Blew up my Redhawk - Page 6

Smaug · November 17, 2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZAK

So, did they replace the entire action? Basically gutted and replaced all stock?

Just the barrel, as near as I can tell.

AZAK · November 17, 2008, 11:19 PM

So, is the trigger pull the same as before?

If so that would be a good thing!

Gun 4 Fun · November 17, 2008, 11:20 PM

Wleoff-How'd you manage a .45 Redhawk in the 80's?They didn't come out until 1999 in .45 according to the person I talked to at Ruger, when I called to find out the year mine was made.
Did you get someone to rebore and rechamber your gun? If so, who? Before I got mine, I was thinking about having either Bowen or Clements do that to a.44 Redhawk, cause I like the .45 a lot better.

Wleoff · November 18, 2008, 08:11 AM

Gun 4 Fun, The 45 Colt is stock. I got it in 88' thru Davidson. A friend of mine, who is a gun article writer, told me about it. I wanted the Redhawk in 45 Colt because I was already loading that round in a Blackhawk. I did add the scope and grips to the Redhawk later. Bowen does great work, especially being nearby in Tennessee. He made a 4" barrel Redhawk in 45 Colt for me years ago. Here's a few of the 45 Colts that I still have:

Smaug · November 18, 2008, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZAK

So, is the trigger pull the same as before?

If so that would be a good thing!

Yes, they didn't do anything with the action.

Between sending the Redhawk in and receiving it back, I bought an SP-101 and did an action job on it. The single action on the SP is better than that of the Redhawk, so I'm going to have to work on that. Polish things up a bit. The SA is better on Super Redhawks too.

The Six series, GP-100, SP-101, and Super Redhawk all use the same action, and it is just not as good for DA as that of the Redhawk. I haven't even put the lighter springs in the Redhawk yet.

The SA on the Redhawk is just really heavy for a hunting handgun. It is clean, but very heavy.

arthury · June 6, 2012, 04:49 PM

I know it was a long time ago but ... I am curious ...

So, you didn't tell us how the shooting go after the barrel replacement.
Did the barrel stay attached? Was there any accuracy issues?
How did it go generally speaking?

Thanks!

Smaug · June 7, 2012, 11:35 AM

arthury: It is actually good that you have asked several years later, because I can report that all is fine.

I've shot many hundreds of rounds through it since the barrel replacement. The accuracy is top-shelf; I've managed about a 2.5", 5-shot group standing offhand at 25 yards with it. (using the scope)

The barrel stayed attached. This is still one of my favorite handguns, even though it is not the least bit practical, except for target shooting.

I took it deer hunting once, and was not comfortable leaving it cocked and unlocked. I saw a deer and slowly raised the gun. From 40 yards away, the sound of the hammer cocking sent the deer running.

Now don't get me wrong: a 40 yard shot in dense woods with a handgun is not an easy shot. I probably would have missed anyhow.

It just makes me all the more mad, since if I was allowed by the regulations to use my lever action rifle in 44 Mag, I would have almost certainly tagged that doe.

arthury · June 7, 2012, 11:41 AM

Thanks for the response.
I am looking one myself, not for hunting, but mainly as a backup sidearm against bears in the deep woods and I am having a hard time finding a 4"/5.5" version.

It looks like Ruger has stopped production for all of the Redhawks for sometime now but they announced on 5/31 that they are accepting new orders from distributors for their products. I'm not sure if they will fire up a new production cycle for the Redhawks again any time soon.

buckhorn · June 7, 2012, 11:48 AM

I bet Ruger sends you a new gun. Let us know. It doesn't look like a J.B. weld break. When the front of the ram assembly on my Remington Piette broke, I J.B.'t back on. Only I didn't follow the instructions and clean the area good enough. When it broke again, there was a grey residue left, and it wasn't smooth like your break. The second time, I followed instructions and cleaned the metal down to shiny and it's been fine since. [about 100 rounds].

Sevens · June 7, 2012, 12:21 PM

Hey Buckhorn, I'll bet you are right!

But don't try to make money with these bold predictions!

(read the recent posts...)

newfrontier45 · June 7, 2012, 12:56 PM

Quote:

I bet Ruger sends you a new gun. Let us know.

Did you read the thread? Pay attention to the dates as well.

buckhorn · June 7, 2012, 05:29 PM

Didn't you guys ever make a mistake? MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA, MEA MAXIMA CULPA.

Master Blaster 2 · June 7, 2012, 10:38 PM

LOL Buckhorn...

BigShep85 · June 8, 2012, 04:10 AM

What grips are on that Redhawk wleoff?

Cool Breeze · June 11, 2012, 12:02 AM

Holy crap! this is an amazing thread. I had heard about the barrel thread lube issue but never saw any results like that.

Hence the birth of the super redhawk, eh?

that's amazing and I'm glad no one got hurt in the process........

Ruger makes it happen.....I'm a big ruger fan (except my no.1 rifle was a pain to scope)......ha

that lube destroyed the integrity of that barrel base. and ruger was on it.........

