Shot my 32's today

[suemarkp]

I finally got to the range to shoot my 327's. My taurus keyholed all the Fiocchi 32 S&W wadcutters. I'm not sure why -- too slow, poor rifling??? My single seven shot them just fine. It did just fine with the 327's but extraction was a bit tough. Those 327's were factory Federal 100gr JSP's.

The more annoying problem was with the Single 7. The pin that retains the cylinder kept backing out on each shot with the 327 loads and the cylinder wouldn't easily rotate. After each shot, I had to push in on the cylinder pin and then cock it. I was careful with my off hand and I'm sure I wasn't pushing the release pin (I am left handed so that keeps the trigger finger away too). Anyone heard of that and have an easy fix?

Also annoying is the 7 extraction. The window for case insertion/extraction is too small. You have to get the cylinder in just the right place to get a cartridge in or out. If it creeps forward too much, there is no way to backup the cylinder. So you just have to go around to the next one and keep spinning to pick up any you didn't get the fist time. Any secrets to overcome this?

 

[W5BYR]

When I called Ruger service with the same problem extracting each chamber the nice young lady I spoke with knew exactly what I was talking about. She emailed a prepaid mailing label to me and it was back in my hands in days.

When I started telling her about the extraction problem she sort of laughed and finished the sentence for me. I think this was THAT common a problem but Ruger stood behind their product.

Good luck!

 

[mnrivrat]

I believe that to be the correct approach - send it back to Ruger and let them correct the issues.

I'm confident I could give you correction fixes that would work just fine, but why touch the gun and take the chance of voiding the warranty.

Call Ruger and have them send you a prepaid mailing label - inclose the gun and a written explaination of the issues. I think it is a good idea to also place a hanging tag on the trigger gaurd with your name and phone number .

 

[TfflHndn]

The problem you are describing wiht the pin is called "base pin jump." My Single Seven also has this issue when firing the hotter .327 magnum loads, but not with the milder calibers. I sent it back to Ruger once, and it didn't fix the problem. There are replacement pins that you can get that are supposed to be better. Belt Mountain is one of the sources. There may be others. I will try one as soon as I get around to ordering it.

 

[Dain Bramage]

To echo everyone else, my Single 7 had three issues, base pin jump, loading window, and one chamber was not reamed correctly, leaving the cartridge high and cratering the primer.

I sent it off to Ruger on their dime and they repaired it. It's been a great gun ever since, although I did go with a Belt Mountain pin afterward.

Oddly, they only listed the base pin repair on the invoice. Maybe it's a liability dodge, but they clearly addressed all three issues. The loading window has been relieved. They must have gone with the minimum depth ream, because one chamber still has the most defined primer impact, but it is much improved.

A lot of "real men" on Ruger boards and elsewhere have made fun of the loading window issue, saying people just don't know how to load a single action. I would say those people don't have experience with the Single 7, or they are masochists. I have other Ruger non-reverse index pawl guns, and they would not tie up the gun. If you rotate the chamber one "click" past the window, you simply can't load that chamber until the next go-around. With the S7, if you don't load in the optimal position, or inadvertently allow the cylinder to roll one "click" forward, you can still start the round, and then the rim jams against the window. Then you have to pound a live round back out, which is clearly a safety issue, not to mention damned annoying.

The new relieved window looks just as good as the old one, but allows loading on both sides of the "click". Someone in design just dropped the ball originally on geometry with a small frame and seven chambers. Ruger was trying a big upgrade with this revolver, on a frame normally reserved for rimfires. I'm glad there was enough tolerance in the design for a successful fix.

 

[Tallball]

I grew up with a Single Six and also have two Blackhawks. The way I do extraction is to slide the extractor rod back until it gently touches the cylinder BEFORE I start to rotate the cylinder. I keep gentle pressure on it while I turn the cylinder. As soon as the chamber is lined up with the gate, the rod slides right in there. It works every time.

 

[suemarkp]

I talked to Ruger and they sent me parts to fix the base pin (new latch, spring, and nut). Haven't installed them yet to see if it fixes the problem.

As far as difficult loading/unloading, the customer service person on the phone hadn't heard of that issue and had no fix to offer. I may try some grinding compound and polish to see if I can make it better. But maybe I just need a better technique. Rapid loading/unloading isn't to be expected with a single action anyway, but this one is quite fussy.

For my first Ruger purchase, I'm not impressed with their design.