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Ruger redhawk trigger pull

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Ok, so I have a S&W 629-5 6" half lug, and I absolutely love it. My friend has 2 Ruger redhawks (one is a super redhawk 8" I think, the redhawk is a 5"). He recently asked if I wanted to buy the super rh ( at a fare price). The only thing that deters me from the deal is that the triggers on the redhawk and srh seem like they are "clunky" in comparison to my Smith. Is this normal? Would/could a trigger job smooth it out a bit? Could it be smoothed out to be like the Smith? Right now, the Smith is running at just above 2 pounds. The rh feels like 5 or so maybe. The reason I ask is if it can't reliably be smoothed out a bit, at least down to around 3 pounds, I will probably pass on the deal. I have heard that they are good guns, and that they are tougher when it comes to firing really hot .44's ( which I have no need to do here in east tn), but I find a trigger pull to be a bit unrefined. Maybe this is just a product of being raised on S&W, but I figure I'd at least ask if something could be done before passing.
 
My SRH 454C trigger was never as good as my worst S&W. Never got used to the uneven feel when cocking the hammer, single action, either. And when the yoke barrel gets dirty the cylinder drags even more. If you're already spoiled by your Smith's action that won't help getting used to the Ruger, IMO. Never did anything with my trigger. Ended up selling it because it had loose throats that Ruger said was acceptable.

.
 
I have a stainless Redhawk 5.5" barrel in .44 magnum. Comparing the
Redhawk action feel and trigger pull to a S&W is meaningless because
they are different designs, each with their own advantages. The
Rugers are very strong revolvers that will handle heavy loads for
hunting. It's best to appreciate them for what they are and the trigger
could surely be smoothed up some but expecting a S&W like single
action pull is unrealistic in my opinion. I took my Redhawk apart
shortly after I bought it and stoned the trigger contact surfaces myself
and improved it some and called it good. If you don't feel comfortable
doing this yourself I'm sure that there are smiths that work on Rugers.
 
Every Ruger I have ever owned has a tougher trigger than the Smith & Wesson revolvers, but I was very surprised with my SP101. I have not measured the pull on it but it was pretty decent when I got it and then I added a spring kit from Wolff. I would have to say it was pretty close to my 649 in the way it feels. It doesn't have quite as smooth of a return but it was really not as bad as I was told it would be. A lot better than my Security Six I once owned.
 
First note is that the RH nd SRH are different designs , the SRH is essentially a scaled up GP100.

In either the single coil spring handles both the hammer and the trigger return. A skilled 'smith can make the Ruger trigger smoother , and somewhat lighter , but inherently not possable to be as light as a state of the art tuned S&W . *For Me* , a well tuned Ruger is "sufficently good enough" . But then I don't obsess over feather light triggers in my S&W , prefering smooth with medimum weight. Your expectations and ultimate satisfaction may vary.
 
I had my RH's trigger worked on by Magna-port when I had it ported. They did a decent job, but that was way back in the mid 90s. Back then, I shot it mostly single action for target practice and hunting. Over the course of the 00s, I got into S&Ws and shooting DAO.

I do not own any other Ruger. I will agree with most above that on average, a Ruger can't be tuned DA as good as a S&W. However, I did pick up a GP100 Match Champions a while back at a LGS and was mighty impressed. That is the closest they've come to a good S&W!
 
Can anyone recommend a smith that can smoothen up a Ruger trigger? I have an SP101 and the trigger could definitely use some work...it also has an annoying squeak on the return that firing nor lube has been able to fix.
 
Hi

Smith triggers are better. They are different designs for Ruger and Smith. I carry a Model 60 no dash everyday and have other Smiths like a 629-6. I have Rugers as well. I really like the Alaskan series(454 and 45 Colt ) and it is never far away from me every day. If I am going to carry a big gun and not the Model 60 I always pick the Alaskan. The Redhawk and SRH are different designs. The barrel on the SRH comes in 7.5 or 9.5 or the Alaskan snub 2.5. I have hunted with the SRH in 454 and use the Alaskan regularly. SRH trigger pull will get better with use. I would suggest dry firing it as practice. This will help it some. It will take a long time for this to happen. The good news is it is a gun that you can take to range and shoot. That helps it to. I would encourage you to keep the rubber grips with the wood inserts on them if you buy the SRH. I have tried the Hogue's that they offer. I went back to the originals they seem to work better under recoil for me. I even changed the Alaskans to the rubber grips and wood inserts.
The Redhawk is impressive. It really does not share anything other than the name with the SRH. It is a design all to its own. Sometimes the trigger is hit or miss on them. If you lighten the springs to much on these you do not get reliable ignition. They are very tough guns as well. The original wood grips on the Redhawk are square. Some folks like them so do not. Either way if you like to shoot a lot they will not let you down. I hope this helps.

