Recommendation? Ruger Revolver

The Zieg

The Zieg

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2002
Messages
4,814
Not that I have loads of cash burning a hole in my pocket, and I'm well supplied with all the firearms I need, but I'm considering another handgun.

I love Ruger revolvers. The one I carry when in the saddle is a 3" SP-101 in .357 mag. It's cut for moon clips, sports a rubber Hogue grip and lanyard pommel screw, and lives in a custom flap holster by our own Dave Ferry. It's an outstanding SD revolver and with the Hogue grip and beefy Ruger frame it handles heavy .357 rounds nicely.

I also really enjoy my Rock Island 1911. I've kitted it out to resemble its original inspiration, the Remington Rand M1911A1. The elements of the Rock Island 1911A1FS are nearly identical to an original RR from the grip safety to the trigger serrations to the narrow hammer spur. I simply added an original WWII era RR mainspring housing with lanyard loop and a repro thumb safety, slid it into a repro 1912 cavalry holster, and I had all the .45 ACP fun I needed and a really comfortable rig in the saddle. One of these days I may scrounge an RR slide to complete the illusion, but that can wait.

Then there's the S&W model 25-5 I let get away from me in the mid 90s. Great shooter, a real looker with its black finish and 6" barrel, but what a beast to carry! It was good for canoe and car camping in the Washington and Alaska backwoods, but at the time I could barely afford ammo for it, let alone a quality holster to carry it. And forget backpacking with that thing! But I do miss shooting .45 Colt on occasion. There are plenty of options available in that round now, as well; from easy going cowboy action rounds to zippy SD loads to huge "deer bombs" for hunting.

So along comes to my attention the Ruger Redhawk in .45 ACP / .45 Colt! It's been out there a while, I just didn't know about it until last year. I was looking into a .45 ACP revolver after watching the shooting mutant who goes by the name Jerry Miculek; and the S&W M1917 in 2014's "Fury" was darn near the sixth character in the tank, so I was soon jonesing for a wheelgun in that round. In one package I can cover every base: Robust Ruger revolver reliability, .45 ACP and .45 Colt, SD from anything North America can dish out, and moon clips (the best speed loader I've found).

So I guess I sound like a fish with a hook in his mouth! Only one thing to ask: Anyone in the BF community with experience with this gun? Any reason to stay away?

Zieg

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I do not own that version but have handled and shot that version. Not that a .45 ACP has a harsh recoil it's more of a push than a sharp recoil ... but this heavy revolver basically eliminates felt recoil.

The only thing I wish was that they had left the orginal square butt grip rather than change it to the rounded grip ... It shoots great like you would expect from a Ruger ... but with hot handloads or hot Buffalo Bore loads in 45LC ... I personally would have preferred the square butt grip over the rounded butt grip.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
I do not own that version but have handled and shot that version. Not that a .45 ACP has a harsh recoil it's more of a push than a sharp recoil ... but this heavy revolver basically eliminates felt recoil.

The only thing I wish was that they had left the orginal square butt grip rather than change it to the rounded grip ... It shoots great like you would expect from a Ruger ... but with hot handloads or hot Buffalo Bore loads in 45LC ... I personally would have preferred the square butt grip over the rounded butt grip.
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I edited my post to show the round butt you're referring to. I'm not sure why Ruger went with that grip. I'm inclined to agree with you on the configuration. The fuller grip would possibly have absorbed the recoil of beefier .45 Colt rounds better. It has a more gentlemanly look with the rounded grip, though.

Zieg
 
If you think the 6" S&W 25-5 is a beast to carry, the 4" Redhawk is much more so. It will be wider and significantly heavier. If you have experience with .45 Colt you may know about heavy loads with heavier than normal bullets. Standard .45 Colt uses 255 grain bullets, but in a properly strong revolver you can load 340 grain bullets to significantly higher velocities- a good choice for game that requires significant penetration. The 4" Redhawk is the perfect carry gun for this type of ammo. It is much larger and heavier than what you would need for casual shooting of .45 Colt. If you want a revolver for fun shooting of .45 Colt ammo I would suggest the Blackhawk in whatever barrel length you like. If you are concerned about recoil with heavier loads then go for the Bisley version. If you want something light then go with the blue version with standard grip frame, I think those still come with aluminum grip frames.
 
Ive shot the Redhawk. I especially like it in .480.

No reason to stay away, if you handle it at the store and like it - its a Ruger, its practically indestructible.

Itll handle even stout .45 Colt loads like a champ.

Im a fan of the .45 Colt and would take that every day over a .44 Mag but thats just me. I have a shorty Vaq - its fun in .45 Colt.

You didnt state your use for this gun but have you considered the Ruger Blackhawk - its a SA instead of DA?

Mr. Miculek is a gentleman and just a nice guy to talk to - not that he is a friend of mine but Ive met him through a mutual buddy with whom I bumped into JM at SHOT.

He is a shooting machine!.

NB nice to see you write .45 Colt instead of 45 LONG Colt - no.such.thing.
 
bdmicarta said:
If you think the 6" S&W 25-5 is a beast to carry, the 4" Redhawk is much more so. It will be wider and significantly heavier. If you have experience with .45 Colt you may know about heavy loads with heavier than normal bullets. Standard .45 Colt uses 255 grain bullets, but in a properly strong revolver you can load 340 grain bullets to significantly higher velocities- a good choice for game that requires significant penetration. The 4" Redhawk is the perfect carry gun for this type of ammo. It is much larger and heavier than what you would need for casual shooting of .45 Colt. If you want a revolver for fun shooting of .45 Colt ammo I would suggest the Blackhawk in whatever barrel length you like. If you are concerned about recoil with heavier loads then go for the Bisley version. If you want something light then go with the blue version with standard grip frame, I think those still come with aluminum grip frames.
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Great advice! To clarify, it wasn't the bulk of the 25-5 that was the problem, it was the USS Missouri-length barrel that got in the way. But I don't backpack or canoe like I used to. Most of my carry is in a holster when I'm around the farm or in the saddle.

