New Ruger Quality?

[Bass Ackward]

I just rescently purchased a Redhawk. I'm always sceptical about Rugers and haven't bought one in over 20 years because of the quality of some of the others that I owned. Now? I am in a state of shock. I keep looking at the name on the side to verify that, y...e...s it's a Ruger.

I spent yesterday breaking in the barrel. I started off using a rifle breakin procedure cleaning after every shot for the first 6 shots. Then I cleaned after every cylinder full. I started shooting 900 fps jacketed loads for the first 50 and then jumped to 23 grains of H-110 for the next 50. What surprised me was that everything cleaned up after 100 rounds. AND the darn thing was shooting. I was anticipating 3-500 rounds of jacketed would be needed. So I did a thourough cleaning of the throats and bore just to remove copper.

Then I started with cast and 8.5 grains of Unique. Same procedure. Shoot one and then brush the barrel and throat for 6. Then after each cylinder full although this was over kill because I never saw any signs of lead. An ounce of prevention, is worth a day of cleaning. One target was used just to give me an aiming reference and after 100 rounds of cast, I had a nice little 3" group at 25 yards for all 100 rounds.

The throats now look beautiful. There seems to be no .... bad chamber and alignment is good. (I can't believe this is a Ruger) I will continue shooting cast this week but will wait until I have 3 - 400 rounds through it before I try a PB design. But I would bet right now that even a PB wouldn't lead.

Is this a new standard for quality at Ruger?

[StarMetal]

Bass

Is this a new standard for quality at Ruger?

NO...this gun was actually made by Smith & Wesson. Since they've made the 1911 Colt now, they want to venture farther. har har har

Joe

[StarMetal]

Bass

Spoke too soon. It may be a Lorcin...I'm not sure what models Smith and Lorcin are making for Ruger. The way that it broke in so easily suggests a Lorcin...soft metal.

Joe

[454PB]

Yes, that's a Ruger for ya. I've owned Rugers (dozens of them) over the last 35 years, and only had one minor flaw in my first SBH back in 1972. I like Rugers so much that I have a tidy sum invested in their stock. (it's a real bargain right now, symbol RGR)

One of my tricks with any new barrel is to give it a good cleaning with JB Bore Compound before any serious group shooting is done. I've never owned a Ruger that wouldn't shoot good to excellent groups with a little load development. Even my P-85, which has a reputation for poor grouping will put 15 shots into an area the size of my palm at 25 yards. To me that's good field accuracy for a $295 semi-auto.

[anachronism]

Wow! I've only had one unimpressive Ruger. And it took me almost 20 years to part with it. Sniff, it hated cast bullets....

Bob

[David R]

I traded my silly Beretta Italian Model 92 for a Super Redhawk a few years ago. Shoots cast Boolits awesome. Nuthin but maximum loads I have never shot jacketed through it, so I can't tell ya that part. I have always had good expierence with ruger accuracy handguns or rifles.

Shot a 37 in a siloette (little silo) match, did better than I did with my TC in 32-20 (36).

This year I am shooting the Ruger in Scoped and a Smith model 25-5 in Iron sights (sites?).

[beagle]

Think there's half a dozen or so Rugers in the safe right now. I've never had a dog or a breakdown with one yet and some have a bunch of rounds through them.

Smith & Wessons....let me count the ways......./beagle

[454PB]

I like S&W as well. It used to be you could buy two Rugers for the cost of one S&W, but that seems to be changing.

Anachronism, I'm curious.....what model Ruger would not shoot cast bullets?

[Bass Ackward]

All,

Well, I figured that Ruger had to be making acceptable equipment for someone, because they were still in business. But I must have bought every bad one off the line. Everything from football shaped bores in rifles to no two cylinder throats the same on a wheeler. Out of the 20 something Rugers I have bought, only a No #1 in 6MM would shoot .... acceptably. And that with only one bullet.

The one thing I guess that I can be glad for is that so many others got good guns. Makes me feel like I did my Christian duty getting the bad ones off the market. :grin:

[felix]

BA, my feeling is pretty much equal to yours about Rugers. When you get a good one, it is a good one because the gun will hold up to that standard for quite some time. I have two good Rugers from the box out of six pieces. I sent one 22mag/lr back because of a broken firing pin, and it came back a perfect shooter with both cylinders, but the action now sucks BIG time. Just the reverse was the state before it went in. I will buy another Ruger, but from a known individual only.

Two, Pythons, one very good to excellent. The other just average, but could be put together correctly should the desire be there.

Only one Smith shoots like it should from the box, and that gun was bought used like the shooter Python was purchased.

In general, new guns are just about worthless unless you get graciously lucky. ... felix

[Newboy]

I don't know anyone who works on Pythons, anymore. I sent one last year to Jungkind, but was not too happy with the work. So, I did it myself. It was real old, and had been shot Mucho. I think I paid $125 for it, new in the box.

Another came from the Colt custom shop A-1 perfecto, and have never had to touch anything.

But I have seen a lot of newer ones that are really poor. Talked with the Colt guys at the NRA convention, and he said they are not making Pythons or Anacondas any more. But when they get enough back orders, they will tool up and make a run.

I reckon they are just as good as out of the business.

And I'll never buy another new Smith.

[jethrow strait]

Seems like that load makes most anything sing!

With Ruger the Younger, more an artiste than an innovator, at the helm, I'm not expecting much more in the future except higher prices and yes, didja see their new flashy "Accessories" catalog.

To be more concrete, my shooting buddy just sent a new Vaquero back with expletives. I just bought a 45BH convertible two days ago, slightly used of 2001 vintage, with the universal 45LC trait of undersized cylinder mouths as well as a right side grip frame that was a nearly a 16th of an inch off. On the other hand, I shot last week with a couple of guys doing minor miracles(2" groups @ 100yds)with new BH 45LC Hunters scoped.

