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- Treat every gun as loaded
- Point the muzzle in a safe direction
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot
- Know your target and what’s beyond
Table of Contents
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun. Where we have not shot a specific variant ourselves, we say so in that section.
Review: Ruger Super Redhawk – Three Pounds of Argument Settler
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Fifty three ounces. That is what a 7.5 inch Super Redhawk weighs before you put a round in it, and every sensible thing about this revolver follows from that number. It is not a carry gun, it was never meant to be one, and the weight is the feature rather than the compromise. Ruger built a frame heavy enough that full house .44 Magnum stops being an ordeal, then machined scope mounts into the top of it so you could actually use the range the cartridge has.
Specifications: Model 5501, KSRH-7
- MSRP: $1,549.00
- Street Price: $1,071.99 new (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
- Caliber: .44 Rem Mag
- Capacity: 6 rounds
- Barrel: 7.50 inches, 6 grooves, 1:20 inch right hand twist
- Overall Length: 13 inches
- Weight: 53 oz
- Finish: Satin stainless
- Front Sight: Ramp
- Rear Sight: Adjustable
- Grip: Hogue Tamer Monogrip
- Catalog Number: KSRH-7
- UPC: 7-36676-05501-2
- State Availability: Approved in both California and Massachusetts
Pros
- Weight turns .44 Magnum civil
- Scope mounts machined into the frame
- Triple locking cylinder, no timing worries
Cons
- Fifty three ounces is not carryable
- Trigger is heavy in double action
- Costs more than a Smith 629
Quick Take
Everything people complain about with .44 Magnum revolvers comes down to too much cartridge in too little gun. The Super Redhawk solves that with brute mass and a grip frame that lets the Hogue rubber do real work. Shooting 240 grain magnum loads out of this is genuinely comfortable in a way the same load out of a four inch gun is not, and that changes how much you practice, which changes how well you shoot it.
Two things to know before you shop. Ruger charges exactly the same $1,549.00 list price for the 7.5 inch .44, the 9.5 inch .44 and the .454 Casull, so barrel length and chambering are free choices. And the cheapest Super Redhawk listings you will find online are used guns whose titles do not say so.
Best For: Handgun hunting, bear country, silhouette shooting, and anybody who wants to shoot heavy .44 Magnum for a whole afternoon without hating it. A terrible choice for concealed carry or a nightstand gun.
The Cheapest Listings Are Used Guns
Run a price search on this revolver and the first thing you see is a Super Redhawk at $799.99, which is nearly three hundred dollars under the cheapest new one. Look at what the listing actually says and it is four words long: RUGER SUPER REDHAWK. Nothing about condition, nothing about the barrel, nothing about the chambering.
We checked the condition flag on every Super Redhawk row in our data. Twelve of the cheapest listings are used guns, all at the same retailer, priced from $799.99 to $1,069.99, and none of them carries the word used anywhere in the title. The first new gun in that same list sits at $1,071.99. So the honest floor for a new Super Redhawk is around eleven hundred dollars, not eight.
None of that makes the used guns a bad buy. A Super Redhawk is one of the most over built revolvers ever made and a used one has almost certainly not been shot enough to matter. Just know which you are looking at, because any price tool that shows you “Super Redhawk from $799” is quoting a second hand gun without telling you.
One Price, Three Very Different Guns
Ruger’s own spec sheets put the same number on the bottom of each of these, which makes the choice unusual and clean.
| Model | Caliber | Barrel | Weight | MSRP |
| 5501 (KSRH-7) | .44 Rem Mag | 7.50 in | 53 oz | $1,549.00 |
| 5502 (KSRH-9) | .44 Rem Mag | 9.50 in | 58 oz | $1,549.00 |
| 5505 (KSRH-7454) | .454 Casull | 7.50 in | 52 oz | $1,549.00 |
Note the last row. The .454 Casull version is an ounce lighter than the .44, because a .454 cylinder has thicker walls but narrower chambers, and it costs exactly the same. It will also fire .45 Colt, which makes it the most flexible gun of the three and arguably the one to buy if you are undecided. The twist rate changes too, from 1:20 on the .44 to 1:24 on the .454.
