Redhawk Shortages???

[Donaldjr1969]

As a recently unemployed shooter, I do need something on which I can spend part of my severance pay. I have decided on a 5.5" barreled 44 Magnum Redhawk, model KRH-445. I have been to nearly 10 different firearms dealers in NE Ohio and not one has that model Redhawk in stock. For fun, looking at several internet and online shops, they do not have it either. In short, it seems NOBODY has it in stock. I would have to order it and thus have it shipped from Ruger to a dealer.

Is there any form of a "shortage" of 44mag Redhawks at this time? Or is it merely something that is not popular compared to other handguns and thus not stocked as much? Now the place where I most likely will make my purchase had various S&W Model 29s in stock as well as various models of 44mag Taurus revolvers. But the Redhawk is what I have decided upon and I am surprised that, given its strength to handle the hottest loads, nobody has it in stock.

 

[Blacklion213]

I have been looking for a Ruger Redhawk .44MAG 5.5" Barrel SS MOD KRH-445 since last March. I called Ruger (twice) to see what their production schedule is, and both times I was given the run around with no answer. It has been since last March so it should be pretty soon now.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Last March? Has the Redhawk really been unavailable since then??? :shock: I could have walked out that day with a Taurus 44mag but it is not the revolver that I really want. I can wait. But hopefully I would not have to wait more than a full month. One place told me that it would be a 15-30 day wait.

I could get by with a Super Blackhawk as most of my intended usage would be target shooting. However, the Redhawk would be loaded with 44specials for home defense. In those precious few milliseconds, I would rather not have to cock the hammer when a bad guy is looking me right in the eye.

 

[hittman]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=199727797

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=199901408

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=10017197&oh=216543

 

[Blacklion213]

I don't want a used revolver. I want a new weapon. I also investigated all the leads given by the guys here on the forum and turned up nothing. They were all like Lipseys, they show they list the revolver but none were in stock. So, I'll keep waiting and looking until the new Redhawks are available.

 

[WESHOOT2]

I wanted a 'fresh' 44 Redhawk. I had my gunshop order one. I waited. It arrived. It was worth my wait.
I still own that one.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

I wanted a 'fresh' 44 Redhawk. I had my gunshop order one. I waited. It arrived. It was worth my wait. I still own that one.

If I may ask, how long was your wait? If I ordered this weekend, do you think I would have my Redhawk before Christmas?

Hittman, I appreciate the links. But for a big bore magnum, I prefer a fresh gun. I have no idea how it was cared for by the previous owner. How meticulous were they with cleaning? Whenever I shoot, I clean the gun upon getting home. And if I were to buy a used gun, either from a private seller or a LGS, I would have to physically be able to examine the gun myself. Those redhawk auctions you mention, how would I be able to examine for tight cylinder lockup? I could win the auction, receive the revolver, and then find that, due to reasons unknown, cylinder lockup, etc, is worse than should be for a gun with its age or usage level. But once again, I do appreciate you taking the time to find those listings for me.

 

[jpickar]

Save your money. It might be a looooong recession. No signs of letting up now.

John

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Ruger produces it's double-action revolver in what seems like large batches. If there hasn't been a production run in a while you will have to look around to find one. If you check-in with Davidson's once in a while you can see when batches are delivered. Davidson's is one of the largest distributors of Ruger guns.

http://www.galleryofguns.com/default.aspx

...Jimbo

 

[DCRuger]

Donald, I see you are from Akron, Ditto. There is a good show this weekend at the fairgrounds in Medina and several more locally before Christmas.
I see lots of Redhawks at these shows and lots of other .44 mag and larger. It is EASY to find a like-new one for less than it should be. I sold my old .44 SS Redhawk about 6 months ago for 450 at a show to help my son buy something. The fact is, lots of guys buy these guns, then really don't like shooting them or can afford shooting them and get rid of them, especialy these .454, .50 cal , etc. stuff. EASY to find at shows. It's like the Alasken prices, took a jump when movie ads came out. If you want one, just wait a year and they will be cheap at shows LNIB.
Mine was from when they first made the ss redhawks so no scope ring millings which most guys wanted., was like new, neither son liked shooting it and the trigger guard smacked my middle finger good so I helped him get a S&W 686 w/ it. I still have a S&W mod 29 left.
If you live in Akron there are almost every weekend shows in cleveland, niles, medina, dalton, berea, etc. You can pic up a schedule at any show. All are $6 to get in.
There is a pretty big Ruger dealer that lives in Wellington and he may have what you need. Phone is 330-725-4713. try in evening.
Also, pay attention to what none-dealers are walking around carrying and if you see a ruger box ask.
You'll get a better deal at a show and you can dicker!

