.003" is pushing the bottom limit for gap and if you fire lead that small of a gap can - depending on the load - cause leading that will eventually bind the cylinder up (in my experience I've had one of my Ruger Vaqueros experience this very effect with a .004" gap - it took about 60 or 70 rounds and I could feel the cylinder start to bind - at that point I stopped shooting the thing - I was running 8.0 gr of titegroup under a 200gr LRNFP bullet). I've read that some revolvers can handle a .002" gap. I have no experience with a gap that small but I'd have to see it to believe that it would work for very long without binding.
The upper limit is about .006". Most people wouldn't notice any loss of accuracy if the gap was up to .007" but after that funny things "can" start to happen. You lose pressure and the bullet is starting to be effected by having to jump the "gap".
For more information there is a thread at the top of this forum about checking out a revolver that explains gap better than I can.
I printed out March's guidelines for testing a revolver. My Bisley's cylinder/barrel gap measures about .007". The chambers appear to line up well with the barrel, but cylinder play feels a little on the loose side to me.
I'm thinking this Ruger is going to the gunsmith for a tune up.
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