I guess by the time they learned it was the lube, they had already beefed up the frame on the super version

coolbreezy · June 12, 2012, 01:01 PM

smaug, glad to see all is well with your redhawk! I have a 1983 made redhawk with a 7 1/2 barrel, and I was scared to shoot it at first cause barrel separation I've read about. After about 100 mid power loads and another hundred of the hot stuff, my barrel stayed intact. I'm glad that it did, because the accuracy and action of my particular redhawk is nothing short of incredible! Happy shooting!

dgludwig · July 4, 2012, 01:15 PM

I wonder if anyone knows of the serial number range of Redhawks that might be afflicted with the barrel/frame separation issue?

riggins_83 · July 4, 2012, 11:29 PM

Give Ruger a call, I suspect they'd fix it.

TennJed · July 7, 2012, 12:57 AM

Quote:

Give Ruger a call, I suspect they'd fix it.

Yeah they will probably rebarrel it. I bet you a steak dinner it takes them more than 2 months to do it though!

And I hope he doesn't get his hopes up about that 5 1/2 barrel

joneb · July 7, 2012, 01:11 AM

My dad's 44 blackhack blew up with a 4227 load, the cylinder had a flaw and Ruger sent him a 44 Redhawk as a replacement at his request.

Sport45 · July 7, 2012, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Yeah they will probably rebarrel it. I bet you a steak dinner it takes them more than 2 months to do it though!

What kind of sucker bet is that? It did take 9-10 weeks for him to get the gun back.... in 2008!

Didn't there used to be a necro-thread warning under the subject line of threads that were started more than six months or so ago?

**JohnKSa** · July 7, 2012, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Didn't there used to be a necro-thread warning under the subject line of threads that were started more than six months or so ago?

There is a warning if one attempts to reply to a thread that hasn't been active in awhile. But after someone bypasses the warning and puts a new post on the thread, now it's an active thread and subsequent posters won't get the warning.

Lashlarue · July 8, 2012, 08:10 PM

I thought Ruger fixed this problem several years ago,Some Monday morning guns were shearing off the barrels, as the lube put on Friday night dried out before the barrel could be installed,causing excessive force to be used when screwing in the barrel and fracturing the steel.I know it was discussed here at least two or more years ago.

**JohnKSa** · July 8, 2012, 10:20 PM

That is correct, as far as I know. This is one of the threads where it was discussed--it was started in 2008.

Since the age of this thread is causing confusion, I'm going to go ahead and lock it.

November 17, 2008, 11:19 PM	#127
AZAK Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2008 Location: the object towards which the action of the sea is directed Posts: 2,123	So, is the trigger pull the same as before? If so that would be a good thing! __________________ The lowest paid college major/degree in this country after graduation... Elementary Education. Now, go figure...

June 7, 2012, 11:35 AM	#132
Smaug Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2004 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 3,210	arthury: It is actually good that you have asked several years later, because I can report that all is fine. I've shot many hundreds of rounds through it since the barrel replacement. The accuracy is top-shelf; I've managed about a 2.5", 5-shot group standing offhand at 25 yards with it. (using the scope) The barrel stayed attached. This is still one of my favorite handguns, even though it is not the least bit practical, except for target shooting. I took it deer hunting once, and was not comfortable leaving it cocked and unlocked. I saw a deer and slowly raised the gun. From 40 yards away, the sound of the hammer cocking sent the deer running. Now don't get me wrong: a 40 yard shot in dense woods with a handgun is not an easy shot. I probably would have missed anyhow. It just makes me all the more mad, since if I was allowed by the regulations to use my lever action rifle in 44 Mag, I would have almost certainly tagged that doe. __________________ -Jeremy "Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer

June 7, 2012, 11:48 AM	#134
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 196	Redhawk I bet Ruger sends you a new gun. Let us know. It doesn't look like a J.B. weld break. When the front of the ram assembly on my Remington Piette broke, I J.B.'t back on. Only I didn't follow the instructions and clean the area good enough. When it broke again, there was a grey residue left, and it wasn't smooth like your break. The second time, I followed instructions and cleaned the metal down to shiny and it's been fine since. [about 100 rounds].

June 7, 2012, 12:21 PM	#135
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Hey Buckhorn, I'll bet you are right! But don't try to make money with these bold predictions! (read the recent posts...) __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

June 7, 2012, 05:29 PM	#137
buckhorn Senior Member Join Date: May 11, 2012 Location: mid michigan Posts: 196	blew up Ruger Didn't you guys ever make a mistake? MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA, MEA MAXIMA CULPA.

November 17, 2008, 11:20 PM	#128
Gun 4 Fun Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2008 Posts: 956	Wleoff-How'd you manage a .45 Redhawk in the 80's?They didn't come out until 1999 in .45 according to the person I talked to at Ruger, when I called to find out the year mine was made. Did you get someone to rebore and rechamber your gun? If so, who? Before I got mine, I was thinking about having either Bowen or Clements do that to a.44 Redhawk, cause I like the .45 a lot better.

