SRH failure on first time out

[springmom]

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Cannot believe it. I took my new SRH out to the range today for the first time. I loaded it up with .44 specials (Winchester SuperX 200 gr. silvertip HP) for its first test-drive. First shot and I thought, this is a piece of cake. I'd been wondering about the recoil and realized that with the long barrel I got (the 9 1/2 inch one) that this was going to be no problem.

So, I went through five shots...then, nothing. Cylinder locked up, trigger wouldn't work, hammer wouldn't pull back.

I opened the cylinder and extracted five empty brass cases and one round on which the bullet still sat, but the brass had been peeled back on one side, and the case was distorted. I set it aside, picked out six more rounds and loaded up again.

One shot, then nothing.

I extracted all the rounds. Nothing wrong with the remaining five. I put them back in the box, then pointed the empty revolver downrange and pulled the trigger. It worked just fine...empty. I checked the extractor star, looked at everything I could see without taking the gun apart, and couldn't find anything that could be causing this.

So I packed it up and came home. I talked to Ruger's customer service and they want me to send it in. They were apologetic, and wanted to know did I clean the gun before I shot it (yes, of course) and did I clean under the extractor star also (yes, of course) and said, golly, we have no idea.

I cleaned it again, of course, prior to packing it up to ship it tomorrow. The only thing I can see that doesn't look right is that on the extractor, when it's pushed in (as if you were extracting empty cases) if you touch the star itself it seems loose and wobbly. I have a S&W .38 spl and I have never seen anything like this with that gun, but of course it's a snubbie and not a honking big .44mag either so I can't say if this is normal for the SRH or not. But it doesn't seem right.

Tomorrow it goes off to New Hampshire. I'll not have it for opening day of deer season, but that's not a real big deal as I was going to give myself some range time with it before trying to hunt with it. But I was hoping to be ready to go with it by mid-November...now, who knows

Grrrrrr! Has anyone else ever had this happen with a new SRH? Any thoughts?

Springmom

 

[eastwood44mag]

Mine's NEVER failed to fire.

Something's rotten in the state of Denmark.

 

[springmom]

Or at least in the state of Texas

I sure didn't expect this. I ended up having to send my snubbie back to S&W last month when it locked up, but I had put well over a thousand rounds through it and didn't feel too hideously shocked when it needed a bit of work. But six rounds....

I know they'll fix it. I just wish they didn't have to.

Springmom

 

[Mal H]

I've never had a millisecond's bit of trouble with my SRH in over 8 years of firing it.

One thing that puzzles/troubles me is your description of one of the .44 Spcl rounds:

... the brass had been peeled back on one side, and the case was distorted.

Do you suspect that the round fired, but the bullet failed to leave the chamber? Is it possible that the round was like that before you loaded it in the chamber? (I don't see how you could have missed it.) That mystery round may be the cause of your problems.

A loose/wobbly extractor is normal for an SRH. It should tighten up as you let it reset into the cylinder.

Have you gone over Jim March's list of things to check on a revolver? It's as appropriate for a new revolver as it is for a used one. http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57816

 

[springmom]

I haven't looked at that website, but I'll do that.

The round had to be ok when I loaded it initially, because it went IN, and now, it won't even fit into the cylinder. This is just so weird...! Five shots went off just fine, and the sixth one never got fired.

I may take a picture of it and send a copy of the picture with the gun when I send it back to Ruger. If I do, I'll post a picture of it here and y'all can (hopefully) see what I'm talking about.

I wonder, at this point, what I ought to DO with this deformed round?

Springmom

 

[Steve in PA]

I have a SRH and often hunt with it. Never, ever had a problem or issue with it.

Lemons do happen, maybe you got one. I'm sure Ruger will do you right.

 

[springmom]

no joy on the pic

Sorry, y'all, but the photo of the weird round doesn't come out right. Flash or not, it doesn't really show the thing right. You'll just have to imagine the peel-back and bulge.

Lemons do happen, maybe you got one.

Ultimately, that's what the customer service person I talked to today said too. Sigh.

Springmom

 

[Hawk]

SRH with 9.5" barrel in .44Mag...

I going to go out of my way to remember that for the next "help me pick a gun for my wife" threads.

Hope it works out for you. I'm betting they make it right and it ingratiates itself sooner rather than later.

 

[P95Carry]

Sorry to hear of your prob's - and sorry too that pic of the ammo didn't seem to work. That intrigues me greatly. Sort of imagine it but not quite. ''Brass peeled back'' - sounds almost like a bad event in the reloading press!!!

