1. Ruger Redhawk Serial Number Chart
2. Ruger Super Redhawk Serial Number Location

Fortunately, Ruger makes an online tool available to Ruger owners to help read Ruger serial numbers and determine the weapon's date of manufacture. Access the Ruger website. The company's website link is provided below in the 'Resources' section of this article. The most common question we are asked is 'When was my Ruger Made?' Well, good news, Ruger lovers! Ruger's great newly-redesigned web site has the answer. Click Here for Ruger's 'Caliber and Serial Number History' Page! Running a close second in popularity to 'When was my Ruger made?' Is the next question that naturally follows.

The Super Redhawk is a line of double-actionmagnumrevolvers made by Sturm, Ruger beginning in 1987, when Ruger started making weapons using larger, more powerful cartridges such as .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger.^[3]

• 1Introduction
  • 1.3.480 Ruger

Introduction[edit]

The Super Redhawk was introduced late in 1987, in .44 Magnum with 7.5- and 9.5-inch barrel lengths.^[3] The final product used the same trigger design and same grip panels as the .357 Magnum GP100, but had a larger, stronger frame with integrated scope bases. The Super Redhawk received positive reviews, edging out similar offerings from Smith & Wesson in accuracy and price.^[3]

The Super Redhawk was only available in stainless steel with a number of finishes.^[3] The standard finish is brushed steel, with a semi-gloss look. Polished, high-gloss versions have also been offered, though this option is not currently available. Stainless steel one-inch scope rings are included, using the standard Ruger lockup common to all Ruger integral bases. These rings easily allow removing the scope from the handgun, without significantly altering zero, or eye-relief, once the scope is re-installed. The Super Redhawk uses different front and rear rings, with the rear ring being shorter than the front ring due to differences in frame height.^[3] Ruger Model 77 bolt-action rifles also use a higher ring in the rear than in the front.

Despite plans to drop the Ruger Redhawk revolver with the introduction of the Super Redhawk, the original Redhawk (with the barrel thread lubricant issue corrected) remains in production as of 2018.^[3] Many shooters prefer the more classic lines of the Redhawk, especially those who do not plan to use a scope.^[3] The Redhawk is also available with different barrel lengths, 4, 5.5 and 7.5 inches.^[3]

Versions of the Super Redhawk with 20-inch barrels were produced for the UK market with serial numbers in the 551-5xxxx and 551-7xxxx range. Model numbers were KSRH-21-357 (.357 Magnum) and KSRH-21 (.44 Magnum). 200 were made in total evenly split between the .357 and .44 for the importers. The vast majority had their length cut down for competition shooting and only a small handful remain in the original long barrelled version.

10mm Auto[edit]

A version of the Super Redhawk is available as of 2018 in the 10mm auto rimless round. This features a 6.5 inch barrel and uses full moon clips to eject rounds from the cylinder. Rounds may be inserted and fired without the clips, but will require manual ejection with some type of rod.

.454 Casull[edit]

Introduced in 1997, the Super Redhawk chambered in .454 Casull was the first six-shot revolver in that caliber. The Freedom Arms cylinder and numerous conversions only hold 5 rounds. To handle the extreme pressures of the .454 Casull without changing the design of the cylinder, Ruger used a different alloy and heat treatment process to increase its strength. The frame material is the same as standard Super Redhawks, but frame and cylinder are colored differently by use of a target grey finish produced by tumbling the parts in special polishing media.^[3]

The .454 Casull model is actually marked as '.454 Casull /.45 Colt', and is capable of shooting the slightly shorter .45 Colt rounds. The .45 Colt is a less powerful round to shoot, lacking the severe muzzle blast and recoil of the .454 Casull. The option of using .45 Colt expands versatility, reduces the cost of shooting, and reduces wear.^[3]

.480 Ruger[edit]

The year 2003 saw the release of Ruger's first cartridge, the .480 Ruger, developed for the Super Redhawk. The .480 Ruger is built on the same frame as the .454 Casull, and was introduced as a six-shot model. While the .480 Ruger is not loaded to the rifle-like pressures of the .454 Casull, the bigger (.475 caliber, 12 mm) bore allows the use of heavier bullets than the .454 Casull, making it a good choice for handgun hunting. The .480 Ruger operates at far lower pressures than the .454 Casull, making it more comfortable to shoot.

