Toughest, beefiest 357 Magnum? Ruger Redhawk??

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For those of you still following this long thread, I have now achieved the next goal.

I have a 7.5" Redhawk 357 Magnum inbound. I should have it next week and then I can do a new thread on the both of them.

I like the 5" so much I started looking for a 7.5" and I found one in a few hours. I was really happy and ordered it immediately.

1)Wow! You did great in finding both of your .357 Redhawks so quickly! You must have been looking into the right "Crystal Ball"? Congrat's!

2)It took me a long time to find my three .357 Redhawks pictured below! Two of these three were like new and one of the 5.5" .357 Redhawks was NIB(Unfired)so, I eventially sold the other two(Unfortunately)to fund some other revolvers. However, I still have the NIB .357 Redhawk:
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Great job!

I really liked the 5.5" and when the 7.5" popped up I just hit the "buy it now" and was happy. I can see continuing to search for an NIB like yours.

I had never heard of the 357 SRH before. It appeals to my natural desire to buy big solid guns that are way over built. This is why I like my 38 specials built on an N frame. The 38/44's. Way overbuilt for what they are.

I will be taking my 5.5" to the range tomorrow. I have to start the hot load workups and just test it out with some good "book max" loads.
 
Tomorrow--snow or no!

See, I say stupid things like that and we get hit with a totally unexpected BLIZZARD. I need to learn to keep my trap shut. But I have used the opportunity to work up a variety of 200 grain hardcast loads for the beast. So whenever breakup actually arrives in earnest I'll be set.
 
Cosmoline,

Yeah, you should have known better than to provoke the weather gods. They have a nasty sense of humor. Unfortunately, even after 60 years, I still do it. :eek:

I mentioned this in an earlier post. Take some 38 special wadcutters along with the heavy artillery. They are a hoot in the Redhawk.

Jeff
 
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Nice guns. I put just shy of 800 rounds of full power 357 magnum down them today and they worked well. I like the Pachmeyer rubber grips over the wood ones. The frame cut into my hand on the 7.5".

Shooting the 5" with hot 357 Magnum loads is like shooting 38/44's out of a heavy duty. Lots of fun and pretty mild. I think with better grips the 7.5" will be a really gem though. Better hang for me.

Next to a Python or a N frame S&W, these are tanks. I love it!

Range report to follow next time I get them out. Today was just a shoot and get a feel for them.
 
I agree completely. I feel kind of foolish that I never even gave Ruger double actions a second thought. I think of Ruger as my MK1, #1 and my SBH 357 Maximum. I just never gave them the time of day before this.

What I found is a well made, nicely built, well engineered solid revolver. Both have good triggers, great double action operation and excellent handling for the round I like, the 357 Magnum.

It was really an eye opening experience for a die hard Colt/S&W fan.

I already have new grips, both Pachmeyer and Ruger originals on order so I can go either way on the grips. Right now I will go back to Pachmeyer for a while since they felt better for what I will be doing with the guns.

I am surprised that the 357 Magnum was not more popular in the Redhawk. It seems like the perfect combination to me.
 
here's an idea, albeit an expensive one...
get yourself a Smith X frame, doesn't matter which one, and find a custom gun maker to build a new cylinder and barrel for it. I have often thought of the possibility's of other smaller calibers chambered in that massive revolver. Combining a revolver that didn't blow when tested to 90k PSI in a 50 cal, and a 2.3 inch long cylinder to increase your OAL as long as you could possibly want it, drop it down to 357, and I doubt its even possible to blow it up.
 
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I have been debating that for a 357 MaX build to go with my other maxes. Once I run the 357 Mag to its limits, I may go build a MAX like that.
 
if you do be sure and post about it. I would love to see one. I may do it someday myself, though there are a lot of other higher priorities.
Congratulations one your Redhawks, they sound like lots of fun.
 
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I agree completely. I feel kind of foolish that I never even gave Ruger double actions a second thought. I think of Ruger as my MK1, #1 and my SBH 357 Maximum. I just never gave them the time of day before this.

What I found is a well made, nicely built, well engineered solid revolver. Both have good triggers, great double action operation and excellent handling for the round I like, the 357 Magnum.

It was really an eye opening experience for a die hard Colt/S&W fan.

I already have new grips, both Pachmeyer and Ruger originals on order so I can go either way on the grips. Right now I will go back to Pachmeyer for a while since they felt better for what I will be doing with the guns.

I am surprised that the 357 Magnum was not more popular in the Redhawk. It seems like the perfect combination to me.
Well, as for popularity, the Redhawk .357 was not in production very long and Ruger had ceased production on these early on in 1985 whenever the GP100 was introduced. And this is the reason the Redhawk .357's had become instantly collectible.
 
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