Ruger Redhawk in .45 ACP / .45LC and other questions ...

[CountryGent]

So, from time to time I get interested in a revolver chambered in .45 ACP. I'm back on the topic and am looking at options.

One that is standing out is the stainless Ruger Redhawk in .45 ACP and .45 LC. We stockpile the former, but don't presently the latter. That said, the ability to run both is an upshot. The automatic cartridges, naturally, will involve full moon clips and I'm fine with that. Anyone have experience with these wheelguns? My experience with pretty much everything from Ruger has been rock solid, but I thought I'd ask.

I also see Charter Arms offers a wheelgun in .45 ACP that does not require the use of moon clips. I find this neat-o from a mechanical standpoint, and the price tag is lower, but I'm still leaning heavily towards the Ruger, for a few reasons. That said, anyone have thoughts on these?

All that said, if anyone has other options to consider for a revolver in this vein, I'd value the information. Thanks much.

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[The Heretic]

Home - TK Custom - Moonclips & Accessories for Competition Shooters & Sportsmen

 

[CountryGent]

Thanks for the link @The Heretic.

 

[rick benjamin]

Ruger Redhawk

I have the single action "New Model Blackhawk" 45LC-45ACP. Two cylinders, doesn't use clips.
Purchased it used in '73 from a cowboy action bowling pin shooter.
He seriously overloaded the 45LC shells to get max knockdown power.
I de-blued it, polished scratches out, sent it to Ruger to add a 45ACP cylinder and factory re-blue.
Ruger sent it back with two new cylinders (original cylinder was over-stressed, replaced no charge)
Bluing was outstanding (as expected)
Ruger found the frame was stretched also. They sized cylinders for the frame.
Timing, lockup improved.
Very happy with this gun.

 

[Colts4me]

How much do you want to spend?

 

[CountryGent]

How much do you want to spend?

Anything at a grand or under is a non-issue. Much north of that figure and I need a justification for the added costs, though I wouldn't rule it out. The Redhawks I'm seeing on the auction sites are floating around the $600-900 range, depending on the configuration.

 

[Colts4me]

There have been a great number of 45 acp revolvers made in the past and each has its plus and minus. Smith and Colt started making them in their 1917 models and because the pressure is so low on 45 acp most have made it through the ages in fair to good condition. Fixed sites on all of them and they shoot auto rim rounds too.

Smith carried on with making 45 cp guns with the models 21,25,625,325,mountain gun, commemorative models and the thunder ranch. Any of them a fine choice but set by the weight of your wallet.

Ruger came out with the Blackhawk and two cylinders allowing 45 Colt and 45acp. I have owned these and have not been happy because you have to fight the coil spring hammer for accuracy. I have seen better shooters than me really shine with Ruger but I struggle with them. Ruger was the first to allow heavier loads in 45 Colt.

Their Redhawks is new to the 45 acp world but with the heavy frame it should shoot heavy Colt loads. I would check the weight of the gun and determin if the weight was worth the low power in 45.

Taurus made the tracker in 45acp but with gun specific full moon clips.

Only newer Colts I know of are their Colt Single Action Army that shoot 45 colt and acp. Spendy but the Rolls Royce of Colts.

Several models of revolvers have been modified to 45acp. Webley were changed from 455s and some Smiths in 455 were converted too.

My own preference is the Smith in any configuration, a fine shooter with a weight low enough to be fun to carry too.

 

[The Heretic]

S&W 325 PD

And I think there is a version called the Thunder Ranch.

Scandium revolvers are a handful but shouldn't be too bad in 45 acp

 

[Argonaut]

I have 4 45ACP revolvers, 2 Colt 1917's, a S&W 1917 and a S&W 1955. It depends on what you want a revolver for. Casual shooting, a Blackhawk convertible is a great realitivley inexpensive gun. The only advantage to having a 45 LC is the ability to shoot modern hot loads. The ACP was designed to duplicate the LC performance in stock guise. I have loaded very hot 45ACP rounds for use in my revolvers. My old Hornaday book has a special listing specifically for revolver fired ACP ammo. The M55 is possibly the finest revolver ever made by Smith. It was designed as a target gun and is totally hand fit. The trigger rivals my Pythons in both single and double action firing. But none of those are convertibles without a lot of money and additional parts applied. I am not a Redhawk guy. They are clunky and heavy. I am sure they are long lived but I don't see a lot of quality there.

 

[The Heretic]

What I am going to do is send the cylinder of my S&W 460V in to cut for moon clips then that Will allow. 45acp, 45 colt, 454 and 460 mag

Downside is that the revolver weighs a ton

 

[Colts4me]

I wanted for years a Smith that was in 45acp with a 4 inch barrel to pack around in the woods. Then they came out with the Mountain gun in several calibers and one was 45acp. I bought the first one I saw and was delighted with it. 45acp doesn't recoil bad and the muzzle blast out in the woods doest hurt my ears. It's very accurate and at handgun distance it's powerful enough. You can vary the loads from shot to ball but the lead swc is dead nuts accurate.

If I could have only one centerfire revolver it would be a Smith 45 acp.

 

[orygun]

I am not a Redhawk guy. They are clunky and heavy. I am sure they are long lived but I don't see a lot of quality there.