Ruger revo's are quite normal re sloppy feel to ejector rod - some rattle!!! But I suspect there is some ''lemon quotient'' with your gun to have such problems. Mine was and is 100% after two or more years. Hope things get put to rights.

 

[Barr]

Glad to see you got the .44 Mag you were talking about getting!

Ruger is one of the few American gun manufacturers that still backs their product with a good guarantee. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[springmom]

and then there's the shipping cost

Good GRIEF!!!!!!

The Ruger went back to New Hampshire today. I am flabbergasted...$96 is the cheapest next-day service UPS had. Can somebody explain to me why we have to pay premium rates to ship firearms??? If I'd been legally able to ship 2nd day it would have been $68.

The UPS Store clerk didn't even ask me what was in the box...I suppose from their point of view I could have sent it "slow boat to China" rate for all he cared. But I did it "right" and cost me an arm and a leg.

Springmom

 

[treeprof]

Per my previous comments on your S&W 37 problem, factory-supplied UPS shipping labels are your friend! Ruger is stingier with them than most, in my limited experience, but they will give you one if you ask.

The UPS stores will not knowingly ship guns. Also, for future reference, it is the shipper's legal responsiblity to let the shipper know that a gun is in the package. From the ATF's website: "Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm and prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm."

 

[springmom]

Hm. Neither S&W nor Ruger would cough up a prepaid label. Maybe I should insist next time. Of course, hopefully there won't BE a next time....

The ATF issue is interesting. S&W gave me specific directions on how to address the box when I shipped to them, and to tell the shipper that it contained "sporting goods". I'm a newb at this sort of stuff (since NONE of my semiautos have EVER EVER EVER had problems) so I took them at their word and did that. And the guy remembered me from last time and just asked if I'd shipped to this address before, I said no, and we were done except for the ridiculously high charge on my bank card. By what you're telling me, S&W instructed me to disobey the law ???

Oh, and this is specifically a "UPS Store", not an Office Depot or EZ-Ship or whatever that deals with UPS, DHL, FedEx, USPS, etc., etc. UPS *will* ship firearms, although USPS will not.

What a pain.

EDIT: I found this: http://www.cetmerifles.com/forum/vb/showthread.php?t=12952 which explains all of the shipping rules. I am upset at S&W for what they told me to do!!! I specifically said to the guy, "I've never done this before, how do I ship it back to you?" and he gave me the directions, above. Perhaps he was trying to do me a favor, but that's no favor if it could get both sides in trouble.

Apparently the overnight business, however, is not the law, it's just the way UPS and FedEx want to do it. I guess we should be glad they, at least, WILL ship, since there are so many that won't. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Springmom

 

[Ben Shepherd]

The one time I had to send my sp101 back I just sent it through the store I bought it from. Not a big hassle at all.

When you get it back-

Please tell us what they found that was wrong with it.

 

[treeprof]

UPS policy has always been that guns go thru their shipping depot offices, rather than retail stores:

http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/prepare/guidelines/firearms.html

I always insist on a label; sounds like they are just being difficult.

 

[springmom]

Fascinating. And enormously irritating. The UPS store vs. UPS shipping depot requirement is a UPS policy rather than federal law, but policy it is :banghead:

Why on EARTH it matters, of course, is another question. My personal favorite little twist in the policy is that the clerk who accepts your shipment "must be notified verbally" but then cannot make any indication on the package that it is a firearm. One might wonder what, precisely, the clerk is supposed to do with this information, since that particular package is, by the time it's picked up and put on a truck, going to be an anonymous box in a pile of boxes, parcels, and stuff. You tell HIM (or her) but he/she cannot make any note of it on the package, thereby accomplishing....precisely zip. :banghead:

So I just messed up all the way around. That said, I'll bet it gets there on time without problems, and Ruger, doing this a zillion times a day, will do it right upon returning it to me....

Sigh.

Springmom the idjit

 

[Legionnaire]

Springmom, sorry to hear about your hassles. I've had several Rugers, including a 9.5" SRH (although I traded it for a 7.5" model) and have never had a lick of trouble with any of them. We'll be interested to hear what Ruger tells you was the problem with yours.

