Ruger Redhawk 454 Casull Modification

[Arisin' Wind]

Replicating a build. Not sure what the availability of parts are now a days. Finding a cylinder is probably your toughest part. I've had a 454 Redhawk awhile. Pumped a lot of 454 and Ruger only loads. Also a lot of 45 Colt which always shot incredibly well. Converting a Redhawk 45 was easy. Just swap the 45 cylinder with a 454 Super Redhawk cylinder. Use your 45 Colt crane and fit the 454 cylinder. Ensure you test the cylinder movement and alignment. Test each chamber. The cylinder can be machined to use 45 ACP moon clips.

Test fire starting with lite 45 Colt loads and work up. Once proven OK you'll have a pretty decent side arm for hunting or just carrying around the woods.

Now, I'm not sure what the practicality of this conversion is any more. Ruger has 454 Blackhawks and the 454 Super Redhawk in its various configurations cover all the bases. I also know I have trimmed backed my 454 shooting to almost nothing. I found a 45 Colt using 250 -270 grain semi-wadcutters at 1000 - 1200 fps will drop just about anything and not beat you up after a couple of cylinders.

Still, I know the lure of a Redhawk 454.

I took this picture last month. She's held up nicely for a two decade old gun.

 

[H3VR_Player]

Thanks for the reply! I unfortunately missed a bidding for one of those 454 casull SRH cylinders that ended a few months ago on ebay but I'm willing to be patient that one will eventually show up.

Anyway, I never realized the practicality of a 45 "super magnum" that can take moonclips revolver until a few months ago and with my other guns filling niches already, I just thought a revolver capable of being pretty tame with 45ACP loads would be nice taking it out to public lands and 454 casull/45LC "RH only" loads for the boys just as a meme honestly, it's fun to shoot and see what happens, safely of course. I'm probably going to start hunting around for a 45LC redhawk or do a 44mag conversion. But during the meantime, thanks for your reply. I'm probably going to be shooting 45 super loads through it though, other planned mods to this platform are on the way too.

Also if it doesn't trouble you at all, can you send that one page on the gun digest ruger revolvers the definitive history page by Max Prasac where this 454 casull cylinder was used in a redhawk and it worked? I had no images to work with when looking at very old forum posts about this very subject.

Thanks!

 

[bergmen]

Replicating a build. Not sure what the availability of parts are now a days. Finding a cylinder is probably your toughest part. I've had a 454 Redhawk awhile. Pumped a lot of 454 and Ruger only loads. Also a lot of 45 Colt which always shot incredibly well. Converting a Redhawk 45 was easy. Just swap the 45 cylinder with a 454 Super Redhawk cylinder.

That is one absolutely GORGEOUS revolver! I would LOVE to have one exactly like it. I'm a big .45 Colt fan, I've eased off my 454 Casull (I have two single actions), but I have no DA revolvers in this caliber. Excellent work!

Dan

 

[Arisin' Wind]

Thanks for the reply! I unfortunately missed a bidding for one of those 454 casull SRH cylinders that ended a few months ago on ebay but I'm willing to be patient that one will eventually show up.

Anyway, I never realized the practicality of a 45 "super magnum" that can take moonclips revolver until a few months ago and with my other guns filling niches already,

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[48flyer]

Here is my 454 that was inspired by Max P. It took awhile to round up the parts, but was worth the wait. This started life as a 4 inch, 45 Colt. I used a target grey SRH cylinder, with the plan of removing the grey finish, but it grew on me, so I just left it.
I keep the wood grips on it, because I like to look, but would recommend rubber or using a shooting glove.
I could probably be talked out of this for the right price, but have not decided what that number is yet.
Send me a message if you think you want to go this route instead of waiting to gather parts. I also have the original parts I took out of it.

 

[TheDude]

Have you shot a Redhawk with stiff loads?
Ive had several over the years and I really struggle to find any grip thats are even remotely comfortable in a Redhawk. Ive also had bunches of SRH's in 44, 454 Casull and 480 Ruger and for me, i'd pass on a 454 Casull in a Redhawk, the grips are just to uncomfortable for me. The SRH's grips on the other hand are the most comfy grips you can find on any revolver IMO.
I know everyone is different and anyone reading this will most likely have their own opinion but I just wanted to bring it up because if you are choosing on looks alone, you may go through alot of hassle for something you cant stand to shoot.

 

[el caminero]

Mcgivern style grips are worth a try if those dainty 100-year-old s&w style grips dont fill your hand. If they do, mcgiverns wont help

 

[hittman]

Have you shot a Redhawk with stiff loads?
Ive had several over the years and I really struggle to find any grip thats are even remotely comfortable in a Redhawk.

These now discontinued Uncle Mikes work for me. But grips are such a subjective thingy a fella just has to try some to know for sure.

