About 2 months ago on another Forum, I noticed a "cool" Ruger. It was offered for trade only, the owner wouldn't sell it as several people tried to buy it and the owner refused.
The owner was looking to trade for a specific Ruger Redhawk TALO Edition (4" full lug barrel) and nobody had one they were willing to part with.
Eventually the owner listed several other items he was willing to trade for.
I happened to have what he was looking for. So before anyone asks, I traded a stainless Ruger Mini 30 in 7.62 X 39 for this beauty below.
It cost me the Mini 30, a tank of gas, and $35 for the transfer fees.

What I acquired is a Ruger Redhawk Kodiak Backpacker in .44 Magnum. It is a TALO model.
The barrel length is just over 2.625" and it weighs about 44 ounces, six shot cylinder.
The previous owner shot it about 50 rounds and the condition backs up the previous owners claim.
It even fits nicely in a pancake holster I kept from a previously owned revolver.

IMG_20211119_112205414 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20211119_112121028 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

Back in 2009 while in a Gander Mountain store, I spotted a S & W 500 revolver with a 2.750" un-ported barrel in the used case for $450 and I bought it strictly as an investment.
My wallet FLEW out of my pocket!
(same gun as in the discontinued orange plastic Emergency Survival Kit)
If you aren't familiar with the S & W Emergency Survival Kit: https://www.cheaperthandirt.co...FC-022188635034.html
Just a guess here, but I think Gander bought it for $450 and somebody forgot to double (or more) the price when it went out in the display case.
Somebody at the local IBM facility had booked an archery brown bear hunt on Kodiak Island and bought the S & W 500 for bear defense during his archery hunt.
The tech bubble burst, the IBM'er lost his job, had to cancel his hunt and forfeited the deposit, and sold the S & W 500 back to Gander Mountain.
(I knew the manager at the Gander Mountain Store)

Last year I had a guy offer me $1800 for the S & W 500 and I accepted his offer. I did shoot and enjoy that short barrel 500 while I owned it. I didn't REALLY miss it.
Powder quantity, and components cost for .500 S & W handloading is just crazy.
But it was fun to shoot and I fell into this Ruger Redhawk Kodiak Backpacker deal and decided to go for it.
I won't call it sellers remorse, but there is just something "cool" about a short barrel magnum revolver.
The Redhawk came with the case, manual, factory wood round butt grips and has Hogue rubber finger grip one piece installed.
I haven't shot it yet, but am looking forward to some shooting at night!

Here is the S & W that I sold last year.

Beauty & the Beast 002 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cee_Kamp,

Looks like a handful
My sister-in-law's husband had a fairly short bbl Taurus 44Mag, the recoil wasn't so bad, it was the grip texture that was like sandpaper on your palms.

Those rubber grips should help, in that regard.

Firearms deer season starts tomorrow at my location.
I've been practicing late summer and fall with one of my .44 Ruger Super Blackhawks.
I'm using my reloads. 200 grain Hornady XTP and 12 grains of CFE Pistol Powder. It is the starting load in the manual. About 1300 FPS.
Using 2400, VV N320 or 296 powder I could increase the velocity at least another 500 FPS. No need, just more recoil, muzzle blast and noise.
Whitetail deer aren't hard to kill.
I suspect my reloads won't be unpleasant to shoot in the Kodiak Backpacker.
Factory .44 magnum with 240 grain bullets, that's a different story.

That's a beauty, and I agree, while the 500 is cool (I love that pic of yours with the Seecamp, btw ), this is far more practical. I wish Ruger would do more stuff like this with the Redhawk. The Super Redhawk is just too big and bulky...appropriate maybe for stuff like .454 or .480, but in .44 Mag the Redhawk frame is just right.

I personally don't find .44 mag out of a short barreled gun to be all that bad... especially if you download it a bit. I've been enjoying the heck out of this little fella with handloads just above the "starting" range for .44 mag. It'll eat the heavier ones, too, but they're harder on the hands, especially with the wood boot grips. It's only 34 ounces, but it only holds 5.

Big bore snubbies are awesome blasters! I have a Ruger Alaskan and a Talo S&W 629 snub. The 629 hurts to shoot while the Alaskan is just obnoxious!

Is the Redhawk with the short barrel loud?

I have not shot it yet.
My local gun club shuts the outdoor range down during firearms deer season. (Club Members are allowed to hunt on the Gun Club property)
While their indoor range backstop is rated for up to .44 magnum, shooting magnum calibers inside is just painful.
I will wait for the outdoor range to reopen.

Bummer about deer season. I'd really like to read a range report on that thing once you get a chance to shoot it.

I couldn't wait any longer. I went to my local gun club this afternoon with the Kodiak Backpacker and shot a few rounds at the indoor range.
But I did screw up and forgot the tiny screwdrivers needed for the adjustable rear sight.

I brought my Brownell's Master Gunsmith screwdriver set with close to 100 screwdriver bits and they were all excessively large.

It's a short barrel .44 magnum revolver. Yes, it has a bit of recoil and noise/muzzle blast.
My reloads were not unpleasant to shoot. Factory .44 magnum/240 grain jacketed soft points bark a bit more.

After I get the sights adjusted I could see myself shooting 50 rounds at a range session.

The Kodiak Backpacker revolver worked without any issues. I do like it!

Yeah, I've been there. I finally broke down, went to Lowes, and bought a small screwdriver set that now lives in my range bag for just such a purpose. Then I had a sight base drift out of a dovetail, so now there's a hammer and punch set in there, too...the bag just gets heavier and heavier!

