.44 Mag - Ruger Redhawk or S&W 629
- Thread starter Prof
- Start date
Thanks!WillBrayjr
Moderator
Ruger, plain and simple!
It's cheaper, better built, comes with rings, and very accurate. Ruger's customer service is superb as well.
It's cheaper, better built, comes with rings, and very accurate. Ruger's customer service is superb as well.
shootinstudent
New member
I have a Redhawk .44, I love it. It's built like a tank. Can't comment on the 629, as I've only held one a few times.
44mag@ucnsb.net
New member
Prof,
Get the Redhawk. I have a .45 Colt Redhawk at Bowen Customs right now getting cut to 4". I have two Model 29's, a 629 in 4" and a Mountain gun, I am paying an Extra $200 dollars to have a stronger gun cut down to the same size as both Smiths. I think that should speak volumes. I personally prefer a gun that I can abuse that can take it and ask for more. The Redhawk will do that for you. I have no major issues with either Smith, other than the fact that I will never load them with heavy loads, especially the Mountain gun.
Now that we have talked about the guns, let's talk about the customer service. I work in a gun shop and we send all Rugers back to Ruger to get fixed, which is pretty seldom. They have always made my customers happy, with the only complaint being unpaid shipping. We usually cover that, as we stand behind the guns we sell to our customers. As far as Smith goes, all of my Smiths and most of my customer's Smiths are sent to a Gunsmith instead of Smith and Wesson, less headaches that way and only a few more dollars normally. Good luck either way.
As far as the Super Blackhawk issue.. I own one in 4 5/8, love it, but of course this was not the original question.
.44mag
.44mag
Get the Redhawk. I have a .45 Colt Redhawk at Bowen Customs right now getting cut to 4". I have two Model 29's, a 629 in 4" and a Mountain gun, I am paying an Extra $200 dollars to have a stronger gun cut down to the same size as both Smiths. I think that should speak volumes. I personally prefer a gun that I can abuse that can take it and ask for more. The Redhawk will do that for you. I have no major issues with either Smith, other than the fact that I will never load them with heavy loads, especially the Mountain gun.
Now that we have talked about the guns, let's talk about the customer service. I work in a gun shop and we send all Rugers back to Ruger to get fixed, which is pretty seldom. They have always made my customers happy, with the only complaint being unpaid shipping. We usually cover that, as we stand behind the guns we sell to our customers. As far as Smith goes, all of my Smiths and most of my customer's Smiths are sent to a Gunsmith instead of Smith and Wesson, less headaches that way and only a few more dollars normally. Good luck either way.
As far as the Super Blackhawk issue.. I own one in 4 5/8, love it, but of course this was not the original question.
.44mag
.44mag
I think that another question needs to be asked
What are you going to do with it.
I like 629, but I carry it and it has a 3 inch barrel. BUT if I was going to hunt or just target and wanted to work up loads the Ruger is the way to go its just that the Ruger is a very large gun and almost impossible to carry unless your wearing a very heavy coat.
What are you going to do with it.
I like 629, but I carry it and it has a 3 inch barrel. BUT if I was going to hunt or just target and wanted to work up loads the Ruger is the way to go its just that the Ruger is a very large gun and almost impossible to carry unless your wearing a very heavy coat.
bearkiller
New member
I bought the redhawk
I like the trigger on S&W out of the box, but I think the redhawk is sturdier and a better value. I reload, and felt the redhawk would give me a little more strength when testing full power loads.
I like the trigger on S&W out of the box, but I think the redhawk is sturdier and a better value. I reload, and felt the redhawk would give me a little more strength when testing full power loads.
As to the comments about the smith not handling the hot loads, thats a bunch of BS. My 629 has had well over 6000 full tilt magnum loads(a hair over 9,000 total rounds to date) fired through it and its still just as tight as the day i bought it. The trigger is leaps and bounds better than the rugers and the action is much more refined and smoother functioning. Rugers can be made to be nice, but a smith comes that way standard! Ive got a redhawk too, but since i bought my 629 its pretty much just sat and collected dust in the safe. Any handgun that will put 5 shot into a group just under 2.5 inches at 100 yards is a fine shooter.