 

[TheDude]

Yeah, I have a couple pairs of those Uncle Mikes tucked away for my current Redhawk. I tried every grip under the sun over the years. Uncle Mikes are the best I found (for me) but still not on par with the SRH grips on the Alaskans IMO. They are fine for the loads I shoot (240g @1200 or so) but would strongly prefer the SRH grips if I still had a Casull.

Who makes Mcgivern style grips for a Redhawk?

 

[el caminero]

Yeah, I have a couple pairs of those Uncle Mikes tucked away for my current Redhawk. I tried every grip under the sun over the years. Uncle Mikes are the best I found (for me) but still not on par with the SRH grips on the Alaskans IMO. They are fine for the loads I shoot (240g @1200 or so) but would strongly prefer the RH grips if I still had a Casull.

Who makes Mcgivern style grips for a Redhawk?

I expect they would gave to be personally, or custom, made. Herrets aint so far off, if they ever existed.
Somebody aughta resume making mustang's hockey pucks, too.
A choice is always a good thing

 

[H3VR_Player]

Here is my 454 that was inspired by Max P. It took awhile to round up the parts, but was worth the wait. This started life as a 4 inch, 45 Colt. I used a target grey SRH cylinder, with the plan of removing the grey finish, but it grew on me, so I just left it.
I keep the wood grips on it, because I like to look, but would recommend rubber or using a shooting glove.
I could probably be talked out of this for the right price, but have not decided what that number is yet.
Send me a message if you think you want to go this route instead of waiting to gather parts. I also have the original parts I took out of it.

Thanks for the offer! I'll consider it if my cooked up upgrade plan to a 44mag --> 454 casull upgrade path doesn't work/ (I know you can't swap cylinders of a 44mag to 454 casull cylinder but I have a proposed solution to that later on) Just need to discuss it with a few gunsmiths since I know what to ask now. I just plan to use the revolver not only as a practical tool but as a be all end all for DA/SA revolvers in my case. Since the new ones are shrouded and sleeved, I'm thinking of machining a barrel sleeve out of a 454 SRH barrel and having it be compatible with the 44 mag's barrel shroud. But we'll see what can be done, just gotta find a SRH cylinder 454 Casull. Oh yeah, one more thing whats the dimensions of a SRH cylinder compared to a regular 45LC cylinder? Length and diameter wise.

Thanks!

 

[H3VR_Player]

Have you shot a Redhawk with stiff loads?
Ive had several over the years and I really struggle to find any grip thats are even remotely comfortable in a Redhawk. Ive also had bunches of SRH's in 44, 454 Casull and 480 Ruger and for me, i'd pass on a 454 Casull in a Redhawk, the grips are just to uncomfortable for me. The SRH's grips on the other hand are the most comfy grips you can find on any revolver IMO.
I know everyone is different and anyone reading this will most likely have their own opinion but I just wanted to bring it up because if you are choosing on looks alone, you may go through alot of hassle for something you cant stand to shoot.

I have held and fired an SRH Alaskan with the rubber grips. Its quite nice in 44 mag just a tad snappy. I don't plan to shoot much 454 Casull out of this Frankenstein gun I'm cooking up, its just a, "hey look what it can do" thing. I plan to run half moon clipped 45 ACP/Super/LC through it mostly and calling it after do a moon clips cut and a magnaport just to tame out the 454 a bit. Grips are still gonna be wood/bone accented though for aesthetics. Rubber is nice, but it's not really, "period accurate" to the time I'm trying to replicate. I'll just shoot cooler rounds through it rather than the much hotter 454. It's a modernized Webley Pryse revolver (no top break though), kinda like a C3 corvette with an LS3 and functional AC. Honestly, if I'm planning to shoot hot loads through it all the time, I'd just start on the scoped 44 MAG Super Blackhawk 10.5" build.

 

[H3VR_Player]

Here is my 454 that was inspired by Max P. It took awhile to round up the parts, but was worth the wait. This started life as a 4 inch, 45 Colt. I used a target grey SRH cylinder, with the plan of removing the grey finish, but it grew on me, so I just left it.
I keep the wood grips on it, because I like to look, but would recommend rubber or using a shooting glove.
I could probably be talked out of this for the right price, but have not decided what that number is yet.
Send me a message if you think you want to go this route instead of waiting to gather parts. I also have the original parts I took out of it.

Actually if you don't mind, I'd buy the cylinder off you if that's doable. California is not nice to handgun buyers and I'm not too sure if this model can be sold in the state anymore since the roster changes gun approval status more than a schizophrenic does eye witness testimonies. But I did see a old west german P38 for sale multiple times in different gun stores here so I may be just wrong on this account. Since that's C&R probably, I'm not a laywer.