My new Ruger BlackHawk CarryHawk .45 cal Issues and Resolutions

[Viper1357]

I kinda recently picked up a new Ruger New Model BlackHawk Wileys CarryHawk in .45 LC/.45 ACP that I'd had on order for a couple weeks. I was real excited when it came in as I our family had suffered some sad events that week with my very close Uncle passing, my Dads health taking a bad turn, and having to put our big ole dog down. Just weird timing all this at once so I had hoped getting the new CarryHawk would give me some enjoyment. Well that didn't happen (at first anyway).

As I mentioned in CraigC's thread on his new CarryHawk and his cool upgrades, while he didn't experience any issues out of the box, it seemed I did. I made a video for Ruger C/S I'll add the link just down a bit in this post but I'll give a rundown of what I found at home when fondling and getting ready to clean and lube it before taking it to the range. The base pin was about .080" short and front sight was rattly major movement loose from the pin hole in the blade elongated and one side broke thru the thin mtg tab. Also, the front sight barrel block mount (brazed on?) is noticeably canted to one side (I hadn't noticed the canting at the time I made the video though). Barrel is straight, just the sight mount. The matte finish is really inconsistent and even missing on some areas of both cylinders. That's not a big deal, but considering it's supposed to be some custom carbon finish or something it's worth pointing out.

I contacted Ruger via their online C/S form and forwarded the information and the link to the video I made about the issues, and Ruger did respond deciding the parts warranted replacement. They did send replacements within 2 weeks time or so. The canted sight mount block and inconsistent finish I can live with if it shoots straight.

So as I mentioned when I'd finally got this gun, many things besides this gun went sadly wrong and it turned out to be a really bad week for me overall, (not to mention others) and I just didn't want to send the gun back if I could get the parts and fix it myself. The canted sight mount block (omg not the first I've had from Ruger..lol) I'll see if it shoots straight with a decent sight picture, and if so I can deal with it. Normally I have had no issues sending guns back, but if I can make this work I'm gonna try.
After my being upset about it, I really looked at it and realized it was as messed up as I felt. Maybe working on it was meant to keep me busy through my current situation? Well, so far it's helping a bit.
That said, if it doesn't shoot well, it's going back come hell or high water. lol

Now, I know there will be some of you out there who will think/say something like "I never take home anything I don't fully inspect at the LGS". That's a fair and typically honest statement, and I usually try to really look stuff over myself, but sometimes these things slip by. Without making too many excuses, I'll try to give you a mental picture of what a bizaar situation picking up the Ruger was.

I got the call from the LGS the CarryHawk was in and it was similarly timed with all the unforseen losses we were dealing with. So I had to go buy a card for my Uncles family, gas up the car, etc. and the LGS was pretty much on the way. So when I get there it was like they were giving away guns or something, as there were already 2 people ahead of me filling out the 4473 on new Ipads they just implemented. And on top of that the NICS was slower than molasses for some reason. Then 2 more guys were picking up right after I got in line. It was stupid weird. So two employees and 5 customers literally picking up/buying guns. So just after the second guy was nearly finished struggling with the new electronic form, I got to look at my newly received gun. I only got a couple minutes to look it over and handle it, as with only the two employees and trouble with the Ipad entry, we couldn't fondle the guns too long. It was of course in a bag and stupidly slathered in friggen oil. But I did cock the hammer back a couple few times and no problem with the transfer bar clearing the firing pin as I found at home. It looks as though someone in assembly (I can only assume) pushed the base pin in so far as to jump the groove where it would be held in with the cross bolt assembly. I could see the finish (see the pic below) rubbed away a little where it was incorrectly sitting, which of course hides the fact it's too short and it works until you put the pin in the proper position. Front sight was so wet with oil you wouldn't have noticed it was loose and so on. It was a perfect storm for a problem to happen like this.

Anyway, Ruger customer service came through and sent the Base Pin and Front Sight replacements, so they rock as usual. When I get a chance to shoot it, I'll find out how much of an issue (if any) the slightly canted sight base on the barrel is. If it shoots straight I'll be content. If not, yeah, it'll go back to Ruger.

So here's the vid and pics.

 

[Armored farmer]

Best wishes Viper.
You'll get that carryhawk lined out.
I hope the other difficulties smooth out too.

 

[Obturation]

Sorry to hear about your trouble, hope it comes together for you, I've been drooling on a carryhawk too. I had some spare $ and dropped it on a ruger 77/357, just because I've always wanted one and I ordered it to mix it up a little, should get it in the next day or 2 (out of character for me). I will get a carryhawk , just gotta get on it cause I doubt they'll be available long.

 

[Viper1357]

Thanks guys I appreciate it. And in all bad luck honesty, a week ago yesterday I slipped up and dropped 45 lbs on my left big toe and the two toes next to it. Smashed the snot out of it, and while rehabbing pretty much on my own I ended up getting a pinched nerve in my neck/spine/trapezius area that I ended up going to urgent care when I was losing all feeling in my right arm and hand, not to mention excruciating pain non-stop. Was prescribed prednisone and muscle relaxers and rest for a week. That was yesterday and with the couple doses I'm into now it's subsiding. Not sure why the 'black cloud' is hanging over me as of late but time to heal up and change my game plan..