I just can't get enough of em though, Ruger revolvers that is, cause they all seem to shoot cast boolits well, once you get em right. And, in my experience, durability has been right up there with the hockey puck! jethrow

[David R]

I was just out shooting my super redhawk. Firs time since last year., 10 shots offhand 100 yds. 6 were in 3.5" give or take. Kieth style with a gas check, sized .430" 21 grs 2400. Can't knock the gun for that one...........6x scope. My Dads Oooold Single Six is accurate as can be and so is his Oooold semiauto 22 pistol. Its a total bear to take apart and clean though.

[StarMetal]

David

Not only is that good shooting for any style, but that's excellent in my book for off hand.

Joe

[buck1]

You Smith fans dont get mad, I took it on the chin about Ruger.;)

Bass I have been a Ruger fan since I was a tadpole! i HAVE HAD enugh trouble WITH 29S to fill a book! I hear they are good now but you couldnt give me a smith for free! I Knew they had to be top dog guns, but they proved me wrong time and time and time again. And Smith was a cust service nightmare. Now this has been a wile back , I cant say about now.

Not so with ruger, They need a bit of TLC out of the box. A trigger job LEAPS to mind. I clean it well, and give it about 100-200 fullhouse jacketed loads, cleaning every 30 or so before I go to PB cast. Then I take it apart and give it a good trigger. And a rear sight from Bowen is a good Idea. Custom Grips and a steel ejector rod housing( If you want a little better feel) and it will shoot well and every time forever!!!! Some recut the cone But I have never seen the need. When your done this tool will give service that is unequiled. And for less than a Smith.
I guess you got all the bad rugers and I got all the bad smiths!!
At least you tryed thr Ruger again , I have shot my last Smith. I cant get over the cylinder jumping lock up and giving me a empty to drop the hammer on Gun after gun, Time and Time again. This happened with 8 diff 29s , and Smith didnt belive me. I guess they thought I wanted them to keep my gun away from me for a year for kicks.
Whew!! Im done , No hard feelings Smithies ! If yours was better , GREAT for you ! I weeded all the bad ones out for ya!! :D ...Buck

[felix]

Yes, Buck, the Smiths cannot take hot loads. Neither can the Colts. However, like you say, all it takes to make them shoot harder, is to fix their so-called "bolts". The bolts need to be widened to fit exactly the indexing notches in the cylinder, even if the frame has to be cut to allow the wider bolt to protude through. NO, I have not had that done to my guns, but I would if I have to use hot loads in them. ... felix

[Bass Ackward]

You Smith fans dont get mad, I took it on the chin about Ruger.;)

Bass I have been a Ruger fan since I was a tadpole! i HAVE HAD enugh trouble WITH 29S to fill a book!

Whew!! Im done , No hard feelings Smithies ! If yours was better , GREAT for you ! I weeded all the bad ones out for ya!! :D ...Buck


Buck,

Don't make the assumption that because I .... had bad Rugers that I didn't use them. I had over 100,000 rounds through two. It's just that I had to go through so many to get to those. And when they failed, I rejouvenated them but, only after extensive correcting.

There is where you saw it. Little annoyances (on my best Rugers were) like, putting the barrel in the center of the frame, correcting the angle of the cylinder so it shot straight down the bore instead of up at the top of the forcing cone. I wanted to use the same barrel off of one because the other cracked, but when it was set up in the lathe and lined up with the bore, it looked like an old wagon wheel in a Three Stooges flick. Cut off the threads to start again and the barrel was actually bowed.

I've owned the 29s and some needed work too, but if you stayed within SAAMI pressure limits, they did tend to have better odds for me. Once you go beyond the limit and stretched that frame a little, they do spring open on ya. Duct tape il fix that! Com ... mon Buck, your too picky. :grin:

[buck1]

Guys you got me all wrong!! my standard load that I shot for years and years was always the same. 20.0 gr 2400 under a 240swc sized to .430 fed lg pist pri at about 1150ish FPS. Bought CBs mostly(then). If I want to push on things I go to a bigger gun/cal .
Keith shot 22gr and I feel that was too hot. 21 was closer to max , but 20 will travel a large buck lengthwise.
I belive in backing off a bit on all my loads and guns to save unneeded stress on gun, brass, and shooter.
True I am currently playing with 2400ish FPS in a 308, but even in that I am pushing on the bullet not the gun, primers and case head micing keeping me honest .But this is a test in a gun bought just for the purpose of learning the most I can about cast bullets in rifle class pressures.

A buddy of mine runs all his loads to the max :( . His guns with one mini 30 being the exception(boom!!), have held up very well. All rugers that is, everything else R.I.P. .
Rugers ,I have had (dozens) all need the details cleaned up, but some springs, fine action stones, and sights have handled most of it. No major malfunctions of any kind, a rough bbl or two that needed a oil soaked patch of 0000 steel wool and a light hand.( it sounds crude but works well and saves about $40.00 in jacketed bulllets)

My newest Ruger , a Bisley Hunter got 50 rds of jacketed, then a 4x Leupold and it didnt even need Grips! (I think someone new makes Grips for Ruger now
as they actually fit the gun!!) But it shoots "my" saeco 240s PB like a Rifle and no leading at all! I cant keep up with 44 man but I blame that on myself not the gun.
But any how Im glad you got a gun your happy with!! Thats all that matters anyway. As for me S&W stamped on the side,would make me feel as if I'm just waiting for it to let me down. Too bad too , Clint Eastwood had me sold on S&W big time!! ;)......BUCK