I've owned a bunch of Ruger guns and I do see quality in every one of them. However, what I don't see is any styling done to the frames, especially with the double action revolvers. I don't think you can find a more durable double action revolver in any given frame size than a Ruger, but does it have to be so square and blocky? A little sculpting around the edges would go miles as far as the looks of a Ruger revolver with no other down sides. Geeze, Ruger could easily change the mold and pretty them up some at very little expense.
This issue did play a big part when I bought a 357 a while back and once again when recently when I was shopping, quite spur of the moment, for a 44 cal revolver.

 

[Greenbug]

Had a S&W Governor and it was nicely made. 410 shells were great for short range and or home defense. 45 LC loads were surprisingly mild to shoot. 45 ACP with the moon clips were powder puffs. I think it is because of the length of the cylinder maybe? I got curious one day and happened to have my chronograph with me so I shot a few rounds of 45 ACP to check the speed... No wonder they were so weak, only 525 FPS for 230 ball ammo.

If I was going to get another revolver in 45 ACP I would definitely prefer not to have to use moon clips. Something in a single action with the ejector rod built in to the revolver. A top break design that ejected the spent brass would be awesome, but I don't think anybody makes one.

 

[Ownerus]

In pondering options for cross pollinating .45ACP and .45 Colt, I took a look at the operating pressures. One reference listed 14,000 psi for the Colt and 21,000 psi for the ACP. I know the two have been used in assorted guns, but got to wondering if that's always safe. In looking at the Colt Single Action Army and how very thin the cylinder walls are (.035 chamber to chamber vs. .060 on a S&W or a Ruger) the thought of pushing the pressure past 14,000 up to 21,000 seems like a bad idea. Anyone have any experience with this combo? Or maybe .45ACP in a Single Action Army is a combination best avoided? Not that I had any useful idea about how to go about it aside from making a new cylinder anyway. Just wondering.

 

[Argonaut]

In pondering options for cross pollinating .45ACP and .45 Colt, I took a look at the operating pressures. One reference listed 14,000 psi for the Colt and 21,000 psi for the ACP. I know the two have been used in assorted guns, but got to wondering if that's always safe. In looking at the Colt Single Action Army and how very thin the cylinder walls are (.035 chamber to chamber vs. .060 on a S&W or a Ruger) the thought of pushing the pressure past 14,000 up to 21,000 seems like a bad idea. Anyone have any experience with this combo? Or maybe .45ACP in a Single Action Army is a combination best avoided? Not that I had any useful idea about how to go about it aside from making a new cylinder anyway. Just wondering.

Colt made factory 45ACP SAA revolvers by simply changing cylinders. They obviously would have the same dimension as the 45LC cylinder.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

S&W M-25 5" barrel!

 

[Colts4me]

In pondering options for cross pollinating .45ACP and .45 Colt, I took a look at the operating pressures. One reference listed 14,000 psi for the Colt and 21,000 psi for the ACP. I know the two have been used in assorted guns, but got to wondering if that's always safe. In looking at the Colt Single Action Army and how very thin the cylinder walls are (.035 chamber to chamber vs. .060 on a S&W or a Ruger) the thought of pushing the pressure past 14,000 up to 21,000 seems like a bad idea. Anyone have any experience with this combo? Or maybe .45ACP in a Single Action Army is a combination best avoided? Not that I had any useful idea about how to go about it aside from making a new cylinder anyway. Just wondering.

Colt SAA 45s are not what you want to load hot at all or ever. If you look in the cylinder the bolt cut comes through as shaded because of how thin the cylinder walls are. It's just how they are made and while they can shoot factory 45 forever the cylinders are too thin. It really makes no sense to hot load them because there are plenty of magnum guns out there.

 

[drstrangelove]

I handled a Redhawk 45LC/ACP at Fishermans today. The gun balanced OK with a 4-5" barrel but there where two things I really didn't like...
1. The topstrap over the barrel was scratched and dinged. Why would they not return it to the factory instead of putting an $870 price tag on it?
2. The DA trigger pull had a mid cycle increase in pressure with a decrease right before let-off that made target acquisition waiver. Even worse, when I had the salesman check the SA trigger pull because I thought it was broken somehow, it tested at 9.5lbs! Repeatedly, on a trigger scale. This reminded me of the now defunct Thunder-5 on how bad things can be.
Just reaffirmed my decision to stick with S&W until Colt starts making Pythons again and the prices come down. I own 3 Ruger SA's and love them for the ability to detach one hammer spring foot for an instant 2.5lb trigger job. But I won't be buying a Ruger DA revolver anytime soon if this is an indication of how lawyers have screwed up trigger liability.

 

[CountryGent]

Yikes on the trigger pull. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Argonaut]

I handled a Redhawk 45LC/ACP at Fishermans today. The gun balanced OK with a 4-5" barrel but there where two things I really didn't like...
1. The topstrap over the barrel was scratched and dinged. Why would they not return it to the factory instead of putting an $870 price tag on it?
2. The DA trigger pull had a mid cycle increase in pressure with a decrease right before let-off that made target acquisition waiver. Even worse, when I had the salesman check the SA trigger pull because I thought it was broken somehow, it tested at 9.5lbs! Repeatedly, on a trigger scale. This reminded me of the now defunct Thunder-5 on how bad things can be.
Just reaffirmed my decision to stick with S&W until Colt starts making Pythons again and the prices come down. I own 3 Ruger SA's and love them for the ability to detach one hammer spring foot for an instant 2.5lb trigger job. But I won't be buying a Ruger DA revolver anytime soon if this is an indication of how lawyers have screwed up trigger liability.

Those are the type issues I have with Ruger........that get me commonly chastised here. My new (to me) Python will be here in the next day or two. Good luck in your search.