In other Carryhawk news, while I was waiting for the parts from Ruger I got impatient and wanted to try out a green fiber optic front sight instead of the Big Dot front sight that comes on it. I found a Hi Viz FO for a NM BlackHawk that I decided to give it a try. It's a smaller dot than the Big Dot, so as I don't plan to use this a a carry piece I would rather have a smaller sight picture slower precision shot, than a speedy larger sight picture shot. The overall height of both is pretty close to the same, but if I don't like it at least I have a factory new replacement sight I can go back to.

 

[WC145]

My Carryhawk had issues as well. I didn't take possession of the first gun my dealer got because of problems with the front sight, buggered screw heads, and marred finish. The second one came with the wrong grips and wrong rear sight, which I didn't realize until I got it home. But my biggest problem with the gun is that the barrel is 4 5/8" long instead of 4" as advertised. I complained to TALO and Ruger both, surprisingly after a few weeks Ruger contacted me about refunding my money, I ended up opting for a new Ruger 57 pistol instead of a refund.

I ended up keeping the 3.75" .45acp Vaquero that I had intended to replace with the Carryhawk and followed CraigC's advice and switched the birds head grip frame out with a used aluminum XRN-3RED plow handle grip frame I bought off ebay. It completely changed the personality of the gun for the better.

 

[Speedo66]

My thoughts are if there are other issues, like a non uniform finish and canted sight, why not send it back? Every time you pick up that gun you'll remember the problem, which will probably diminish the enjoyment a new toy should provide.

You paid for an item expecting no issues, get your monies worth. I'm sure it wasn't priced as a blem. Ruger can return it directly to you as a repair, no need to return to the gun store unless they send you a new gun with a different serial #.

 

[.38 Special]

Thank you for posting all this, Viper. I have always been a Ruger fan and continue to be, but it is too bad that the major manufacturers appear to be turning quality control over to the consumer.

 

[Viper1357]

My thoughts are if there are other issues, like a non uniform finish and canted sight, why not send it back? Every time you pick up that gun you'll remember the problem, which will probably diminish the enjoyment a new toy should provide.

You paid for an item expecting no issues, get your monies worth. I'm sure it wasn't priced as a blem. Ruger can return it directly to you as a repair, no need to return to the gun store unless they send you a new gun with a different serial #.

That's still an option (regarding the canted front sight) if I find it doesn't shoot straight without cranking the rear sight too far one way. As far as the finish goes, I doubt they'd do much as it's a weird/oddly inconsistent finish in the first place, and I've burnished/polished smooth in a couple places already holstering and unholstering it.

After 45 years of buying and selling near every brand/type of handgun, long gun and shotgun I figure I've sent back at least two dozen or so through the decades and honestly at least half a dozen or so had to go back a second time as the problems weren't corrected, or in some cases they damaged the gun in some other way. At least a dozen others were fixed slightly with a note on how it's within their quality specs, etc. My point is, there is always a chance the issue won't be resolved, or some other marring occurs etc., so I might have to send it back again or just be pissed it didn't work out. The majority of times that's happened to me was with both S&W and Ruger returns. Others as well, but those two the most unfortunately.

That said, after a lot of frustration through the years dealing with marginal quality or lowered acceptable specs from some manufacturers, I've found that being more of a realist, I now have to sometimes pick my battles to what overall will work best for me. For example: I posted a pic or a S&W 686 Plus Talo edition in another thread that actually has a slightly canted barrel now currently. It went back twice to S&W as it was pretty bad at first, returned first it was a little better but they scuffed it up in terribly obvious places. Sent it back again and the scuffs were cleaned up but the barrel was still slightly canted and they noted barrel torque and position in spec, gun shoots correct and true. So I took it to the range and looking down the top barrel serrations and front sight just slightly angled but centered in the rear notch, danged if it didn't shoot straight and accurate. Oddly enough it's one of my most accurate shooting handguns.

My point to this story was I'm still glad I sent it in, but it caused a lot of frustration to the tune of what I'm not interested in dealing with just now. The CarryHawk canted sight base is pretty much Identical to the degree of the 686 I mentioned, so if it shoots as straight and true as the 686, for me it would be worth just dealing with it. If it does not, then that will be a different story and I'll send it back.

FWIW, I've shown both of my guns mentioned to 3-4 other people, and only 1 of them can see it, which surprises the heck out of me but I suspect this can be an issue with lots of different folks and expectations. Also, I have a very consistently accurate laser bore sighter that I've had for a long time and trying it in the CarryHawk is leading me to believe it will shoot straight to the sight picture or POA to POI. I just need to get healthy and get to the range before it's closed if it's not already from this Covid crap!

 

[Frulk]

Of the last 5 Ruger single actions I've bought I had to have the base pins replaced on three of them right out of the gate. 1 New model vaquero and 2 Single Sevens. The pins would jump the detent under recoil from my handloads. Mind you, Ruger's CS came through and sent the new pins post haste and the issue resolved itself.