Agree here as well with the 4 - 5" barrel. Personally, I'd rather have a .44 mag with a 2.5" barrel vs. a .454 in 2.5". If you want to double-tap, at least it might be somewhat manageable in the .44 - I just don't see an unported 2.5" .454 as being even remotely "fun" to shoot - let alone manageable for any even remotely quick follow-up shots.

I certainly wouldn't buy one new - there'll be plenty of these showing up second-hand.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/News-11-11-2004B.html


Ouch?

I wonder what kind of steel they are using for these...

The link to Ruger said Stainless Steel for the barrel, but the rest? I bet it would kick like a mule on steroids. I have an 8" 454 Raging Bull it kicks enough and it is ported.

Too bad they have screwed up in an area that soo many, S&W included, screw up in with these last ditch trail revolvers: They almost always fail to put the right barrel in them, a 3" to 3.5" barrel!!!!!



THe best selling S&W trail revolvers are typically those few they do put out either from the Performance Center or in limited RSR or Lew Horton runs that have a 3" or at most a 4" barrel. The 2.5" barrels, while they have their following, are broadly speaking, hard sells and dogs compared to the others. Ahh well, yet another good idea executed poorly.......

Yea, I think it's a better idea to just get one of those revolvers with a 7.5" barrel and cut it back to like 5 inches or so...

That "target gray" finish looks better too IMO.

I think it looks great, and I'm a big fan of the Houge mono grip also.

I just read a report in the Shooting Times Special edition Ruger Guns magazine( available now a B&N) that this gun as well as the .480 version use a special heat treating process to obtain the strenght safety margin Ruger always has.

HI,

I like the idea they are on the right page, but a barrel from 4-5.5 would be so much better and a 4 inch would be just as quick to get out,but better radius for site,Kev

I'm with Sean. A 3-3.5-inch barrel and ports and it would be awesome.

I'm glad someone else noticed the similarities. I'm seem to remember a post on this forum about a year ago that had a srh cut off at the shroud like this don't remember who did it. I have been building the wolverine for over two years now and have done 20+ full house wolverines and another 20 or so less extensive ones.

Wild West has contributed (unknowingly) to the big companies before. We were building short barreled (guide guns) years before marlin, but that was before my time. This is the first time one of my ideas has been coppied and I am rather flattered. We'll see what happens after we debut our 500s&w lever gun (manufactured totally in house).

I think they made a big mistake with the 2.5" barrel. The only thing it will do well is make alot of noise. It is also heavier than my 5" wolverine by a tad and alot heavier than the 3 3/4" ones. This gun will have much less muzzle velocity per bullet weight than the 4" smith titanium .44s which are alot lighter and more ergonomic. I doubt if you will get more velocity than a standard 45 colt. I often thought of building a wolverine cut off at the shroud but no one would order one, and that tells you about the demand. No one uses packing revolvers like alaskans, and i'm sure they will sell some of these up here, but most people who know anything about ballistics will avoid this like the plague. My wife carries a titanium taurus 45 colt with 2.5" barrel while fishing that weighs less than half of the SRH. I would be willing to bet that velocity will not be a ton more than this gun in a ton heavier package for twice the price.

The best thing to remember about a packing/defense gun is to buy one light enough and small enough to wear ALL the time. If you will leave your gun in the boat if its heavier than a pocket .22 then a pocket .22 is what you should carry. If you can pack a 8" .500 smith all day every day, great. Most people have an upper limit of a 4 or 5" 35-40 oz gun with as much power as you can stuff in it and that's why I built the wolverine. The titanium smith .44 is also an awsome alternative if you if you prefer to pack closer to 28oz with less power. All of these have similar recoil. If you want really light the taurus or smith Ti 2" .45 colt (much less recoil) or .357 are great. i prefer the taurus because they are half the price and with a little action job from a good smith are every bit as smooth as the smith, not to mention the lifetime warranty and great customer service. The short barreled ruger won't do anyting these guns won't do better.