The Ruger Redhawk .357

by
posted on October 13, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
rugerred357.jpg

My young friend was a tall and powerfully built man with good athletic ability. He was well-suited for police work, full of common sense and sympathy for the citizen, but unwilling to tolerate unlawful behavior. Let’s say he was “firm” in dealing with the inmates while serving his time in the jail division. Naturally, he was intent on getting out to patrol, where the rubber meets the road. We became friends and he barraged me with questions about guns and shooting. At the range one day, we shot several kinds of guns, most of them the various revolvers we were allowed to use. Inevitably the question came up—which gun do I buy? As always, I recommended as much gun as he could comfortably carry. In fast shooting sessions, weight soaks up recoil and you deliver more accurate rapid fire. A couple of days later, I saw what he had purchased.

It was a Ruger Redhawk in .357 Magnum with the shorter 5 ½-inch barrel. When Bill Ruger designed this gun, he wanted a big one for the American Sportsman. It was the company’s first large frame DA/SA revolver and needed a massive frame and cylinder to take the real magnum cartridges for which it was chambered—.44, .41 and .357 Magnum. I doubt if Mr. Ruger ever intended this brute to ride in a policeman’s holster. In .44 Magnum with 5½-inch barrel, the gun weighs 49 ounces. The .357 version has to be heavier, because far less metal is removed to make the barrel and cylinder. I am betting it was around 53 to 54 ounces. Now, that’s a heavy gun, but our hero strapped it on every day, when he went to work as a patrolman. And everybody giggled and pointed fingers at the young cop and his overgrown handgun.

Damned if it didn’t happen—the proverbial dark night and a long hallway with a man with a gun at the end. Reason and persuasion failed; the felon brought up his handgun and the deputy his (heavy) service revolver. He fired a pair that were as fast and accurate as any peace officer ever fired. Use enough gun.

Latest

Kimber 2K11
Kimber 2K11

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.