Ruger SRH .480

[11bravo20]

I just bought a used (perfect condition) Super Red Hawk .480 with 7.5 inch barrel this weekend. I was looking for a deep woods hunting/protection pistol for hiking. After I got home from the gun store I started doing some research on this revolver and learned 1)Ruger no longer makes this caliber 2)these particular SRH have had extraction issues?
I paid $500 for the gun and it is in unused condition (2001 build date)
Am I ok or should I trade this for something else? I really like this pistol but I don't want to have a lack of confidence in the field with function.

 

[Coogs]

I have shot a 100 or so factory Hornady through mine...........no extraction issues here. I love mine, topped it with a Leoupold 4x, one of the most accurate handguns I own. As far as collectability................I'm sure it will get there...............but, mine is a shooter. Coogs.

 

[11bravo20]

What about the future of the caliber? Will I still be able to get factory ammo for it in 5 years?

 

[Quarterbore]

What about the future of the caliber? Will I still be able to get factory ammo for it in 5 years?

That I seriously doubt! If the gun is like new, I really don't think I would shoot it if you do not reload and you are not willing to reload. Buy a 454 Casull Super Redhawk and you can use both 454 and 45 Colt ammo and both of those will aways be around.

JMHO, but if it is Like New it will sell easier then used and someone may want an example for a collection, not that these are rare by any measure.

 

[Coogs]

5 years???????? Hard to say, but..........................what about the #1 rifle in .480/.475?????????? It may keep the round alive a little longer than 5 years...............Coogs.

 

[CraigC]

What about the future of the caliber? Will I still be able to get factory ammo for it in 5 years?

That I seriously doubt!

There is ABSOLUTELY no reason to believe this to be true and it is stupid to even suggest!!! There are still guns being chambered in the cartridge and Davidson's has only recently sold out of existing SRH's. There were far too many guns made in this chambering forammunition to run out in less than five years. Hell, in less than 20yrs and components will always be available.

Shoot it, enjoy it and hunt with it. Although as usual, handloading will yield much more economical shooting.

 

[demo_slug]

if you are worried about the ammo obsolecence. order 500 peices of brass from stairline. it will cost about $150. the bullets are used in other cartriges so they'll be avalible.

there are plenty of outfits that will load ammo for you, for example LoadX will do it. keep your brass and you'll be set for your lifetime. or learn to load yourself and shoot what you want, when you want and save a crap load of dollars.

but, obsolete ammo could hurt the resale value of your gun.

 

[11bravo20]

Now what about the cylinder/extraction issue that I have read about? It also says that Ruger switched to a 5 shot cylinder on the newer models as if the 6 shot versions were flawed??? I really love the build of this gun. This was my first revolver that I have ever purchased (I own all semi autos) And I was excited over the purchase until I began reading. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance that I bought the right gun.

 

[mike7mm08]

The extraction issue was a nonissue. A few people encountered it. Ruger went to the five shot because being Ruger a minor issue is overreacted to. This was not a flaw. Ruger simple used a steel for the cylinder that expanded under recoil a little more than they thought it would. It is by no means a safety issue.The cause of sticky extraction is caused by the cylinder holes expanding slightly when the gun is fired. In turn the brass expands slightly. When the cylinder shrinks after firing it does not do so with enough force to shrink the case back down. The real problem is if there is any dirt or oil the cylinder holes. When the cylinder shrinks back down the dirt or oil fill any space between the cylinder wall and case and stick the case. The five shot cylinder was a solution as the cylinder would not expand and there was more metal so the cylinder holes could be drilled slightly larger.Real simple solution if you encounter the problem. Throughly clean and degrease the cylinder holes before a range session. I had occasional sticky extraction with factory ammo. I keep the cylinder holes clean and before shooting I degrease with denatured alcohol. No problems at all. Even when the extraction was sticky it was no worse than your typical revolver in need of a cleaning. Not like the cases need to be pounded out of the cylinder.

You bought the right gun. The 480 is the best big bore revolver cartridge. It is a perfect balance of power to recoil. I think ammo will be available for awhile it will just be a question of how expensive it gets. I would recommend getting to reloading with the 480. With reloading the 480 is very versatile.

 

[Knuckles]

I have heard that the .480Ruger is much easier on dishing out recoil than the .454Casull... and it simply "CLOBBERS" what it hits.

There are different makers of .480Ruger, so try it and see what happens. It certainly isn't going to depreciate the value of your gun if you shoot a few dozen rounds with it.

