Tight b/c gap and stiff cocking on bisley bh 44 sp

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triker

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
175
Location
Iowa
Brand new bisley Blackhawk 44 special (Lipseys) with a very tight barrel/ cylinder gap. No feeler gauges, but just barely see light and piece of paper won't fit. Also seems hard to pull hammer back when cylinder starts to rotate. Haven't had big bore single action for while, maybe just don't remember how hard to cock. A little concerned about b/c gap though. Hate to pester Ruger again, just got my Redhawk back from them yesterday. Stiff hammer pull normal? I don't remember. Triker
 

rkrcpa

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
352
Location
SE Pennsylvania
I can't speak to the cylinder gap issue but my Bisley Flattop showed the same symptoms of hard cocking which was followed by the pawl breaking. Twice. Two trips back to Ruger to get it fixed.
 
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
4,415
Location
Lemont, PA, USA 16851
Not trying to be a smartazz but did you strip it down and give it a thorough cleaning? You did say it was new and some come from the factory with "gunk" throughout. That is the first thing I do to a new handgun, good cleaning and relube the parts as directed in the manual.
 

triker

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
175
Location
Iowa
No, Ron, stripping it down is beyond me. I took cylinder out and swabbed it and barrel and that was all. I am more concerned about what might be tight b/c gap getting dirty and locking up cylinder. Triker
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
8,966
Location
Ohio , U.S.A.
if it was our gun, I'd simply stone, file or use the proper 'reverse cutting tool) and true up the rear of the barrel....could do it quicker than it took to type up this response..... 8) :roll:

( yes, I know, you should NOT have to do it yourself,BUT saves time and money) :?

much like said above, clean the gun upon receipt..we always did this when we got ANY new guns in the shop :wink:
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
When the gun is cocked the hand pushes the cyl forward and w/such a tight gap, it may be rubbing on the barrel. That will truly make cocking harder.

Check the front face of the cyl for rub marks.

Try cocking it w/o the cyl installed. If it's easier cocking, the cyl/bar gap is the problem.

And it's hardly worth effort to return to Ruger. Just stone or file with a fine flat file, on the end of the barrel a few strokes being careful to keep it square.

Here's a video for disassmbling your Ruger but I wouldn't take it down all the way, just remove the grip frame and flush out the action with a spray gun product, but not WD-40!

You can also flush out the action w/o removing grip frame if you're more comfortable with that.

Factory Video - New Model Ruger Disassembly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfOXBa8K8Ow

Factory Video - NM Reassembly (shows hammer plunger assembly too):
REVISED LINK

https://www.ruger.com/videos.html?vid=131271984&cat=3769277
 

jb12k

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
10
Location
Southern Illinois
Ridiculous !! Reassembly video "This video has been removed for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines.". Youtube is really going too far!!!!
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
First video worked for me but like jb12k above, not the 2nd video!

However, 'stupidtube' could not get to it on the Ruger site!!

Use this link:
https://www.ruger.com/videos.html?vid=131271984&cat=3769277
 

Johnnu2

Hunter
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,846
Location
NYS
That young man sure makes that re-assembly look easy; he doesn't even have three hands. Whenever I do it, it takes about three times longer and a few extra nasty words... :))
J
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
8,041
Location
People's Republik of California
I would not sand or file the front 'hub', you'll just introduce "cyl end play! That would allow the cyl hand to push the cyl forward and tighten the bar/cyl gap even more. Only sand/file the ratchet end.
 

mike7mm08

Buckeye
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
1,709
Location
Milwaukee Wisconsin
Had a SBH that would get tight to point of nearly locking up when cocking on occasion. Gap was fine. The pawl was broken. On certain ratchets of the cylinder the pawl was barely making contact causing more force to be needed. The other issue that was going on was the base pin spring was worn. Base pin contacts the transfer bar. The small tip of the base pin is spring loaded. In my gun that tip was holding almost no tension against the transfer bar.

After replacing the pawl things were better but still had the occasional lockup. I replaced the base pin and the problem was solved.

In your case being a new gun I would start with a good cleaning as already recommended. Uneasy about taking it apart just pull the grips cylinder and base pin. Blast it good with gun scrubber let the gunk drip out. Repeat a couple times. Then lightly spray with a gun oil wrap the gun up in paper towel for a couple days to let most of the oil wick and not gunk up in the future. Check the base pin tip to see if it moves freely and feels rather stiff when moving it and out, you want good spring pressure. I would even soak it in some gunscrubber to get and gunk out and then lightly oil.

Once clean I would put the basepin back in the gun but not the cylinder. See how the action feels. See how the basepin fits you want minimal fore and aft movement. Then try it with the cylinder. This way you can at least figure out if it is or is not related to the cylinder gap.

Clean gun is the starting point though. I have chased all kinds of gremlins in guns that went away as soon as the gun was cleaned.
 

Johnnu2

Hunter
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,846
Location
NYS
I would put the cyl. pin (base-pin) back in the gun WITHOUT the cylinder. If it still doesn't cock and fire, then you will know that the problem is NOT the cyl pin actuating the transfer bar. I've put my gun back together after cleaning and neglected to position the cylinder pin correctly; I would get the same symptoms you describe until I took it out and put it back in more carefully. That pin and the transfer bar can really cause problems at times.
J
 
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