The standard Hornady 325 gr JHP .480 Ruger cartridge can produce a muzzle velocity of 1350 ft/s (405 m/s) and generates one-third more muzzle energy than the standard .44 Magnum cartridge, with substantially less recoil than other big-bore hunting handgun cartridges. The large, heavy bullet still offers excellent penetration for big game hunting.Although muzzle energy is below the .454 Casull, (energy figures are not the only, or the best method of comparing bullet effectiveness, as caliber and bullet construction are not taken into consideration), the .480 Ruger's larger caliber, and heavier bullet selection, offers Taylor Knock-out values (TKO) equal to, or better than, traditional .454 loads. This with less recoil, concussion, and muzzle blast, due to its lower operating pressures.

Model redesign[edit]

In 2007 Ruger temporarily ceased production of the .480 Ruger models due to fired case extraction issues and popular demand. The fired case extraction issues resulted from individuals loading cartridges to pressures that were not meant to be for the 480 Ruger cartridge.^[3] After analyzing the problem, Ruger decided to start fitting the .480 Ruger models with 5-shot, rather than the original 6-shot, cylinders.^[3] With this release Ruger also changed to Hogue Monogrip grips.^[3] After a period of a couple of years off of the line-up, Ruger re-introduced the .480 Ruger model, again with the original 6-shot configuration, as of January 2013. As with the current .454 Casull and .44 Magnum versions, it too now sports a 'conventional' satin stainless-steel finish, along with the Hogue Monogrips.

Super Redhawk Alaskan[edit]

Introduced in 2005, the Ruger Alaskan is Ruger's first short-barrelled, big-bore revolver, conceived by Ruger president Steve Sanetti and intended for defense against large, dangerous animals.^[4][5] The .45 Colt may be an alternative for concealed against human attackers due to the fact it does not possess the capabilities of penetration like that of the .454 Casull. The 21/2-inch barrel on the Alaskan ends at the end of the frame, and the scope bases are omitted.^[4] The interchangeable front sight is replaced with a pinned-in ramp sight, but the adjustable rear sight is retained. The Alaskan is available in .44 Magnum, .454 Casull/.45 Colt, and .480 Ruger, with the .480 model originally a six-shot, replaced in 2008 with a five-shot model to aid in spent cartridge extraction.^[4] All Alaskans feature a brushed stainless finish and a Hogue Tamer rubber finger groove grip, rather than the standard GP100 style.^[4] The .454 and .480 versions have an unfluted cylinder while the .44 Magnum features a fluted cylinder.^[4]

The advantage of such a short barrel is that it can be quickly drawn from a chest holster which is typically out of the way while performing outdoor activities such as fly fishing, hiking, etc. However, the primary trade off for using such a short barrel with a high power cartridge is the loss of projectile kinetic energy out of the muzzle. The factory loaded .454 Casull Hornady XTP is rated by the manufacturer at 1650 feet per second out of a 71/2-inch barrel. The Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan sacrifices 300 feet per second with its 21/2-inch barrel.^[6]

In August 2009, Greg Brush, from Soldotna, Alaska, was walking his dog when an Alaskan brown bear charged him. Drawing his .454 Casull Ruger Alaskan while rapidly backpedaling, he fired three shots in quick succession into the bear; followed by a fourth and final shot. The fifth round failed to discharge due to a defective crimp where the unfired bullet slips forward in the casing, due to heavy recoil and loose pressure from the cartridge casing, far enough to interfere with cylinder rotation. The animal was stopped 10 feet (3.0 m) beyond Brush's original starting position.^[7][8]

References[edit]

1. ^'Ruger® Super Redhawk Alaskan® Double-Action Revolver Models'. Ruger.com. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
2. ^'Ruger® Super Redhawk® Double-Action Revolver Models'. Ruger.com. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
3. ^ ^{abcdefghijklm}Taffin, John (2002) The Legend of Big RedAmerican Handgunner May/June 2002
4. ^ ^abcde'The New Super Redhawk Alaskan Packs a Wallop!'. Shootingtimes.com. 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
5. ^[1]Archived April 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^[2]
7. ^Campbell, Mike (9 Aug 2009). 'Twig snap alerts dog-walker to charging grizzly'. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
8. ^Bestul, Scott (17 Aug 2009). 'Charging Bear Killed in Alaska'. Field & Stream Magazine. Retrieved 19 July 2011.