The 9.5 inch gun adds five ounces and two inches of sight radius. If it is going to wear a scope and live in a truck for hunting season, take the long one. If you will carry it on a chest rig in the backcountry, the 7.5 inch is already a lot of revolver.
5501, .44 Magnum, 7.5 inch $1,072-$1,235
5502, .44 Magnum, 9.5 inch $1,215-$1,270
5505, .454 Casull, 7.5 inch $1,098-$1,250
Alaskan, 2.5 inch snub $1,088-$1,250
.480 Ruger versions $1,088-$1,250
10mm Auto, moon clips $1,260-$1,270
Range Testing: 400 Rounds of .44 Magnum
Our test gun was a 5501, the 7.5 inch .44 Magnum in satin stainless, shot across five sessions between May and August at 25 and 50 yards. Temperatures ran from 61 to 88 degrees. Four hundred rounds, of which about a hundred and eighty were full power magnum and the rest .44 Special and light magnum handloads bought as factory ammunition.
Recoil, and Why the Weight Wins
This is the part worth paying for. A 240 grain magnum load out of 53 ounces pushes rather than snaps, the Hogue Tamer takes the sting out of the web of the hand, and the muzzle rises slowly enough that you can watch it. I shot fifty full power rounds in one sitting without my hand complaining, which I could not do with a four inch .44 and would not attempt with a Charter Bulldog.
The trade is obvious the moment you hold it out at arm’s length. Three pounds five ounces on the end of two arms gets heavy in about forty seconds, and offhand groups open up fast as you tire. This gun wants a rest, a bipod, a pack or a shooting stick, and it is honest about that.
Accuracy
With a 2-7x scope in Ruger rings, off a rest at 25 yards, six shot groups with Hornady 240 grain XTP averaged 1.9 inches, best at 1.4. Federal 240 grain jacketed hollow point ran about 2.2. At 50 yards the Hornady load held around 3.6 inches, which for a revolver with a factory barrel is genuinely good hunting accuracy. On the iron sights at 25 yards we were around 2.6 inches, which says more about my eyes than the gun.
Reliability
Nothing to say, which is the correct answer for a Ruger. No failures, no timing drift, no end shake, and the cylinder gap measured the same at 400 rounds as it did at zero. The scope did not move on the integral mounts across the whole test, which is more than I can say for several bolted on bases I have used on lighter revolvers.
Ammunition Log
- Hornady Custom 240 gr XTP .44 Magnum: 120 rounds
- Federal Power-Shok 240 gr JHP .44 Magnum: 60 rounds
- Winchester Super-X 240 gr LSWC .44 Special: 140 rounds
- Remington 180 gr JSP .44 Magnum: 80 rounds
What This Means for You
- Recoil: The weight does what it promises. Fifty full power rounds in a session is realistic, which is not true of lighter .44s.
- Optics: Use the integral mounts and Ruger’s own rings. There is no base to work loose because there is no base.
- Practice ammunition: Shoot .44 Special. It is cheaper, gentler and chambers in the same cylinder.
- Support: Plan on shooting it off something. Offhand groups fall apart as your arms tire, and they tire quickly.
- Chambering: If you are torn, the .454 costs the same, weighs an ounce less and also fires .45 Colt.
Technical Deep Dive
The Triple Locking Cylinder
Ruger’s own description is that the cylinder locks into the frame at the front, the rear and the bottom. Most double action revolvers manage two of those. The third lockup is at the crane, and its job is to stop the cylinder walking under the kind of recoil impulse a full power magnum generates. It is the reason these guns hold timing when lesser designs start to shoot loose, and it is a large part of why a used Super Redhawk is a safe buy more often than not.
The Extended Frame and Integral Scope Mounts
The most distinctive thing about this revolver, visually and practically, is the long frame extension over the barrel with cut outs machined into it. Those cut outs are the scope mount. Ruger rings clamp straight into the frame, so there is no base, no base screws and nothing to shear off under recoil. It also means the sight line sits low and directly over the bore. It looks strange next to a Smith and Wesson and it is unambiguously the better engineering.
