Ruger Super Redhawk - 454 Casull - Pictures...

[D&T]

Here are a couple of pictures of a Ruger Super Redhawk in 454 Casull that I had reworked. Here is a list of work performed on this gun -

1 - The barrel to cylinder gap from the factory was .019 but was closed to .004. A velocity gain of 160 fps was gained by reducing the barrel to cylinder gap...

2 - The muzzle was recrowned with a recessed 90 degree crown...

3 - The front sight was removed and a muzzle brake was screwed onto the barrel after recrowning. Felt recoil reduction is over 50% less than without a brake with near "0" muzzle rise...

4 - The forcing cone was cut to the proper angle and depth for best accuracy potential...

5 - Both the barrel and brake were bead blasted to a matte finish after all barrel work was completed...

6 - The trigger was reworked for a lighter and crisper pull in both single and double action mode...

7 - The custom Weigand scope base is attached with 4-side screws that allow the scope to have the windage adjusted with the use of the base to help preserve the scopes internal adjustment. Both the top strap and base were modified to accept two 8-40 screws as added insurance against the base ever moving from recoil...

8 - 4-Millett angle lock rings were used to secure a Bushnell 2X-6X Trophy handgun scope to the base...

9 - The Ruger grip was replaced with a Hogue grip to help keep the shooting hand from getting "bit" by the trigger guard...

 

[Giolli Joker]

Awesome!

 

[D&T]

Thank you Sir....

 

[MrBorland]

Very nice, but how 'bout some before-and-after target pics? It'd be tough to do a fair comparison, though, since it's now scoped and the front sight was milled off. I'm assuming much of this work (aside from the scope) increased it's accuracy, but without any objective data, I'm left to wonder.

 

[Wedge]

How is it shooting with the brake?

 

[rkh]

So what's involved with reducing the cylinder gap on a revolver? 160 FPS is nothing to sneeze at!

I've never heard of gap-reduction being done, but then again, I'm new to handgunning.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

Very nice, indeed!

 

[D&T]

Before I did any of the work mentioned above, with the gun being scoped in the Ruger rings that come with the gun, the average 6-shot group fired at 100yards from a bench averaged right at 8 inches....

After all action, trigger and barrel work was completed, the gun now averages around 3 inch 6-shot groups at 100 yards....

Shooting the same exact load both before and after all the work was done, besides the accuracy increase the velocity increased 160 feet per second and the velocity difference for 6 rounds fired dropped from a standard diviation of 45 fps. down to 11 fps.. I consider this change to from reducing the barrel to cylinder gap....

In reducing the barrel to cylinder gap, the barrel is removed from the gun and with the barrel being turned between centers in a lathe, the shoulder that butts up against the receiver is faced off and as such, it allows the barrel to sit closer to the cylinder, thereby reducing the barrel to cylinder gap. When doing single action guns like the Ruger Super Blackhawk, the barrel is set back one complete turn, the barrel forcing cone end is then faced to allow the desired gap setting and then the ejector rod housing is modified to match the amount the barrel was set back. Much easier to do than to write about...

For guns like the 357 magnum and 357 Maximum, when the barrel to cylinder gap is reduced to .002 to .004 it also cuts down on the "flame cutting" that is so common with these two cartridges, especially when using a ball powder like Winchester 296 - which I prefer for most of my handgun loadings....

 

[D&T]

Wedge,

I almost forgot - shooting with the brake, felt recoil is very comparable to a 44magnum...

The 44 magnums that I have installed brakes like this on have felt recoil that is comparable to shooting 38 spl. loads in a 357 magnum revolver. A 240 gr. bullet at 1,500 fps. can easily be shot one handed and with near "0" muzzle rise....

 

[Steve in PA]

8"???? Geez, something must have been wrong with that SRH.

This is a pic of a 5-shot group from my SRH. Its in .44mag and has a 9 1/2" barrel with the factory scope rings and a Bushnell 2-6x variable scope. This is my handloaded hunting load and fired from a rest at 100yds. That orange circle if 3" in diameter and the gun is bone stock.

 

[D&T]

Very nice shooting Steve...

With that 9 1/2" barrel in 44 magnum, that would definantly be a fun gun to "rework". I bet it would drop the group size by no less than inch, gain a minimum of 200 fps. in velocity and have the recoil of a 32 H&R with any bullet of 240 grains or less. I'd also set it up as a "sling carry" gun and not give any thought to a holster....

Yeah, I'm rambling. Just makes me miss mine that much more and wish I would never have sold it:banghead:....

 

[John C]

D&T;

I checked out your website, but there's no mention of revolver work on there. Is this a new line of work for you, or are you just mostly a riflesmith?

-John

 

[D&T]

John,

I have been "building" revolvers since 1987 so no Sir, this is not something new...

I have most all the information about what I do listed on the forum section of the sight. I set things up this way cause for me at least, it made things much simpler since I don't know my way around a computer very well...

We changed forum servers and if you'll remind me, I'll repost it here next time I visit....