External links[edit]

• Video of operation on YouTube(in Japanese)
• Ruger’s .357 GP-100 Revolver Considered a Modern Classic, Gun Week, by Jim Williamson

The Ruger Redhawk is a DA/SA, large-frame revolver that was first introduced in 1979 by Sturm, Ruger & Company. Made from high-grade steel, it is available in a stainless steel finish. The Redhawk is reinforced to handle extra stress, making it very popular for use by handloaders as it is able to handle both.45 Colt and .44 Magnum loads. In addition, the cylinder itself is longer than most competitors', allowing ammunition to be loaded to a longer overall length. This allows for either increased powder capacity, heavier (and therefore longer) bullets without compromising the powder load, or a combination of both. Custom ammunition manufacturers even have loads made specifically for Ruger revolvers that cannot fit in shorter chambers or revolvers of weaker construction (such as the Smith & Wesson Model 29). This makes the Redhawk popular as a bear defense gun among hunters and trappers.

Design and construction[edit]

The Redhawk was the first large-bore double-action revolver made by Ruger. It was designed by Harry Sefried, who previously worked for High Standard Manufacturing Company, where he designed the High Standard Sentinel revolver. The grip profile of the Sentinel was used on the 'Six' line of Ruger .357 double-action revolvers, which included the Ruger Security-Six and its variants, the Service-Six and Speed-Six. These revolvers were produced from 1970 to 1988, and were unlike other double-action revolvers in that they used a one-piece frame, rather than a removable sideplate, which lent them superior strength. The Redhawk, introduced in 1980, was a scaled-up and improved version of the Security-Six, the target model, with a square butt grip, adjustable sights, and 5.5- and 7.5-inch barrel lengths. The Redhawk was available in blued or stainless steel, and was primarily used by handgun hunters. The Redhawk, designed for long-term use with the heaviest .44 Magnum loads, included a new latch at the crane, to firmly lock the cylinder at front and rear, a feature last seen in the Smith & Wesson's triple lock design, discontinued in 1915.^[1]

The Ruger Redhawk uses modern coil springs design instead of old-fashioned leaf springs that are found in most modern revolvers. The revolvers also used a single spring for both the hammer and the trigger, and this meant that the force required to pull the trigger was higher than similar offerings from other manufacturers, and there was no way to adjust or correct this as it was inherent in the single-spring design.^[1]

The revolver has forward ramp sights with four different interchangeable sight inserts. The rear sights are fully adjustable, featuring a white outline. The Redhawk is available with scope mounts and rings.^[2]

The Redhawk holds six rounds of ammunition in its cylinder and until recently was available with a 4-inch, 5.5-inch, or 7.5-inch barrel. A 4.2-inch barrel was also recently added to accommodate the Canadian rules for minimum barrel length (the same was later done for the GP100 revolver). When introduced it was only offered in .44 Magnum/.44 Special. Later on .41 Magnum, .357 Magnum/.38 Special, .45 Colt and .45 ACP/.45 Colt were added to the lineup. Gradually options in chambering were pared down, and by 2007 the Redhawk was again only offered in .44 Magnum. However, in 2008 Sturm, Ruger & Co. once again began marketing the Redhawk in .45 Colt chambering.^[3]

Just like any product with a serial number, the one found on your Nikon lens is a way to identify the model. Unlike cars and other larger items, the serial number on a Nikon DSLR lens. Find nikon lens serial number. Nov 02, 2014  Re: Lens age vs serial number some yes and others are worn out. Regarding D and non D, it is marked but some might know what lens it really is. Some sellers on ebay are not knowledgeable about the lenses they are selling. Relative that passed away for instance. Once a serial number is know, it give a a lof of info about the lens. Nikon F-mount cameras use a serial protocol to communicate with attached lenses and gather basic lens information such as maximum aperture, current focal length, rough focus distance, etc. It is also used to control Vibration Reduction, Autofocus (for AF-I and AF-S lenses), and so on. Start and End serial numbers are from Nikon Ai conversion lists, service manuals, catalogues and various books. The Earliest and Latest serial numbers are from lenses I have seen. They help confirm the Start and End numbers or indicate the range where the Start and End numbers are unknown.

