Couple of Redhawk quesitons

Congratulations on your purchase of a heavy, unwieldy massive chunk of steel that shoots through schools!
I love Redhawks. Where did you check for the manufacture date? I'd like to see when mine was made.

Anyway, for mounting scope, I think you'll need a set of Ruger's proprietary rings. They look like this.



Pachmayr grips are available and, while this really varies from person to person, I think they suck. They feel too long and narrow. That last part doesn't help with recoil - sure they place a few milimeters of rubber padding between the hand and the gun's metal backstrap, but this is offset by the factory grips being comfortably wide. Though they could use some texturing, I agree.

Plus the Pachmayr Presentation grip happens to be so hideous I tossed mine in an ammo can for ten years, and only dug it out for this amazing photo op. I think there's something growing on them.


Here's a pic of the gun with regular stocks, just because.


I would suggest making a speedloader cut in the factory grips, after getting a spare pair. Smith and Wesson revolvers have this - the factory stocks are always indented on the left side, just for speedloaders, and this also provides a more comfortable thumb rest.

No direct experience, Maurice, but I asked the same grip question a while back. Some people like Pachmayr's grips, but most claim they're too narrow near the back to make recoil comfortable. I don't know about use with speedloaders. Most guys recommended Hogue wood grips, which I think are textured.

Hogue also makes a rubber grip, but it leaves the backstrap uncovered. I haven't heard how comfortable they are.

I can't answer your question about grips, but I love my Redhawk and am sure you will as well!

First off, your Redhawk may be old enough not to have been milled for scope rings from the factory. Mine's about an '82 model and it doesn't have them. A former roommate bought one in '84 and it did.

I have the Pachmyr grips without the finger notches. It was substantially better at lessening recoil vs the stockers. More surface area to spread the load, and better grip on a hot, sweaty day.

meowhead, go to the ruger website. they have a section there to look it up from your serial number.

kanook said:

ruger website

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Aha, thanks. I just learned mine is 1987 manufacture.

Wolfeye mentioned Hogue rubber grips for these guns.


I have a set of these..somewhere..unless I threw them away, which is very likely. These one-piece grips fill in the space between trigger guard and frame, and shift the hand downward in attempt to make the gun feel more like an automatic. It doesn't work.

I have 5 1/2" Redhawks in .44 and .45. Both have Pachmayr Presentation grips. I tried the Pachmayr Gripper grip, but felt it was a little too narrow for me.

I have a set like is pictured on my 41 and a set of Presentation's on my 44. Both are 7.5" and I would love to find a 45 to go with them.

I prefer the longer barrels for hunting. Speaking of which, your scope mount might have been one of these,

Weaver Pistol Systems
An all steel yoke tightens on the frame for recoil-proof performance. This system, with quick detachable medium rings included, offers versatility for scope changes and makes your pistol a more accurate tool for hunting and shooting.

I used one for years on my 44 and it held up real well, except for when I moved up to some 300gr loads. For everything I shot in 180 - 240 it held up just fine and I managed many 1" groups at 100yds with it. Sometimes ift was fun to pull out at the range, shoot a cylinder through it then ask the fellow next to me if he mided checking my group with his spotting scope. Man some of the looks I got.

Enjoy yours they are wonderful. One of the best loads I have for mine uses 23grs of 296 Win WLP primers and the Remington 240gr SJHP. They changed it up some through the years and the scalloped jacket isn't as pronounced as it used to be. It will still however put the whollop on anything you stick it to.

I have a 5.5" Redhawk and have put a set of Pachmayr Decelerator grips on it

They do work for taming recoil and, so far, I like them.

The thing about the Ruger Redhawk is, well, it's such a fragile gun. Still, you should be able to get three...maybe four boxes of full house loads through it before parts start falling off it and hairline cracks begin appearing in the cylinder and topstrap. It was never meant to be fired more than one or two rounds per year.

Still, you may have one that lasts somewhat longer.

Actually, it's not surprising the gun is in great shape. The things are horse pistols. You can put a scope on it, but I suspect it will weigh a hefty amount, but sure, I'd rather have the shorter tube on it any day.