Dale

 

[Tommy Kelly]

Sports south a distrubetor has them in stock now. Thats who the dealers around here order fron its a overnight deal to us you may have a couple of day wait.

 

[gramps]

I am in Anchorage, Ak. GunRunners, Fred Meyers and Walmart all have the 4.2 inch Redhawks in stock. I haven't seen a 5.5 inch in years(new).
gramps

 

[Blacklion213]

I checked Sports South Distributors, they are not available there. What is your contact information? Thank you.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

DCRuger,

Fin Feather and Fur Outfitters is running a 12 months same as cash promo from tomorrow to the 24th. If they are able to check their distributors for me and let me know if they can get one, I can take advantage of the 12 months SAC, pay the monthly minimum, and then pay it off in full upon receipt of the revolver. I know if I HAVE to have a 44mag NOW, I can get a Taurus Model 44 for about 500 new. But I know that I would not be satisfied unless it is a Redhawk. Mind you, I got the cash to purchase one outright. But if I have to wait, I would rather not front much beyond the minimum 10% down. As for the 12months SAC, it gives me leeway to wait until my tax return next year to pay it off should there be a major delay in my unemployment payments. After all, from my fellow laid off coworkers, 3-5 weeks wait before unemployment benefits start being paid is not uncommon at all.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Save your money. It might be a looooong recession. No signs of letting up now.

John

That's all the more reason I want a second firearm for home defense as well as to shoot at the range. With the recession, who knows how many more people like Steven Hayes are out there. I mean, look at what he did to the Petit family because, in his own words, "his life sucked, no money, and not enough to eat." At least I can load the Redhawk with 44 specials for indoor home defense. I would then use 240g JHPs for outdoor self defense and as a trail gun.

In this day and age with the recession and cutbacks of law enforcement personnel, that is all the more reason to beef up my home protection. I do not own a revolver now but for HD, I would go to it first over my P90, which admittedly has only had one FTF due to an inadvertent limp wrist. And I still prefer a revolver for HD.

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

Donald,

Did you check with Kame's to see if their distributor has them?

I agree with DCRuger and recommend you check the Medina gun show. I saw a dealer with a huge Ruger inventory when I went to the Medina show in August.

Your heart seems to be set on a new piece, but you surely can find many gently used pieces that are waaaay better than a new Taurus. I saw a wonderful RH Hunter in stainless for $495 at the Hartville Market in September. I hesitated and it was gone when I went back to buy it. I found another from a fellow near Ashland on Gunbroker and jumped on it.

Best of luck in your search!

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Hey Jeff...nice to see yet ANOTHER Ohioan on the forums! As for Kames, well they were 40 or 50 dollars more for the Redhawk I wanted. So I pretty much narrowed it down to The Fin. That 50 dollars will pay for the gas to get down there plus almost 2 boxes of ammunition for the revolver. I frequent The Fin already because they have the best prices on target loads for my shotgun. So even if Kames could get me the model I wanted tomorrow, it is worth a moderate wait to save 50 dollars.

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

OK, fair enough. The Fin usually has better prices on powder and primers, too. I am gearing up for a trip to the Fin, as I have my birthday coupons in hand!

 

[Donaldjr1969]

That brings me to another point, Jeff. One may ask how can an unemployed shooter afford to shoot anything other than 22LR, let alone 44 magnum? Well, I do see that The Fin has a Lee C-Frame press for 26 dollars and 44mag dies for 28. Not sure about the cost of Large Pistol primers and a powder needed to duplicate the performance of, say, WWB 240g JSP loads. However, they do have 240g .429 diameter LSWC bullets at 24 dollars for a 200ct box. So I invest in 150-200 rounds factory ammo and go from there with reloading.

