Peening Pawl [hand] to lengthen in Single-Six?

bczrx · Sep 28, 2014

I ordered the Kuhnhausen book, but it will be a week before it arrives.

In the meantime, I was trying to get some sense of the technique to use when lengthening the pawl [hand] on my Single-Six. The cylinder completely locks up just after the hammer/trigger locks up.

I have a spare pawl to practice on, so I thought I'd give this a shot.

The question I have is: To cold work pawl or to heat it, work it, and quench it [oil] to retemper it?

Which is best for a lifetime of use?

Thanks!

Chuck 100 yd · Sep 28, 2014

Cold work it and it really don't take much. I keep an extra pawl or two in the parts box just for the reason you are thinking of but I prefer shortening a new (long?) one to trying to lengthen an existing (too short) one. The main PITA is having to dis and re assemble it several times to get it just right unless you get lucky. Good luck. Chuck

OH, and the Kuhnhausen book is great.

bczrx · Sep 28, 2014

Chuck 100 yd said:
Cold work it and it really don't take much. I keep an extra pawl or two in the parts box just for the reason you are thinking of but I prefer shortening a new (long?) one to trying to lengthen an existing (too short) one. The main PITA is having to dis and re assemble it several times to get it just right unless you get lucky. Good luck. Chuck

OH, and the Kuhnhausen book is great.

Thanks!

I put the new one in and it improved things, but it didn't solve things. The new one is still too short by a smidge.

I was thinking of lengthening it by something like .002-.003". Does this sound like too much?

Thanks!

Oh, and I have read the heck out of the Kuhnhausen books for 1911s and Ruger Double-Actions.

Now I need to get the one for the Mauser, Rem 870 and Garand, and I'll have one for all my stuff!

Chuck 100 yd · Sep 28, 2014

I would try 3-4 thou. added length. It`s easy to stone a smidge back off.
I don`t mind pounding on such an inexpensive part. Now you have the other (new) one to measure and compare. Measure the two now and see how much different they are and peen the old one to that much longer than the new one. It may end up being 5-6 thou.more than the original was before treatment. Let us know how it goes.

bczrx · Sep 29, 2014

Chuck 100 yd said:
I would try 3-4 thou. added length. It`s easy to stone a smidge back off.
I don`t mind pounding on such an inexpensive part. Now you have the other (new) one to measure and compare. Measure the two now and see how much different they are and peen the old one to that much longer than the new one. It may end up being 5-6 thou.more than the original was before treatment. Let us know how it goes.

I gave it a try today, but couldn't get it to hold still on the anvil well enough to hit it hard enough to add more than 1 thou to the length.

Any tips on getting it to hold still as I pound the snot out of it?

Also, I was using a standard punch: not roll-pin or nail punch. I was striking straight down to keep it from shooting out from under me.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

I wish I could just send the pawl/hand to a 'smith and have them add .006" to the length. I am completely competent to file/stone dimensions smaller: it is the making it bigger I have problems with.

Oh well.

DGW1949 · Sep 29, 2014

As you have discovered, Ruger's pawl is perty-dern hard. About all I'd know to do is keep after it with a real-good (flat-nosed) punch. A cheap "Harbor Frieght" punch aint going to do here.
That, and no offense....but....you do know that it's the lower tooth that's too short, eh?

Just a random thought that might help:
I know from experience that Ruger's "safety conversion" pawl for the OM Blackhawks is often a hair longer than those used for other Blackhawks, but other than that, is fully interchangable. If that is also the case with their Single-Six, it might be that installing an OM Single-6 safety-conversion pawl will get you where you want to go.
A lot of mights 'n if's there, I know. That's because I 've worked with lots of Blackhawks, but not so much the Single-Six. Still though, it might be worth a try....and "conversion parts" are perty-cheap.

DGW

bczrx · Sep 29, 2014

DGW1949 said:
As you have discovered, Ruger's pawl is perty-dern hard. About all I'd know to do is keep after it with a real-good (flat-nosed) punch. A cheap "Harbor Frieght" punch aint going to do here.
That, and no offense....but....you do know that it's the lower tooth that's too short, eh?

Just a random thought that might help:
I know from experience that Ruger's "safety conversion" pawl for the OM Blackhawks is often a hair longer than those used for other Blackhawks, but other than that, is fully interchangable. If that is also the case with their Single-Six, it might be that installing an OM Single-6 safety-conversion pawl will get you where you want to go.
A lot of mights 'n if's there, I know. That's because I 've worked with lots of Blackhawks, but not so much the Single-Six. Still though, it might be worth a try....and "conversion parts" are perty-cheap.

DGW

Thanks!

I have been trying to work on the lower tooth, so that is good. The punches I was using were the flat ones. Not harbor freight. They are the blue steel ones I bought at Home Depot. Thus, probably not a HECK of a lot better, but they've served my needs so far.

I just keep getting 'bounce' on the pawl when I hit it. Or, the pawl 'scoots' out to the side upon impact.

What size punch is the best? I've been using one that covers most of the tooth, as I thought a wider one would 'thin' the pawl more evenly.

Should I be using something like a 1/8 or smaller to get the pawl to stretch right?

Thanks again for ALL the help.

I like the idea of the OM single-six conversion pawl, but don't know how I could go about getting one. Will ruger just sell me a conversion pawl?

Thanks!

DGW1949 · Sep 29, 2014

bczrx said:
Thanks!

I have been trying to work on the lower tooth, so that is good. The punches I was using were the flat ones. Not harbor freight. They are the blue steel ones I bought at Home Depot. Thus, probably not a HECK of a lot better, but they've served my needs so far.

I just keep getting 'bounce' on the pawl when I hit it. Or, the pawl 'scoots' out to the side upon impact.

What size punch is the best? I've been using one that covers most of the tooth, as I thought a wider one would 'thin' the pawl more evenly.

Should I be using something like a 1/8 or smaller to get the pawl to stretch right?

Thanks again for ALL the help.

I like the idea of the OM single-six conversion pawl, but don't know how I could go about getting one. Will ruger just sell me a conversion pawl?

Thanks!

They don't send-out the "conversion kits", so I don't know if they would furnish just the pawl or not. I guess that it wouldn't hurt to give 'em a call, just be sure that everwho you talk to understands exactly what it is that you are after. Otherwise, you'll end up with what you've already got.
Another idea might be to place a WTB ad in our classifieds. Allmost nobody wants that stuff, so somebody might sell the whole kit for a song, or even give it to you.....ya never know.

It's been a while since I've worked on a pawl, and quite honestly, don't remember the size punch that I used. 1/8" does strike me as probably being too small though.
Perhaps Chuck100yd will see this and be able to help you on that.

DGW

Chuck 100 yd · Sep 30, 2014

Chuck 100 yd · Sep 30, 2014

It sounds like you are doing OK but just need to keep at it.Not an easy job but doable.
Lay the pawl on a flat hard surface with the pin down and hanging just over the edge of that flat hard surface. I pound on the entire side of the pawl from the pin area all the way up to the lower hook. I don`t do it with a punch but rather a small ball peen hammer of about 8 oz. No need to lengthen the upper hook any more than it will get by doing the above.

cadillo · Sep 30, 2014

I would call Ruger and tell them about it. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to have an oversized model of the pawl for guns that are just a little out of spec. I have a friend who got some slightly oversized cylinder catches from them a few years ago with just a phone call

Peening Pawl [hand] to lengthen in Single-Six?

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