Which .45, Redhawk or S&W 25 Series?

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Scowboy

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I'm on the verge of finally being able to buy my big, modern DA revolver in .45 Colt, something I've been waiting for a long time. Ruger and Smith both make good guns, and this is easily going to be the most expensive gun purchase of my life, maybe the most expensive I'll ever make (unless I stumble across an absolutely ridiculous deal). Since I can only afford one, I'm looking for opinions on which to buy, and why y'all have that position.

So, the question is, if you could only get one, which would you go with as a woods defense sidearm in .45 Colt? Truthfully, it's going to be a very general purpose gun, but it's woods use is why I want to be able to do warmer loads.

I want to be able to shoot up to lesser +P rounds (Buffalo Bore tells me their 300gr/ 1200fps is safe out of the S&W). I have experience with Rugers, owned a couple, and shoot em when I go to a range with a rental counter. I like the fact they'll handle heavier rounds than I can and I love the look of a Redhawk. I have no direct experience with S&W, but have always heard they're the best shooting large-scale production revolvers out there. I haven't heard of too many people getting rid of an S&W revolver in disgust. And, I tend to see more of these floating around than I do .45 Redhawks.

So, which would y'all pick and why? Remember, I can only get one!:p

Thanks!
 
Dangerous game loads, Redhawk. Cool or at least unusual factor: 25-7 with the non-fluted cylinder, sweet SA trigger and matte finish.
 
I would go with the Redhawk if you're planning on doing a steady diet of heavy duty loads through it. My brother had a Redhawk in .44 Magnum for when he lived in Alaska and I had a chance to play with it for awhile and was very impressed with the overall build quality and handling of the 5 1/2" barrel model.
 
I myself was going back and forth over Ruger Redhawk vs S&W .45. I was going to get a .45 Redhawk 5050 that shoots both .45 Colt and .45 ACP (with moon clips). That feature was the winning feature over the S&W.

I have since changed my mind and am looking at a Blackhawk Convertible, but for what you want I would lean toward the Redhawk.
 
CraigC said:
The S&W is not gonna tolerate very many 300's at 1200fps. Meanwhile the Redhawk can do better than that with 400's.
Click to expand...

How many is “many” 300’s at 1200 fps, in your opinion? For our discussion, let’s consider this a “heavy” load category for the OP’s stated purpose. And what, in your opinion, does your idea of “tolerate” mean?

Three facts. (1) I’ve got a S&W Mountain gun, stainless 4” with a few thousand in this “heavy” category. (2) I’ve got a S&W 6” blued with about a thousand in this “heavy” category. (3) Buffalo Bore told the OP that 300gr at 1200fps is safe out the S&W.

Heavy 45 Colt bullets I use in my lever guns, Rugers and S&W’s include:
Cast Performance lead cast 335 grain Wide Flat Nose Gas Check
Missouri Bullet Company lead cast 325 grain hard cast Hi-Tek coated Slammer 18 Brinnel hardness
Cast Performance lead cast 300 grain Wide Flat Nose Gas Check
Speer 300 grain jacketed soft point
Hornady 300 grain jacketed magnum XTP
Hornady 300 grain jacketed XTP
 
Scowboy said:
So, the question is, if you could only get one, which would you go with as a woods defense sidearm in .45 Colt? Truthfully, it's going to be a very general purpose gun, but it's woods use is why I want to be able to do warmer loads.

I want to be able to shoot up to lesser +P rounds (Buffalo Bore tells me their 300gr/ 1200fps is safe out of the S&W)
Click to expand...

I’m assuming your “woods defense” means North American woods defense?

Both are fine guns, in my opinion. I own both brands. I have a preference for accuracy, and for this reason, I would choose the S&W over the Ruger Redhawk for a double action gun.

That being said, my Ruger Blackhawk Hunter, single action, is more accurate than all of my double action S&W Model 25’s, but I did a lot of gunsmith work on the Blackhawk Hunter to make it so. Definitely not an “out of the box” gun.

An out of the box S&W Model 25 will be more accurate than a out of the box Ruger Blackhawk or Redhawk in my experience.
 
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Get the Redhawk if you wanna shoot heavy stuff, it's many times stronger than an N frame Smith.

Also a 300gr load at 1200 isn't close to the ceiling if heavy 45 Colt stuff. The factory load I use in my Blackhawk is 325 at 1350 out of my gun
 
Scowboy said:
I haven't heard of too many people getting rid of an S&W revolver in disgust.
Click to expand...

I wasn’t going to bring this up, but I reread your post after reading what @Ru4real had to say about “how many” of these heavier loads you think you will be shooting. I will get to that in a moment.
I got rid of a new model S&W “in disgust”. I will not bore you with the details, but I had a model 60 Pro, a so-called “Performance Center” made revolver that had to go back to S&W 4 times for the same issue that they never fully resolved. I am still mad at them over it. Also, I bought a model 63 a few months back that had to go back because the barrel to cylinder gap was off kilter. Needless to say, I am biased.

Anyway, about the question that @Ru4real asked regarding the number of heavier loads you plan to shoot. You say you want this as a “woods gun”. Your location is not shown in your avatar thingie, but unless your in a part of the country where man eating animals exist heavy hard hitting “Ruger Only” type loads are not necessary.
Standard load.45 Colt hard cast or hunting ammo is definitely not a slouch load choice for handling any animal encounters in the lower 48 states.
 
