I spent time at Gunsite Academy with some great people from Ruger last week. While there, I availed myself of the opportunity to shoot a few of their recently issued revolvers. These were double-action revolvers, not guns from the single-action line. They included the GP100 357 Magnum 7-shot – another four-inch like the one previewed here. There was also a four-inch Ruger Redhawk, an 8-shot .357 Magnum and the Super Redhawk in 10mm. The GP100 is a class act, as I'd indicated in the previous story. A relevant piece of steel with the excellent rubber stock featuring hardwood inserts, it's a pleasure to shoot. I'd gotten only one range trip with the new seven-shot 357 before the Arizona adventure. I took this opportunity to shoot the factory sample at Gunsite on York Range. The stationary Pepper-Poppers at either end of the backstop were huge; the center circles are 12" in diameter. After hammering one of them with Hornady 158 grain XTP 357s at 25 yards, I moved back to fifty yards. It was no chore to hit the steel from there either. A six-shot DA group on paper from 25 yards was just under three-inches – a fluke, since it was me shooting the gun. Examination of the new 8-shot Redhawk in 357 – a four-inch, not a snub like their previous introduction – revealed Ruger's new sleeve and shroud barrel. Cold-hammer forged, it's apparent that it's a two-piece barrel from the front, not a good place to be looking. You can't tell from behind the gun. As it is supplied with the Ruger wood stocks and there's no filler between the trigger guard and the grip frame, it's a knuckle-barking adventure. I didn't shoot it much, but it was accurate when I didn't flinch. Unlike the snub version of the same gun, it has a square butt and it appears that Hogue can fix you up with replacement stocks. This 44-ounce revolver is quite a shooter. The Ruger Super Redhawk in 10mm had some internet-types wondering "why?" I had no opinion on it. It's a 54 ounce revolver and you can carry the 10mm in lighter guns – autos mostly. But revolvers are good too. Shooting this thing was an absolute pleasure. Using some ammo from Black Hills and Double Tap, I found hitting the steel from fifty yards to be simple. Ace photographer Yamil Sued, of Gun Stock Reviews, and Dick Williams, Shooting Illustrated Handguns Editor, both shot the heavyweight on York Range. Both came away appreciating the heavy hitter. The six-shot, 54-ounce revolver has a 6.5" barrel and an overall length of a foot – leading me to remark that failure to stop a hog with the 10mm cartridge could be remediated by using the gun as an impact weapon . . .

Photographer and video host Yamil Sued shoots the big Super Redhawk 10mm while present on another assignment. He was impressed by the light recoil and ease of shooting offered by the new SRH.

The double action pull was superb and I couldn't help but shoot the gun single-action one-handed – bullseye style. It's a lot of gun to support that way but it was pleasantly powerful. The Ruger revolvers are made from stainless steel, lock up solidly and feature a transfer bar safety system to make them drop-safe. They also feature adjustable rear sights. The 10mm comes with "moon clips," though we didn't use them for the shooting. I'm hoping a seven-shot GP100 snub will be making its way to my location soon. Ruger continues to be a big player in revolver manufacture. I'm very happy about that. - - Rich Grassi