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Super Redhawk | |
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Type | Revolver |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | Robert, Nixon |
Designed | 1987 |
Manufacturer | Sturm, Ruger |
Produced | 1987–present |
Specifications | |
Mass | 1502 g / 53 oz / 3.3125 lbs (unloaded) |
Length | 194 mm / 7.62 in (2.5" barreled Alaskan) [1] 330 mm / 13 in (7.5" barrel) or 381 mm / 15 in (9.5" barrel) [2] |
Caliber | 10mm Auto, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger |
Action | Double action |
Feed system | 5 or 6 shot cylinder |
Sights | Fixed front and adjustable rear, with scope rail |
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. [3]
The Super Redhawk was introduced late in 1987, in .44 Magnum with 7.5- and 9.5-inch barrel lengths. [3] The final product used the same trigger design and same grip panels as the .357 Magnum GP100, but had a larger, stronger frame with integrated scope bases. The Super Redhawk received positive reviews, edging out similar offerings from Smith & Wesson in accuracy and price. [3]
The Super Redhawk is only available in stainless steel with a number of finishes. [3] The standard finish is brushed steel, with a semi-gloss look. Polished, high-gloss versions have also been offered in the past. Stainless steel one-inch scope rings are included, using the standard Ruger lockup common to all Ruger integral bases. These rings easily allow removing the scope from the handgun, without significantly altering zero or eye-relief, once the scope is re-installed. The Super Redhawk uses different front and rear rings, with the rear ring being shorter than the front ring due to differences in frame height. [3]
Despite plans to drop the Ruger Redhawk revolver with the introduction of the Super Redhawk, the original Redhawk remains in production as of 2022 [update] . [3] Many shooters prefer the more classic lines of the Redhawk, especially those who do not plan to use a scope. [3] The Redhawk is also available with different barrel lengths, 4, 5.5 and 7.5 inches. [3]
Versions of the Super Redhawk with 20-inch barrels were produced for the UK market with serial numbers in the 551-5xxxx and 551-7xxxx range.[ citation needed ] Model numbers were KSRH-21-357 (.357 Magnum) and KSRH-21 (.44 Magnum). 200 were made in total evenly split between .357 and .44 for the importers.[ citation needed ] The vast majority had their length cut down for competition shooting and only a small handful remain in the original long barrelled version.
Introduced in 1997, the Super Redhawk chambered in .454 Casull was the first six-shot revolver in that caliber.[ citation needed ] The Freedom Arms cylinder and numerous conversions only hold 5 rounds. To handle the extreme pressures of the .454 Casull without changing the design of the cylinder, Ruger used a different alloy and heat treatment process to increase its strength, omitting the cylinder flutes found on the Ruger Redhawk. The frame is identical to the standard Super Redhawk, but features a target grey finish produced by tumbling the parts in special polishing media. [3]
The .454 Casull model is actually marked as ".454 Casull /.45 Colt", and is also capable of shooting the shorter .45 Colt cartridge. While the .45 Colt is less powerful than the .454 Casull, it costs less to shoot and has much less muzzle blast and recoil, while offering improved barrel life. [3]
The year 2001 saw the release of Ruger's first cartridge, the .480 Ruger, developed for the Super Redhawk. The .480 Ruger is built on the same frame as the .454 Casull, and was introduced as a six-shot model. While the .480 Ruger is not loaded to the rifle-like pressures of the .454 Casull, the bigger (.475 caliber, 12 mm) bore allows the use of heavier bullets than the .454 Casull, making it a good choice for handgun hunting. The .480 Ruger operates at far lower pressures than the .454 Casull, making it more comfortable to shoot.
The standard Hornady 325 gr JHP .480 Ruger cartridge can produce a muzzle velocity of 1350 ft/s (405 m/s) and generates one-third more muzzle energy than the standard .44 Magnum cartridge, with substantially less recoil than other big-bore hunting handgun cartridges. The large, heavy bullet still offers excellent penetration for big game hunting.
Although muzzle energy is below the .454 Casull (energy figures are not the only, or the best method of comparing bullet effectiveness, as caliber and bullet construction are not taken into consideration), the .480 Ruger's larger caliber, and heavier bullet selection, offers Taylor Knock-out values (TKO) equal to, or better than, traditional .454 loads. The cartridge accomplishes this with less recoil, concussion, and muzzle blast, due to its lower operating pressures.
In 2007, Ruger temporarily ceased production of the .480 Ruger models due to fired case extraction issues and popular demand. The fired case extraction issues resulted from individuals loading cartridges to pressures that were not meant to be for the 480 Ruger cartridge. [3] After analyzing the problem, Ruger decided to start fitting the .480 Ruger models with 5-shot, rather than the original 6-shot, cylinders. [3] With this release, Ruger also changed to Hogue Monogrip grips. [3] After a couple years off of the line-up, Ruger re-introduced the .480 Ruger model, again with the original 6-shot configuration, in January 2013.[ citation needed ] Like the current .454 Casull and .44 Magnum versions, it now sports a "conventional" satin stainless-steel finish, along with the Hogue Monogrips.