I just find it odd that the Redhawk 44mag is so hard to find. I decided against the Taurus some time ago. And with the durability of the Redhawk over the Model 29 S&W, it is not worth paying at least 200 dollars more for the Smith...

Now if Kames would just redo the sale they had sometime ago where they were selling CCI Blazer 45acp 230g ball ammo for 13.99 per 50 round box!

 

[ranger1]

Gallery of Guns will email you when your gun is in stock. Just go through the Gun Genie and watch for stock watch. It's really slick.

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx

 

[Rabon]

I didn't know these were hard to come buy, I can run into town in the morning and see if there are any available.

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

Donald,

Those LSWC are the ones that are giving me fits. The Fin and a LGS in Coventry on Manchester carry them. Quality Cast is the name, though when you get them in a store, the are no-name. The caster is up in the Newton Falls/Stow area and you can also order direct. The .44 cal run a little undersized and the box of .430's I got had a high portion with malformed meplats. Like dinged when they dropped from the mold. Those guys are real nice folks and the .45 and 9mm bullets I got from them have been real nice in my Colt Mk IV and SR9c. No deformations. I have bought a couple thousand rounds in various calibers from them. The Fin has a wide selection of bullets for reloading and also has a limited selection of bulk bullets and bulk brass.

I am trying another caster who's up in Parma. More to follow on that in a couple of weeks.

As to primers, I think I paid $33-34 per 1000 at the Fin. The Fin has all brands and sizes. Selection can be more limited at Kames, but they're way closer.

For powder, expect less than $25 per pound. Exact price depends on powder. For full power loads, you will want to try Alliant 2400 or Winchester 296.

Budget a lot of time for your visit to the Fin. They have a huge reloading section in the basement. Bring your range gear, too. Indoor range is by the reloading section.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

I hear ya Jeff about budgeting time for a visit to The Fin! That is to an adult what Toys R Us and the former Children's Palace is to a kid! I have seen their reloading section and even though the Lee C-frame is not a regular stock item (but they can order any web item for in-store pickup), their selection of powders alone is impressive! I salivate every time I go downstairs as I pass by it when I go to purchase those cases of Federal Top Gun target loads. And there is just something about filling a shopping cart full with ammunition as you go to the checkout line! :lol: The only thing they need are automatic doors! While I have mastered the art of opening the doors with one hand while pulling a cart with 150-200lbs of ammo through with the other hand, it would be a lot easier with automatic doors!

I will be purchasing a range membership at The Marksman on Barber Rd. Now the Riverside Range in Cuyahoga Falls is closer, but I do not really care for them. The people are, I feel, a bit on the snobby side. Also, while the yearly memberships are the same for both ranges at 250/year, Riverside charges 5 dollars for a guest to shoot with me whereas at the Marksman, a guest is free. Secondly, I do not need a rifle rated range as I do not own any rifles beyond a .22lr. Lastly, The Marksman allows shotguns so long as the shot/slugs are lead. No steel shot or copper slugs. I often use the Marksman to pattern my shotgun with my 18" cylinder bore barrel when I try a new buckshot load. The Riverside range does not allow shotguns because the wads clog up their water-based traps.

 

[WESHOOT2]

I don't recall the wait time. I am very patient (guns, custom holsters, custom pistolsmithing).

Do NOT buy the Raging Bull if you desire Ruger-like performance.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

Do NOT buy the Raging Bull if you desire Ruger-like performance.

Hehehe, I already eliminated the Raging Bull or any other Taurus revolver. The Redhawk is only 120 dollars more and is by far the better revolver. Not that the Taurus is absolute crap (though others may feel differently), but it is not the revolver I want and as such, would I be happy with a second choice purchase in the long run? Maybe, and maybe not. Do I expect to shoot 330g +P loads from Garrett? Not anytime soon. Do I ever expect to shoot anything over 260g much? Not really. So I could get by with a Taurus or even a Model 29. But to me, there is nothing wrong with buying a revolver that is overbuilt for what I need.

