Customizing the Ruger Super Redhawk

To start the customization, the front sight base was removed. This was done with the careful application of torch heat and pressure to release the sight mount without warping it.  The barrel was then cut by hand from the factory length of 7.5 inches to the desired length of 6 inches. 

To start the customization, the front sight base was removed. This was done with the careful application of torch heat and pressure to release the sight mount without warping it. The barrel was then cut by hand from the factory length of 7.5 inches to the desired length of 6 inches.

The now-abbreviated factory text on of the barrel is removed. This is a hand-polishing process in which the gunsmith starts with draw files and works his way down to a fine polish using 400-grit sanding media. 

The rough cut of the muzzle was milled and shaped to create an 11-degree crown. By using a special carbide tool rod, the cutters can be hand set to work the crown without removing the barrel from the frame. This reduces time in forming the crown, and the potential for damage to the frame or barrel threads. Once the crown work was complete, the front sight base was re-welded to the barrel.

Porting effectively reduces the stiff recoil and high muzzle rise produced by potent .454 Casull ammunition. A caliber-specific tool aids the gunsmith in hand milling the lines in the rounded barrel. The number of ports is determined by the barrel length. The freshly cropped 6-inch barrel of this revolver supports four ports on each side of the front sight base.

Professional action work can significantly improve the feel and function of a double-action revolver. All of the small moving parts were removed from the gun. The contact points—where the parts rub against each other or the frame—were taken through a three-step hand-polishing process to remove any burrs or rough spots left over from the manufacturing process. The contact points are first stoned, then sanded and finally finished with a high-speed polishing wheel for the smoothest possible finish. The factory trigger return spring and hammer spring were also replaced. The result of this laborious process is a much smoother trigger pull and a reduced trigger weight. The double-action trigger dropped from a 12-pound pull to 10 pounds, and the single-action trigger dropped from a 6-pound pull to just 2.5 pounds. 

The Super Redhawk received electro-chemical engraving on the barrel and top strap. These beautiful markers proudly let folks know who provided the custom upgrades. The use of stencils, etching compounds and a bit of electrical current creates clean, consistent results without the added expense of sending the gun to an engraver.

The external surfaces of the revolver's components received a two-stage, bead-blasted finish. The first stage is a garnet blast to give the surface the right texture. Since the garnet leaves the steel looking a little too dark, a second blast with fine glass completes the Super Redhawk’s low-glare, low-maintenance finish.

The 11-degree muzzle crown received a high-polish finish, again by hand before a Bowen Classic Arms Rough Country rear sight was installed.

Installing the front sight was a multi-step process. The Bowen Super Redhawk sight arrived as a plain blade sight. The sight height was corrected to match the height of the rear sight. Then the front sight was milled and drilled, and the front ramp was serrated at 50 lines per inch. The sight was then fitted with a bright fiber optic and installed in the front sight base.

One more feature was added to the Super Redhawk. The cylinder and ejector star were milled, or lathed, to accept moon clips. This modification increases the caliber options for this revolver to include a full range of .45 ACP ammunition, in addition to .45 Colt and .454 Casull.

The customized Super Redhawk .454 Casull was topped off with a James P. Badger walnut finger-groove grip. The smooth 2.5-pound single-action trigger and excellent sights made it easy to produce tight five-shot groups from the bench at 25 yards with a variety of ammunition:

5-Shot Group Averages
Hornady .454 Casull 300-grain JHP—1.81-inches
Cor-Bon .45 Colt +P Hunter 300-grain JSP—2.10-inches
Double Tap .45 Colt 255-grain SWC HC—1.91-inches
Black Hills .45 ACP 230-grain JHP—2.75-inches