2026 Ruger Display Show in Idaho Part Three
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2026 12:18 pm
The gun was built just for display and to this date does not have the firing pin and firing pin bushing installed (NRA shows do not allow firing pins in the guns). This Blackhawk is truly unfired.
It was made in 1960 and did not leave the factory until 1981, when it was purchased by Ruger production manager Robert Dearden.
Ruger 22 Semi-Auto, ‘Red Eagle’ Serial # 212, 22 caliber. Model RST-4
Shipped in 1949, this was purchased from Carl Laco in 2012 for $125 because it was so rusted outside. Carl had been trying to sell it for a couple of years no one wanted it because it was so badly rusted from being kept in a leather holster for years in the old farm truck year-round used to shoot ground squirrels in Wyoming. I purchased it cleaned it up as best I could and gave it to Steve Fickery engraver in Idaho 1 year later he gave me back this ‘Beautiful Piece of Artwork”.
Ruger Flat Top, Serial #383, Model BKH3-Flat Top, 357 Magnum Caliber.
Shipped in 1955, this gun was found by a friend in the Midwest with a 10.5” barrel and drilled and tapped top strap in two places with no blueing left on the gun. I purchased it for $250, and had a gunsmith in Ohio fill the holes and put another 4-5/8” barrel that I had to return the gun to original configuration. I replaced every component except the serial numbered frame. Once back, I gave it to a Master engraver in Rigby, Idaho and had him engrave what you see here. Elegantly Engraved and Gold Inlays with a Nitrate Blued cylinder and hammer. This gun was shipped the same year I was born.
Ruger Super Blackhawk, Serial # 86-17072, 44 Magnum Caliber Model S-47N ( 220 of 250 ).
Shipped to engraver February 1990. Engraver was Mark Armstrong, Rapid City, SD. This revolver is engraved, Gold & Silver Plated in 1991. It has a 7-1/2” barrel. Since I was raised on a ‘Homestead Dairy Farm in Montana” I had to have this revolver.
Ruger Silver Edition Vaquero, Serial # 056-63932, 44 Magnum Caliber, Model BW 477 Marked 0180
Shipped in 1996, with the ‘Ruger and His Guns Book’ with the same serial numbered in the book singed by William B. Ruger an ‘American Legend & his Legacy’. This revolver is one of just a few brushed stainless-steel Vaquero’s with a unfluted cylinder with special Gold & Silver engravings. Work was done by A & A Engraving, Rapid City, SD. It has a 7-1/2” barrel.
Ruger Stainless-Steel Utah Highway Patrol Commemorative Edition Vaquero, Serial # 55-82218.
44-40 Magnum Caliber, Model BNV 407. This gun was the ‘Prototype’.
Shipped in June 1995 to the engraver A & A Engraving, Rapid City, SD. This revolver has a brushed stainless-steel Vaquero’s with a fluted cylinder with special black engravings excluding the Rose Wood Grips. It has a 7-1/2” barrel.
Ruger Vaquero, Serial # 57-52179, 45 Colt Caliber, Model BNV 455
Shipped from the factory August 2000. The original owner shipped to the engraver in June 2005. For special engraving & Gold inlays and case hardened. Work was done by Jeff Flannery Engraving, Union KY. It has a 5-1/2” barrel.
Displayed by Joel Adamson
This timeline of the different calibers released in the Ruger Super Redhawk was an educational journey for me. Represented on this display are one of each caliber that has been factory produced by Ruger: .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, .480 Ruger, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, 10mm Auto, and the .22 Hornet. I love to learn the story behind different guns, their origins, and to discover the journey to where we are now. The Super Redhawk has been my favorite firearm since I first laid eyes on it. There are so many innovations that were incorporated into its engineering. There are now many more variations than just chamberings, including: finishes, front sights, cylinder flutes, grips, etc. I am grateful to have been able to grow up with the Super Redhawks and to help share their story.