I have a S&W 629 that's a beauty. It never has been shot and yet it has one of the slickest actions on it that I've ever seen. It has a 6-inch barrel and this is ideal. Anything longer is just a pain, in my view. Trying to use a speed loader on any .44 mag seems to be a bit strange to me. Even so, try HKS. I've had the best luck with them.

The thing about the Ruger Redhawk is, well, it's such a fragile gun. Still, you should be able to get three...maybe four boxes of full house loads through it before parts start falling off it and hairline cracks begin appearing in the cylinder and topstrap. It was never meant to be fired more than one or two rounds per year.

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I am not sure where you are buying your redhawks. I have a pair of SPR in 7 1/2" with several hundred rounds fired through each. Not a single problem yet. My S&W 29 developed timing issues after shooting some heavier loads through it. I love my smith but it in no where near as tough as the redhawks. Just my .02

I am not sure where you are buying your redhawks. I have a pair of SPR in 7 1/2" with several hundred rounds fired through each. Not a single problem yet. My S&W 29 developed timing issues after shooting some heavier loads through it. I love my smith but it in no where near as tough as the redhawks. Just my .02

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I think the fragile comments are tounge in cheek. Selling my Redhawk 20 years ago is still the one I regret the most. I have a Blackhawk & love it, but it is just a different shooting experience. I had Pachmayer Decelerators on mine & loved them. I could ring a 75 yd. gong all day with that gun--No need for a scope @ the .44 Mag distances you should be shooting. If you want to go out further, do your quarry a favor & use a rifle! Just my .02.

The thing about the Ruger Redhawk is, well, it's such a fragile gun. Still, you should be able to get three...maybe four boxes of full house loads through it before parts start falling off it and hairline cracks begin appearing in the cylinder and topstrap. It was never meant to be fired more than one or two rounds per year.

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I am not sure what you have been smoking(tongue-n-cheek) but I have had several Redhawks thru the years and I have shot thousands, yes, I said thousands of full power loads thru them. Not a single problem and I have several friends who used to shoot them in silhouette and shot a lot more than I did. You couldn't break the big suckers. My 5 1/2" model was so much like new when I sold it, I cleaned it, put it back in the box and when I showed it to a friend who was in the gun business, he asked me if it had ever been shot. And this is after several thousand loads with 20+ grains of Alliant 2400 and the Keith 250 grain bullets. that is a 1250-1300 fps load.

Love the smell of a fired Redhawk. 5.5" and the only problem with grips is yea speedloaders and the little screw groove rubs on my finger gripping it. and trigger finger gets sore after couple boxes.

I have the older Redhawk as well with the Decelerator grips, I love it.
It also has the weaver rail and a Leopold scope, I had to use loctite on the threads and have shot everything from rat shot to 320gr. bear loads in mine and nothing has fallen off from the frame, but yes the scope mount screws did back off for awhile.

Being a stainless barrel though gave me problems with leading so I try to use only jacketed bullets now.

This is a subject of interest to me, too-- a 4" Redhawk is almost certainly going to be my next gun purchase. I've got a SRH Alaskan in .454 that is the most pleasant-to-shoot magnum revolver I've ever fired, and I'm pretty sure it's mostly because of the great design of the grips. The 1/4" or so of gel that lines the backstrap does a great job of taking the sting out of the .454's.

I've done my very best with google and the THR search function, and it seems nobody makes a grip that cushions the backstrap of the Redhawk. The closest you can get is the Pachmayr grip, which looks like it has a little bit of rubber running down the backstrap but at the same time puts your grip on the gun so far down that the increase in barrel axis would probably do away with any gains in comfort. Whatever. I'll still get one. I got used to .44 mag recoil on a 629 Classic, and now the Alaskan has me getting soft. Can't have that...

Granted I have not tried pachmer grips on a Redhawk but I do use them on my encore pistol and contender. The encore is chambered in .308 win and the contender is a .35 rem. Putting the decelartor gips on both guns has taken most of the bite out of these two hand cannons. The .308 with a 15" barrel was not all that bad to begin with. The lighter contender with a 12" .35 rem was a handfull before and now it is fairly comfortable to shoot.

I am not sure what you have been smoking(tongue-n-cheek)

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It might be relevant that his post was made on the first of April...