I have the SRH in the looooonnnnngggggg barrel (the 9 1/2 inch). The longer barrel gives you better accuracy and absorbs recoil better. Obviously, it's only for hunting, but I have arthritis in my hands and a short barrelled .44mag would be a nightmare for me.
I had one issue with the SRH right out of the box...the cylinder jammed up. Sent it off to Ruger and they took care of it. (Note: IF you need to send your Redhawk back for repairs, talk to them ahead of time about how they will pay for the shipping. It was about $100 to ship that thing back east, and if I'd asked up front I probably could have gotten a prepaid shipping label from them. Lesson learned, for the next time.)
Springmom