Super Redhawk | |
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Type | Revolver |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | Sturm, Ruger |
Designed | 1987 |
Manufacturer | Sturm, Ruger |
Produced | 1987–present |
Specifications | |
Weight | 1502 g / 53 oz / 3.3125 lbs (unloaded) |
Length | 194 mm / 7.62 in (2.5" barreled Alaskan) 330 mm / 13 in (7.5" barrel) or 381 mm / 15 in (9.5" barrel) |
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Caliber | .44 Magnum, .454 Casull and .480 Ruger |
Action | Double action |
Feed system | 5 or 6 shot cylinder |
Sights | Fixed front and adjustable rear, with scope rail |
Ruger Redhawk: Alaskan | |
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Type | Revolver |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Sturm, Ruger & Company |
Specifications | |
Weight | 2.75 lb (1.25 kg) |
Length | 7.6 in (190 mm) |
Barrel length | 2.5 in (64 mm) |
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Caliber | .480 Ruger, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull |
Action | Double-action revolver |
Feed system | 6-round cylinder, 5-shot cylinder on 2008-later 480 Ruger |
The Super Redhawk is a line of double-action magnum revolvers made by Sturm, Ruger beginning in 1987, when Ruger started making weapons using larger, more powerful cartridges such as .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger.
The Super Redhawk was introduced late in 1987, in .44 Magnum with 7.5- and 9.5-inch barrel lengths. The final product used the same trigger design and same grip panels as the .357 Magnum GP100, but had a larger, stronger frame with integrated scope bases. The Super Redhawk received positive reviews, edging out similar offerings from Smith & Wesson in accuracy and price.
The Super Redhawk was only available in stainless steel with a number of finishes. The standard finish is brushed steel, with a semi-gloss look. Polished, high-gloss versions have also been offered, though this option is not currently available. Stainless steel one-inch scope rings are included, using the standard Ruger lockup common to all Ruger integral bases. These rings easily allow removing the scope from the handgun, without significantly altering zero, or eye-relief, once the scope is re-installed. The Super Redhawk uses different front and rear rings, with the rear ring being shorter than the front ring due to differences in frame height. Ruger Model 77 bolt-action rifles also use a higher ring in the rear than in the front.
Despite plans to drop the Ruger Redhawk revolver with the introduction of the Super Redhawk, the original Redhawk (with the barrel thread lubricant issue corrected) remains in production as of 2015[update]. Many shooters prefer the more classic lines of the Redhawk, especially those who do not plan to use a scope. The Redhawk is also available with different barrel lengths, 4, 5.5 and 7.5 inches.
Versions of the Super Redhawk with 20-inch barrels were produced for the UK market with serial numbers in the 551-5xxxx and 551-7xxxx range. Model numbers were KSRH-21-357 (.357 Magnum) and KSRH-21 (.44 Magnum). 200 were made in total evenly split between the .357 and .44 for the importers. The vast majority had their length cut down for competition shooting and only a small handful remain in the original long barrelled version.