Marc
 
About 15 years ago a friend bought a RH or SRH in 44 mag and the first thing he dis was put a Wolff spring in it. He was so happy.... until he picked up my 29 Classic. We completely disassembled his Ruger. Over butcher paper we used jewelers files, dental picks, and small stones to remove all the burs and flakes from the machined surfaces (Never touched the sear area!). Upon reassembly the gun was far more smooth in DA. But still not a S&W. Ivan

Note: all the stainless steel flakes were dumped into a 1/8 teaspoon measure, it was overflowing!
 
Thanks for the help everyone, I will prob pass on the deal. I was on the fence to begin with, but my friend just asked me if I'd trade my Smith for the SRH instead of a cash deal. Its nice to know that the design is different, and that the trigger is supposed to have a different feel. I may pick one up down the road- I do like the look of the Alaskan models. I wouldn't mind the trigger in something like that, but in something that looks like it's meant to be a long distance shooter, my personal preference is a light trigger. Thanks again for the quick education!
 
I wouldn't trade the Smith for the Ruger. I have a 4" 629 and a Ruger Redhawk 4.2" .44 Mag. Both have factory trigger actions. The Smith definitely is smoother and lighter than the Ruger in DA and lighter and crisper in SA. They are very similar to the contrast between trigger action on my M19-3 and Security Six. I tend to use a two-stage DA trigger pull on the Rugers...Despite the difference in trigger actions, I shoot the Smiths and Rugers equally as well by just adjusting trigger techniques. I like them equally. The Ruger is a tad bigger and heavier but the modular construction with a solid frame makes it very strong and easier to maintain, particularly in wet conditions...Coke vs Pepsi to me.
 
Yeah, there's no way I'd ever trade. I'm a 1911 guy myself, but the moment I picked the Smith up, we clicked. It made me look good first time out at the range. Even my 1911s do not feel that natural to me, and that is saying a lot.
 
Biggfoot44 said:
A skilled 'smith can make the Ruger trigger smoother , and somewhat lighter , but inherently not possable to be as light as a state of the art tuned S&W .
Click to expand...

A while back I purchased a GP100 WC 3". I liked the looks and feel, but the DA trigger was nasty. No Problem, I've smoothed up several S&W actions.. Piece of cake,,,, Wrong..

Took the GP apart ,, everything works upside down and backwards from a S&W. Figured to play it safe a just buff a couple of the bearing surfaces with Fritz. Made it worse. ?
I was going to sent it to a gunsmith, but the down time was more than I liked. So I sent it back to Ruger.

They did a fairly good job of smoothing it up some. But I was still having problems with it 'hanging up' from time to time .

The good news is, after a wolff spring kit, and shooting the heck out of it with warm loads, the DA is almost as good as a S&W, and it's built like a tank and shoots great.
 
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I bought my first Redhawk when they first came out. a company was making a spring kit to help with the trigger pull. it had 3 springs in it that were color coded. red was supposed to be for a light trigger pull , yellow for a little heavier and green for a little heavier yet but still lighter than the factory. after a 100 rounds they were all mush and nothing but misfires. the factory spring went back in and just learned to live with the trigger pull until I got rid of it and 3 other Redhawks
 
I have a custom Redhawk that was done by Hamilton Bowen about 20 years ago before Ruger offered a .45 Colt Redhawk. The DA trigger pull is very smooth but it clearly stacks toward the end of the cycle. This never was a hindrance to fast DA shooting and I grew to like it. The stacking is the nature of the beast with the standard Redhawk. Stick with the stock springs and you should be fine. Fit of the transfer bar is critical, as is the length of the firing pin. If the gun ever develops problems, send it right back to Ruger. They refuse to sell some critical parts to the lowly consumer, and Redhawk timing and ignition problems can be a nightmare to diagnose. I have grown to despise transfer bar ignition in general and I now prefer a S&W 629 to the Redhawk.

Dave Sinko
 
DA or SA? The latter can be improved, the former, not so much.

Then Redhawk has a single spring that does it all in DA mode. Ya gotta love the simplicity, but the spring is doing way too much.

Though I've never measured it, the hammer and trigger travel look way longer than on a smith. My early Redhawks DA trigger is smooth, but with a LONG pull that stacks some towards the end.

I regard it as a single action.

Don't get me wrong. I love the gun. It is tighter than any revolver I've ever owned and wicked accurate.
 
From my experience the Super Redhawks tend to have a smoother trigger than the classic Redhawks. I think it's due to the classic using one spring for both the trigger and hammer. Nice thing is that taking a Redhawk apart and polishing up parts and adding a Wolff spring kit is really easy compared to doing it on a S&W. With some work you can lighten and smooth it up nicely.
 
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