Compared Ruger & Smith 4" 44s today

[countryrebel]

I was at sportmans warehouse today and compared the new ruger redhawk 4"
44 and the s&w 4" 44 629 and they were both very nice guns.The ruger locked up fairly tight but not as tight as the smith,also the trigger was not that great either.I think if I would have bought one it would have been the smith.
And on a side note I also looked at a super redhawk in 44mag.I have always liked these guns but they have always left something to be desired.
Years back my older brother bought one with the 7.5" barrel.The cylinder holes were machined wrong and the fired cases had to be hammered out because they were jammed,yes it was different types of factory ammo.So he took it back to the gun shop and ruger sent another gun.This time, the new gun ejected the casings fine but after a dozen rounds the gun locked up.You could not open the cylinder or pull the hammer,nothing.Discouraged he took the second gun back and got his money back.So after all these years I figured I might give them a look again.As I was fondling the super redhawk today I noticed the lockup was pretty good and the trigger not to bad.So as I was pulling the hammer back and lowering it to check things out I noticed the hammer was pulling back pretty hard,a lot more than the redhawk 4".Well wouldnt ya know it, it locked up,tighter than ****.The guy behind the counter came over and he could not get anything to work on it.He kinda looked at me like I did something to it.So he just put it back on the wall and walked off.I told the wife screw this crap I am not buying any gun from here or a super redhawk for that matter.I guess I will have to keep my reliable taurus M44 for hunting and add a first for me S&W revolver because third time was not a charm for the super redhawk 44.

 

[Neophyte1]

Ruger

Disappointing report: from a Ruger owner and shooter. Super Redhawk 7.5- 15yrs and will have a Redhawk. Crappy dealers\\\\\\\\ wow
I have a couple of Smiths; there is something about the Ruger

 

[Bear41mag]

My Redhawk .44 has thousands of rounds through it without a problem and the trigger just keeps getting better and better, and its never shot out of time. I think every gun forum you go on has horror stories about one gun company or the other. As far as I'm concerned, as soon as I can get a 4" Redhawk in 45 colt I'll happily add that to my battery.

 

[GunNut]

Sounds like a pretty normal comparison.

S&W has a better trigger and tighter lock up and Ruger is lose and the trigger is not that great.

Having said that both guns shoot great and will last a lifetime if not abused. The Ruger trigger can also be fixed if necessary, but I usually find dry firing helps it.

 

[wheelgunslinger]

as soon as I can get a 4" Redhawk in 45 colt I'll happily add that to my battery

Me too.

Handguns are machines. Machines have manufacturing variances, they malfunction, and they break. It's not improbable for a person to have 2 in a row that fail. The odds are slim, but obviously it can happen.

However, I wouldn't blame you for not buying one. There's no way I'd feel comfortable staking my life on a weapon I'd seen malfunction so many times.

But stuff happens. Sometimes it happens twice or thrice. Such is life.

 

[jmt1271]

The only Ruger I have ever owned was a model 77(IIRC) youth model in .243. I bought it for my daughter but she didnt get into hunting as I had hoped she would. Sold it to a buddy and he is still using it and loving it. Great little gun and problem free. My dad is a big Ruger guy. Probably has a half a dozen or so. Mostly single actions. Been loading hot rounds for them for 15 years and ZERO problems. He swears by them. Maybe you have just been unlucky.

 

[buttrap]

I have a few Ruger rifles, well probably more than just a few and dont have any gripes with the things. Revolver wise the last one I had was a Blackhawk in .41. After a lot of work and $$s later it got me by till I found a deal on a Smith 57 no dash gun.

 

[countryrebel]

I really like rugers and have had many of them over the years but I could not believe that paticular model with three different guns that I have handled or shot had problems.Maybe I should play the lottery.

 

[ravencon]

I also recently compared 4" bbl .44 magnums. I purchased the Redhawk.

The S&W M29 that I examined was not as smooth as the Redhawk. This goes against the conventional wisdom. But I don't believe the quality difference between Rugers and S&Ws can be taken for granted anymore.

 

[Bendutro]

I own a 'new' PC S&W 629 and an 'old' (early 60's) Ruger single six.

I know anecdotal evidence sucks but I like both. JMHO, but my Smith's trigger and lockup are superior to my friends' Super Redhawk. That Ruger .44 will digest loads that I refuse to put through my gun, but I figure I'll get a 500 if big bullets are called for.

After a while, the S&W vs Ruger stuff just sounds like Chevy vs. Ford. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter. Just shoot (drive) what you like.
(Mopars are still the realm of the weirdo though, honestly who pays that much for a 426?!?)

 

[Cosmoline]

Rugers get better with age. It takes about 500 rounds before most will really find their stride. I haven't had any serious problems with mine, but then again I buy used not new. No idea why anyone would buy a brand new wheelgun unless that's all you could find.

 

[balin]

I checked out the Redhawks a couple times. Then did a comparrison side by side. The trigger on the smith was better, the lock up was too. The grips look like they had been sprung outward to much on the Ruger. Whem I cocked the hammer and looked at the inside as well other interior parts I could see tool marks and burrs on the Ruger and it looked like the crown was cut with a chipped tool. The guy at the gun shop who is known as an excellent gunsmith looked at the gun and mentioned that the cylinder looked like it was out of alignment too. Most of the defects I saw in the ruger were cosmetic and maybe I looked a little harder then some as I am a machinist as well. But I got the smith instead.

 

[countryrebel]

I found a ruger redhawk 4" at a local store for $530 and bought it.Lockup is pretty tight and fit and finish is good.The trigger is not that great but nothing a little work could not take care of.I really liked the 4" taurus M44 SS that I looked at the same time but it needed to be sent back to the factory for work as it had metal left over that never got machined off,dont know how that one passed QC?The guy brought out another M44 4" and the lockup was twice as sloppy as the first one.The taurus pointed much better than the redhawk but I do not like the stock redhawk 4" grip so I ordered a hogue monogrip for it.Also on the taurus it had a very nice trigger, much better than the redhawk and about the same as a S&W IMO.So all in all I am very happy with my new purchase.Cant wait to load up some beartooth 250 wfngc.

 

[gunman42782]

I am a Ruger guy, but I just never have liked the Redhawk. It is too big, and with the stock grips it was kinda hard to hold to, and with Hogues it was too big. The Super Redhawk is just too big all the way around. I would like to see a GP100 looking .44 from Ruger. I think Smiths are lighter, with usually better triggers, but I found the gun I was looking for. I hate to buy any foreign guns, but I bought a Taurus .44 and love it. It is the right size and the grips fit me just fine.

 

[ECVMatt]

The Redhawk was my first handgun...

I got when I was 14. I have been shooting it ever since..I am almost 40 now. I have never had a problem with mine. I am going to get a 4" a soon as X-mas bills are paid. I love them. I would seriously look at another Redhawk and try to find a salesman who knows his guns better.

Matt