In June 2015 Ruger announced a production Redhawk version that supports both the rimmed.45 Colt round and the rimless.45 ACP round.^[4],[5] Ruger achieves this multi-cartridge functionality by partially machining the cylinder for use of moon clips for the .45 ACP while still retaining enough ledge on the cylinder to allow proper .45 Coltheadspacing.^[6],[7] For several years gunsmiths^[8] have been customizing DA/SA revolver cylinders (manufactured using modern metallurgy^[9]) of .45 Colt, .454 Casull or .460 S&W Magnumchamberings to accept .45 ACP (and possibly other rounds) with moon clips in addition to the revolver's original round(s). However, Ruger's .45 ACP/.45 Colt Redhawk offering is one of the first factory-produced, manufacturer-standard revolver models with such a machined cylinder.

Ruger Redhawk Serial Number Chart

Success[edit]

Ruger Super Redhawk Serial Number Location

Despite plans to drop the line with the introduction of the Ruger Super Redhawk, the Redhawk (with the barrel thread lubricant issue corrected) remains in production today.^[2] Many shooters prefer the more classic lines of the Redhawk, especially those who do not plan to use a scope.^[2]

Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes carried a Redhawk on the 14-month-long Transglobe Expedition and used it to ward off a polar bear.^[10]

Malfunction[edit]

During the mid-1980s, Ruger began to have reports of failures in the Redhawk revolvers.^[2] Some Redhawks were reported to be separating at the junction between barrel and frame. It was not known at the time why this was happening; the Redhawk had been on the market for years with no reported problems, but Ruger decided to address the issue by extending the frame 2.5 inches past the cylinder face, all the way to the end of the ejector rod, to provide a massive surface into which to thread the barrel.^[2] The extended frame also provided enough length to allow scope bases to be mounted on the frame, rather than on the barrel as was done on the scoped versions of the Redhawk.^[2] It was determined that the barrel separations on the Redhawks were due to a change in the lubricant used when attaching the barrels to the frames, but by that time the new Super Redhawk design was already well underway and the extended frame was kept.^[2]

References[edit]

• Taffin, John (2006). 'Ruger's Redhawk and Super Redhawk'. Gun Digest Book of the .44. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 193–198. ISBN978-0-89689-416-7.
• Wilson, R. L.; G. Allan Brown (2008). Ruger & His Guns: A History of the Man, the Company and Their Firearms. Book Sales, Inc. ISBN978-0-7858-2103-8.

Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ ^abWilson(2008) pp.161-162
2. ^ ^abcdefgTaffin, John (2002)'The Legend of Big Red'American Handgunner May/June 2002
3. ^'Ruger Redhawk KRH-45-4 Revolver Chambered in .45 Colt'.
4. ^'Ruger Introduces .45 Auto / .45 Colt Redhawk Revolver'. Ruger Press Release. 2015-06-15.
5. ^'Ruger Announces .45 Auto / .45 Colt Redhawk Revolver'. American Rifleman. 2015-06-15.
6. ^Johnson, Richard (2015-06-16). 'New Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt/.45 ACP'. TheFirearmBlog.com.
7. ^Quinn, Jeff (2015-06-17). 'Ruger Redhawk 45 ACP/45 Colt Double-Action Revolver'. Gunblast.com. (For images of Ruger's machined .45 ACP/.45 Colt cylinder, see the photos in Jeff Quinn's Redhawk review of the cylinder, rimmed .45 Colt in the cylinder without moon clips, and rimless .45 ACP in the cylinder with moon clips.)
8. ^See, e.g., Tomaras, Peter T. (2010-12-29). 'The Rise Of The Full Moon.. Clip That Is!'. American Handgunner.
9. ^For safety reasons, old, black-powder .45 Colt revolvers should not be modified to shoot .45 ACP cartridges.
10. ^Fiennes, Ranulph (1983). To the ends of the earth: the Transglobe Expedition, the first pole-to-pole circumnavigation of the globe. Taylor & Francis US. p. 416. ISBN978-0-87795-490-3.

External links[edit]