Ruger Blackhawk shaving bullets

[rbethune]

I have a Ruger Blackhawk flattop, 7.5-inch barrel, Weaver rail with a T/C scope, custom grips by Herrett, three screw, made in 1962. It has had the recall parts installed. My father was the original purchaser; he used the gun very little--probably 100 rounds or less. I've owned the gun since 1997. I've put about 600 rounds through it. I sent it to Ruger at some point between 1997 and 2001 to have the recall work done (transfer bar safety mechanism.)

The gun shaves bullets. Most often it just sprays the shavings out into the air. Frequently it lays a heavy enough shaving on the forcing cone to jam up the cylinder-barrel gap, which causes the cylinder to lock up. It has been doing this, as far as I can remember, ever since I've owned it; however, I can't recall for sure if it did it before I sent it in for the recall work. I only recognized this behavior for what it is quite recently--lack of understanding on my part--so it has probably shaved every bullet I've put through it.

I've tested the alignment using a Brownell's range rod. It passes that test with flying colors.

I checked the cylinder pin supplied by Ruger at the time the recall work was done. It measures 0.2475 inches. My understanding is that the pin is supposed to be 0.2495 inches. The original cylinder pin from 1962 measures 0.2485 inches. These measurements were done with a high-quality Mitutoyo caliper.

I installed a new (Bell Mountain) range pin of the correct size. The cylinder has almost no tangible play, where before it did.

With the new pin installed, I did an experiment.

I took a large heavy cardboard box and taped it up so that it would stay open at both ends, leaving me a cardboard tunnel, so to speak, in which to hold the revolver and fire it. I fired three rounds of my own handloads (180 grain JHP/XTP in front of 19 grains N105, WLP primer) and it definitely threw shavings. I found a half-dozen impact points, almost all in the upper right quadrant. I then fired one factory round (Hornady custom 180 grain JHP/XTP.) It also shaved the bullet, and planted a really nice big piece of jacket material on the forcing cone, clogging up the cylinder gap. I had planned to fire two more, but decided the present result sufficed.

Every time it lays down a shaving on the forcing cone, the shaving sits on the forcing cone in the 12-o'clock to 1-o'clock area. The vast majority of shaving strikes in my cardboard box shavings catcher are in about that same area.

Oddly enough, my cardboard box shavings catcher shows no powder blast to speak of -- just one or two tiny dots.

What's to be done to cure this revolver of its inclination to shave bullets? How do I convince it that bullets do not grow whiskers and therefore do not need a barber?

 

[Virginian]

Something is definitely wrong. But, I am surprised a range rod didn't show anything. You do not have excessive leading build up in the barrel, do you? If not, then - Call Ruger. Tell them exactly what you have told us, and see if they won't fix you up.
P.S. - Take everything non standard, scope, rail, grips, Belt Mountain pin, off before you send it to Ruger, because they will replace anything that is not Ruger and they do not guarantee to get extra parts back to you.

 

[BCRider]

Sorry but I'm not sure what direction of rotation the Ruger uses. But I'm wondering if the hammer is being allowed to fall before the cylinder is fully locked into place. If you look at the casings are the primer dents centered? Maybe shoot a cylinder and then flip the cylinder out and see if there's a lag or lead pattern to the primer hits.

The way to check on the lockup and hammer timing would be to shoot off a cylinder in single action. When done that way the lockup should be spot on and the hammer release timing won't be an issue. If it still shaves then something is kicking the cylinder out of alingment. Some front to back play would hinge the cylinder on the hand, no? That little kick may be pushing it out of alignment enough to mismatch the cylinder bores to the barrel.

The trick, assuming you're 100% sure about the static lockup bore to chamber alignment, is that this is something dynamic that is occuring during a cartridge ignition. You'll want to look more into that aspect.

 

[G. Freeman]

Agreed, something is wrong. It's pretty weird too that the jacket just stays there at the forcing cone between the B/C gap.

If I were you, I'd take a pic of what's happening and include this with your gun to Ruger.

I'd definitely send it back. When you receive it, your gun will be likely be overhauled and you'll be happier for a gun that's almost 45 yrs old. Ruger will likely do it for free as well.

Yeah, maybe you're gun is out of time??

 

[rcmodel]

Look for cylinder peening on the back of the barrel shank / forcing cone.

It can be caused by too little forcing cone, or a peened bur or rolled over edge in the forcing cone due to excessive end shake allowing the cylinder to slam into the barrel shank every shot.

If you find something there, the gun needs the attention of the Ruger Service Dept. or a good revolver smith.

BTW: Also look for severe lead or copper fouling build-up in the forcing cone. I have seen guns so bad there was no forcing cone!

rc

 

[Big Bill]

It's too bad you sent it in for the recall. I wouldn't have. Who needs a transfer bar anyway?

 

[rbethune]

Well, the latest and greatest is that I took it to an outfit I respect with gunsmiths who've done well for me in the past and they found that the timing is fine, which confirms my finding with the range rod. They recommended recutting the forcing cone. I'm not sure that will solve the problem, but it does need to be done. As I mentioned in my original post, it has probably shaved every round I've put through it, which is some 500 or so rounds, so the forcing cone has certainly been taking a beating.

Anyway, they will do the work, which is not terribly expensive, and test-fire the gun. And then I'll test-fire the gun. And then maybe we'll know more.

In response to Virginian: as far as I know, the barrel is fine. I've always used jacketed bullets, so it would be copper, not lead, and I don't get any signs of copper buildup.

In response to BCRider: this gun is a Blackhawk, not a Redhawk. The Blackhawk is single-action only. But I do suspect that the old cylinder pin did allow the cylinder to move too much, which is your real point.

In response to RCmodel: same idea, I think: I'm suspicious of the old cylinder pin allowing cylinder movement.

In response to Big Bill: I sent it in when I was a very inexperienced shooter and really knew nothing about single-action revolvers, or much of anything else about firearms for that matter. If an old Ruger that hadn't had the recall done fell into my hands today, I certainly would not have the recall done.