Redhawk 4" with non-pinned front sight?

[jeffjeeptj]

I previously owned a 4" Redhawk, and it came with the Hogue grips and a pinned front sight. I do not remember when it was manufactured. Made a mistake selling it.

I just got another 4" Redhawk and it has the spring loaded front sight and wood grips. I'm certain this is a factory 4", since the box with matching serial indicates it IS a KRH-444, 05206. The envelope with the fired shells indicate August 2004. The grips are an easy change. I am happy with the front sight, since it is easier to change than fiddling with the roll pin and drilling a replacement. I want to change to a front light tube like a Hyviz.

When did Ruger convert the front sight to the pinned version?
Any thoughts on the reason for the change?

Thanks in advance

 

[22/45 Fan]

The current GP-100 uses the same spring loaded front sight arrangement and it is, by far, the most convenient and versatile type I've ever dealt with.

Jack Weigand makes a no-drill, no-tap scope mounting rail for the GP-100 with 4/4.2" and 6" barrel lengths and for the Redhawk with 5.5/6 and 7.5" barrels and both use a threaded steel replacement block for the front sight as an attachment point. I wonder if the 4/4.2" GP-100 mount would work on a 4" Redhawk.

 

[NikA]

I always thought that the pinned front sight was the original arrangement on the 4" Redhawks. I know the most recent ones (since 2010? or maybe later) have the plunger arrangement, which in my opinion is vastly superior. Is there a possibility that your revolver was rebarreled by Ruger at some point?

ETA: I wasn't paying much attention at that point, but mightn't this change have taken place when they temporarily shut down Redhawk manufacture a couple years ago? The timing seems about right. I was too busy panicking about being able to get the models I wanted.

 

[Sbeduckman]

My 4" Redhawk has a 2011 date and has a pinned front sight.

 

[Laserbait]

I think it was 2014 that they started with the plunger style front sights mounting method on the Redhawks.

 

[jeffjeeptj]

the history of my just purchased 2004 dated unit is totally unknown. Condition appears to be very low round count. Jeff Quinn published a 4" review in January 2007 with a pinned barrel. Shooting Times published a 4" review in 2011 with a pinned barrel. Gun Tests published a 4" review in February 2015 showing a pinned sight. The Ruger site, now shows a plunger on all the Redhawks of any flavor. The plunger does make the front sight more easily changed.
The curiosity of the production history and changes intrigues me.
I appreciate all the responses, thank you!

 

[22/45 Fan]

Somewhat OT but I don't understand why Ruger went to a dovetailed front sight for the new GP-100 Match Champion when the standard GP has a far more versatile and easily customized plunger held sight. What was the improvement?

 

[Varminterror]

Just bought a 2016 model, it's a plunger sight. BUT!!!! When I had looked at the Ruger online site before my revolver arrived, they were showing the pinned sight, so I ordered Hi-Viz sights for the pinned model in both colors - the wrong part. I was sad to have wasted the money once the revolver arrived, but glad to have access to the better plunger style sights. The Ruger online site TODAY does reflect the plunger style sight, but I can say with certainty, the pics on the page TODAY aren't the pics which were on the page a month ago, else I wouldn't have thought I needed to buy the pinned style sight for mine.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I bought both .44 and .45 4" RedHawks last year. The Ruger web site still pictured the Pinned sights but the guns came with quick change sights . That is the sight I prefer.

 

[gramps]

I bought a 4 inch RedHawk in 2009? I thought all RedHawks had the plunger type front sight. Mine had the pinned. I am still disappointed, because why make all Redhawk's with plunger style front sight except the 4 inch? Just not logical IMO.
gramps

 

[NikA]

Just a guess, but the barrel profile is different between my 4" and longer Redhawks (more tapered). This probably means a different machining operation that they didn't bother to set up until the 4" became a regular production item, relatively recently.

 

[RonSwanson]

Enlighten the ignorant here. My Redhawk 45Colt/.45 ACP has a hole in the front face of the integral front sight mount
with a small rod in it. Is this the plunger quick-change type or is that the pin?

 

[NikA]

Plunger style. The pinned style have a pin in a hole drilled 90deg from the barrel axis.
You can change the sight on your version by pushing a punch (or pen) into that hole, then lifting up on the sight (or flipping it over and shaking).
The pinned style require real tools to change.