44mag@ucnsb.net
New member
Jeffro250..
What's your full tilt magnum load recipe?
.44mag
What's your full tilt magnum load recipe?
.44mag
Thank you all for the excellent information thus far! I appreciate your honesty and expertise. I will use this handgun only for target shooting and so may want some hot loads on a fairly regular basis. I know that this may be heresy for a S&W owner (I do have a S&W 686 which I love to shoot) but I was also a bit concerned about the new internal safety "lock" that they put in them now. I have read of some locking up because of heavy recoil (although, to be fair, I think that was with the lighter models). 
the two SST Superblackhawks (7 1/2 and 10 inch) were just a better made and finished revolver. the Redhawks I had (5 1/2 & 7 inch) were definitely second class in comparison. I had a 41 mag Redhawk also and it wasn't any better than the 44's and I like 41 mags alot. If I was going to get another 44 mag it would be the SST Superblackhawk with the 4 5/8 barrel. right now I have 3 41 mags with no thought of getting another 44 mag but that is another story of which I will avoid
245 Grain hardcast Lyman 429421 keith bullet, .431 sized and lubed with my special homebrew lube, loaded with 23.4 grains of 2400 and a CCI Magnum primer...good for about 1350 FPS give or take a few from a 6.5 inch tube depending on the temperature and knocks the stuffing out of anything you shoot with it. Its a max load from Lymans Cast Bullet Handbook, so if anyone does want to use it, its perfectly safe for a revolver in good condition, but please as always, please work your loads up!! For plinkers i usually use the same bullet, but with about 11 grains of unique with a CCI Large pistol primer which runs just a hair over 1000 FPS. The above group was shot with the 2400 load. The ruger is fine and dandy, but if you have no ambitions of putting many many thousands of rounds of hot magnum loads, go with the smith...i think youll be happier in the long run, i know i am! As for the internal locking mechanism, i have a few smiths that have them...none have given me any troubles. And yes, i believe the problems were with their featherweight series revolvers. If it does happen, send it back to smith and they will be more than happy to fix it for you...i cant see it being that much of a problem for a revolver that will be used only for target shooting.
Well I'm a S&W guy, I like the feel and my S&W always does well, and its a tad bit less heavy.
But saying that.....A redHawk has its points........After you've shot the bear 6 times, and now its has got a hold of your leg you can take that Ruger boat anchor and bop him on the head. Most likely you'll knock him out. That way you'll have time to reload and shoot him some more.
Joking aside........I've always seen the Redhawk as the bigger meaner brother to the S&W. Big Bro is not as accurate as little Bro, but Big Bro has a bigger punch.
But saying that.....A redHawk has its points........After you've shot the bear 6 times, and now its has got a hold of your leg you can take that Ruger boat anchor and bop him on the head. Most likely you'll knock him out. That way you'll have time to reload and shoot him some more.
Joking aside........I've always seen the Redhawk as the bigger meaner brother to the S&W. Big Bro is not as accurate as little Bro, but Big Bro has a bigger punch.
.44mag,
I'm curious about something you said about Ruger service.
I'm under the impression that the reason Rugers go back to Ruger for repair is because Ruger refuses to make parts available to gunsmiths. I've also read that on guns sent for service that have had trigger jobs, Ruger will restore the trigger to original factory specs whether you like it or not.
Have I been misinformed about this?
Max
I'm curious about something you said about Ruger service.
I'm under the impression that the reason Rugers go back to Ruger for repair is because Ruger refuses to make parts available to gunsmiths. I've also read that on guns sent for service that have had trigger jobs, Ruger will restore the trigger to original factory specs whether you like it or not.
Have I been misinformed about this?