For future reference, check with a local dealer and see if they would be willing to ship the gun for you. FFLs can use USPS and they don't have to ship overnight. Priority Mail with insurance is far cheaper than UPS/FedX next day air. Since they are only shipping on your behalf rather than actually taking possession of the gun, they shouldn't charge you a transfer fee.

Do let us know what you find out.

 

[springmom]

Will do. I bought the gun at Bass Pro down in Katy, but if I say "pretty please" real nice, the guys over at Carter's Country might possibly do that for me for the cost of the postage. (Sure don't want to drive all the way to Katy for it, although that would have been cheaper than the shipping fee)

I did take Mal's suggestion and went through Jim March's checklist. It seemed fine (I don't own calipers, but there was no visible space between the cylinder and the barrel, and I couldn't get a credit card in it). The only guess the Ruger rep had (apart from "it's a lemon") was that the tolerances were just too tight.

I dunno. I'm an artist, not an engineer. I'll just be glad when it gets back. And works right

Springmom

 

[BusMaster007]

What a hassle.

First, I'm sorry you've had problems with both Ruger and S&W revolvers.
Kind of settles the 'who's better?' debate, though.

When I shipped my Ruger SuperRedhawk via UPS, I informed them of the contents of the package; it was inspected and verified; labeled 'inconspicuously'; and shipped.
NO PROBLEM.

I received the firearm, via UPS, at MY HOME, a few weeks later, with the work done to it.
NO PROBLEM.

I hope your end result is as problem free as mine was.
__________________

P95Carry:
That pic you posted is one of my all-time favorites.
Thanks!

 

[Master Blaster]

Hm. Neither S&W nor Ruger would cough up a prepaid label. Maybe I should insist next time. Of course, hopefully there won't BE a next time....

The ATF issue is interesting. S&W gave me specific directions on how to address the box when I shipped to them, and to tell the shipper that it contained "sporting goods".

I have dealt with Smith and Wesson on repairs about 5 times over the last 7 years. They always volunteer a shipping label without being asked, in fact I have one they just sent me when I reported a problem with the lock on my 2002 629 mountain gun. Its very strange that they didnt offer you a label, whenever I have called they seem anxious to offer a shipping label.

The part about them telling you to lie about the contents of the box goes against the contents of the form letter they send with the shipping label.
They know better than that.

Very strange and against the experience of everyone on this board who has sent a S&W firearm back, even if the gun was used and 20 years old!!! Now if it is a problem caused by misuse they will bill you for the shipping at their rate when the gun is repaired and returned.

How old was your model 37?? (every gun manufactured since 1989 has the lifetime service policy, and gets a prepaid shipping label automatically when you call them)

 

[springmom]

Very strange and against the experience of everyone on this board who has sent a S&W firearm back, even if the gun was used and 20 years old!!!

The model 37 is less than a year old. I have stated exactly what happened. I'm glad they were helpful for you, but they didn't and wouldn't send me a label. And they told me to send it as I said.

Springmom

 

[YodaVader]

For future reference, check with a local dealer and see if they would be willing to ship the gun for you. FFLs can use USPS and they don't have to ship overnight. Priority Mail with insurance is far cheaper than UPS/FedX next day air. Since they are only shipping on your behalf rather than actually taking possession of the gun, they shouldn't charge you a transfer fee.

Yep - that is what I would look in to. I asked my "local" FFL about this and asked him if I ever needed to ship out a handgun would he be willing to ship for me and he said he could save a lot in shipping costs. I do use him for all my online FFL transfers and have a good working relationship with him.

Another gunshop I know of stands behind their guns and he told me if you have a problem with it bring it back and we will take care of sending it back. I would imagine that they are able to get a shipping label pretty easily?

To the subject of the SRH. I owned one in the late 80's no too long after they first became available. This was a great 44 mag - accurate and totally reliable. Drew a lot of attention at the range since there were not too many around at the time. Later I sold it when I did not have access to an outdoor range after moving. Should not have sold it!

Back in 2000 I decided it was time for another and traded for a another 7 1/2" like I owned before. This one was a great disappointment! The cylinder started to bind and the accuracy was marginal at best. When fitting a tight patch and pushing it down the bore it was as if there was two distinct bore sizes. I imagine caused by the area where the barrel was threaded into the frame? Anyway - it was one of those Lemons!

Now I am a very pleased 44 mag owner with my Smith 629 and Ruger Super Blackhawk single action.

 

[rbmcmjr]

A cheaper alternative is to use the "Next Day Air Saver" option with UPS. It will save you a fair amount.