I'll go back and review the rest of your post. Thanks!

Zieg
 
The Zieg said:
I edited my post to show the round butt you're referring to. I'm not sure why Ruger went with that grip. I'm inclined to agree with you on the configuration. The fuller grip would possibly have absorbed the recoil of beefier .45 Colt rounds better. It has a more gentlemanly look with the rounded grip, though.

Zieg
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I quite like a rounded grip.

But then I shoot a birdshead .Vaq.

Birdshead revolvers are underrated and misunderstood.

They shoot fine - they just roll differently/absorb recoil differently than a square butt.

Ive put a Bisley hammer on my Vaq and the birdshead grip lines up the hammer perfectly.

Try the Ruger in the hand before deciding against it. You might like it.

If not, you could splurge on a Freedom Arms! They have a great grip with Bisley overtones. Just skip XMas pressies this year:D
 
It’s been an intense couple of days of reading and thinking but I’ve come to the conclusion this revolver is not for me. I think I will not be shooting enough .45 Colt to warrant it, and if ACP were to the mainstay of this gun for me, I would likely not be satisfied with the marginal accuracy reported by most of its owners. As reported above, it’s over heavy for a .45 ACP revolver from which I’d be shooting mostly 230gr hardball. I still love the idea of this gun, I’d still love to give one a try and have it be my trail gun, and the .45 Colt in its hottest loads is as much power as I’d ever need or want in a handgun, but I just can’t justify the purchase.

For those interested, there is an article published on Amazon Kindle by Denis Prisbrey, “Ruger Convertible .45 Colt / .45 ACP Redhawk,” The Prisbrey Report Volume 2015-3. It did as much to inform my decision as all the forum posts in other forums. Mr. Prisbrey did yeoman work putting together his results. His conclusion, that this gun is an outstanding shooter of .45 Colt that will also safely and reliably touch off .45 ACP, is well supported by his tests; so is his corollary, that its performance with .45 ACP is not strong enough if that is to be its primary diet.

Thanks for the replies here!

Zieg
 
Dang The Zieg The Zieg , I was getting all ready to build ya another Rangeflap holster! Last one I built was for a Ruger but much smaller, a LCP. Whatcha leaning towards now?
 
The Zieg said:
from which I’d be shooting mostly 230gr hardball. I still love the idea of this gun, I’d still love to give one a try and have it be my trail gun, and the .45 Colt in its hottest loads is as much power as I’d ever need or want in a handgun, but I just can’t justify the purchase.
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The Ruger is a very versatile revolver due to the wide range from standard or light .45ACP and .45 cowboy loads all the way up to the heaviest .45 Colt that you can load. However I always got the impression that .45ACP use was a secondary use of the gun- maybe you have some cheap ammo to use for practice, or in an emergency all you have is .45ACP. If I wanted to shoot mostly .45ACP and didn't need more power than .45ACP I would go for a S&W 625. It is smaller and lighter, and better designed to use .45ACP.

I wanted the Ruger specifically for its ability to handle the heaviest .45 Colt loads, but I don't go anywhere that I would actually need that, so I couldn't justify it either.
 
Horsewright said:
Dang The Zieg The Zieg , I was getting all ready to build ya another Rangeflap holster! Last one I built was for a Ruger but much smaller, a LCP. Whatcha leaning towards now?
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I'm leaning towards a dedicated .45 ACP revolver of some make. Then again, I so like the GP100 seven-shot!

Zieg
 
As others have touched upon, Im not for a convertible revolver.

A dedicated 45 Colt on the other hand is just fine.
 
Years ago I owned a .41 Mag Redhawk, it was a great shooter. I believe it was a 5". You will never shoot the thing loose. I'm a S&W guy and the 25 is one of my favorites, the Mountain Gun would be my choice. John Linebaugh, whom I trust, likes to keep it around 1,000 fps with a 255 grain Keith bullet. It will take most any big game within reason with a lot less recoil.
 
Yes, 255s is my preferred load as well.

The FA 97 is beyond awesome - the quality is staggering.

Yes, to call mr. Linebaugh an authority on the subject would be an understatement.

Id take his word for it as well.

A Linebaugh revolver and/or a Hamilton Bowen revolver would'nt be too shabby ... but I'd 'settle' for a Freedom Arms.
 
Horsewright said:
New leathr for my N Frame, a five inch 610. Been meaning to bulid this holster for many years and never got to it. Finally did:

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Great rig, Dave! And excellent photography, as always. I hadn't known about this revolver until your post. Is yours the later version with the internal firing pin?

Zieg
 
Thanks @ Zieg. Nope, old style, its got it on the hammer. I bought it new and have had it its whole life. Carry it a lot on the ranch particularly if going back into the big country where there are lions, tigers and bears oh my.

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In its old holster a couple of three weeks ago:

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Its a convertible without being a convertible. As the 10mm works on half moon or full moon clips in this revolver so does the .40 cal. No change in accuracy that way. Stellar with both.
 
The Zieg The Zieg been thinking about this a lot. If I lived in one of the Free States of America like you do I would look strongly at the Colt Delta Elite or something similar. Can't get one here in The Peoples Republik of Kalifornia but if I could it sure be at the top of my short list and I think our needs and wants on this are similar. Be a great boonie gun on the ranch.
 
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