November 18, 2008, 08:11 AM	#129
Wleoff Senior Member Join Date: June 6, 2008 Location: North AL Posts: 380	Gun 4 Fun, The 45 Colt is stock. I got it in 88' thru Davidson. A friend of mine, who is a gun article writer, told me about it. I wanted the Redhawk in 45 Colt because I was already loading that round in a Blackhawk. I did add the scope and grips to the Redhawk later. Bowen does great work, especially being nearby in Tennessee. He made a 4" barrel Redhawk in 45 Colt for me years ago. Here's a few of the 45 Colts that I still have:

June 6, 2012, 04:49 PM	#131
arthury Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: The NW Posts: 30	I know it was a long time ago but ... I am curious ... So, you didn't tell us how the shooting go after the barrel replacement. Did the barrel stay attached? Was there any accuracy issues? How did it go generally speaking? Thanks!

June 7, 2012, 11:41 AM	#133
arthury Member Join Date: June 6, 2012 Location: The NW Posts: 30	Thanks for the response. I am looking one myself, not for hunting, but mainly as a backup sidearm against bears in the deep woods and I am having a hard time finding a 4"/5.5" version. It looks like Ruger has stopped production for all of the Redhawks for sometime now but they announced on 5/31 that they are accepting new orders from distributors for their products. I'm not sure if they will fire up a new production cycle for the Redhawks again any time soon.

June 7, 2012, 10:38 PM	#138
Master Blaster 2 Junior member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Posts: 895	LOL Buckhorn... Last edited by Master Blaster 2; June 7, 2012 at 10:47 PM.

June 8, 2012, 04:10 AM	#139
BigShep85 Member Join Date: April 9, 2011 Posts: 95	What grips? What grips are on that Redhawk wleoff?

June 11, 2012, 12:02 AM	#140
Cool Breeze Member Join Date: June 2, 2012 Location: Western Montana Posts: 42	Holy crap! this is an amazing thread. I had heard about the barrel thread lube issue but never saw any results like that. Hence the birth of the super redhawk, eh? that's amazing and I'm glad no one got hurt in the process........ Ruger makes it happen.....I'm a big ruger fan (except my no.1 rifle was a pain to scope)......ha that lube destroyed the integrity of that barrel base. and ruger was on it......... I guess by the time they learned it was the lube, they had already beefed up the frame on the super version

June 12, 2012, 01:01 PM	#141
coolbreezy Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2010 Posts: 271	smaug, glad to see all is well with your redhawk! I have a 1983 made redhawk with a 7 1/2 barrel, and I was scared to shoot it at first cause barrel separation I've read about. After about 100 mid power loads and another hundred of the hot stuff, my barrel stayed intact. I'm glad that it did, because the accuracy and action of my particular redhawk is nothing short of incredible! Happy shooting! __________________ S&W highway patrolman 28-2/ Springfield mil spec 1911 (semi custom)/ Sig P220 match elite .45 acp/Kimber micro 9 stainless/ Remington 870 tac14/ Taurus pt22/ S&W 629-1 3" .44 mag/ S&W 629 PC V-Comp/ Beretta M9/ Stevens/Savage 311A 12 ga double bbl/ Magnum research Desert Eagle XIX .44 mag/ S&W 460 xvr/ Glock g40 10mm longslide/ H&K usp compact .45 acp/ Ruger SuperBlackhawk Lipsey Edition/ S&W 686+ 3-5-7 talo edition

July 4, 2012, 01:15 PM	#142
dgludwig Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2005 Location: North central Ohio Posts: 7,486	I wonder if anyone knows of the serial number range of Redhawks that might be afflicted with the barrel/frame separation issue? __________________ ONLY AN ARMED PEOPLE CAN BE TRULY FREE ; ONLY AN UNARMED PEOPLE CAN EVER BE ENSLAVED ...Aristotle NRA Benefactor Life Member

July 4, 2012, 11:29 PM	#143
riggins_83 Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2009 Location: Wherever I may roam Posts: 1,506	Give Ruger a call, I suspect they'd fix it. __________________ l've heard police work is dangerous. Yes, that's why l carry a big gun. Couldn't it go off accidentally? l used to have that problem. What did you do about it? l just think about baseball. -Leslie Nielsen

July 7, 2012, 01:11 AM	#145
joneb Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2005 Location: Central , OR Posts: 1,888	My dad's 44 blackhack blew up with a 4227 load, the cylinder had a flaw and Ruger sent him a 44 Redhawk as a replacement at his request.

July 8, 2012, 08:10 PM	#148
Lashlarue Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2008 Posts: 533	I thought Ruger fixed this problem several years ago,Some Monday morning guns were shearing off the barrels, as the lube put on Friday night dried out before the barrel could be installed,causing excessive force to be used when screwing in the barrel and fracturing the steel.I know it was discussed here at least two or more years ago. __________________ I've made a lot of money in my life, most was spent on booze, babes, guns, and poker,the rest I wasted!

July 8, 2012, 10:20 PM	#149
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 25,013	That is correct, as far as I know. This is one of the threads where it was discussed--it was started in 2008. Since the age of this thread is causing confusion, I'm going to go ahead and lock it. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?