480 is back

[Bill T]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Ruger had a choice. Due to the cartridges large diameter they needed every bit of room the bigger cylinder of the Super Redhawk provided. I don't think it would fit in a Ruger Single Action. Putting it in the SRH was the cheapest, and fastest option. I just can't see Ruger designing another gun for this thing. It hardly seems worth it. Sure, they could go to a five shot, but thats more work as well. If you like the .480 you'll have to learn to like the Super Redhawk.  Bill T.

[Lloyd Smale]

   give it a year bill and i might be eating crow but i wouldnt bet a dime on it 

[Chris Potts]

I think that lloyd's first post pointed out that they are bringing back the 480 in the SRH as a five shot.  I believe that they were having some problems with the six shot SRH.  I think that since they are making it as a five shot in the SRH that the odds of them making a five shot blackhawk just went up.

Chris

[Bill T]

I believe that they were having some problems with the six shot SRH.  I think that since they are making it as a five shot in the SRH that the odds of them making a five shot blackhawk just went up. Chris

Could you elaborate on the problems? I think if Ruger were going to make a 5 shot revolver, they would have by now. Especially with the size of the .480 round. If they do in fact put a 5 shot single action .480 on the market, you can bet a .500 S&W is going to be right behind it. Frame length isn't an issue for Ruger. They have one of the largest investment casting plants in the country. As to pressure, the .454 Casull round runs at the same pressure as the .500 S&W. Besides, if the 6 shot Super Redhawk can handle 60,000 PSI, a beefed 5 shot single action could easily do the same. The approach Ruger should have taken was to bring out a 5 shot single action on a beefed up, extended frame chambered for the .475 Linebaugh FIRST, then bring out the .480. This is how the S&W .500 Special came about. It's very popular in the 4" and 2 1/2" .500's. More people will go for the higher powered round. Thats just how it is. It's the same reason there is a waiting list for the new 500+ horsepower Corvette's, and the smaller engine version can be had off dealers lots.  Bill T.   

[Lloyd Smale]

I think the limiting factor for ruger to come out with sa will be that there not going to want to invest the money into retooling a new frame. They allready have a frame big enough to handle the 480. Another thing you have to keep in mind is frame strenght. The cylinder thickness isnt the only limiting factor i what will work in a gun. The bigger the bore the bigger the case and the bigger the case the more back thrust on the frame. Thats why when Elmer talked ruger into fooling with the 44 mag and they tried it on there 357 frame it wasnt the cylinder that let loose it was the frames that would fail. Also you have to keep in mind that as you raise recoil levels the metal parts in a gun take more of a beating. thats why the custom gunsmiths (the good ones anyway) spend most of the time in there conversion actually fitting parts precisely. Any slop tends to become worse fast. I doubt ruger is going to want to hand fit anything. There making a mass produced gun and dont want to deal with warantee problems from guns getting beat up by big bore rounds. The redhawk frame is much stronger then the black hawk. Another thing you can bet your ass on is that ruger ISNT going to chamber any of there guns in any smith and wesson round. Just like i doubt youd ever see a smith in a ruger round. Also im sure that ruger is putting some thought into the fact that the increased recoil of even a 475 at full power levels is going to make a few of those guns front sights imbed into the heads of inexperienced handgunners and possibly even a eye or two. Ive shot enough 475s and 500s to know that it happens. Its happened to me probably a dozen times. Another reason is that rugger allready has all the tooling for the 480 and havent made enough of them to wear it out yet and it would dramaticaly raise the price of any small run gun if they had to tool up for a new caliber. Im sure theres piles of cylinder blanks and barrel blanks for the 480 sitting on the shelf there. Bottom line in my opinion is that the 480 is allready the best ballanced big bore round out there anyway. It allows for use of truely heavy bullets up to 420 grains effieciently and without the vicious recoil and muzzle blast of the 454 and 475. Id they stepped up from the 480 what id like to see is the 500 linebaugh. It operates at much lower pressures then the 454 475 or the smith round and allows for even heavier bullets then the 48 caliber guns.  Ive got 500 linebaugh brass that has gone over 30 shootings and is still going strong and running full power 475 loads about 10 firings is it before brass starts to crack and when you shoot alot and with the price of brass for these guns its not a trivial thing.  Now a 50 special like smith should have really done would be sweet too. Bottom line with these big bores is you have to cast to be able to afford to shoot them alot and cast bullets actually do there best at 1100-1300 fps and if you do any penetration testing youll find that faster is detrimental. So i guess i dont see why ruger would even consider chambering something like a 500 smith. Id want my 480 in a standard sized bisley with a 4 5/8s barrel and wouldnt really want to pull the trigger on a gun that small and light with full power 500 smith ammo in it.

