Ruger Redhawk .45 ACP/.45 Colt vs. Just .45 Colt?

Cosmodragoon · August 19, 2016, 10:49 PM

Ruger seems to have made a pretty big splash by releasing a Redhawk chambered in both .45 Colt and .45 ACP. Grips aside, was this just a matter of cutting it for moon clips? If we're talking equal barrel lengths and assuming that grips can be swapped out, are there any reasons why a person who wants a .45 Colt revolver shouldn't just get this one versus the regular .45 Colt version?

http://www.ruger.com/products/redhawk/models.html

MosinM39 · August 20, 2016, 06:24 AM

It would appear that grips can be swapped but that should be verified. Only difference appears to be recess in cylinder for the half moon clips. Marketing it to competition and .45 ACP shooters.

I shoot both calibers, but the only place I really want to shoot .45 ACP is in the 1911s. Personally wouldn't feel like taking on extra item of clips.

Since its the same price, and if you're in the market, it's a really nice gun. I have to hand it to Ruger they are producing excellent products. It gives you a little more versatility, .45 ACP a little more common for self defense and SHTF stuff, so if you want to shoot both in it, go for it.

tallball · August 20, 2016, 09:01 AM

I have the Blackhawk that is 45colt/45acp.

The 45acp is cheaper and just as accurate, so I haven't shot 45colt out of it for several years.

g.willikers · August 20, 2016, 09:41 AM

This conversation sounds like a candidate for a good ole' days story.
Back in the dark ages of my youth, I woulda' used a suitable sized nail and peened the ends to keep it in place.
If the right one wasn't handy, I'd leave the head on the nail and bend the other end to keep it in place.
Good things to remember for post apocalyptic times.

DPris · August 20, 2016, 11:21 AM

Ruger machines the rear of the convertible Red differently from the way S&W does, clips are not interchangeable.

The convertible Red also has a round gripframe, the standard Red is square.
Many square grips will bolt on, but the backstrap area won't match up.

In discussions of this model somebody invariably brings the convertible Blackhawk into the conversation, and the two very different guns can't be directly compared.

The Black uses a dedicated ACP cylinder set up strictly for ACP & can produce good accuracy across the ACP board.

The Red has a "compromise" single cylinder, and it can be very picky about ACP loads, accuracy varies from horrendous to pretty good.
You have to find a load that works well in it.

If you plan to shoot only .45 Colt, not much reason to get the convertible Red.
The ACP feature could be useful as a backup.
ACP is typically easier to find in a pinch & cheaper than .45 Colt.

Denis

Cosmodragoon · August 20, 2016, 11:50 PM

DPris, thanks for the insight. That's exactly the kind of thing I was wondering about. Like MosinM39 above, I've got semi-automatic choices in .45 acp and I generally prefer to keep auto cartridges in auto guns. Always having plenty of .45 acp on hand, I suppose it would be neat to also be able to feed it to this gun, either in a pinch or if the mood ever takes me. It's really not a priority though. I was just curious about what trade-offs exist for having the novelty.

Crumby accuracy or pickiness with ammo are probably enough for me. I'm curious about this grip issue though. Is the round grip frame something totally out of left field or has it been used with other Redhawk models in the past? How much does that hinder aftermarket grip selection?

DPris · August 21, 2016, 12:35 AM

The round-butt Red started with the Kodiak snub from the Ruger factory, to the best of my knowledge.
The convertible Red was the second model to feature it.

Hamilton Bowen was reducing grip size on them several years ago as part of custom packages.

I found the round gripframe is not pleasant to use with heavy .45 Colt loads of the Buffalo Bore class.

Other grips made for the standard Red gripframe will usually bolt on, as I said, but will not be a good fit in the backstrap area.

As far as I know there are no aftermarket larger grips made specifically for the round-butt Red yet.

