Recommend Gunsmith for Redhawk Trigger

[Out West]

I have a stainless Redhawk in 41 mag. I bought it and then put it in the safe. Recently I pulled it out in anticipation of deer season. I began to dry fire the revolver and realized the trigger is pretty aweful. Somehow I had it in my mind that one of Ruger's original objectives for the Redhawk was to create a sporting pistol with a good out of the box trigger. Since then I've done a bit of research on the Redhawk trigger and appears its not as easy as changing springs to make it better.

Any recommendations for a gunsmith that can put a high quality trigger on a Redhawk?

Thanks,

Out West

 

[Sonnytoo]

I have one of those. I usually jump up and down on my trigger to make it go off. It is a very accurate gun however. Perhaps due to its being so heavy (for me), that I don't pull the sights off target when I'm pulling the trigger. Of course, I won't sell it; I like it too much.
My understanding is that Ruger uses only one spring to operate both hammer and trigger, thus making it somewhat difficult to lighten the trigger pull while maintaining good hammer fall.
"a good out of the box trigger." You were almost there. This one was given to the SUPER Redhawk; much better multiple spring design.

You might wish to contact Hamilton Bowen @ Bowen Classic Arms. He's one of the finest gunbuilders in the country. Info follows:
email [email protected]
Phone (865) 984-3583

Sonnytoo

 

[andyo5]

I have a recently made 4" Redhawk. I found that with mine, if I quit using Winchester primers and use Federals instead that I can go to a 13lb Wolfe spring. With a little break in, I actually like it better than my Smiths. It is easy to roll a drop of oil down the hammer strut and onto the sear with the hammer cocked. This also helps alot.
Mine is 100% reliable with the 13lb spring, so long as I do not use Winchester primers. It might even be able to use a 12lb spring.

 

[TDF]

Dry fire it 10,000 times. That will help it smooth up a little bit. I doubt it will ever be great. You need a gunsmith that really understands what he's working on. Hamiton would be my best bet.

TDF

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I just got a 4" Redhawk in .44 mag over the weekend. It has a lightened mainspring (not sure if it's 13# or ???), but it has functions flawlessly and has a lighter DA pull than most of my S&W revolvers, even the ones with their own lightened spring kits installed. The SA action is another story, but it isn't terrible.

It's my first Ruger DA. Interesting, to say the least.

-- Sam

 

[Enigma]

First off, realize that the Redhawk has a different lockwork than the Super Redhawk. The Redhawk uses one spring to operate both hammer and trigger; the Super uses two. Many gunsmiths are, at best, reluctant to work on the regular Redhawk, because it seems to be easy to make them unreliable.

Dave Clements stopped working on them just about the time I was planning to send mine to him. Hamilton Bowen may still work on them; don't know. At any rate, if you do find someone who does work on them research his references well before you let him work on yours, and let us know how it works out for you.

 

[Out West]

Thanks guys. I'll probably put a drop of oil on the sear as described above. And dry fire a bunch. Might as well get used to it. Or maybe just sell it. I do like the look and feel of this revolver.

Out West

 

[Three44s]

My gunsmith lightened both my RH and SRH triggers.

Both guns have to be fed Federal primers as a result.

I'm sure it's hearasy but on the other Ruger forum there is a series of articles written in PDF format.

I believe at 25 posts or so there you can access these PDF's (called IBOK's) Iowegan's Book Of Knowledge

IBOK's go into great detail and cover trigger lightening very well.

I consider my RH and SRH to be very good guns and I am not going to tollerate primer sensitivity forever. But even in their lightened form ...... they will never match a decent Smith trigger ..... much less a superb one.

And for that matter ...... the only transfer bar gun I have ever seen that can rival a good S&W is my Dan Wesson large frame.

So comparing a Ruger to a Smith is folly. But the Ruger has other attributes that transend triggernomitry. ......... and that is why many including myself ....... own a good many different brands of round shooters.

Sort of like blondes, redheads and brunnettes?????

Three 44s

 

[Cherokee]

Andy Horvath did the trigger work on my 45 Redhawk. Much better now. 440-458-4369

 

[andyo5]

Thanks guys. I'll probably put a drop of oil on the sear as described above. And dry fire a bunch. Might as well get used to it. Or maybe just sell it. I do like the look and feel of this revolver.

Out West

I hope you will work with it for awhile before selling it. You can always sell it.
I was not impressed at first either, but at this point no way I would part with it. Good luck.

 

[magnaportssk]

Bill Oglesby did action/trigger jobs on both of my Redhawks and improved them greatly- and the price is right!

217-487-7100

 

[KWYJIBO]

It pleases me to learn that my Redhawk is not the only one with a trigger pull that leaves something to be desired. It is not horrible, but is not great either. Mine is a .357 from around 1985. I probably won't have it worked over, because I don't shoot the gun much--in fact, it's my only gun that could be described as a safe queen. I love owning this gun, but don't love shooting it. Hence, it just stays put away.