Tank-Tough Ten

When I first heard Ruger was introducing their Super Redhawk in 10mm Auto I thought I’d misunderstood. After all, the Super Redhawk is a huge hunk of steel ideally geared for cartridges such as the .44 Mag. and .454 Casull. The massive frame and cylinder would engulf the 10mm Auto round. It appears Ruger was definitely thinking outside the box on this one.

Why Not?

The 10mm Auto cartridge has gained considerable ground over the last few years. And it’s not the first time we’ve seen a double-action revolver in 10mm. Remember the S&W Model 610 from years past? If you can find one, they bring a premium today. Ruger saw the renewed interest in this cartridge and also offered their semi-auto SR1911 chambered for it. And they’d produced their single-action Blackhawk in 10mm previously — as a distributor exclusive. Just recently, the 10mm Blackhawk surfaced once again, available through another distributor — Lipseys.

However, the 10mm Redhawk is a DA-first for the company. Is the increased interest in 10mm coming from shooters, hunters or folks who just enjoy shooting it? I think it’s from all of the above. Regardless of where, why or how, the 10mm is experiencing resurgence.

My 6-shot test gun appeared just like other Super Redhawks, but with a 6.5″ barrel. Inside the box were three moon clips and scope rings. The new 10mm comes in the same satin stainless steel finish as other Super Redhawks. While you might prefer to change out the factory grips for custom ones, there’s certainly nothing wrong with the cushioned rubber grips standard on this model. The wood inserts are attractive and Ruger says the gun features an internal recoil cushion positioned under the web of the hand to help during magnum recoil.

The 10mm Super Redhawk tipped the scales at 54 oz. — one ounce heavier than the 7.5″ Super Redhawk in .44 Mag. (unloaded, before rings and scope are mounted). It’s a hefty piece of steel, indeed. I appreciate the “Read Instruction Manual” warning is located under the lug and out of my sight.

The big revolver features a ramped front sight with red insert. These inserts are replaceable with other color options if desired. The white-outlined, square notch rear sight is fully adjustable. I immediately fitted a Leupold 4X scope in the supplied rings. With the integral mounts scalloped in the massive solid steel rib, a scope-mounting operation can be performed in a few minutes. You can also mount a red dot sight such as an UltraDot — which is what I have fitted on my Super Redhawk .44 Mag.

One thing I like about the built-like-a-tank Super Redhawk is the crane and triple-locking cylinder. This feature — along with the super-strong frame with beefy top strap — permits heavy loads on a steady basis. The cylinder has plenty of meat between charge holes, allowing the revolver to handle high-octane hammering painlessly. After shooting my .44 Mag. Super Redhawk for years without anything working loose, you can bet a ton of 10mm ammo can be shot in this new model without worry.

Taming The 10

Apparently, many ammo manufacturers have geared up for the increased attention to the 10mm Auto. I found several factory offerings. Much of my testing consisted of 180-gr. FMJ loads, but a few others joined the fray. Ammo from DoubleTap, Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon, HPR, SIG SAUER, Federal, HSM and Winchester all took a trip with me to the range.

The moon clips served as speed loaders and allowed easy removal of empty cases. I must confess it was a pleasure shooting the 10mm Super Redhawk without having to search for scattered brass. The trigger on my test gun broke at 5.3 lbs., which was a bit heavy for me but not uncommon on factory guns. Once the gun was sighted-in at 25 yards, I moved out to 50 and started banging away at steel targets. The 10″ round AR500 steel targets on the farm got a good workout. While sitting on the ground shooting from a tripod rest, it wasn’t a problem pounding steel plates with consistency.

Shooting 10mm ammo in the Super Redhawk was like shooting .38 Specials from a large-framed .357 Mag. revolver. The recoil was extremely mild. This sixgun is very pleasant to shoot. For someone looking to hunt wild hogs or whitetail at close range, the 10mm Super Redhawk may be a worthy candidate — especially if mild recoil is a necessity. But whether you’re punching holes in paper, whacking steel or busting a big mean hog, the 10mm is fun.

While I didn’t shoot any handloads from the Super Redhawk, loading the 10mm is pretty straightforward. I don’t have my 550 Dillon set up yet for 10mm Auto, so Redding’s T 7 turret system is my trusty old friend. Frequently I load 180-gr. bullets from Sierra, Nosler and Hornady in quality Starline brass. Several powders work well in 10mm Auto including, but not limited to, Blue Dot, W231, Unique, 800X and Universal.

Rig For Big

Carrying the Super Redhawk can be easier than you think in one of Simply Rugged’s Sourdough Pancake holsters with their Chesty Puller Suspension System. This holster can accommodate scoped or non-scoped revolvers comfortably and allows the gun to be carried safely across the chest, easily accessible.

Now if I had a magic wand I would get Ruger to chamber their GP100 in 10mm — perhaps a 5″ or 6″ version. Then I would have them offer the Super Redhawk in .41 Mag. with a 9.5″ barrel for hunting purposes. I hope they listen to me! Who knows what we will see next from Ruger. Whatever it is, I’ll bet it will be good.

Lucky 7

A “GP” Encore

In also had the privilege of testing Ruger’s new 7-shot GP100. While my test gun came with a 4.2″ barrel, two other versions with 2.5″ and 6″ barrels are also available. Ruger’s GP100 is a proven high-quality, accurate, double-action revolver.

The stainless steel model comes with a cushioned rubber grip with an attractive wood insert. This grip is not only eye-appealing, it’s comfortable when you’re shooting heavy .357 Mag. rounds. The grip frame design lends itself to accommodate a variety of aftermarket custom grips if desired.
This 4.2″ barrel incorporates a green fiber optic front sight which happens to be an asset to my aging eyes. The white outline, square notch rear sight is adjustable. My gun tipped the scales at 40 oz. and balanced well. The full-underlug and shrouded ejector rod made for a businesslike, no-nonsense look.

Shooting the 7-shot wheelgun at the range was pure pleasure, even with .357 Mag. loads. Most of my shooting was off-hand at 15 yards. Shooting .38 rounds in it was most enjoyable and my wife, Karen, had a lot of fun with this revolver. Moving up to the magnum rounds is no problem either. It’s nice to have this much flexibility — .38 for practice and plinking, .357 for serious business.

The 4.2″ barrel makes for a dandy packing revolver. This model would be a good option for hiking around the backcountry where you might appreciate carrying a peace-of-mind insurance policy. The GP100 would also make a nice revolver to throw in a vehicle during road trips. Having a 7-shot capability makes it a solid choice for personal defense.

For hunters looking to chase game at close range, the 6″ GP100 in .357 Mag. will serve as a good hunting handgun, especially for those who don’t want intimidating recoil. Today’s .357 Mag. rounds are available in many configurations, including heavy 180-gr. bullets designed for hunting. 

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