designed for long term use with the heaviest .44 Magnum loads, included a new latch at the crane, to firmly lock the cylinder at front and rear, a feature last seen in the Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
triple lock
Triple lock
The Triple lock, officially the Smith and Wesson .44 Hand Ejector 1st Model 'New Century', is a double action revolver. It was and is considered by many, including handgun enthusiast and expert Elmer Keith, to be the finest revolver ever made....
design, discontinued in 1915.
The Ruger Redhawk uses modern coil springs design instead of old fashioned leaf springs that are found in most modern revolvers. The revolvers also used a single spring for both the hammer and the trigger, and this meant that the force required to pull the trigger was higher than similar offerings from other manufacturers, and there was no way to adjust or correct this as it was inherent in the single-spring design.
The revolver has forward ramp sights with four different interchangeable sight inserts. The rear sights are fully adjustable featuring a white outline. The Redhawk is available with scope mounts and rings.
The Redhawk holds six rounds of ammunition in its cylinder and until recently was available with a 4 inch, 5.5 inch, or 7.5 inch barrel. A 4.2 inch barrel was also recently added to accommodate the Canadian rules for minimum barrel length (the same was later done for the GP 100 revolver) When introduced it was only offered in .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:...
. Later on .41 Magnum, .357 Magnum
.357 Magnum
The .357 S&W Magnum , or simply .357 Magnum, is a revolver cartridge created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, Colonel D. B. Wesson of firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson, and Winchester. It is based upon Smith & Wesson's earlier .38 Special cartridge. The .357 Magnum cartridge was introduced in...
/.38 Special
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
, and .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...
were added to the lineup. Gradually options in chambering were pared down, and by 2007 the Redhawk was again only offered in .44 Magnum. However, in 2008 Sturm, Ruger & Co. once again began marketing the Redhawk in .45 Colt chambering.
Success of the Redhawk
Despite plans to drop the Redhawk revolver with the introduction of the Super Redhawk, the Redhawk (with the barrel thread lubricant issue corrected) remains in production today. Many shooters prefer the more classic lines of the Redhawk, especially those who do not plan to use a scope.Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Ranulph Fiennes
Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE , better known as Ranulph Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records. He is also a prolific writer. Fiennes served in the British Army for eight years including a period on counter-insurgency service while...
carried a Redhawk on the 14 month long Fiennes-Burton Transglobal Expedition
Transglobe Expedition
In 1979, adventurers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Charles R. Burton set out to make the first circumpolar navigation, traveling the world "vertically" traversing both of the poles. Starting from Greenwich in the United Kingdom, they went south, arriving at the South Pole on December 17, 1980. Over the...
and used it to ward off a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
.
Problems with the Redhawk
Lubricant
A lubricant is a substance introduced to reduce friction between moving surfaces. It may also have the function of transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat...
used when attaching the barrels to the frames, but by that time the new 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:...
design was already well underway and the extended frame was kept.
External links
- History and Disassembly instructions of the Ruger Redhawk
- http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-Redhawk4.htm