Ruger project.

C

charleym3

New member
I've always wanted to have a particular gun. In the perfect world it would start it's life as a Ruger Redhawk stainless in .45 Colt. I want to have to barrel chopped to 4 inches (or replaced) and a second cyliner made in .45acp. The lingering question is, is the cylinder the same size and the S&W N frame so that it can use the same moon clips?
I realise that this is going to be an expensive project, which is why it has never gotten off the ground. Maybe now that Ruger is under new management, they may open a custom shop or cater to the IDPA crowd. Maybe.
Thoughts or suggestions?
 
I suppose a gunsmith could rechamber Redhawk .44 Magnum cylinder - if you could get one. Adapting the rechambered cylinder to use half-moon clips is another matter. The Smith & Wesson cylinder is a mite smaller then the Ruger, both in length and diameter. However the Colt New Service is closer in diameter and the clips work in those.

Unless you have a pervasive reason to spend a lot of money I’d suggest you could load the .45 Colt to .45 ACP specifications. Or you might consider building your “dream gun” on a S&W platform. Also consider the Taurus “Tracker,” although in .45 it’s only a 5-shooter.
 
Okay, cylinder size is a show stopper as far as chambering 45ACP. What about a straight barrel reduction. There isn't enough meat at that point on the barrel to dovetail and channel for the factory sight. Is it expensive to have a front sight made? Maybe I should have started this in the gunsmithing section.
 
I think the front sight would be a minor problem. The barrel has a rib on it. After it was cut to 4 inches (or whatever) the original front sight ramp could be removed from the stub that was cut off and milled flat on the bottom. The shortened barrel could have a similar flat milled on the rib. Then the ramp could be silver-soldered to the barrel. As you probably know, the front sight blades are user-interchangeable.

Annother alternative would be to cut off the barrel, mill a slot in the rib, and then crosspin in a new blade without a ramp. You could make the blade out of any material you wanted, to any thickness within reason, and you could hold the blade up for long-range shots if you wanted. Something you can't do very well with today's usual low blade/ramped front sights. You didn't say if you were thinking blued steel or stainless, but in either case you could have a blued blade - much better then a stainless silver color.
 
I'll have to think on that for a while. I'll talk to my favorite local guns smith. I found a possible candidate. The gun is virtually new and the price is $450. I would expect the barrel work to run around $200. Misc fees etc and I'm rapidly crossing the $700 dollar mark. Which is why I haven't pursued this in the past. I'll probably need to part with the custom Springfield 1911 to cover the cost. Well, seems like a fair trade. I never really did warm up to the 1911 anyway.
 
I believe the Redhawk is available with a 5 1/2" barrel. If that would meet your needs it could save a lot of money. Do persue your "dream gun," but at the same time consider other makes and models that might be better for what you have in mind. To save money come as close as possible in a standard model to reduce expensive custom modifications. I suggest you consider an "N" frme S&W with a 4" barrel (extra cylinders in 45 Colt and/or .45 ACP are available), and also look at some of the revolvers Taurus is offering. Check out Dan Wesson Arms, and the possibility of Colt's Anaconda. Starting with a used gun will save money. Good luck.
 
can use the same moon clips?

I do not have an N frame here at the moment, but my recollection is that the Redhawk is indeed larger in diameter, but most, if not all, of that extra metal is outside the chambers. In other words, there is a thicker wall between the chamber and the outside of the cylinder, but mot so much difference between the chambers. I do not think that there is enough difference in spacing to cause a problem.

If you read the back of the speed-loader package, it might cover that question. It does not hafta be perfect, just close.
 
The layout of the Ruger .44Mag Redhawks and SuperRedhawks are both identical to the S&W N-Frame .44Mags. Speedloaders are interchangable.

Several people here on TFL have tried the same thing with .45LC and .454, and they work just fine because while the shell is thicker, the rims aren't proportionally wider for the .45LC-derived shells.

:)
 
I have a friend that is a trader that has a Ruger 454 that is a custom gun, slabsidedd 4" brl scope mount, rings ect that is new and it is for sale somewhere near $800 I think. O yes it has acustom finish also>
 
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