In 2018, Ruger released a version of the Super Redhawk chambered in 10mm Auto.This variant features a 6.5-inch (170 mm) barrel and uses full moon clips to eject rounds from the cylinder. Rounds may be inserted and fired without the clips, but will require manual ejection with some type of rod. [4]
Ruger Redhawk: Alaskan | |
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Type | Revolver |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Sturm, Ruger & Company |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) |
Length | 7.6 in (190 mm) |
Barrel length | 2.5 in (64 mm) |
Caliber | .480 Ruger, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull |
Action | Double-action revolver |
Feed system | Six-round cylinder, five-shot cylinder on 2008 and later .480 Ruger |
Introduced in 2005, the Ruger Alaskan is Ruger's first short-barrelled, big-bore revolver, conceived by Ruger president Steve Sanetti and intended for defense against large, dangerous animals. [5] [6] The 2.5-inch (64 mm) barrel on the Alaskan ends at the edge of the frame, and the scope bases are omitted. [5] The interchangeable front sight is replaced with a pinned-in ramp sight, but the adjustable rear sight is retained. The Alaskan is available in .44 Magnum, .454 Casull/.45 Colt, and .480 Ruger; with the .480 model originally with a six-shot cylinder, but replaced in 2008 with a five-shot model to aid in spent cartridge extraction. [5] All Alaskans feature a brushed stainless finish and a Hogue Tamer rubber finger groove grip, rather than the standard GP100 style grips. [5] The .454 and .480 versions have an unfluted cylinder while the .44 Magnum features a fluted cylinder. [5]
The advantage of such a short barrel is that it can be quickly drawn from a chest holster which is typically out of the way while performing outdoor activities such as fly fishing, hiking, etc. However, the primary trade off for using such a short barrel with a high power cartridge is the loss of projectile kinetic energy out of the muzzle. The factory loaded .454 Casull Hornady XTP is rated by the manufacturer at 1650 feet per second out of a 7.5-inch (190 mm) barrel. The Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan sacrifices 300 feet per second with its 2.5-inch (64 mm) barrel. [7]
In August 2009, Greg Brush from Soldotna, Alaska, was walking his dog when an Alaskan brown bear charged him. Drawing his .454 Casull Ruger Alaskan while rapidly backpedaling, he fired three shots in quick succession into the bear; followed by a fourth and final shot. The fifth round failed to discharge due to an ammunition failure interfering with the cylinder rotation. The animal was stopped 10 feet (3.0 m) beyond Brush's original starting position. [8] [9]
The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR is a smokeless powder cartridge with a 0.357 in (9.07 mm) bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. Wesson of firearm manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Winchester. The .357 Magnum cartridge is notable for its highly effective terminal ballistics.
The Smith & Wesson Model 29 is a six-shot, double-action revolver chambered for the .44 Magnum cartridge and manufactured by the United States company Smith & Wesson.
The .454 Casull is a firearm cartridge, developed as a wildcat cartridge in 1958 by Dick Casull, Duane Marsh and Jack Fullmer. It was announced in November 1959 by Guns & Ammo magazine. The design is a lengthened and structurally improved .45 Colt case. The wildcat cartridge went mainstream when Freedom Arms brought a single action five-shot revolver chambered in .454 Casull to the retail firearms market in 1983. Ruger followed in 1997, chambering its Super Redhawk in this caliber. Taurus followed with the Raging Bull model in 1998 and the Taurus Raging Judge Magnum in 2010. The .45 Schofield and .45 Colt cartridges can fit into the .454's chambers, but not the other way around because of the lengthened case.
The .45 Colt (11.43×33mmR), is a rimmed, straight-walled, handgun cartridge dating to 1872. It was originally a black-powder revolver round developed for the Colt Single Action Army revolver. This cartridge was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 and served as an official US military handgun cartridge for 19 years, before being replaced by the .38 Long Colt in 1892.
The .44 Remington Magnum, also known as .44 Magnum or 10.9x33mmR, is a rimmed, large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers and quickly adopted for carbines and rifles. Despite the ".44" designation, guns chambered for the .44 Magnum round, its parent case, the .44 Special, and its parent case, the .44 Russian all use 0.429 in (10.9 mm) diameter bullets. The .44 Magnum is based on the .44 Special case but lengthened and loaded to higher pressures for greater velocity and energy.
The .480 Ruger (12.1×33mmR) is a large, high-power revolver cartridge, introduced in 2003 by Ruger and Hornady. It was the first new cartridge introduced by Ruger, and when introduced, was the largest-diameter production revolver cartridge, at .475 in (12.1 mm).