[nomosendero]

Nor would I as it would give me nothing I am looking for. But a 5.5" Bisley 5 shot 480, yes I would like that.

[Slufoot]

Another thing you can bet your ass on is that ruger ISNT going to chamber any of there guns in any smith and wesson round.

I've got a couple of Vaqueros that have 40 S&W stamped on the frame and they also chamber this round in their semi auto pistols. I have also heard that they are going to bring out the flat top in 44 S&W Special.

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

[Bill T]

Look at about any internet forum where the topic goes to what do you want ruger to make and its probably the most asked for gun.

There in lies the problem. Ruger would rather waste time making guns like this:

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-22Charger.htm

You must not pay much attention to what is selling? The Ruger 10/22 is alive and doing well, evidence is this new offering. More aftermarket parts for 10/22s than any other .22 rifle on the market.

10/22 rifles, yes. That is a gimmick gun if there ever was. Magnum Research has had an identical offering for a while and it has hardly been burning up the sales charts. As far as aftermarket products, the most purchased are aftermarket barrels, simply because Ruger factory barrels are extremely poor in the accuracy dept. Proof is they have offered a bull barreled target model of the 10/22 for several years now. It continues to sell poorly because of accuracy issues. Shooters would simply rather buy a cheap, stock 10/22, strip it for the action, and re barrel it with a quality barrel. The cost is the same or less, and you'll wind up with an accurate gun.  Bill T.

[Graybeard]

I've never owned a 10-22 but I do have the copy by Magnum Research with the carbon fiber barrel and Hogue stock. That little sucker is lighter than a Remington Nylon 66 and shoots with superb accuracy. The worst thing about it is that RUGER branded magazine it operates on. I wish MR would make their own.

[Tom W.]

Gee felllas, now that the Ruger website is showing all five shot SRH's in .480 Ruger, does this put My six shot model in collectors status?

I must be somewhat of an oddball. When I take it to the range, people want to shoot that "monster."
I even like the Super Redhawk.  I can't really see it when I'm looking down the sights or through the scope anyway, and that extra weight heps with the recoil a bit. Most of my centerfire handguns start with a .44 or bigger, with the exception of my Encore, and it's a 30-06, so I'm no stranger to recoil. And I really do like the way those 400 grain bullets take off without a lot of perceived recoil.

[Old Griz]

Well, like others, if they offer a Bisley in .480 Ruger I'll have to get one. I think there are a lot of SA guys out there who just don't want to spend the money on a custom gun ($1500 plus your old gun) in order to get one. A real live Ruger SA in .480 would sell, regardless of what one person thinks.

[S.B.]

Like a good friend of mine posted on another site, I can see another handgun, in my futire?

[scout34]

I just got one of the SRH in .480.  I took it home the same day as my 5" .500 S&W.  You don't want to shoot a gun that big, fine.  Don't tell me that I have too much gun when what you really mean is that you don't you need that much.

You really don't have to worry about someone mass producing something bigger than .50 cal because someone else arbitrarily decided that .50 is "big enough" and "you don't need more that this."   If it's all the same to you, I would like to be the judge of what I do and do not need.

I do not see the point in getting worked up about what calibers we should or should not have, nor do I understand how you can say that you "hate" a certain caliber.  You may not like the premise behind it's design or the market forces that are driving it's sales, but in the end, it's capitalism.  You may not like the .500, but it's wild success has allowed Smith to bring back the classic line of blued guns.

You don't like .480, don't buy a .480.

I like .480, so I bought one.  Laissez Faire.

[S.B.]

Bill T, if you don't like this item, don't buy one. As for me, as soon as I can afford one, I'lll have one!