Ruger new Vaquero cylinder line

I use New Vaqueros for cowboy action shooting. The rules require all revolvers to be loaded with five rounds, hammer down on the empty chamber. I don't bother trying to align the flutes so I might have a deeper turn line.

Sounds perfectly normal, and it's self-limiting as the contact area increases.

Thou shalt not touch the cylinder stop with a file. You can remove it and lightly polish the top; 600 grit or finer, and clean well before reassembly.

Or just shoot, and don't worry.

I can't say I've ever seen a revolver that has been used that did not have a turn line to one degree or another. Some are definitely worse. I don't think I've ever heard of a turn line weakening or ruining a cylinder either.
I'd just shoot it.

Your cylinder stop is probably on the long side. I wouldn't file anything in fear of taking too much material. Unless the cylinder is binding or hard to rotate I would not worry about it. If you're concerned there is an issue contact Ruger. They will fix it . Most likely on their dime and less than two weeks turn around time.

Turn lines are normal and NBD. Don't worry about it.

The only way to avoid that line is to buy new and leave the box untouched. What fun is that? I only worry about that line when buy, especially when buying used, I want something that wasn’t shot a lot.

Turn lines are "normal" for Rugers, but for the true Colt type action, it is evidence of a timing problem (which means a worn or broken part) or mis- handling / careless handling. The cylinder should be turned by hand ONLY at half cock. At any other time, the action will do it for you. There is such a thing as "S.A. Etiquette" which, for the most part - is don't touch the cylinder unless you're loading, unloading or checking to see if it is loaded which is done with the hammer on half cock and thumb off the hammer! Otherwise, there's no reason to touch the cylinder while cycling the action.
I've handed S.A.s to "old timers" that I thought should "know" this but the first thing they do is grasp the cylinder with the hammer barely pulled back!! BIG NO NO!!
So, if you want a "no turn line" S.A. , it will be easier with a Colt type action and just allowing the action to do all the work. As far as the Ruger is concerned, the 3screw Rugers can be treated same as Colts but the rest will be tuff!!

Mike

Completely normal for any New Model Ruger. They are engineered to have an early rising bolt but even if they were re-timed, you'd have to always close the latch with a notch over the leede to prevent it from ringing. As with DA's, it's best not to even worry about it.

ontarget said:

I can't say I've ever seen a revolver that has been used that did not have a turn line to one degree or another. Some are definitely worse. I don't think I've ever heard of a turn line weakening or ruining a cylinder either.
I'd just shoot it.

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However, on a Colt-style action, the only wear should be in the leede. A turn line is a sign of either mishandling or a timing issue. Can you see the wee bit of wear in the leede?

Now that is a wet dream SA .44!

Conelrad

My NV barely has a very faint turn line. Guess I’m lucky. My 60 year old SS cylinder looks pretty good too.

I guess I am doing it wrong. I think all my single actions and probably all my double actions have a turn line. Am I worried about it? No, and I'm not gonna start either.

Ratshooter said:

Am I worried about it?

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Preventing a turn line on a Colt-style single action does not require worry, only good habits.

Conelrad said:

Now that is a wet dream SA .44!

Conelrad

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You should see it now that it wears Nutmeg ivory!

CraigC said:

Preventing a turn line on a Colt-style single action does not require worry, only good habits.

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Most of my guns were bought used. Not all but most. And the used ones came with turn lines installed by the previous owners.

This Old Model Single Six is 56yrs old. I've had it for 19yrs. In which time it's had at least 30,000rds put through it. The turn line is the same as when I bought it. Which is to say, quite faint and obviously the result of lowering the hammer from the half cock notch. If I had continued to mishandle it as its previous owner have done, it'd be a half inch wide.

I know, that's why I said:

"Completely normal for any New Model Ruger. They are engineered to have an early rising bolt but even if they were re-timed, you'd have to always close the latch with a notch over the leede to prevent it from ringing. As with DA's, it's best not to even worry about it."

In my first post.

I have 2 blued .357 original Vaqueros that I bought over 20 years ago and I have a stainless .45 Colt original Vaquero. I also had 2 New Vaqueros. All 5 have slight rings. Most occurred very soon after I started shooting them and the rings never really got any worse.

Oops.

Ruger handguns are over sprung. I have a pair of Vaqueros that have have many thousands of rounds fired through them and they both have turn lines not grooves. However they have been tuned by a gunsmith. You will be amazed at the improvement in your gun after a good gunsmith tunes it.

Jbird45 said:

Thanks for the replies! I'm just going to leave well enough alone and continue to enjoy my gun.

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good idea. ruger single actions are bull strong and last forever. the turn line just adds character.

murf

Howdy

This is my 45 Colt/45ACP Blackhawk that I bought brand-spanky new in 1975. This is what the 'line' on the cylinder looks like. It is not a complete line, the marks start about halfway between the chambers and continue to the lead in to the locking slots. This is completely normal. Modern Rugers are designed so the bolt pops up against the cylinder very early, then continues to press against the cylinder as the cylinder finishes rotating. As has been stated, one can change the timing so the bolt pops up later, but I would advise against it unless you know what you are doing.






This is the cylinder of an old Three Screw Ruger. The bolt pops up much later on these, you can see a shiny spot at the bottom of the lead in to the locking slots. Yes, there is a faint line around the cylinder, the result of a little bit of mishandling for 50 years or so before I bought this one.






This is the cylinder of a 2nd Gen Colt made in 1973. It has apparently hardly been shot at all. There is just the hint of a turn line because sometime in the last 40 years or so somebody lowered the hammer from half cock. Other than that it is pretty much spotless and the timing is correct.






This is a Bisley Colt that left the factory in 1909. There is almost no finish left on this old girl. She has a massive line around the cylinder because during the intervening years the hammer got lowered from half cock a lot. However the shiny spot on the lead in to the locking slots shows she is still timed correctly.

MidRoad said:

Your cylinder stop is probably on the long side.

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Not a thing. The cylinder stop length doesn't dictate the pressure or lack of contact. In the Ruger design, the cylinder stop plunger mounted in the hammer is what disengages the stop, and the length of which dictates when the cylinder stop returns to make contact with the cylinder. The cylinder latch spring embedded in the grip frame dictates the pressure against the cylinder.

Single Action revolvers will develop a turn line, that's a fact of life. If the stop bolt is rough or has a rough edge, the line will be worse than it could be. The Ruger design typically allows the stop to return against the cylinder very soon in the rotation, such the line is nearly complete around the cylinder.

There are two options to eliminate the line in the Ruger design: 1: lengthen the arm on the cylinder stop bolt, or 2: lengthen the cylinder latch plunger in the hammer assembly. Typically, lengthening the arm on the cylinder stop bolt gives a better action feel, but it requires more work, as flat stock must be welded to the arm, and (arguably) the stop bolt needs to be thermally hardened again thereafter. Alternatively, simple rod stock can be modified quickly and easily with a file to create a longer cylinder latch plunger - I've even made them from the straight shank of drill bits. It's a very fast job, relative to options #1 above, but it doesn't offer quite as nice of action feel. For either option, the extensions should be tuned to drop the latch into the locking bolt approach ramp, eliminating all contact between the locking bolt and the cylinder between the notches.

If either of those modifications are completed, then the ONLY potential for creating a turn-line is to forget to align the locking bolt with the notches when closing the loading gate - if the shooter is diligent, the revolver would live forever, regardless of use, without developing a line.