Ruger Redhawk
December 1979-by C.E. Harris
Ever since Ruger introduced its medium-frame Security Six double-action revolver in 1971, shooters have longed for a large-frame, double-action version offering the same rugged simplicity, but chambered for the .44 Magnum round. After years on the drawing boards and in testing, the Redhawk has arrived. It is assured instant acceptance in a market which has been unable to satisfy the demand for double-action .44 Mag. revolvers.
Adding to the Redhawk’s desirability is the fact that it is constructed entirely of stainless steel. Suggested retail price of the stainless steel Redhawk, which is presently being made with 7 ½” barrel only, is approximately $325. Sometime in the future a chrome-molybdenum steel version with 10” barrel, selling at a slightly lower price, will also be available. The sights are click adjustable for windage and elevation. The rear sight leaf has a white outline and square notch. The ramp front sight has a red insert.
Rapid reloading is easy with the Redhawk, since the grips don’t impede free ejection or interfere with loading rounds in pairs.
The Redhawk is not a new development. Some of the patents for new design features used in the Redhawk were applied for in 1975. When I visited Ruger’s Newport, N.H., plant in November 1976, Bill Ruger showed me drawings for his large-frame, double-action .44 Magnum. In discussing the design and concepts then, Bill said he wasn’t content to merely enlarge the same mechanism used in the Security Six, because he’d found a way to make a stronger, simpler, more reliable revolver with fewer parts. Ruger therefore started “with the paper white” and designed an entirely new revolver which was rugged enough for good accuracy and long life under continuous firing with full magnum loads. He also wanted a serviceable revolver which was easier to shoot well, and more comfortable to shoot than those currently available. In these goals he has succeeded.