Need help with my Blackhawk

[bernie]

I am a 1911 man primarily. But I love old westerns (I have over 90 full length John Wayne movies, not counting his early "B" movies) and thought that I needed a single action in the safe. I chose a Blackhawk with an ACP cylinder for ammunition commonalilty with my 1911, and picked up my new Blackhawk last night. Now to my problem.
The cylinder retaining pin (not sure of my nomenclature, the pin that holds the cylinder to the frame and it revolves around) will not go all the way in. I took the .45 Colt cylinder out to put the ACP cylinder in and it likes about a quarter inch of going all the way in and "clicking". I have had Single Sixes and Super Blackhawks in the past and the pins just slid right in. Am I missing a "trick" to get it in.
Any help would be appreciated because I would surely like to shoot it this afternoon!

 

[Glockman17366]

It's called a "Base Pin".

There's a spring loaded press pin on the lower frame just forward of the cylinder opening. You should have had to press this pin to remove the base pin.
Anyway, may sure that spring loaded pin is moving freely. I push the pin in when installing the base pin, although I don't think it's a necessity.

I'm assuming you got the .45 Colt/.45 ACP Convertible and both cylinders came with the gun. If you bought a standard Blackhawk and an aftermarket or used .45 ACP cylinder, it may need fitting.

 

[Virginian]

You probably already tried it, but did you try rotating the cylinder as you inserted the base pin with the retainling latch depressed? I have one out of 5 that is like that. Works just fine in all respects, but that base pin just will not go in without rotating the cylinder.
Did you check the spring loaded pin in the end of the base pin to make sure it isn't jammed, and depresses fairly easily?

 

[bernie]

The press pin works fine. I thought I would try to see if the .45 Colt cylinder was any easier and it slid right in. Then when I tried the ACP cylinder again, it went right in that time. I guess that I was not holding my head just right the first time.

Thanks for the input.

 

[dmazur]

The clearances on these parts can be really tight.

I had just about the same problem with my SBH, reassembling the same cylinder that I just removed!

I found out that if I held the barrel vertical and gently wiggled the cylinder side to side a little while pressing the base pin latch in, the base pin would drop into place on gravity. Well, except for the last 1/8" or so, and that is the spring-loaded pin on the end resisting movement. A little push and the base pin latch snaps into place and all is right with the world...

 

[batmann]

I'm glad I'm not the only one having this problem! They are just finicky at times. I have two the pins just drop in and one that is just a pain in the behind to get back in.

 

[MCgunner]

Ruger Blackhawks are junk. You need to sell that POS before the cylinder flies out and hurts you. I'll take it off your hands, though. I can PROBABLY make it work. Heck, I'll even give ya a hundred for it, I'm so confident in my gunsmithing abilities.

 

[Gunfighter123]

Try what dmazur said --- on one of my 45lc/45acp BHs , thats the only way I can get the base pin back in.

BTW --- on mine , with either cyd. , the pin removes very, very easy.

 

[calaverasslim]

take a look at the base pin. It has the half moon to go agains the barrel. It has to fit against the barrel to slip into place. In my Rugers, I replace my base pin with one of the Base Mountain jobs from Brownells

 

[Floppy_D]

My press pin had come slightly unscrewed one time (slight enough that I didn't even notice,) and wasn't showing the full notch when I pushed it. Loctite helped.

Maybe hold the left side of the pin and twist the right side with your thumbnail, to see if it isn't a bit loose?

 

[foghornl]

My Single-Six is like that....You have to be holding your expression just right, on an alternate Thursday when the moon is full and facing toward the Ruger factory....



Just kidding...but sometimes I do have to give the cylinder a bit of twist when installing the base pin.