Redhawk madness on Gunbroker
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JLarsson
Single-Sixer
Boxhead said:
Have you actually handled and shot one? I have handled and shot both the Redhawk and the Smith 29 (629, actually). The Smith wouldn't be my first choice. It's not a "dumpy clunker", but the Redhawk is more robust and - for me - makes handling recoil easier.
sousana
Single-Sixer
gramps said:
When I do sell a weapon, I ship thru my ffl who charges me $40+ins
Varminterror
Blackhawk
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- Feb 25, 2014
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k22fan said:
I promised myself I wouldn't spill the beans until I had both cylinders in hand, but it's something I've been wanting for a long time :mrgreen:
About 15-16yrs ago I started looking for a way to get a flatter trajectory out of a 44mag. I played a bit with 180-200grn pills, but wasn't ever very happy with the accuracy. So then I went through different cartridges, 445 Supermag, 357Max, super hot loaded 357mag (young and dumb and flattening primers left and right!!), then came across a 357/44 Bobcat Mag, using those polycarbonate sleeves - which I F'ing hated.
Don't know how I missed it all of those years, but the .357/44 Bain & Davis was waiting for me out there the whole time. Played with two of them this year, built on convertible Blackhawks, and decided that the .357B&D would be the ticket!
Most of the B&D conversions have been done to Ruger Blackhawks or S&W 27's, so wanting to be different, I'll be doing it on the Redhawk platform in a 7.5" barrel. Rather than making a permanent conversion, I'm working on a "Convertible Redhawk" such that I can shoot .357mags and .38spcls when I'm lazy and don't want to roll rounds, and the super-mag .357B&D while hunting. 158grn pills around 2200fps and 180's reaching around 2000... Sure can't complain about that as a mid-size game cartridge!
The unfortunate reality of it is that to accomplish it, I'll end up buying two revolvers and scrapping one's frame and barrel to steal the cylinder assy, OR I'll spend as much or more sending the ONE revolver back to Ruger with the story that I bought a "gun in a box" and the cylinder assy was missing. :X Either way, it'll be anything but 'budget friendly'.
Varminterror,
I have toyed with deviously getting a second cylinder from Ruger by claiming I lost my cylinder assembly or acquired a revolver that had been separated to discourage its theft. Have you inquired what they charge?
The .357 B&D was often written up in the 1970s. IIRC it was similar ballistically to the .357 Auto Mag which was a factory offering.
I have toyed with deviously getting a second cylinder from Ruger by claiming I lost my cylinder assembly or acquired a revolver that had been separated to discourage its theft. Have you inquired what they charge?
The .357 B&D was often written up in the 1970s. IIRC it was similar ballistically to the .357 Auto Mag which was a factory offering.
wapiti22
Blackhawk
I just picked up a 41 mag. Redhawk with 5.5" barrel. Sold new in 2004. $800 and worth it to me. I like 41's.
JLarsson
Single-Sixer
wapiti22 said:
I predict you'll not be letting that one go, at least not willingly. Ever.
Varminterror
Blackhawk
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- Feb 25, 2014
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- 513
k22fan said:
So I've done this twice with Ruger. First time, I told Ruger that I bought the revolver at a farm sale and it was in a cigar box full of parts - got it home and realized the cylinder was missing. :roll: Cost me $200 plus shipping, but that was a Ruger Super Blackhawk back in 2004...
Fast forward to today, tried to do the same thing, telling them that I had loaned it to a hunting partner for some time and he had lost the cylinder after storing them separately. $400+ for a Ruger SBH cylinder is the quote I have right now about 3 months ago.
I inquired last month ago about Redhawks. First 3 times they said they did not offer that as a service and that I should sell it to a gunsmith. Finally I got someone on the horn that would work with me. It wasn't an official quote, but including the entire cylinder/crane assembly (which is what I want), it would run over $650, "likely over $700" and since it's a limited production item now and those are critical action parts, it might be a "very long turn around time".
I believe the limit for my .357B&D will honestly be the bullets. Hard finding bullets that are designed to expand at that velocity for .357".
The easy solution, is to NOT build a convertible, and simply convert the Redhawk permanently. OR, do as the rest of fella's do, and buy a 9mm/357mag convertible Blackhawk and ream the 9mm cylinder out for .357B&D.
Varminterror,
It's not often that S&W winds up being cheaper than Ruger but if you want a DA your project .357 B&D may be one of those cases. Basically that's because .357 RHs bring a collector premium vs the large number of S&W model 28s kicking around. It's easy to find spare 28 cylinders but fitting one can involve setting back the barrel and wind up being expensive. Other than getting lucky I don't know why fitting a RH cylinder would cost any less. It sounds like the financially sensible route is to ream out a convertible BH's 9mm cylinder. Not too many people would want to fire those 2,000 plus fps loads DA anyway. BTW, once you start looking at SAs there are stretch frames and no doubt bottle neck .357 wildcats to look at, or if there aren't you can create your own.
It's not often that S&W winds up being cheaper than Ruger but if you want a DA your project .357 B&D may be one of those cases. Basically that's because .357 RHs bring a collector premium vs the large number of S&W model 28s kicking around. It's easy to find spare 28 cylinders but fitting one can involve setting back the barrel and wind up being expensive. Other than getting lucky I don't know why fitting a RH cylinder would cost any less. It sounds like the financially sensible route is to ream out a convertible BH's 9mm cylinder. Not too many people would want to fire those 2,000 plus fps loads DA anyway. BTW, once you start looking at SAs there are stretch frames and no doubt bottle neck .357 wildcats to look at, or if there aren't you can create your own.
