Hi all, I'm new to the forum and have a question. I just purchased a brand new Ruger Redhawk .357, which I have not fired it yet. The hammer is rather heavy/stiff to cock. The initial pull is very light but to fully cock I need the use of both thumbs. The gun is massive with the 8 round cylinder and overbuilt frame, but I'm wondering if it should be this stiff. Beautiful gun - feels great in the hand.
Ruger Redhawk .357 Hammer
- Thread starter Dan G
- Start date
Help Support Ruger Forum:
Welcome from Arizona
contender
Ruger Guru
Welcome Dan G !!!!
The Redhawk has a heavy mainspring, and that's a bit normal.
BUT,, if you need to make it easier to operate,, I'd suggest a trip to a gunsmith for an action job. Too many people think lighter springs are the way to go,, but you can get misfires with lighter springs. A proper action job can do wonders, WITHOUT sacrificing the necessary power needed to reliable ignite the ammo.
The Redhawk has a heavy mainspring, and that's a bit normal.
BUT,, if you need to make it easier to operate,, I'd suggest a trip to a gunsmith for an action job. Too many people think lighter springs are the way to go,, but you can get misfires with lighter springs. A proper action job can do wonders, WITHOUT sacrificing the necessary power needed to reliable ignite the ammo.
So, presumably Ruger is making new Redhawk .357s again?!? I can scarcely believe it.
recumbent
Buckeye
Clean it, lube it and go shoot it, Shoot it double action for a while.
Their website shows Redhawk models in .357 with an 8-shot cylinder in 2.75", 4.20", and 5.50" barrel length.
Somehow, I had missed this info, too…
I got a Redhawk a few weeks ago and decided to tinker with it. Wolff makes a lighter spring kit, there's one spring that acts as the hammer and trigger return spring. With a Bowen extended firing pin installed and the lightest Wolff spring (12# I think), there haven't been any light primer strikes. Single and double action pulls are much lighter now. Of course some polishing helps too, and I had some extra shims from a GP100 kit that fit the Redhawk's hammer and trigger perfectly.
Just telling what worked for me, take my advice with a grain of salt.
Just telling what worked for me, take my advice with a grain of salt.
put a bit of 'Lubriplate' ( grease) on the ratchets ( star) rear of the cylinder, and simply work the action, use it,...yes lubriplate, lithium grease, hell even toothpaste, will smooth up the action and moving parts,,, fire the gun, and things will smooth up , to lighten it then you gotta do like mentioned above and put in new spring, we just don't do that, simply use, and look for any obvious burrs if its stainless steel you'll find lots of them.
Good luck and enjoy it,,,glad to have you 'on board'.......
Good luck and enjoy it,,,glad to have you 'on board'.......
Why not? Genuinely curious.
we just never did ,in all these years I can count on less than ONE hand how many aftermarket hammer,triiger springs we ever bought, always used the factory ones, and smoothed ,deburred the guns and its actions ( innards) what each part rides on, or moves with/against.......I do recall on 1911s maybe snipping a coil here or there, but still used factory springs and adjusted them accordingly ( or the main slide redoil spring, bounce back and forth between #14 and #16 pounds depending on the loads, wadcutters versus ball) Wolf and others sell a LOT of them to the homedoers, backyard gun plumbers..........oh well what do I know after 76 years, 60 of them tinkering on handguns.....worked at/with S&W, High Standard, and Dan Wesson.
someday I will have to put a pile of them still in the packages we have come across in gun buys, & sells, on the table at a show but I again NEVER< seldom?? get a request for any aftermarket 'spring kits'................practice and built up hand strength and trigger finger pull..............doesn't mess up having 'Misfires ' or mess with lock time on a single action either.......... one thing to have "issues" with a "target" gun, versus a carry, duty or home defense gun.............
someday I will have to put a pile of them still in the packages we have come across in gun buys, & sells, on the table at a show but I again NEVER< seldom?? get a request for any aftermarket 'spring kits'................practice and built up hand strength and trigger finger pull..............doesn't mess up having 'Misfires ' or mess with lock time on a single action either.......... one thing to have "issues" with a "target" gun, versus a carry, duty or home defense gun.............
Wish I had a nickel for every time we hear someone tinkered with a gun until it didn't work.
Sometimes they've never even fired it yet before they start adding aftermarket parts.
For full disclosure, no, I'm not a fan of customizing. Other are and that's fine too.
Sometimes they've never even fired it yet before they start adding aftermarket parts.
For full disclosure, no, I'm not a fan of customizing. Other are and that's fine too.
bigbillyboy
Buckeye
I pretty much agree ,the manufacturer mostly does it right 
Gotcha, I was afraid you were saying there was something inherently wrong with them. 100% agree with you about the reliability factor. Wouldn't trust a gun with new springs until at least a couple hundred rounds through it with no issues.
Can't disagree with you here. If I run into issues with it, the factory parts are going back in. But so far so good
I'm another who agrees with leaving the springs as they are. I have had issues with light primer strikes doing this. There was a time I could purchase real soft primers especially for Smith users that used light springs and I was ok but those are long gone. Maybe when you have the action real smooth the lighter springs might work better.
Maybe people missed the part about the extended firing pin? To clarify, I agree that using the lighter hammer spring runs the risk of light primer strikes. I've had it happen in other guns and would not recommend it in the redhawk without an extended firing pin. Seemed to do the trick with my redhawk. I'll let you guys know a few hundred rounds from now if it's still shooting well.
contender
Ruger Guru
Even extended firing pins need enough pressure to reliably ignite ammo.
Similar threads