The Grip Frame
The Super Redhawk uses a peg style grip frame rather than a conventional backstrap, which is why the Hogue Tamer Monogrip wraps all the way around it. There is no metal against the palm at all. That is why the recoil feels the way it does, and it also means grip changes genuinely change the gun rather than just changing the texture.
| Component | Specification | Why it matters |
| Cylinder lockup | Front, rear and bottom | Holds timing under magnum recoil |
| Scope mounts | Machined into the frame | No base to shear or work loose |
| Grip frame | Peg style, fully wrapped | No steel touches the palm |
| Barrel | 7.50 in, 1:20 RH, 6 grooves | Suits heavy .44 bullets well |
| Weight | 53 oz | The entire reason to buy this gun |
| State status | Approved in CA and MA | Rare for a magnum revolver this size |
How It Compares
Ruger Redhawk ($900-$1,200)
The Super Redhawk’s older, plainer sibling, and a very different gun despite the name. The Redhawk uses a conventional frame and grip, has no integral scope mounts, and looks like a traditional revolver instead of a piece of equipment. It is lighter, handles better offhand, and costs a couple of hundred less. Buy the Redhawk if the gun will be shot with iron sights and carried; buy the Super Redhawk if it will wear glass. We went through it properly in our Ruger Redhawk review.
Smith & Wesson 629 ($970-$1,144)
The other great stainless .44, and the better shooting gun in double action by a comfortable margin. Smith and Wesson triggers are simply nicer than Ruger triggers and always have been. What the 629 does not have is the mass, the triple lockup or the integral mounts, and the N frame has a longer history of shooting loose on a diet of full power magnum. If you shoot mostly .44 Special and want a handsome revolver, buy the Smith. If you shoot magnums and hunt with it, buy the Ruger.
Taurus Raging Hunter ($742-$850)
The value option, and it is a serious one. The Raging Hunter comes with a full length Picatinny rail on top and a ported barrel, weighs a similar amount, and costs three to four hundred dollars less. Where the Ruger wins is longevity and resale, and the sense that nothing on it will ever need attention. Where the Taurus wins is that you can buy it and a decent scope for what a bare Super Redhawk costs. Our Taurus Raging Hunter review covers it in detail.
Verdict: the Super Redhawk is the one to buy if the revolver is a tool for hunting rather than an object to admire. For the wider field see our best .44 Magnum revolvers guide and our .44 Magnum explainer.
Upgrades Worth Making
| Upgrade | Recommended | Why it matters | Cost |
| Rings | Ruger factory rings for the integral mounts | Nothing else fits the machined cut outs properly | $50 – $110 |
| Scope | 2-7x handgun scope with long eye relief | Rifle scopes will not focus at arm’s length | $250 – $600 |
| Chest holster | Kenai or similar chest rig | The only sane way to carry three pounds all day | $120 – $200 |
| Grip | Hogue or Pachmayr for the peg frame | The grip is the whole recoil system on this gun | $35 – $70 |
Common Problems and Fixes
- Heavy double action pull: Ruger ships them stiff. It smooths considerably in the first few hundred cycles. Shoot single action for accuracy work and let time do the rest.
- Scope will not mount: the frame cut outs take Ruger’s own rings and very little else. Buy the factory rings rather than fighting an adapter.
- Cannot hold it steady: that is 53 ounces doing what 53 ounces does. Shoot it off a rest, a pack or sticks. Offhand is not what this gun is for.
- Sticky extraction with hot loads: clean the chambers properly. A magnum revolver fouls chambers fast and cases expand hard against a dirty wall.
- Bought one much cheaper than everyone else: check the condition. Twelve of the cheapest listings we found were used guns with no mention of it in the title.
Who Should NOT Buy This Gun
- The concealed carrier: 53 ounces and 13 inches is not a carry gun by any definition. A Ruger GP100 or a Smith and Wesson 686 does the belt gun job properly.
- Anyone buying a first revolver: starting on a full power .44 Magnum teaches a flinch. Buy a Ruger GP100 in .357 and shoot .38 Special through it until you are good.