Super Redhawk
.44 Magnum
Serial # 550-00005 (on display)
Model: 05502
The Super Redhawk was introduced in the .44 Magnum in 1986. Although the large-bore cartridge had been developed long before, Ruger has offered many .44-caliber models, including the Super Blackhawk and the Redhawk. Because the .44 Magnum became popular for hunting and predator protection, shooters appreciated the Super Redhawk’s double-action platform. Early Redhawk models experienced stress-corrosion problems in the field that were traced to certain barrel lubricants. Ruger later scaled up the recently released GP100 design – adding features such as integral scope mounts – to create the Super Redhawk.
Super Redhawk
.454 Casull / .45 Long Colt
Serial # 552-79650 (on display)
Model: 05517
In 1997, Ruger introduced the Super Redhawk in .454 Casull, becoming the first double-action revolver to offer a 6-shot cylinder for this powerful cartridge (other competitors were 5-shot cylinders). To handle the high pressures of the .454 Casull, the Super Redhawk’s cylinder uses a different alloy and heat-treat process, enabling the cartridge’s high velocities and significant stopping power.
Super Redhawk Alaskan
.480 Ruger
Serial # 530-04372 (on display)
Model: 05304
The .480 Ruger was developed by Ruger and Hornady in 2001 to give handgun hunters a larger-projectile option with less punishing recoil than some of the other big-bore cartridges. With the Super Redhawk already established as a hunting platform, Ruger naturally released a Super Redhawk chambered in the .480 Ruger. The Caliber was briefly discontinued in 2007 after reports of stick extraction; during that period a limited number of 5-shot revolvers (approximately 30) were produced. Ruger reintroduced the 6-shot Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger in 2013 with an improved ejector system.
Super Redhawk
.357 Magnum
Serial # 551-76919 (on display)
Model: 05509
The .357 Magnum is a classic, versatile cartridge with a long history in law enforcement and civilian use. In January 2000, a UK distributor advertisement announced an upcoming Ruger Super Redhawk in .357 Magnum with a 60-cm (approximately 23.6-inch) barrel. The caliber was mistaken in the print and later corrected in a later issue. Perhaps the distributor wanted to back up their promise of releasing a .357 Magnum Super Redhawk, because Ruger had not offered-and has not subsequently offered the Super Redhawk in .357 Magnum as a regular catalog model; however, approximately 135 of these long-barrel examples were produced and shipped to the UK in 2000-2001. Many of the original 21-inch barrels were later cut down to around 12 inches by local gunsmiths.
Super Redhawk
.41 Magnum
Serial # 552-90313 (on display)
Model: 05521
Released as a distributor exclusive in 2016, the Super Redhawk in .41 Magnum appealed to shooters seeking a cartridge between the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. This limited run was produced only in satin stainless with a 7.25-inch barrel and fluted cylinder. Although produced in a small quantity, the .41 Magnum is a noteworthy addition to the model line.
Super Redhawk
10mm Auto
Serial # 552-99293 (on display)
Model: 05524
The 10mm Auto is unique in the Super Redhawk lineup as a rimless, bottlenecked cartridge. Released in 2018, its wide range of loading options give it great versatility – loads can be tuned to be milder for easier shooting or made quite powerful for hunting or defense. This caliber of Super Redhawk initially appeared with a 6.5-inch barrel; Ruger later offered a 7.5-inch version as well. Ruger designed the 10mm Super Redhawk to use full moon clips for faster, more reliable loading and extraction.
Super Redhawk
.22 Hornet
Serial # 553-03170 (on display)
Model: 05526
In 2023, the .22 Hornet was the most recent addition to the Super Redhawk family and occupies a different niche: it is a small rifle cartridge rather than a large magnum handgun cartridge. The .22 Hornet stands out visually and functionally with an 8-shot cylinder and is intended for varmint hunting and light-game applications where a compact, accurate handgun is desirable.