Nice Caliber revolver... very cool gun.

Bud (knuckles)

 

[mike7mm08]

I have shot the 454 as well as my 480. There is no comparison in recoil. The 480 is barely more noticeable felt recoil than a hot 44 mag. The 480 has a much more gradual pressure curve than the 454.The 454 is just downright painful and hornady claims the 480 produces 50 percent less recoil than the 454 . I believe it. If you reload you can get the 480 down to mild 357 recoil levels. The 480 is the most sensible of the bigbore revolvers. I am still scratching my head as to why Ruger did not do more to promote it. I know it is not a safety issue. As Ruger would of surely issued a recall if it was.

 

[Lost Sheep]

I just bought a used (perfect condition) Super Red Hawk .480 with 7.5 inch barrel this weekend. I was looking for a deep woods hunting/protection pistol for hiking. After I got home from the gun store I started doing some research on this revolver and learned 1)Ruger no longer makes this caliber 2)these particular SRH have had extraction issues?
I paid $500 for the gun and it is in unused condition (2001 build date)
Am I ok or should I trade this for something else? I really like this pistol but I don't want to have a lack of confidence in the field with function.

Is this a 6 shot or 5 shot?

I have been wanting a 7.5" 5 shot 480 ever since I heard about them. If yours is one and you don't like it, email me, please. I have been watching on Gunbroker with my mouth watering, but get nervous sending money that far away to someone I cannot telephone.

I understand there were also some clearance problems with the rims of certain manufacturers' cartridges. The chambers were so close together that the rims of adjacent cartridges would touch, even interfere with one another. Filing the rims down a little or using a different manufacturer's product solved that problem easily.

I never heard about the chambers being enlarged to accomodate the cartridge and relieve the sticky extraction problem.

Caveat:
Remember, believe only half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for what you get from the internet. Always check out any new information you get from the internet (or anywhere) with an independent source for confirmation before you rely on it where misinformation could cost you.

 

[mike7mm08]

There has never been a issue with the rims touching. I have used all brands of available brass and ammo. The rims clear always. If you try making your own 480 brass from 45/70 cases you will have rim clearance problems but not with any current factory brass or ammo.

 

[BearStopper]

If it is like new and you got it for 500.00, I don't see how you can lose. I don't see that revolver dropping below the 500.00 mark unles you beat it up bad. I would shoot the heck out of it and forget the rest. If it is accurate and you enjoy shooting it, what is written by some is irrelevant. The way I see it nowadays, everyone is an "expert" and alot of things get said about various guns that just flat out is overblown BS so put some rounds down the pipe and find out. I don't think you will have a problem getting your money back.

 

[powder smoke]

I am still scratching my head as to why Ruger did not do more to promote it. I know it is not a safety issue. As Ruger would of surely issued a recall if it was.

Me too such a large investment to give up on. I still say they should give it a try in a single action. That would be sweet. ps

 

[John E Davies]

I have a .480 SRH and I have no regrets - it is a fine gun and a fine caliber.

OTH if you plan to never reload, you have made a mistake and should swap it for a .44 or .454, so you can find affordable ammo locally.

The .480 shoots really hard with 400+ gr bullets, but it doesn't beat you up too much. You can hand load it down to ".480 Spl" level (325 gr at 750 fps) and then you have an interesting plinker that is a hoot to shoot and still explodes rocks.... Your .480 will never be cheap to feed, but if you reload, the ammo cost becomes acceptable and you will shoot the gun WAY more often than if you are feeding it factory ammo that costs $1.50 to $3.00 a pop.

BTW a set of Wolff springs and some trigger smoothing does wonders for the feel of the trigger.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[mike7mm08]

I lucked out with my 480 it has the best trigger of any production revolver I have ever shot. It is up there with trigger jobs I have shot done by professional pistolsmiths.

 

[11bravo20]

Well.....I went back to the gun store where I bought the SRH .480 and traded it for a Ruger Redhawk .44 mag in blue (RH-44R 7.5" barrel). The 44 was made in 1987 but it is in unfired condition. Now I hope there is nothing wrong or recalled in this model.

 

[mike7mm08]

I still prefer the 480. But you cannot go wrong with the Redhawk or the 44 mag. Great gun in a caliber that will do most anything you need a pistol to do. Enjoy it.

 

[BearStopper]

Not bad. The 44 Redhawk has my preference as I love the grip style better on a Redhawk than a Super. I also think that the .44 is enough of a good thing with the hottest loads and anything more is more than I need.