I have owned both brands in the past. Rugers are certainly overbuilt for the job. Bill Ruger liked them that way and his choice of manufacturing methods required a bit more metal for safety. They are all heavy for the cartridge they chamber.

S&W is a lighter weight revolver. Well built and classic in design.

Both are having QC issues so let’s leave that out of the mix.

It really boils down to how much “over power” loads you want to shoot and how much weight you feel like carrying.

My choice?
CD156A11-6F94-4688-8AF2-5FC45129D837.jpeg

Kevin
 
Scowboy said:
I want to be able to shoot up to lesser +P rounds (Buffalo Bore tells me their 300gr/ 1200fps is safe out of the S&W)
Click to expand...
So you aren't shooting the nuclear boomers. Get the one that feels the best in your hands.

I am doing the same search as you but I already know that the Redhawk is #2 on the list based on handling both guns. Being #2 is not a deal breaker.
 
Can't go wrong with either, tho the Smith will probably take on average a couple extra Benjis out of your wallet.
Redhawk in 45, and I have been looking recently until I got the blackhawk, aren't easy to come by, new or used. The convertible Redhawk be a nice gun, again, if you can find one someone doesn't want a million dollars for.

Guess it's what kinda $' you want to spend, but ill give the edge in gun strength to the Redhawk(or Blackhawk) over the Smith. Ill never load my blackhawk up any higher than the tier 1 or 2 loads....Ive got a SRH in 454 Casull for that....
 
Given your options, if I wanted a do anything 45 Colt, it would be a 5.5 inch Redhawk cut for moonclips. You could run 800 fps self defense loads in 45 colt and carry 45 acp moonclips for the city, and carry the Redhawk only loads for the woods.

The Smith is a good carry gun for the woods, particularly in the mountain gun format, but, from my reading, can only last about 1000 rounds of the heavy stuff before the timing gets off. I don't have any personal experience with that, but this is what I have found from my readings.
 
It helps to read the fine print. These loads are not 1200fps because they're lower in pressure. They're 1200fps because they're loaded shorter for the FA97 and leverguns. I also see no mention of S&W's. So as I said, I would use them very sparingly. Just as I use full pressure .44Mag very sparingly in my N-frames. They shoot loose, that is also a fact. I'll take the word of my gunsmith who is on his 29th model 29. There are reasons why Bill Ruger eliminated the sideplate in his designs.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=149


Scowboy said:
I haven't heard of too many people getting rid of an S&W revolver in disgust.
Click to expand...
Several years ago, I got rid of a .38-44 that was completely worn out. I sent one back to the Gunbroker seller last year because it has issues right out of the box and cost too much to have to get it fixed.
 
I didn't see this in your post but have you handled both of these gun yet to see how they feel? I'm a S&W fan, but I do have a couple Rugers in the stable. I've wanted to like the Redhawk, but the grip angle is wrong for me. It just doesn't naturally sit in my hand like the S&W guns do. As such I decided against going with a Redhawk. From the Ruger family the Blackhawk felt much better in my hand and I picked up on in 44mag that is a really good tack driver. For me I wouldn't make a decision on which one until you've had a chance to handle them. Sure you can go with a Redhawk, but if it feels and points like a block of wood you will not enjoy shooting it.
 
In Linebaugh's writings he states that the later S&W 25s without the pinned barrel are good for up to 25 kpsi loads, which are more like a 255 gr @ 1100 fps. Still plenty stout enough for anything in the lower 48, man or beast. As I have a couple 454 Casulls for the really heavy loads, I prefer the S&W.
 
I have both. The Ruger is no doubt the stronger of the two. Mine has a half-way decent trigger. The S&W has the better fit and finish and the smoother trigger of the two. The accuracy is about even between the two.

If I was planning a steady diet of heavy loads I would go with the Ruger.
 
I love (older) S&W revolvers, and Rugers have never done much of anything for me, but for your stated purposes the Redhawk is the easy pick.
 
mcb said:
The Ruger Redhawk is one of the uglier of not the ugliest double action revolver I have seen.
Click to expand...

Yes, Ruger DA/SA revolvers look frumpy to me but I cannot fault their robustness. I'm an S&W fan but I do have a few Ruger DA/SA revolvers, mostly because of the cartridges they are chambered in (45 Colt, 44 Special, 327 Fed Mag).

As far as the OP's question, I am not a fan of hot rodding cartridges no matter how strong the gun is. I know many disagree with this. If one wants to shoot higher performance ammunition, get a gun chambered for a higher performance round.

So, my suggestion choose the gun that fits you the best and looks the best to you.
 
mcb said:
45 Colt belong in a single action, and I don't even like single action revolvers. The S&W 25/625 should be 45 ACP cause moonclips rule! The Ruger Redhawk is one of the uglier of not the ugliest double action revolver I have seen. I will show myself out...
Click to expand...

Hold on just a second before you show yourself out sir. You say .45Colt belongs in a single action revolver while at the same time saying a auto cartridge belongs in a revolver!! Absolute blasphemy you maverick.
Just having a bit of fun of course...:D
 
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