Should I buy a Redhawk 5.5"?

mossyoakpenn · January 28, 2009, 12:16 PM

What do you guys think. I found a new one in my local gun shop for $580. Its the blued version with the 5.5" barrel in 44mag. Im looking for a good shooter on this one. Im actually a Smith guy but I cant bring myself to use a pretty revolver that much. Plus the blued model is discontinued and I dont like the stainless ones. Should I buy this one new or wait to find a used one for less money? Is it worth the extra money? Thanks!

bluetopper · January 28, 2009, 01:37 PM

I bought a slightly used satin stainless Redhawk a year ago out of a pawn shop for $390 plus tax. At first I loved the gun and it was wonderfully accurate but it had a hard horrible single action trigger and that aspect really got on my nerves. I sold it and got a like new 629-6. I'm a happy camper now.

Both transactions I done on gunbroker.

CraigC · January 28, 2009, 01:53 PM

I never met a gun that was too nice to shoot, from a $75 Mossberg .22 to a $4000 Merkel game gun.

Smaug · January 28, 2009, 05:00 PM

1) I agree that the Redhawk SA trigger is not that great. Not bad, but not great either. The Redhawk DA trigger is very good.

2) The Super Redhawk trigger is better in SA, but worse in DA. But it was never offered in a 5.5" barrel, nor blued finish.

3) Blued carbon steel is more receptive to fine machining than stainless. It is the fly in the ointment of stainless guns.

4) 5.5" is the perfect barrel length for a full size, non-hunting, non-carry 44 Magnum. Good balance and good sight radius.

5) $580 seems to be a little much. I'd probably look for a used one in the $400 range. If you buy the new one, and it is indeed discontinued (I didn't check) you may be tempted not to shoot this one either!

The only downside is that if you buy a 5.5" blued Redhawk, you may lose your taste for S&W 29s. I know I did. (having owned both) The Ruger doesn't shoot loose and the stock wood grip is more comfy than the sharply checkered S&W grip. Of course that little issue is easily solved on a S&W.

My 7.5" stainless Redhawk is a tack driver.

rugernut · January 28, 2009, 06:33 PM

gotta 5 1/2 inch ss redhawk and i carry it all the time at the deer lease. one of these days im gonna stumble upon a little piggie and put the bacon in a pan./they are great guns that can take a beating

akr · January 28, 2009, 07:45 PM

The gun is worth the money in quality, if you think you can handle the shorter bbl. It IS a new gun. Bud's has them for $582 delivered, but I think they are out of stock right now. That is a decent price from the gun shop if it is new.

jhgreasemonkey · January 28, 2009, 10:58 PM

Yeah that is not a bad price. I paid in the mid $500 dollar range 3 years ago for mine. As far as liking the gun I really like how it handles. Plus it is just a solid built revolver. I also have the 5.5" barrel and am happy with that decision. I say go for it.

mossyoakpenn · January 28, 2009, 11:22 PM

You guys are making this really hard. I made up my mind tonight at work that it was gonna be Smith only. Now I dont know. Like it was said earlier, the DA pull is better than a Smith but the SA isnt. Its a very close second though. I wanna give the Ruger a try but Im afraid Ill never go back to Smith. There is just something about the Smiths that pulls at my soft side, and my wallet.

Huntergirl · January 28, 2009, 11:29 PM

Get the trigger smoothed out by a gunsmith, problem solved. That's what I did.

Waterengineer · January 28, 2009, 11:43 PM

Should you buy it?

Yes!

akr · January 29, 2009, 12:28 AM

I would buy it fast! You will get your money's worth.

laytonj1 · January 29, 2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

You guys are making this really hard. I made up my mind tonight at work that it was gonna be Smith only.

Variety is the spice of life.
I have Smiths, Colts, Freedom Arms, Ruger, Dan Wesson, Glock... I like them all.

Jim

Jim March · January 29, 2009, 01:23 AM

If you want a gun in that class, I'd buy that so long as I was sure it was made fairly recently. Ruger QC has been on a strong upswing of late. One clue: see if the "lawyer billboard" has been moved to under-barrel instead of side. That would definitely mark it as recent construction. Failing that, I'd go back there and call the SN in to Ruger and find out when it was made...in Redhawks, the ones made in the last couple of years seem better; the new 4" variants fr'instance are getting rave reviews.

And there's also "the checkout", which I would always do on any gun this side of a Korth or Freedom Arms...

