Hard to load and unload single 7

Picked up my new single 7 Sat. Couldn't find any ammo till today. I had trouble loading, felt like they did not de-burr the chambers of the cylinder. After I fired 7 rounds I could exstract only 3 of them. I loaded 3 more rounds and fired them. I then could not exstract any of them so I gave up and went home. After looking things over I discovered that there is very little clearance between the rim of the cartridge and the opening of the loading gate. I was then able to exstract all 7 empties.
Has anyone else had a similer exsperiance?
My 357 Blackhawk and 44 Super Blackhawk are certainly not that difficult to load and unload.
Bob

A common Single 7 complaint but easily fixed by oneself or a free repair from Ruger including the shipping if you don't mind waiting 10 to 12 days.

First question: are your 357 and 44 SBH new or old models?

I ask because there are two issues at hand on the Single Seven:

1. The loading gate trough is too narrow.

2. New models with the safety transfer bar action do not align the chamber with the loading trough when the hand clicks on the cyl ratchets the way the old models did. On new models, by the time the click is heard, the chamber has gone too far to align with the trough and cyl must be advanced a bit more.

The Single Seven can have both problems, but merely widening the trough slightly will fix both issues. The correct size grinding bit in a Dremel tool will do the trick, and then just repolish the stainless steel.

Jim,thanks for the reply. I do remember of hearing about this problem, but your exsplanation really helps. I can do this job, I am a retired tool and die guy and I own a Dremel.
To answer your question my 357 and 44 are new models but they are old in years.
Thanks again and happy shooting.
Bob

New models with the safety transfer bar action do not align the chamber

Click to expand...

Just a addon.... Some New Models do align to the chamber like the New Vaqueros and the medium frame Flattops.

My Single Seven loads and extracts cartridges just fine. One of the good ones I guess!

wobbly34b said:

Picked up my new single 7 Sat. Couldn't find any ammo till today. I had trouble loading, felt like they did not de-burr the chambers of the cylinder. After I fired 7 rounds I could exstract only 3 of them. I loaded 3 more rounds and fired them. I then could not exstract any of them so I gave up and went home. After looking things over I discovered that there is very little clearance between the rim of the cartridge and the opening of the loading gate. I was then able to exstract all 7 empties.
Has anyone else had a similer exsperiance?
My 357 Blackhawk and 44 Super Blackhawk are certainly not that difficult to load and unload.
Bob

Click to expand...

There is a lengthly discussion about this very "problem" on the rugerforum.net site. The fact of the matter is that the masses asked for a 327 in a Single Six sized frame. To handle the pressures of the 327 the chambers had to be located between the locking bolt notches in the cylinder. For that to happen it had to have an odd number of chambers, the Single Seven was born.

You now have a small cylinder with seven big holes, stacked pretty close together, in a, not a whole lot of room for a loading chute, frame. Everything has to be lined up just right to load and unload.

Where the aggravation come in is that everything lines up just before a "click". If you go to the click you have gone to far and cain't go back, you have to go all the way around to load the missed chamber. That's not a problem it's just the nature of the beast.

Some folks have honed out the loading chute with a dremel to allow loading at a click. You don't have to remove much material to accomplish this. i didn't like the idea of grinding the frame of such a high pressure cartridge.

I think after some time spent shooting your SS you will find that it's not difficult to line the holes up with the chute to load/unload. I have put 3 or 4 thousand rounds through mine and have no trouble lining things up.

Now if someone would come out with Lever gun in 327 I'd be a Happy, Happy man

lolbell said:

You now have a small cylinder with seven big holes, stacked pretty close together, in a, not a whole lot of room for a loading chute, frame. Everything has to be lined up just right to load and unload.

Where the aggravation come in is that everything lines up just before a "click". If you go to the click you have gone to far and cain't go back, you have to go all the way around to load the missed chamber. That's not a problem it's just the nature of the beast.

Some folks have honed out the loading chute with a dremel to allow loading at a click. You don't have to remove much material to accomplish this. i didn't like the idea of grinding the frame of such a high pressure cartridge.

I think after some time spent shooting your SS you will find that it's not difficult to line the holes up with the chute to load/unload. I have put 3 or 4 thousand rounds through mine and have no trouble lining things up.

Click to expand...

As Rclark posted above, his Single 7 works fine right out of the box and they all should.

I should have been more detailed:

1. Because the S7 has 7 closely spaced chambers, when Ruger gets the loading trough sizing right, the mis-alignment of chambers to the trough normal on other 6 shot New models is negated on the Single 7s and they should align at the click.

2. I have not heard of any Single 7s sent back to Ruger for fixing, that haven't come back working properly by loading at the click. Or any that owners couldn't fix themselves.

3. Rclark is also correct about the New Vaquero and New model Flat Top Blackhawk. They are made with an additional feature to align the chambers at the click; the RIPS, "Reverse Indexing Pawl System".

4. Enlarging the loading chute the small amount needed to correct these issues will in no way weaken the frame.

Decided to send gun back to Ruger and am waiting for its return. I hope Hondo44 is right about none returning from Ruger and not working properly.

Bob

Mine came back "perfect"..............
No charge..........

Shot my single 7 today for the first time since it's return from Ruger. They widened the gate opening and it loaded and unloaded just fine. Now I need to buy some brass and bullets. Has anyone tried bullets from Missouri Bullet Co.? Their price looks good and they are only about 30 miles from my front door.
Keep those single actions rolling.

Bob

Bravo!

wobbly34b said:

Shot my single 7 today for the first time since it's return from Ruger. They widened the gate opening and it loaded and unloaded just fine. Now I need to buy some brass and bullets. Has anyone tried bullets from Missouri Bullet Co.? Their price looks good and they are only about 30 miles from my front door.
Keep those single actions rolling.

Bob

Click to expand...

Glad Ruger got you fixed up. Despite the issues with mine, once back from Ruger it is my favorite pistol. Which reminds me I am over due to take her out.

Yes on the Missouri Bullets. I have shot a good number of the 100 grain lead loads and they shoot very well. My normal is only about 1000 fps,so not pushing them.