Base Pin Problems: Super Blackhawk

Howdy

It is very common.

I first encountered the base pin moving forward on my 45 Colt/45 ACP Blackhawk a bazillion years ago.

When the base pin moves forward, the spring inside does not push the transfer bar back, just as you discovered. Sometimes you can cock the hammer, sometimes the transfer bar jams under the frame mounted firing pin, preventing the hammer from going to full cock.

This is what the transfer bar on a Ruger single action revolver should look like with the hammer at full cock. The transfer bar only actually covers about half of the firing pin. If the cylinder base bin jumps forward during recoil, the spring loaded button inside the pin stops pressing the transfer bar back. Then the transfer bar can get caught under the firing pin as it tries to rise as the hammer is cocked.






The Belt Mountain pins are good, I have them in several of my Colts. I will caution you though, I do not like the pins with the little locking screw. If you over tighten the locking screw, you can actually bend the cylinder pin slightly, causing the cylinder to bind. Plus, you always have to have the tiny little allen wrench with you if you want to take the pin out so you can remove the cylinder at the range.

The last time I checked, I had a Keith style #5 pin in an Uberti Cattleman that I don't shoot very much.

All that other stuff is good, but the real problem is the sliding latch pieces do not fit the base pin properly.

With the Belt Mountain pin, you have to be careful when inserting the pin.

Here is a photo of one of the Belt Mountain pins I have in my Colts. Notice there is a flange with a relief cut in it. The relief cut is for clearance around the barrel. You must be careful when sliding the pin in place that the relief cut goes around the barrel. It is easy to get it started wrong, only to have the pin jam against the barrel as it gets close to its final position. This leads to much gnashing of teeth and usually some nasty scratches on the pin or the barrel as you try to remove it with a pair of pliers.






This photo shows a standard Ruger pin as well as a Belt Mountain pin. No the Belt Mountain pin is not for a Ruger, there is no spring loaded pin in it. Anyway, notice the cut for the latch is cut straight across the pin, rather than a groove running all the way around the pin as in the Ruger pin. All Belt Mountain pins are made this way. The slot across the pin presents more bearing surface for the latch than a groove running around the pin.






Anyway, I have never put stronger springs in the spring loaded latch of a single action revolver. It is a crutch. The real trick is getting the slot to fit the latch properly with a little careful filing. Once that has been done, my Belt Mountain pins without the locking screw do not jump forward.

Actually, it was not until after I posted that I saw you were buying your pin from Power Custom, not Belt Mountain.

My experience has been with the Belt Mountain pins, but it looks to me that the Power Custom pins are similar, with a slot cut across the pin.

Just be careful when you insert it, I have had to gnash my teeth a few times. And don't tighten the screw too much. You can experiment, tightening the screw until you feel the cylinder start to bind. That is too tight, so back off a bit.

By the way, I have Power Custom half cock hammers in a few of my Vaqueros, they make top notch stuff.

I have had the same issue with my Vaqueros. Over time the latch spring weakens. I replaced the springs with these:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...ing-ruger-single-action-extra-power-pack-of-3

Problem solved.

Thank you Driftwood Johnson! Now I understand why the base pin of my SBH is different than the base pins of my other Ruger SA revolvers. It's apparently a Belt Mountain pin.

Driftwood Johnson said:

The real trick is getting the slot to fit the latch properly with a little careful filing.

Click to expand...

This.

Always and only this.

look for burrs around the frame cutout holes for the base pin and the base pin latch. I have a new model Blackhawk that had burrs on the latch pin hole. the burr prevented the pin from fully engaging the base pin and eventually peened the pin and would let the base pin come forward under recoil. I replaced the base pin and the base pin latch, but had the same problem until I found and removed the burr.

luck,

murf

I also have extra strength base pin latch springs in my super Blackhawk and the above new model Blackhawk in 357 magnum. the belt mountain base pin is a necessary addition to a single action revolver. I have belt mountain pins in all my ruger single action revolvers.

murf