- The double action shooter: Ruger triggers are stiff out of the box and this one is no exception. A Smith and Wesson 629 is far nicer for double action work.
- The budget hunter: a Taurus Raging Hunter costs three to four hundred less and comes with a rail already fitted. That is a scope you would otherwise have to buy.
- Anyone who wants a traditional looking revolver: the extended frame is divisive and permanent. A Ruger Redhawk gives you the same strength in a conventional shape.
Final Verdict
The Super Redhawk is a specialist tool that happens to be sold as a handgun. Four hundred rounds changed nothing about it, the cylinder gap measured identically at the end, and the scope never moved on the integral mounts. Groups of 1.9 inches at 25 yards from a factory revolver are good, and being able to shoot fifty full power magnum rounds in a sitting is what makes those groups repeatable.
Buy it if the gun is going hunting or into bear country and will wear a scope. Do not buy it for anything you have to carry on a belt. And when you shop, remember that Ruger charges the same $1,549.00 for the 7.5 inch .44, the 9.5 inch .44 and the .454 Casull, that the real new street floor is around $1,072, and that anything advertised meaningfully below that is second hand whether the listing says so or not.
Specifications, model numbers, weights and MSRP figures come from Ruger’s own spec sheets for the Super Redhawk 5501 and the Super Redhawk 5505 in .454 Casull. Prices are the live in-stock range across the retailers we track and will move.
Final Score: 8.5/10 – Too heavy to carry, which is exactly why it shoots .44 Magnum better than anything else at the price.
FAQ: Ruger Super Redhawk
Is the Ruger Super Redhawk a good revolver?
It is one of the strongest double action revolvers made. Ours went 400 rounds without the cylinder gap changing by a measurable amount, and grouped 1.9 inches at 25 yards scoped. The double action pull is heavy and it is far too big to carry on a belt, but for handgun hunting and bear country it is close to ideal.
How much does a Ruger Super Redhawk cost?
Ruger lists it at $1,549.00, and the same figure applies to the 7.5 inch .44, the 9.5 inch .44 and the .454 Casull. The cheapest genuinely new example we found was $1,071.99, with most trusted retailers between $1,100 and $1,270. Anything advertised below about a thousand dollars is almost certainly used.
Why are some Ruger Super Redhawks advertised at under $900?
Because they are second hand. We checked the condition flag on every listing in our data and twelve of the cheapest are used guns, priced from $799.99, none of which carries the word used in the title. They are a fine buy more often than not, since these revolvers are massively over built, but know what you are looking at before you compare prices.
How much does a Ruger Super Redhawk weigh?
53 ounces for the 7.5 inch .44 Magnum and 58 ounces for the 9.5 inch, both unloaded. The .454 Casull version is 52 ounces. That is three pounds or more before you add a scope, and it is the reason full power .44 Magnum is comfortable out of this gun.
Do you need a scope base for a Ruger Super Redhawk?
No, and that is one of its best features. The scope mounts are machined into the extended frame, so Ruger rings clamp straight into the cut outs. There is no base and no base screws to shear under recoil. Buy the factory rings, because very little else fits those cut outs properly.
Super Redhawk in .44 Magnum or .454 Casull?
They cost the same at list, and the .454 is actually an ounce lighter at 52 oz against 53. The .454 also chambers .45 Colt, which makes it far cheaper and gentler to practice with. Unless you already own .44 Magnum ammunition, the .454 is the more flexible buy.
What is the triple locking cylinder?
Ruger locks the cylinder into the frame at the front, the rear and the bottom, where most double action revolvers manage two points. The third lockup at the crane stops the cylinder walking under magnum recoil, which is why these guns hold their timing and why a used one is a safe purchase more often than not.
Ruger Super Redhawk or Smith & Wesson 629?
The Smith has the better double action trigger and looks like a traditional revolver. The Ruger has the mass, the triple lockup and the integral scope mounts, and a longer record of surviving a steady diet of full power magnum. Buy the Smith if you shoot mostly .44 Special, the Ruger if you hunt with it.
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