Max
44mag@ucnsb.net
New member
maxer51tx,
Let me answer your questions one at a time and based on my experience.
Gunsmiths - A good gunsmith will rarely need replacement parts to fix a problem. While replacement parts are the quickest of fixes, they are not always necessary.
1. To my knowledge Ruger does not make parts accessible to gunsmiths or customers. But let’s talk about why that is. Ruger’s claim to fame has always been the reliability and strength of their firearms. Allowing parts to be adapted, adjusted, and copied by anyone could and most likely would compromise their product quality. All gun manufacturers get blamed for issues with their guns that are caused by gunsmiths and aftermarket parts. The same is true in ever other industry. Ruger has always maintained a simple and honest approach to the problem. They stand behind their guns without modifications. Period. This is the main reason that Ruger does not sell parts or license anyone to make copies of their parts.
2. In my experience, only trigger jobs that could be causing an issue with the gun were changed out to a factory trigger. I usually just use drop in spring kits that are easily changed back to factory before I ship any guns out. Some customers prefer a bit of polishing here and there. Ruger’s stand in my experience is as I stated in the first answer. So they will change out parts they think need to be replaced to keep the gun reliable and strong. Now that I have said this; let me point out that Ruger will tell you this up front if you listen to the them. I find that most customers tend to hear what they want to when it comes to such things.
3. Some people might look down on Ruger for this behavior, but let’s talk about the alternatives. I have had both Taurus and Smith & Wesson refuse to fix guns for free that were damaged due to gunsmiths and aftermarket parts. While I don’t blame them, a person with a Ruger would definitely be in better shoes at this point. What’s a factory trigger pull compared to having to pay to fix your gun? I guess that is truly a preference issue, but in the end, I have only had Ruger stand by their guns 100%. I have mentioned this several times in the forum, but I once had Ruger offer a customer a seriously discounted price for a replacement revolver for one that was blown up due to serious miscalculations in his handloads. This speaks volumes to me of Ruger and their desire to keep their customer happy.
4. The last thing that is sure to come up is Ruger’s shipping policy. In my experience, Ruger does not pay shipping. In the cases we deal with, our shop pays the shipping, as we stand behind the guns we sell, and rarely is there an issue with Rugers, so it has not been much money to worry about. I can see why Ruger does this, yet there are those who would say that Ruger should pay it. I can see both sides, but let’s talk about reality. If Ruger was bearing the brunt of the cost to ship guns back and forth, including those that were not broken I the first place, would their services remain as good, or their price so fair (or lack there of)? It’s a fine line and a reality in life that any company that incurs costs will need to offset them somehow to keep the stock owners happy. In my experience, all companies can be a pain to deal with, but Ruger has always been good to me and my customers.
Good luck, and I hope that answers your questions. I may seem a little biased, but when it comes to dealing with the customer and the factory on a day to day basis, you tend to find out who is the easiest to deal with and the best for a given situation. I own every brand of gun that was discussed in this thread and I love them all. But I can tell you that at the end of the day the easiest warranty to deal with in my collection is the one I expect I will hardly ever use. The Ruger warranty.
.44mag
Let me answer your questions one at a time and based on my experience.
Gunsmiths - A good gunsmith will rarely need replacement parts to fix a problem. While replacement parts are the quickest of fixes, they are not always necessary.
1. To my knowledge Ruger does not make parts accessible to gunsmiths or customers. But let’s talk about why that is. Ruger’s claim to fame has always been the reliability and strength of their firearms. Allowing parts to be adapted, adjusted, and copied by anyone could and most likely would compromise their product quality. All gun manufacturers get blamed for issues with their guns that are caused by gunsmiths and aftermarket parts. The same is true in ever other industry. Ruger has always maintained a simple and honest approach to the problem. They stand behind their guns without modifications. Period. This is the main reason that Ruger does not sell parts or license anyone to make copies of their parts.