The .475 Linebaugh is a rimmed revolver cartridge developed by John Linebaugh in the late 1980s in response to the scarcity of the .348 Winchester brass required to form his .500 Linebaugh cartridge. The cartridge is based on the .45-70 Government case trimmed to 1.4 inches and loaded with .475-inch-diameter (12.1 mm) bullets. While dimensionally similar to the older .45 Silhouette cartridge, the .475 Linebaugh is loaded to considerably higher pressures, resulting in significantly different ballistic performance.
The Raging Bull is a revolver manufactured by the Brazilian Taurus International firearm company.
The Smith & Wesson Model 500 is a five-shot, double/single action large-caliber revolver produced by Smith & Wesson, firing the .500 S&W Magnum cartridge.
The .460 S&W Magnum round is a powerful revolver cartridge designed for long-range handgun hunting in the Smith & Wesson Model 460 revolver.
The Ruger Blackhawk is a six-shot, single-action revolver manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. It is produced in a variety of finishes, calibers, and barrel lengths.
The Marlin Model 336 is a lever-action rifle and carbine made by Marlin Firearms. Since its introduction in 1948, it has been offered in a number of different calibers and barrel lengths, but is commonly chambered in .30-30 Winchester or .35 Remington, using a 20- or 24-inch barrel. Currently, the model with a 24-inch barrel is only available in .30-30 Winchester. The Model 336 is now back in production as of March 27, 2023.
The GP100 is a family/line of double action five-, six-, seven-, or ten-shot revolvers made by Sturm, Ruger & Co., manufactured in the United States. Since its introduction, it has been produced with a number of variations including various barrel lengths and profiles, fixed or adjustable sights, and in blued carbon steel or stainless steel.
A snubnosed revolver is a small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than 4 inches in length. Smaller such revolvers are often made with "bobbed" or "shrouded" hammers and there are also "hammerless" models ; the point is to allow the gun to be drawn with little risk of it snagging on clothing. Since the external movement of the mechanism is minimal or nil, shrouded and hammerless models may be fired from within clothing. The design of these revolvers compromises range and accuracy at a distance in favor of maneuverability and ease of carry and concealment.
The Ruger Redhawk is a DA/SA, large-frame revolver introduced in 1979 by Sturm, Ruger & Company.
A super magnum is a longer and/or more powerful version of a "magnum" cartridge. Although the term "super magnum" typically refers to a handgun cartridge, created by lengthening an existing straight-case design, it can also refer to rifle and shotgun cartridges, such as the .17 Winchester Super Magnum and the 31⁄2" 12 Gauge Super Magnum. In this case, it simply denotes that it is of greater power than existing "magnums" of a similar caliber or gauge, this is comparable to other designations, such as the "Remington Ultra Magnum". The most widespread of these cartridges are the "SuperMag" family of super-magnum handgun cartridges that were proposed and tested by Elgin Gates in the 1970s.
Smith & Wesson Model 460 is a large bore five-shot, single-action/double-action revolver by Smith & Wesson chambered for the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge. It was designed as a hunting and dangerous game defensive revolver for use in Africa and Alaska. The revolver is built on the company's largest and strongest frame, known as the X-Frame, and represents a joint effort among Smith & Wesson, Hornady, and Cor-Bon.
Freedom Arms is a Freedom, Wyoming based firearm manufacturing company, known for producing powerful single-action revolvers. The company was founded in 1978 by Wayne Baker and Dick Casull to produce the Mini-Revolver, then later a revolver chambered in Casull's powerful .454 Casull revolver cartridge. This 5-shot revolver was the Model 83. Freedom Arms currently makes a single-shot pistol in addition to their revolvers.
The .500 S&W Magnum or 12.7×41mmSR is a .50 caliber semi-rimmed revolver cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in partnership with the Smith & Wesson "X-Gun" engineering team for use in the Smith & Wesson Model 500 X-frame revolver and introduced in February 2003 at the SHOT Show. From its inception, it was intended to be the most powerful handgun cartridge to date, with the capacity to harvest all North American game species. While more powerful handgun cartridges, such as the .500 Bushwhacker, have emerged since, they are only available in custom firearms, and the .500 S&W remains the most powerful production handgun cartridge.
Richard J. Casull was a Salt Lake City-born gunsmith and wildcat cartridge developer whose experiments with .45 Colt ammunition in the 1950s led to the creation of the .454 Casull cartridge. Casull's passion was six-shooters, and he was determined to create a high velocity round for the .45 Colt. His goal was to achieve a muzzle velocity of 2,000 feet per second with Colt .45 rounds fired from a single-action Army-style revolver with a 7+1⁄2inch barrel. This proved impossible due to the tensile strength of the Colt .45 cylinder, so he set out to develop his own casing and bullet.