It's not like Smiths are that cheap either. Go buy a new 629 or 625 and see how much you have to shell out. One step farther see if you can find one of them either. Find a clean one with out the lock. they aren't cheap. Want a Mountain Gun, you can pay a LOT of money.
Varminterror
Blackhawk
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- Feb 25, 2014
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- 513
k22fan said:
Yeah, I know, I know... But it's gonna be my gun, and the heart wants what the heart wants....
I've been through those considerations, and down those roads. The "standard" for building .357B&D mags has been to ream the SA Ruger Blackhawks (usually convertibles), or S&W 27's. I don't want to be standard, ever. I also priced it out and talked to Taurus about the cost of getting a new crane/cylinder assy for one of their revolvers, and it'd be the cheapest option, but I want a Ruger Redhawk (or SRH) for this project.
And I've been down the stretched BH route, S&W 27, 629, SRH, Dan Wesson, FA, BFR, the .357max, the .357/44 Bobcat mag, .445 super mag, 475Linebaugh, .45-70 BFR, 41mag, .44mags, 32H&R's, .32Federal mags, etc etc. All looking for "midweight" bullets at high velocities suitable for deer type game. My goal has really always been 160-180grn performance out of a 44mag energy level - which I estimated to be in the 1900fps+ ballpark. A few rounds can deliver on that goal, the Max and the Bobcat mag for example, even a .44mag, but the .44mag wasn't accurate with "light for caliber" bullets, the bobcat mag required plastic neck sleeves that sucked, and the 357max was a stretch frame BH single action that I wasn't in love with...
For this project, it will be a double action Ruger, or it won't get done. It's not about the best, the cheapest, or whatever, so I get to be stubborn on this. I WANT a one of a kind Redhawk in a cartridge capable of exactly what I've been looking for. I'm also considering having a custom barrel and custom cylinders cut for a Super Redhawk (since they've never been offered in 357mag), and that might still be a possibility depending on where the prices and availability of the Redhawks go. The B&D mag will do what I'm wanting it to do, and the RH/SRH is the platform I wanna do it in.
And of course, bringing financial responsibility into the discussion of ANY custom revolver is just foolish - we all know we're gonna be spending money that will never be seen again
I'll do the reaming and action work myself, fitting the crane will either be me if I can find a take-off that fits, otherwise it'll go back to ruger with a "lost parts" story. If the new cylinder comes back shorter and the barrel set back, I'll machine the face of the old cyl to fit the new dimensions. I figure all told I'll have around $2000-2500 in this one before dies. Ain't cheap, but it'll be a one of a kind, and all mine Varminterror,
I understand and didn't mean to try to talk you out of it. In your shoes I'd also make the RH vs SRH decision based on what the "heart wants." That would be SRH for me because I find them the most comfortable of all the DAs with heavy recoil but blued RH sure look better.
I understand and didn't mean to try to talk you out of it. In your shoes I'd also make the RH vs SRH decision based on what the "heart wants." That would be SRH for me because I find them the most comfortable of all the DAs with heavy recoil but blued RH sure look better.
desertrat
Single-Sixer
trouble said:
IMO, that's what's driving the gun powder shortage. Not auctions, but panic buying by the public. Similar to your comment, all they have to do is hear that some reloading component is hard to find and they go ape by over buying and creating an artificial shortage.
Thel
Blackhawk
Perhaps some custom gunsmith such as Bowen could be a source of a cylinder blank. There must be some others besides Bowen that fabricate them such as Gary Reed.
andyo5
Single-Sixer
I sold my Redhawk a couple of months ago, for $950 including a holster valued at $60. Maybe I should have waited.
Boxhead said:I wouldn't pay anywhere near retail let alone more for a Redhawk. They are dumpy clunker's IMO. I gave $500 for this Simith M29 last year that is, IMO, 10 X the Ruger. If I need a greater boomer, which I generally don't, I own other SA Ruger's that fit the bill.
Ed, I'm a Ruger guy but the next time you find one of those at that price, be sure and call me because I could be persuaded. You obviously find better deals than I do, even if that's not the usual run of the mill price. I could be persuaded.
Alpo
Bearcat
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2012
- Messages
- 68
GB is ridiculous.
I was just on Kygunco.com:
.44 mag Redhawks (5.5" & 7.5") in stock for $734.38 shipped.
.454 & .44 mag SRHs (7.5") & .44 mag Alaskans for $825.02 shipped.
I was just on Kygunco.com:
.44 mag Redhawks (5.5" & 7.5") in stock for $734.38 shipped.
.454 & .44 mag SRHs (7.5") & .44 mag Alaskans for $825.02 shipped.
Varminterror
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2014
- Messages
- 513
Thel said:
I've been down this road already. Going through Ruger was cheaper than Hamilton was going to charge to machine a new cylinder, and I mean about HALF as expensive. BCA wasn't interested in finding the cylinder assy parts, and was only interested in cutting a new cylinder, so I'd have still had the hurdle of finding all the other cyl assy parts to make this a true "quick change" convertible RH like I want.
Lately three, 4 inch .45 Redhawks have sold on Gunbroker. Two for $810, and one for $999. These prices don't reflect shipping, FFL, and maybe sales tax. I paid $900 for a 4 inch with a Simply Rugged Chesty Puller rig, TK moon clip conversion, Hogue Bantam grip, 30 moon clips(.45 Colt and .45 ACP) and this included shipping. Ruger states that they are back in limited production, but with the pent up demand they will probably be scarce.