If you want a full write-up, I'll mention again there's a Kindle book available through Amazon.com involving testing with two samples & several loads in both calibers.
Denis

stolivar · August 21, 2016, 10:24 PM

http://gunblast.com/Ruger-RH45ACP.htm

August 19, 2016, 10:49 PM	#1
Cosmodragoon Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Location: Northeastern US Posts: 1,869	Ruger Redhawk .45 ACP/.45 Colt vs. Just .45 Colt? Ruger seems to have made a pretty big splash by releasing a Redhawk chambered in both .45 Colt and .45 ACP. Grips aside, was this just a matter of cutting it for moon clips? If we're talking equal barrel lengths and assuming that grips can be swapped out, are there any reasons why a person who wants a .45 Colt revolver shouldn't just get this one versus the regular .45 Colt version? http://www.ruger.com/products/redhawk/models.html

August 20, 2016, 09:41 AM	#4
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	This conversation sounds like a candidate for a good ole' days story. Back in the dark ages of my youth, I woulda' used a suitable sized nail and peened the ends to keep it in place. If the right one wasn't handy, I'd leave the head on the nail and bend the other end to keep it in place. Good things to remember for post apocalyptic times. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 20, 2016, 11:21 AM	#5
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	Ruger machines the rear of the convertible Red differently from the way S&W does, clips are not interchangeable. The convertible Red also has a round gripframe, the standard Red is square. Many square grips will bolt on, but the backstrap area won't match up. In discussions of this model somebody invariably brings the convertible Blackhawk into the conversation, and the two very different guns can't be directly compared. The Black uses a dedicated ACP cylinder set up strictly for ACP & can produce good accuracy across the ACP board. The Red has a "compromise" single cylinder, and it can be very picky about ACP loads, accuracy varies from horrendous to pretty good. You have to find a load that works well in it. If you plan to shoot only .45 Colt, not much reason to get the convertible Red. The ACP feature could be useful as a backup. ACP is typically easier to find in a pinch & cheaper than .45 Colt. Denis Last edited by DPris; August 20, 2016 at 11:59 AM.

August 21, 2016, 10:24 PM	#8
stolivar Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2004 Posts: 394	read this http://gunblast.com/Ruger-RH45ACP.htm

August 20, 2016, 06:24 AM	#2
MosinM39 Junior member Join Date: July 23, 2016 Posts: 85	It would appear that grips can be swapped but that should be verified. Only difference appears to be recess in cylinder for the half moon clips. Marketing it to competition and .45 ACP shooters. I shoot both calibers, but the only place I really want to shoot .45 ACP is in the 1911s. Personally wouldn't feel like taking on extra item of clips. Since its the same price, and if you're in the market, it's a really nice gun. I have to hand it to Ruger they are producing excellent products. It gives you a little more versatility, .45 ACP a little more common for self defense and SHTF stuff, so if you want to shoot both in it, go for it.

August 20, 2016, 09:01 AM	#3
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	I have the Blackhawk that is 45colt/45acp. The 45acp is cheaper and just as accurate, so I haven't shot 45colt out of it for several years.

August 20, 2016, 11:50 PM	#6
Cosmodragoon Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2013 Location: Northeastern US Posts: 1,869	DPris, thanks for the insight. That's exactly the kind of thing I was wondering about. Like MosinM39 above, I've got semi-automatic choices in .45 acp and I generally prefer to keep auto cartridges in auto guns. Always having plenty of .45 acp on hand, I suppose it would be neat to also be able to feed it to this gun, either in a pinch or if the mood ever takes me. It's really not a priority though. I was just curious about what trade-offs exist for having the novelty. Crumby accuracy or pickiness with ammo are probably enough for me. I'm curious about this grip issue though. Is the round grip frame something totally out of left field or has it been used with other Redhawk models in the past? How much does that hinder aftermarket grip selection?

August 21, 2016, 12:35 AM	#7
DPris Member Emeritus Join Date: August 19, 2004 Posts: 7,133	The round-butt Red started with the Kodiak snub from the Ruger factory, to the best of my knowledge. The convertible Red was the second model to feature it. Hamilton Bowen was reducing grip size on them several years ago as part of custom packages. I found the round gripframe is not pleasant to use with heavy .45 Colt loads of the Buffalo Bore class. Other grips made for the standard Red gripframe will usually bolt on, as I said, but will not be a good fit in the backstrap area. As far as I know there are no aftermarket larger grips made specifically for the round-butt Red yet. If you want a full write-up, I'll mention again there's a Kindle book available through Amazon.com involving testing with two samples & several loads in both calibers. Denis