Rugers now with "Sleeve and Shroud" barrels....

[G-Mac]

I have one Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum. It's a Lew Horton 5.5" barrel blued. I was thinking about a second Redhawk in .45ACP/.45 Long Colt but now I see that it has a "sleeve and shroud" barrel. Not sure that I like this new feature. I know that some S&Ws have a similar set-up. I mainly wanted this for shooting .45ACP but now I'm thinking an N-frame S&W with a one piece barrel might be more to my liking. Here's a link to the Redhawk I was looking at....

Ruger(R) Redhawk(R) Double-Action Revolver Model 5050

 

[Fishinfool]

First I have seen a Red hawk with a 2pc barrel. I will be curious to see how they shoot. My old solid barrel RH is a shooting machine, and accurate.

I am not real up on current models. Is S&W offering a N frame that takes both cartridges interchangeably from the factory?

Larry

 

[k22fan]

First I have seen a Red hawk with a 2pc barrel. I will be curious to see how they shoot. My old solid barrel RH is a shooting machine, and accurate.

I am not real up on current models. Is S&W offering a N frame that takes both cartridges interchangeably from the factory?

Larry

The round barrels inside a sleeve or two piece barrels are not new in Ruger's product line.

The only revolvers that left S&W ready to shoot both .45 ACP and .45 Colt also fire .410 shot shells. Their frame is a newer size than the N frame.

Since sleeved barrels are under tension like older Dan Wessons they have the potential to be more accurate than one piece barrels. That appears to be a reasonable theory but do not ask me to prove it. I might have tried when I was younger but I never was the best bench rest shooter.

Two piece barrels complicate barrel replacement and shortening.

 

[scooter123]

I have a S&W model 620 and a Dan Wesson model 15-2. I also remember how some were foaming at the mouth over the 2 piece barrel on my 620. I purchase it mainly because it's a semi lugged barrel profile and in part due to the 2 piece barrel. I also spend 6 weeks practicing with it shooting off a sandbag rest with a scope on my 20 just to try and get a solid grasp of just how accurate the 620 can be. As for the Dan Wesson, can't scope that as easily as my 620 due to the lack of scope mounts but I have shot it at 50 yards on numerous occasions and expect a similar level of accuracy.

To be very clear, my model 620 is capable shooting to 1/2 inch or less at 50 yards. That is a 1 MOA handgun folks. And that is a direct result of a superior barrel support system that uses a shroud and sleeve design.

 

[BigBill]

I swear I seen a steel liner in the stainless Ruger revolvers before. Stainless steel isn’t that tough.

 

[ACORN]

Curious as to when this change came? I have a .45acp/.45Colt and don’t think it has a 2 piece barrel but I could be wrong. Have to check

 

[StrawHat]

At one time I was fascinated by the concept of an ACP/long Colt revolver so I built one. My base revolver was a Model 25-2. I deep chambered the cylinder to headspace on the case mouth of the long Colt cartridge and still accept the ACP in moon clips. Accuracy was good with both cartridges. I also cut .308 cases to long Colt length and loaded them. Moon clipped they were good shooters but a little floppy to load. Not bad, just not as slick as mooned ACPs.

My “problem” was each time I swapped cartridges, the sights had to be adjusted. I could never find one load for each cartridge that shot to the same sighting. Well, I did but if you are launching the same bullet at the same velocity why bother with two cartridges?

Eventually, I decided the one cartridge that filled my needs was the 45 ACP. The switch job went to a buddy and was at some point recylindered to ACP.

To the best of my knowledge, such a revolver was never offered by the factory.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

... I mainly wanted this for shooting .45ACP but now I'm thinking an N-frame S&W with a one piece barrel might be more to my liking. Here's a link to the Redhawk I was looking at....

Ruger(R) Redhawk(R) Double-Action Revolver Model 5050...

Personally, unless you need to carry the extra weight, why bother?

Also, if you are serious about wanting a 45 ACP, N frame you had better move quickly. They are not currently in the catalog and we know what being discontinued does to prices.

Kevin

 

[G-Mac]

Thanks for the responses. I think that I have changed my focus to a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible in .45 Long Colt/.45ACP.