Sturm, Ruger tooled the Newport, New Hampshire plant for Redhawk production. (Single action production did not shift from Southport, Connecticut to New Hampshire until 1992.) The Red Label over/under shotgun struggled to calve adjacent on the shop floor to the Redhawk at the same time in Newport, NH. While built in Southport at this time, the Blackhawk .357 Maximum underwent its powder-burning bath on the hill behind the houses of Bill and Bill, Jr., in Croydon, up the road from Newport. We finished with the Maximum before either Redhawk or Red Label were ready. The single action represented, in Bill, Sr.'s words, basically "... a lateral step."
Whereas, the Redhawk and Red Label posed brand new headaches. Especially the over/under, where Bill, Sr., faced first hand the challenge of regulating two barrels to print the same Point of Impact.
David Bradshaw