2. In my experience, only trigger jobs that could be causing an issue with the gun were changed out to a factory trigger. I usually just use drop in spring kits that are easily changed back to factory before I ship any guns out. Some customers prefer a bit of polishing here and there. Ruger’s stand in my experience is as I stated in the first answer. So they will change out parts they think need to be replaced to keep the gun reliable and strong. Now that I have said this; let me point out that Ruger will tell you this up front if you listen to the them. I find that most customers tend to hear what they want to when it comes to such things.
3. Some people might look down on Ruger for this behavior, but let’s talk about the alternatives. I have had both Taurus and Smith & Wesson refuse to fix guns for free that were damaged due to gunsmiths and aftermarket parts. While I don’t blame them, a person with a Ruger would definitely be in better shoes at this point. What’s a factory trigger pull compared to having to pay to fix your gun? I guess that is truly a preference issue, but in the end, I have only had Ruger stand by their guns 100%. I have mentioned this several times in the forum, but I once had Ruger offer a customer a seriously discounted price for a replacement revolver for one that was blown up due to serious miscalculations in his handloads. This speaks volumes to me of Ruger and their desire to keep their customer happy.
4. The last thing that is sure to come up is Ruger’s shipping policy. In my experience, Ruger does not pay shipping. In the cases we deal with, our shop pays the shipping, as we stand behind the guns we sell, and rarely is there an issue with Rugers, so it has not been much money to worry about. I can see why Ruger does this, yet there are those who would say that Ruger should pay it. I can see both sides, but let’s talk about reality. If Ruger was bearing the brunt of the cost to ship guns back and forth, including those that were not broken I the first place, would their services remain as good, or their price so fair (or lack there of)? It’s a fine line and a reality in life that any company that incurs costs will need to offset them somehow to keep the stock owners happy. In my experience, all companies can be a pain to deal with, but Ruger has always been good to me and my customers.
Good luck, and I hope that answers your questions. I may seem a little biased, but when it comes to dealing with the customer and the factory on a day to day basis, you tend to find out who is the easiest to deal with and the best for a given situation. I own every brand of gun that was discussed in this thread and I love them all. But I can tell you that at the end of the day the easiest warranty to deal with in my collection is the one I expect I will hardly ever use. The Ruger warranty.
.44mag
WillBrayjr
Moderator
This has nothing to do with revolvers but Ruger's customer service. A guy brought a Mini-30 into the shop that Kaboomed, He used a handload in it. It was sent back to Ruger to see if it could fixed and it could not. Ruger being Ruger sent the customer a brand new Mini-30 free of charge with a nasty letter telling the customer to never use any handloaded or reloaded ammo in the Mini-30.
recent
Recent post here about a 629 rotating backwards; yep.
Accuracy is based on the specific gun, and I have five Redhawks to prove it.
I bent my 44 version and Ruger fixed it great.
Ordered this one new, and when it arrived it was laid on the counter with a dozen other large-framed DA's including DW's, Anacondas, Raging Bulls, and S&W's.
From the box my Redhawk had the best DA trigger. SA? Who cares?
Answer: if buying a new one today I'd buy the Ruger because it costs less, is stronger, and is easier to disassemble for cleaning. I personally prefer its trigger feel to the N-frames, too.
Oh, has anyone noticed Brownells sells many Redhawk parts?
Recent post here about a 629 rotating backwards; yep.
Accuracy is based on the specific gun, and I have five Redhawks to prove it.
I bent my 44 version and Ruger fixed it great.
Ordered this one new, and when it arrived it was laid on the counter with a dozen other large-framed DA's including DW's, Anacondas, Raging Bulls, and S&W's.
From the box my Redhawk had the best DA trigger. SA? Who cares?
Answer: if buying a new one today I'd buy the Ruger because it costs less, is stronger, and is easier to disassemble for cleaning. I personally prefer its trigger feel to the N-frames, too.
Oh, has anyone noticed Brownells sells many Redhawk parts?