MADISON · January 29, 2009, 01:49 PM

I have said this many times before...
I had a 629 S&W and over a thousand rounds of 44 Magnum reloads with 21 grains of 2400 [Max Load!] The Smith did not like them.
I bought a Stainless 5.5 Redhawk and it loves my hot reloads.

imdarren · January 29, 2009, 09:32 PM

I love the Smith's. A VERY Sexy gun, and great triggers.
However . . . .
I have a Smith and A 5.5" Redhawk, and let me tell you, I push some really HOT loads (300gr Hornady HP/XTP & 25gr H110) I have loaded down that barrel, and that thing is still tight as can be. Lets see a Smith do that.
I think my trigger on my Redhawk is great, even compared to my Smiths, but If a person wanted even a beter trigger, any good gun smith can do a nice trigger job on that Redhawk for a really reasonable price.
The blued Redhawk is no longer a catalog item, I'd buy it and dont look back!
Trust me, you will never be able to waer it out, even if you try!
Do a $75 trigger job on it if you like, and you will be crazy about it! Trust me.

D

jhgreasemonkey · January 29, 2009, 09:39 PM

Madison has a good point. If you plan on using hot loads or long nose bullets then the redhawk is the ticket. It was built for that kind of use and does it very well. The smith is a very nice revolver as well and does indeed have a great trigger. If you plan on using standard loads then it would be a very fine choice. I wanted the versitility of using absolutely the entire spectrum of different .44 mag loads so I went with the redhawk. But I do like the smith. The colt anaconda is pretty sweet as well if you are going for a superb trigger. But it is said that hot loads put this show horse in an early grave.

mossyoakpenn · January 31, 2009, 12:44 PM

I have an updated question for all you Redhawk lovers. I found a used one from 1985 for sale. Good price on it. The question is....how was the quality of these things back then? Someone said in a post up above about the QC issues and how they have gotten better. What were these revolvers like back then? Thanks again yall!

Im going to start a new post for this one

mossyoakpenn · January 31, 2009, 12:45 PM

..

support_six · January 31, 2009, 11:05 PM

Buy it! Ruger has discontinued the 5½" blued Redhawk for 2009!

January 28, 2009, 12:16 PM	#1
mossyoakpenn Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 12	Should I buy a Redhawk 5.5"? What do you guys think. I found a new one in my local gun shop for $580. Its the blued version with the 5.5" barrel in 44mag. Im looking for a good shooter on this one. Im actually a Smith guy but I cant bring myself to use a pretty revolver that much. Plus the blued model is discontinued and I dont like the stainless ones. Should I buy this one new or wait to find a used one for less money? Is it worth the extra money? Thanks!

January 28, 2009, 05:00 PM	#4
Smaug Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2004 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 3,210	Go for it 1) I agree that the Redhawk SA trigger is not that great. Not bad, but not great either. The Redhawk DA trigger is very good. 2) The Super Redhawk trigger is better in SA, but worse in DA. But it was never offered in a 5.5" barrel, nor blued finish. 3) Blued carbon steel is more receptive to fine machining than stainless. It is the fly in the ointment of stainless guns. 4) 5.5" is the perfect barrel length for a full size, non-hunting, non-carry 44 Magnum. Good balance and good sight radius. 5) $580 seems to be a little much. I'd probably look for a used one in the $400 range. If you buy the new one, and it is indeed discontinued (I didn't check) you may be tempted not to shoot this one either! The only downside is that if you buy a 5.5" blued Redhawk, you may lose your taste for S&W 29s. I know I did. (having owned both) The Ruger doesn't shoot loose and the stock wood grip is more comfy than the sharply checkered S&W grip. Of course that little issue is easily solved on a S&W. My 7.5" stainless Redhawk is a tack driver. __________________ -Jeremy "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer

January 28, 2009, 07:45 PM	#6
akr Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,379	The gun is worth the money in quality, if you think you can handle the shorter bbl. It IS a new gun. Bud's has them for $582 delivered, but I think they are out of stock right now. That is a decent price from the gun shop if it is new. __________________ Http://www.nationalgunforum.com NRA Lifetime Member Last edited by akr; January 28, 2009 at 07:52 PM.

