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How do determine one revolver is stronger?

penguin1penguin1 Member Posts: 97
edited June 2019 in Ask the Experts
Ruger Redhawks are referred to as one the strongest revolvers made. Did someone somewhere fail test various weapons to determine this or is it sales hype?

Have you guys been involved in this comparison testing?

Comments

  • rufesnowrufesnow Member Posts: 241
    edited November -1
    IMHO, for Ruger to make this claim. Because of the legal liability lawyers, that bedevil the firearms industry. They must have tested the Redhawks to destruction. Against revolvers, manufactured by other companies.
  • BobJudyBobJudy Member Posts: 6,445 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not sure how they determine it. For years loading manuals gave .44 loads that were O.K. for Redhawks, Blackhawks and Contenders and not to be used in S&W 29. Maybe they still do but my manuals are all 10+ years old. Bob
  • GrasshopperGrasshopper Member Posts: 16,704 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Barrel wrestling is the answer.
  • mac10mac10 Member Posts: 2,539 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ruger is stronger ,,S&W has the best trigger , dan wesson the most accurate if only they could mix them ;)
  • mark christianmark christian Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 24,456 ******
    edited November -1
    Back in the late 70's, handloaders were working up powerful loads for the .45 LC and .44 Magnum. The Ruger Redhawk has a reinforced top strap, a triple locking cylinder, and a lot of extra metal where the barrel joins the frame. Essentially, S&W N-Frames like the Model 25 and 29, were failing under the heavy loads, while the Redhawks were staying in one piece. Despite this, I doubt that Ruger ever made any claims of their revolvers being capable of firing loads above SAAMI standards.
  • charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think Ruger are stout but I have seen them in pieces too, I'm sure bubba loaded them way too hot. If you stick to the factory loading then you are packing around extra weight for nothing. One of my 29's has 30,000+ full tilt 245 grain loads is still nice and shoots good. I don't think it would do well with the 310 grain loadings. I have seen model 19's that were shot loose, I think the K frame isn't enough for extended use with the hot end of 357. Never saw a bad model 27.

    A good trigger makes it easier to shoot well.
  • truthfultruthful Member Posts: 1,975 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I recall reading a report many years ago, maybe in American Rifleman, where Smith and Wesson took one of their revolvers and kept installing barrels with increasingly undersize bores seeing how far they could go before the revolver failed. As I recall, they finally installed a threaded barrel with no bore at all and the gun still hung together.
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ruger Redhawks are referred to as one the strongest revolvers made. Did someone somewhere fail test various weapons to determine this or is it sales hype?

    Probably at some point. But it's mostly sales hype based on strength of materials testing. Ruger has testing protocols in place but it costs tens of thousands of dollars to implement the testing for each model. How many competitors are going to invest that amount of money just to test another manufacturers products?
    I recall reading a report many years ago, maybe in American Rifleman, where Smith and Wesson took one of their revolvers and kept installing barrels with increasingly undersize bores seeing how far they could go before the revolver failed. As I recall, they finally installed a threaded barrel with no bore at all and the gun still hung together.

    Until you can provide the exact text and resource, I will tell you that this is nothing more than Urban Myth and BS. It's time like this that I wish I could use stronger language to speak out against internet garbage. Common sense alone dictates that this is a stupid statement.

    So, find the reference in print, on the web or other source and provide it here. Otherwise, BS.

    Years ago, maybe 30 or something close to that we used to put Python barrels on Smith revolvers to make them more accurate. The only difference between the manufacturers barrels was that the Python barrels were 0.001" smaller in diameter. But 'Smithons' were extremely popular while the extra Python barrels were available and reasonably priced.

    Best.
  • Sam06Sam06 Member Posts: 21,254 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Redhawks also have a longer cylinder so they can handle longer heavier bullets. That and the locking mechanism added to the way they are built with no side plate add up to a very strong action.
    RLTW

  • babunbabun Member Posts: 11,054 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Interesting question and some great answers....
    Never was a wheel gun man, except when I got to handle and shoot a Korth.
    Any one hear how strong they are???
  • Hawk CarseHawk Carse Member Posts: 4,365 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jeff Cooper once said, to a question about whether cylinder fluting weakened the gun, that the Blackhawk blew up before the M29 but that the question was academic because loads were approaching triple the normal pressure.

    Early days of the Redhawk, it was said its advantage in strength was the larger diameter barrel tenon, not the cylinder.

    As one gunzine writer said of barrel life, to get a definitive answer, you would have to ruin multiple guns and he did not have the time, money, or inclination.
This discussion has been closed.