Lastly, as a recently unemployed shooter who lost his job to China, I tend to support American companies even more now (not that I did not do so already). The few Rugers I have owned or shot have always left a positive note on my mind. And as such, I would prefer to buy American so long as they offer what meets my needs. Now I am not going to harangue people for buying an imported firearm or such. That is your money and you are free to spend it as you please. Nor will I ever think badly of a person that purchased an imported firearm. Lastly, I am NOT going to be a loudmouthed "Buy American" member. This is strictly my personal viewpoint. Hey, we are ALL shooting/firearms enthusiasts here! I do enjoy firing my friend's Tokarev. And as long as we all enjoy our firearms and our shooting, that's all that matters.

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

I shoot at the Marksman, too. I shot at Riverside just once and had a nice experience, but the Marksman is just a couple of exits down 224 from mine (Main St). I go there at least once a week (usually Tue night) and really should get a membership. I will probably make my second trip this week tonight as I am expecting a new scope to arrive from Midway. You can also buy range brass from them.

Yeah, automatic doors at the Fin would be nice. At least they have an elevator to get all that ammo from the basement to the checkout!

 

[DCRuger]

Jeff, the Ruger guy you mentioned at Medina is the number I gave before, Bill Ehring (sp?)
BTW, I live 1/2 mile from the Hartville Flea Market and I've seen a few good deals there over the years, in fact I bought a carry gun at the little gun/knife store inside the building this last summer.

I disagree with your 'snobby' call for the Cuyahoga Falls guy. Only one young ex-marine is such. Deal with the owner, Tom, he is great and a 1911 EXPERT who has tinkered with our guns SEVERAL times for free.. Thats where I shoot and my son and I have traded/bought several guns there in the last year.

Re: the Barberton range. Thats where I took my CCL course but then that guy moved to Coventry ( A good place to check for your Ruger also, The Gun Shoppe) and the range/store was archery last I was in, with a small front store of mainly paramilitary. Have they reopened the range for guns again? Is the whole shop guns again or still mostly archery/hunting.?

Yes, Kames is high. Have you tried Dicks Gun Room in the Falls for your gun. Unfortunately they are even higher than Kames, but more used guns!

I have to reiterate. If you are not going to all the great gunshows we have around here then you are making a mistake!

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

The Marksman has both archery and gun ranges open. The gun range is limited to rimfire, handgun cartridges, and frangible 5.56mm and 7.63x39 ammo. They have a modest selection of cleaning equipment and a few guns and bows for sale.

+1 on The Gun Shoppe. Nice fellows, good stock.

 

[Donaldjr1969]

DCRuger, the snobby attitude stems from one time where my buddy wanted to shoot his Mosin Nagant. There was an incident where some clown decided to shoot AP ammo and put holes through the back of the range! Anyway, he went to shoot and they were giving him a hard time because his ammo was magnetic. He swore that it was the same stuff they sold him. Well, after a bit of arguing, he finally got them to open a box of their ammo. Guess what? It was magnetic. Thing is, their ammo was steel-cased, not steel-cored. And steel cased bullets are not armor piercing. Maybe I got that Ex-marine you mentioned. I dunno. But with regards to price, Riverside is 20/hr and Marksman is 12/hr. It sure is NOT going to take me no 8 dollars in fuel to get from where I live (I actually live in Cuyahoga Falls. I list Akron as it is easier to find on a map! ) to The Marksman and back.

Even if I felt 100% comfortable shooting there AND their hourly rates are the same, I STILL prefer The Marksman. I want the ability to shoot shotguns on the range and I cannot do that at Riverside.

Gun shows... I have pretty much given them a second thought and will be seriously considering them for my Redhawk purchase. I have a feeling that I may have better luck finding a Redhawk at a show. I have been to Dick's Gun Room many times as I got my P90 from there for not much more than The Fin wanted. But alas, no used 5.5" barreled Redhawks...

 

[DCRuger]

Jeff,
Yes, I stopped by today while out on a bike ride. MODEST isn't the word for their sales stock! They had about 8 poly-guns and and two AR's I think! but there were guys on the range.

Donald, Yes, the Falls is $20 an hour, but, my sons and I all shoot on one lane for that price. You can shoot 3 to a lane there. I did pick up the ad for the barberton range while there but jeez that place has no guns and no supplies.

Maybe we'll bump into each other at Medina this weekend.