Do revolver frames stretch?

Does putting a LOT of HEAVY loads thru an alloy frame gun eventually stretch the frame? Can it be enough to get the b/c gap out of whack?

The LCRx 3" seems to have a thicker frame in the top strap compared to the 1.875. Is this thickness a heavier frame or just a thicker "wrapper" of the plastic stuff?

A lot of heavy loads can stretch a frame. How many constitutes a lot depends on the gun.

Ruger's motto has long been 'thicker is better'.

I put a lot of max to near max loads through a Redhawk and streched the frame to the point that it was not repairable. Since most of the loads put through it were my 22 grains of 2400 and 240 grain LSWC hand loads and hand loads void the waranty, I gave the gun to my local gunsmith to use as parts and bought another one, rather than sending it back to Ruger.

Yes, they can stretch, that's why S&W discontinued the K frame magnum revolvers. They were going out of time.

Years ago I stretched the top strap of a customized Colt Single Action Army .357 Magnum. The top strap stretched so that the barrel angled downward, enough so that the rear of the cylinder bound against the top strap and hinder rotation.

At that time my gunsmith was Ed Mason & Sons and Bob Mason re-aligned the frame so the gun became a shooter again.

Did back off on the loadings, though.

This is the gun:



Bob Wright

YEP! They surely can do that. I saw a really nice COLT Cobra 38SPL that had a B/C gap you could clean with your little finger courtesy of a few boxes of 38SPL+P+ factory ammunition.
And so it went...

nvbirdman said:

Yes, they can stretch, that's why S&W discontinued the K frame magnum revolvers. They were going out of time.

Click to expand...

They're actually "back in time" LOL!!! for a couple of years now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrV3DTG1IBA

nvbirdman said:

Yes, they can stretch, that's why S&W discontinued the K frame magnum revolvers. They were going out of time.

Click to expand...

S&W discontinued the K magnums because people shot 125 grain 357 mag and the forcing cone would crack long before the frame could have ever stretched.

Old Model Super Blackhawks are highly resistant to frame stretching. My first large bore Ruger revolver was purchased new in 1972 for $125. I am approaching 35,000 rounds through it. Almost all of those rounds were reloaded to Skeeters favorite .44 magnum load (today considered over maximum). It is as tight as the day I bought it.

I once even did an experiment to determine what this particular revolver could really take. With 250 grain cast bullets I started at 24 grains of the old 2400 and worked my way up in half grain steps until I saw flattened primers and hard case extraction. I got to 29.5 grains before I saw unacceptable pressure signs. The blast and recoil was impressive.

While I do not recommend anyone try this experiment, it shows the high safety margin in Ruger revolvers.

I too have a second generation Colt SAA in .357 magnum. Out of respect for the rather delicate top strap, I have mostly fired .38 specials in it:

I always use lighter loads in my old model .44 magnum flattops:


John

Thanks for all the input from everyone. As usual, this forum is loaded with good stuff from people who actually own/shoot a lot of Rugers. But, back to part 2 of my original post. Look at this pic at the top of the page:

http://www.ruger.com/products/lcrx/models.html

The 3" top strap is a lot thicker than the snubs. Is the alloy thicker or just the plastic stuff that it is all held together with?

If Ruger's "monolithic frame" marketing statement is true, that's an area of thicker frame around the rear sight. Wouldn't be too concerned about it though, as S&W has been marketing alloy-frame revolvers in 38+P for going on 50 years. It can't add much weight either: I held a 3" LCRx at the LGS and was pleasantly surprised at its lightness.

I worked up to 1400 fps with my FA97 44 special one time with 180 JHPs. I was a bit surprised that I was able to do that with no apparent signs of pressure. I called Bob Baker at FA and he advised me that it was possible to stretch the main frame. So, I reduced my charge. Why bend your sixgun?

Read John Linbough articles in Custom Sixgun website. He tested them to the max. Very interesting.

My grandkids started shooting Bearcats (2), even starting Cowboy Action shooting with them. After a while the cylinders wouldn't turn at all and Ruger repaired them at no cost. "Stretching" was the problem.
Cherokee Slim