Blew up my Redhawk

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FM12 said:
I also remember the ads where Ruger went head-to-head with S&W in the 1980s, purporting the strength of their beefed-up guns as opposed to the lighter, thinner S&Ws, and how much stronger the Rugers were.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. Maybe we'll see.
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Well, I know Rugers are thicker & heavier than S&Ws, and that is at least partly due to using cast metal instead of forged. Forged is stronger for its size because it has grain direction. In that regard, S&Ws are like solid wood, where Rugers are like particleboard. They both have their place. I think the main thing that makes Rugers stronger is their more modern & thicker design, not the material.

I would assume the barrels are forged, but I'm not sure.
 
This has been a know issue with the old Redhawks for better than two decades.

From Grant Cunningham's excellent article on Lubricants. http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

"(One major gun manufacturer actually had barrels fall off of their revolvers. An investigation ensued, and they found that the chlorinated esters used in their machining oils was causing stress cracking in barrel threads. When combined with the gun owners' use of cleaning and lube compounds containing chlorinated esters, the barrels simply sheared off at the weakest part - the threads. To this day, the company forbids any chlorine-carrying compounds on the manufacturing floor, to prevent a recurrence.) "

Want to guess who he's talking about?
 
Well, I know Rugers are thicker & heavier than S&Ws, and that is at least partly due to using cast metal instead of forged. Forged is stronger for its size because it has grain direction.
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In some cases the Ruger's heavier, in some cases not. The 686 and the GP100, for example, are identical in weight and can use the same holster. Clearly the strength advantage ascribed to the GP100 isn't from additional weight or size.

Forged vs. Cast is a lot more complicated than most realize. For those who are really interested in the truth, here's a very informative thread. It may be a bit more in depth than many care to read. Post #118 (page 5) is especially pertinent.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=20673

Suffice it to say that properly done a cast part can be just as strong as a forged part of equal weight, size & quality.
 
:eek:

Wow,Wuchak,that was definitely an eye opener.

To (that companies) credit,they took action.

I am amazed that this information did'nt go into an industry wide warning.
 
Looks like Properly done is the core of it.
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Yup. The point is, of course, that PineTree Casting (Ruger's Investment Casting branch) is the best in the industry. They even cast turbines for jet engines.
 
They even cast turbines for jet engines.
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That's interesting although I imagine there is a substantially bigger profit margin in a jet turbine wheel, not to mention one of the most rigid inspection protocols known to mankind.
 
Very interesting. I have an identical RH, and it was made about the same time period. Mine has had many thousand heavy loads fired through it with no problems.

Using lubricants of any kind on torqued threads can cause failures. I've seen it myself on grade 8 7/8" bolts securing a crane to it's pedestal. When the engineers required torque is applied to a bolt with thread locker or sealant, the bolt is over stressed. They don't fail immediately, it takes multiple stress cycles. IMHO, that's what happened here.
 
Im in agreement that it appears to be a metalugical problem. I've seen lots of breaks like this in cast steel and iron. Also every blown gun I've seen has either blown cylinders, frames or split barrels. Not broken in half. You will have to take this up with Ruger, the gun shop is not responsible. If you tell them you used reloads, Ruger will not be responsible either. Send it back and let them test the steel first before you admit to anything. It could be faulty.
 
Update

I just asked Ruger for an update.

They said that "it is in polishing and will be another 3-4 weeks."

Must be some kind of polishing... :confused:

I hope they don't bump it back and screw me out of late gun deer season. (1st week of December here)

The dealer said it would be 4-6 weeks. By my calculation, it has been over 5 weeks already. Another 3-4 weeks = 8-10 weeks. Damn.
 
Thanks WESHOOT2.

I just remembered I requested a bit of extra service from them too, so it is my own fault, if that is why it is in Polishing for so long.

My 44 Magnum dies should be arriving any day now, and I intend to have some loads worked up for late deer season when the gun arrives.

I'm planning on a max load (according to Lyman) of H110 and Rem 240 gr. JHPs. (since that's what I have on hand) Then, maybe Bullseye or HP38 for target ammo. I have some 240 gr. Rainier plated flat points that I need to use up before ordering some lighter range ammo.
 
public admission

I have a 5.5" Redhawk.
I have many many dies.
I have Lyman data, and more.
I have H110, and more.
I have the Rainier 240g TCJ-FP, and more.
I DO NOT HAVE the Remington 240g JHP, but I have some experrience, and ideas (and many other choices).

But I won't post too much 'heavy' data here, because not everyone understands or accepts the ramifications.



(And if I could, I'd post a picture of a box of very old ammo marked "45 Long Colt" LOL)......
 
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Too bad it was already sent off...

I'd love to know the results of firing it with only the barrel stub in... Preferably with photos taken at dawn or dusk...
 
I've been following this thread since the first post, and Smaug, I hope they get the gun back in time for deer season !

I own a 5.5 Redhawk and two 4 5/8 inch Bisley Vaqueros. I've had a lot of success reloading with H110 using the 240 Hornady XTP. Last year I got a nice 4 x 6 buck with one of the Bisleys shooting the XTP over 23.5 grains of H110 (Open sights, of course.)

Good luck, I hope they get it back to you in time !
 
Did they find anything out?

Do they know the cause for the failure? Did it cost you anything to have it repaired, besides the extras?
 
crghss - I'm sure they do know the cause of the failure. It was well known back in the 80s. They haven't said a word to me. I assume there will be no charge, since they are already in Polishing. (read the whole thread for details)

4V50 - The barrel broke off right at the frame, allegedly due to over-torquing the barrel when installing it. Allegedly, that was caused by the thread lube not being good, because it was left out overnight. So it isn't like the whole gun was defective, just the barrel. Also, I specifically requested that they repair that gun (if it is safe to do so) since the trigger is so nice on it. (the trigger is much nicer than those of the Super Redhawks) (if you look back at the text of the letter I sent to Ruger, you'll see the full context)
 
crghss - Another thought. I didn't ask them to polish my Redhawk. It is possible they just decided to replace the gun and polish the internals of the new one so that the action is as smooth as my old one was. I will not know until I receive the gun back, I guess. (see my letter to Ruger for reference)
 
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