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?
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?