Revolver Reliability....

[Rainman76]

Well I had my first major failure with a handgun. Surprisingly it was a Ruger Blawkhawk. When I angle the gun down and try to pull the hammer back it sticks, and when I aim it up I can cock it normally. Is this a common problem or did I just get lucky? I plan on sending it to Ruger to check it out, does anyone know their typical return time?

Thanks for any replies.

I did manage to under load some .40 ammo and it caused multiple FTE on my glock but that was my bad reloading.

 

[ClemY]

What it sounds like it could be is the cylinder base pin slipping forward because the cylinder base pin lock didn't hold it. When that happens, the transfer bar can hang on the firing pin because the spring loaded pin in the cylinder base pin isn't keeping the transfer bar back to clear the firing pin during cocking. If this is the case, you need to push the cylinder base pin back into position. It is probably no more than 1/8" out of position. The cure for this that I have used is to get a heavier spring for the cylinder base pin lock from Wolff. Brownell's and others have them available. If this is the case, there is no reason to send it back to the factory.

 

[jad0110]

I think ClemY has nailed the problem pretty well. Proof that revolvers break too, though on a per gun basis, I've still had a bit more auto problems.

 

[JShirley]

Bad ammunition can cause a malfunction in any weapon. In revolvers, I've also had light strikes, and my former (now deceased) best friend Byron Quick bought a Model 57 that was out of time, and which peppered his face with burnt powder and bits of lead when he fired it. Fortunately, he was wearing eye protection.

Any firearm is a mechanical device, and subject to at least occasional failure. It's also good to remember that revolvers are stronger in some ways than autoloaders- they frequently are made to handle more powerful cartridges, for example- but in other ways, they are not as strong. Revolvers cannot handle the abuse a sturdy automatic can, because of the relative fragility of the cylinder attachment.

John

 

[LightningMan]

Check your cylinder pin make sure it is in properly, if your still having problems check the pin itself. Remove it and look at the spring loaded pin that rests against the transfer bar when installed, as it could be bent, broken or stuck. It needs to press against the transfer bar so it can clear the firing pin as it raises up in front of it. The reason it works when you point the gun up, is simple gravity. If that isn't the problem there could be other issues.

 

[christcorp]

No doubt that revolvers can have malfunctions. But as much as I love all my semi-autos; there is no denying that a revolver is more reliable than a semi-auto. And that's not counting all the "Human error" that can happen when you really need the gun. No, my 2am gun, when my brain is half asleep, where I want to concentrate on the intruder and not have to even think about the gun, is my S&W 357 magnum revolver. Every time.

but as the others have said, check your pin. I have had quite a few revolver issues because of the cylinder pin. Just take it out, take the cylinder out, clean it all up again like you just came back from the range, and put it all back together again. You might be surprised.

 

[Rainman76]

Holy smokes, I thought I had checked to ensure the cylinder retaining pin was in but not the cylinder pin itself. And checking it I found that it was just barely out. I pushed it in and the other pin then pushed in further, and voila problem solved. Then my wife told me that she had picked it up and pushed a pin but didn't think at the time it did anything.... oh well all better thanks guys/gals.

 

[ClemY]

Good news. Problem solved, and you didn't have to pay for next day shipping to the factory.