January 29, 2009, 12:28 AM	#11
akr Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,379	I would buy it fast! You will get your money's worth. __________________ Http://www.nationalgunforum.com NRA Lifetime Member

January 29, 2009, 01:23 AM	#13
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	If you want a gun in that class, I'd buy that so long as I was sure it was made fairly recently. Ruger QC has been on a strong upswing of late. One clue: see if the "lawyer billboard" has been moved to under-barrel instead of side. That would definitely mark it as recent construction. Failing that, I'd go back there and call the SN in to Ruger and find out when it was made...in Redhawks, the ones made in the last couple of years seem better; the new 4" variants fr'instance are getting rave reviews. And there's also "the checkout", which I would always do on any gun this side of a Korth or Freedom Arms... __________________ Jim March

January 28, 2009, 01:37 PM	#2
bluetopper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2005 Location: Northeast TX Posts: 1,197	I bought a slightly used satin stainless Redhawk a year ago out of a pawn shop for $390 plus tax. At first I loved the gun and it was wonderfully accurate but it had a hard horrible single action trigger and that aspect really got on my nerves. I sold it and got a like new 629-6. I'm a happy camper now. Both transactions I done on gunbroker.

January 28, 2009, 01:53 PM	#3
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	I never met a gun that was too nice to shoot, from a $75 Mossberg .22 to a $4000 Merkel game gun.

January 28, 2009, 06:33 PM	#5
rugernut Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2007 Location: dfw Posts: 130	gotta 5 1/2 inch ss redhawk and i carry it all the time at the deer lease. one of these days im gonna stumble upon a little piggie and put the bacon in a pan./they are great guns that can take a beating

January 28, 2009, 10:58 PM	#7
jhgreasemonkey Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 2,238	Yeah that is not a bad price. I paid in the mid $500 dollar range 3 years ago for mine. As far as liking the gun I really like how it handles. Plus it is just a solid built revolver. I also have the 5.5" barrel and am happy with that decision. I say go for it.

January 28, 2009, 11:22 PM	#8
mossyoakpenn Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 12	You guys are making this really hard. I made up my mind tonight at work that it was gonna be Smith only. Now I dont know. Like it was said earlier, the DA pull is better than a Smith but the SA isnt. Its a very close second though. I wanna give the Ruger a try but Im afraid Ill never go back to Smith. There is just something about the Smiths that pulls at my soft side, and my wallet.

January 28, 2009, 11:29 PM	#9
Huntergirl Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: Wyoming Posts: 907	Get the trigger smoothed out by a gunsmith, problem solved. That's what I did.

January 28, 2009, 11:43 PM	#10
Waterengineer Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Aurora, CO and Palm Beach, FL Posts: 863	Should you buy it? Yes!

January 29, 2009, 01:49 PM	#14
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	To buy a Redhawk or not I have said this many times before... I had a 629 S&W and over a thousand rounds of 44 Magnum reloads with 21 grains of 2400 [Max Load!] The Smith did not like them. I bought a Stainless 5.5 Redhawk and it loves my hot reloads.

January 29, 2009, 09:32 PM	#15
imdarren Senior Member Join Date: April 20, 2005 Location: Washington State Posts: 164	I love the Smith's. A VERY Sexy gun, and great triggers. However . . . . I have a Smith and A 5.5" Redhawk, and let me tell you, I push some really HOT loads (300gr Hornady HP/XTP & 25gr H110) I have loaded down that barrel, and that thing is still tight as can be. Lets see a Smith do that. I think my trigger on my Redhawk is great, even compared to my Smiths, but If a person wanted even a beter trigger, any good gun smith can do a nice trigger job on that Redhawk for a really reasonable price. The blued Redhawk is no longer a catalog item, I'd buy it and dont look back! Trust me, you will never be able to waer it out, even if you try! Do a $75 trigger job on it if you like, and you will be crazy about it! Trust me. D

January 29, 2009, 09:39 PM	#16
jhgreasemonkey Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 2,238	Madison has a good point. If you plan on using hot loads or long nose bullets then the redhawk is the ticket. It was built for that kind of use and does it very well. The smith is a very nice revolver as well and does indeed have a great trigger. If you plan on using standard loads then it would be a very fine choice. I wanted the versitility of using absolutely the entire spectrum of different .44 mag loads so I went with the redhawk. But I do like the smith. The colt anaconda is pretty sweet as well if you are going for a superb trigger. But it is said that hot loads put this show horse in an early grave.

January 31, 2009, 12:44 PM	#17
mossyoakpenn Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 12	I have an updated question for all you Redhawk lovers. I found a used one from 1985 for sale. Good price on it. The question is....how was the quality of these things back then? Someone said in a post up above about the QC issues and how they have gotten better. What were these revolvers like back then? Thanks again yall! Im going to start a new post for this one

January 31, 2009, 12:45 PM	#18
mossyoakpenn Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 12	..

January 31, 2009, 11:05 PM	#19
support_six Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2000 Location: Richland, WA Posts: 678	Buy it! Ruger has discontinued the 5½" blued Redhawk for 2009!