Ruger Redhawk Revolver Now Available in .45 Colt/Auto Convertible Model

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Ruger Redhawk Revolver Now Available in .45 Colt/Auto Convertible Model
Ruger gears up the Redhawk Revolver to graze off two popular .45 cartridges — Colt and Auto.
Ruger gears up the Redhawk Revolver to graze off two popular .45 cartridges — Colt and Auto.
Ruger gears up the Redhawk Revolver to graze off two popular .45 cartridges — Colt and Auto.

The Ruger Redhawk revolver is now geared up to graze off two popular .45-caliber cartridges — the .45 Colt and .45 Auto. For personal defense or as a hunting revolver, it's a formidable comb.

Few cartridges can suck the air out of the room like the .45 Colt.

From history to hunting to hot loads, the round has sent wheelgun fans’ hearts soaring for generations. And recently, one company has teamed up the fabled cartridge with perhaps one of the few rounds that can share its stage.

Ruger has unveiled an intriguing expansion of its Redhawk Revolver series with a model chambered for both the .45 Colt and .45 ACP. This is an interesting move by the New Hampshire/Arizona manufacturer, given it has the potential to increase the usefulness of the handgun.

The .45 Auto should prove to be a soft shooter in the 44-ounce Redhawk, thus opening up the revolver to more casual shooting. As pointed out in the video below by Ruger, the rimless cartridge is also a popular competition round and could make the revolver a top choice among that particular crowd.

At the same tick, shooters still get all the advantages of the hard-hitting .45 Colt — including the litany of handloading recipes.

Ruger has set its double-action revolver grazing on the rimless cartridge though a simple and elegant modification. The company has recessed the cylinder, allowing .45 Auto rounds to be loaded via a moon clip. Colt cartridges headspace off the cylinder, Autos off the moon clip.

The new convertible Redhawk Revolver is a bit different than the established .45 Colt model in other ways. One of the most obvious is the new handgun is a hair lighter — 2 ounces — than the earlier model of .45.

This, in part, is due to a redesigned grip. The laser-cut hardwood grips not only trim material, but also should facilitate a positive purchase on the handgun.

The new kid in the Redhawk lineup, however, appears to be built as tough as the rest of the Ruger revolvers. The six-shooter features a heavy stainless steel frame and barrel that boasts the line's satin finish.

The revolver has fully adjustable sights, for both elevation and windage. It has a 4.2-inch barrel. It also has Ruger's patented transfer bar mechanism, a safety feature that guards against negligent discharge.

Presently, the revolver has an MSRP of $1,029. Ruger is also selling moon clip 3-packs for $14.95 on its online store.

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Elwood Shelton is the Digital Editor for Gun Digest. He lives in Colorado and has provided coverage on a vast spectrum of topics for GD for more than a decade. Before that, he was an award-winning sports and outdoors reporter for a number of newspapers across the Rocky Mountains. His experience has consisted of covering the spread of chronic wasting disease into the Western Slope of Colorado to the state’s ranching for wildlife programs. His passion for shooting began at a young age, fostered on pheasant hunts with his father. Since then, he has become an accomplished handloader, long-range shooter and avid hunter—particularly mule deer and any low-down, dirty varmint that comes into his crosshairs. He is a regular contributor to Gun Digest Magazine and has contributed to various books on guns and shooting, most recently Lever-Actions: A Tribute to the All-American Rifle.

2 COMMENTS

  1. This is very irritating. With its twin cartridge Blackhawk, Ruger has proved it can chamber a revolver for .45 ACP without the PITA moon clips. So, here we are with the nifty looking Redhawk, which DOES mandate using the damn things! Way to go, Ruger, to the rear, hut!!

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