Glad to hear it is manageable...I'll bet that was fun on an indoor range .

I know a guy who has a short barreled 480 Ruger. He carries it at time in the MI woods, NEVER shoots it, besides just initial testing. He’s not a reloader, factory stuff is to hot for him.

He said he likes the gun. If it was me, I’d have a range of loads, fuller house to very mild.

At least with the 454, one can shoot mild 45 Colt loads without hand loading, as I recall.

I just ordered a Milt Sparks PMK holster for the Ruger Redhawk Kodiak Backpacker revolver.
It's an OWB concealed carry holster.
They won't make it in horsehide, only cowhide.
I got a little bit fancy, cordovan with black elephant trim.
The six to seven month wait begins!
https://www.miltsparks.com/products-pmk.php

92fstech, I find my local gun club indoor range to be deserted during the work week days so shooting Magnums indoors isn't a problem. I double up my hearing protection, plugs and muffs.

sourdough44, .44 Mag and .44 Special, same thing here if you aren't a reloader. Since I do reload, I only use .44 Mag brass.

I want an Alaskan so bad!

quote:

92fstech, I find my local gun club indoor range to be deserted during the work week days so shooting Magnums indoors isn't a problem. I double up my hearing protection, plugs and muffs.

Yeah, the best thing about working nights is that I get the range to myself during the week while everybody else is at work!

Since we're talking about short-barreled .44s, I got to play with the Model 69 this weekend against some old ballistic vest panels and a car. It wouldn't penetrate the IIIA vest panel, but it put a huge dent in the B pillar that was behind it.

We also had a panel that had been wedged between the seat and the passenger door. We shot it a few times though the door with some semi-auto calibers (.380, 9mm, .40, .45), all of which penetrated the door but not the vest. The vest barely moved at all while we were doing that. Then I got out the .44. I'm not sure if I got a lucky trajectory or what, but it launched the vest panel into the back seat. It didn't penetrate the vest, either, but the energy transfer was definitely impressive! The loads I was shooting weren't even that hot...240gr XTP at about 1050 FPS.

The chief was standing next to me when I shot the car. I immediately requested, and was denied, to swap my 9mm duty gun for the Model 69 .

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
That's a beauty, and I agree, while the 500 is cool (I love that pic of yours with the Seecamp, btw ), this is far more practical. I wish Ruger would do more stuff like this with the Redhawk. The Super Redhawk is just too big and bulky...appropriate maybe for stuff like .454 or .480, but in .44 Mag the Redhawk frame is just right.

I personally don't find .44 mag out of a short barreled gun to be all that bad... especially if you download it a bit. I've been enjoying the heck out of this little fella with handloads just above the "starting" range for .44 mag. It'll eat the heavier ones, too, but they're harder on the hands, especially with the wood boot grips. It's only 34 ounces, but it only holds 5.

Love the model 69. Great revolver with a great model number. I had one and like a dummy I sold it when I was trying to keep my revolvers in the 38/357 range. I am on the lookout for a good one at a good price, this time I won't let it go. :-)

quote:

Originally posted by cee_Kamp:
I just ordered a Milt Sparks PMK holster for the Ruger Redhawk Kodiak Backpacker revolver.
It's an OWB concealed carry holster.
They won't make it in horsehide, only cowhide.
I got a little bit fancy, cordovan with black elephant trim.
The six to seven month wait begins!
https://www.miltsparks.com/products-pmk.php

92fstech, I find my local gun club indoor range to be deserted during the work week days so shooting Magnums indoors isn't a problem. I double up my hearing protection, plugs and muffs.

sourdough44, .44 Mag and .44 Special, same thing here if you aren't a reloader. Since I do reload, I only use .44 Mag brass.

Simplyrugged makes some great holsters for large revolvers too. They hold the gun in tight to the body.

I'm glad you have found something to replace the 500 with. I have toyed with getting a short-barrel .500 as well. So many guns...so little time!

Nice. You can also shoot 44Special and 44Russian when you want a little less boom. I love RedHawks.

wacopolumbo,
I have a Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake holster leftover from the short barrel 500 and I don't like it very much at all. It did hold the huge 500 revolver close and tight to the body.
But actually drawing the revolver in a hurry? Nope. A block and tackle was needed for pulling the revolver out of the holster.

I took the new-to-me Redhawk and tried it in the Simply Rugged holster. It fit and it's a looser fit than the short barrel 500. It's still extremely difficult to draw.
It's not that the leather is stiff or it needs some break-in time. It's the design. The tighter you cinch up your belt, the tighter the holster clamps down on the revolver.
In my opinion, the Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake holster has extremely good coverage for protecting the revolver in outdoor field conditions, at the expense of draw speed.

Which was the reason to order the Milt Sparks PMK which they claim is a concealed carry holster.

I will likely still use the Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake holster when I'm carrying the Redhawk at my rural property doing dirt work projects and running machinery as it has better coverage.

BTW, I got the notification email from Milt Sparks this afternoon, my order is in their system. 20 to 26 weeks.

On December 9, 2021 I got my order confirmation notice from Milt Sparks for my Kodiak Backpacker holster order.
It clearly stated 20 to 26 weeks backlog.
Yesterday, June 9, 2022 was 26 weeks.
No holster, no credit card activity.
So I called them.
They are still building holsters ordered in November, 2021. What's an extra month of waiting...

I did take the Kodiak Backpacker up to the cabin the last time I mowed up there.
I used my Simply Rugged Pancake holster.
It did not interface well at all with the John Deere tractor seat. Very uncomfortable!

Cool!