AAAARGH!

Picked up a NIB Single Seven on Saturday. Tried to shoot it today, only 1 out of 7 rounds will chamber with the cylinder in the gun. Not enough clearance between the frame and the cartridge rim. They all drop in fine with the cylinder out. I tried 327 and 32 H&R, neither worked. So, I just got off the phone with Ruger CS. Even though the gun was bought NIB, from a dealer, it is over 3 years old. Ruger will only reimburse me $30 to ship it back. I know that shipping a pistol is going to cost me more than that.

Yeah, I just used the "Talk to the CEO" from the website.

Man, this sucks.

Ruger normally will send you a prepaid shipping label via email to return the gun. I would call back, ask for it and be polite but persistent. They should make it right as some of the early Single Sevens had some issues.

Yeah, but the lady said since it was over 3 years old, they wont. They will only reimburse up to $30. I am going to call again tomorrow and try again.

Ask for a supervisor.

Let supervisor know that you have done your homework on the Ruger Forum and found out that these guns had problems.

Politely ask them to email you a return shipping label.

The CSR is right on the Reimbursement of $30, you don't want to be reimbursed, you would like Ruger to step up and provide a return ride for a gun that needs to be looked at by the people that built it.

BE PERSISTENT BUT POLITE!

If you have to ship it yourself (which you shouldn't) let the dealer do it via a USPS flat rate box. Only FFL's and dealers can ship via USPS.

Jimbo357mag said:

If you have to ship it yourself (which you shouldn't) let the dealer do it via a USPS flat rate box. Only FFL's and dealers can ship via USPS.

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+1

hittman said:

Jimbo357mag said:

If you have to ship it yourself (which you shouldn't) let the dealer do it via a USPS flat rate box. Only FFL's and dealers can ship via USPS.

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+1

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+2

+3. Have you asked the dealer to ship it? Also, where did the dealer get it from? If the dealer got it from Davidson's, there's a lifetime replacement guaranty.

ditto1958 said:

+3. Have you asked the dealer to ship it? Also, where did the dealer get it from? If the dealer got it from Davidson's, there's a lifetime replacement guaranty.

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The 327 Single-Seven revolvers in question were a pre-paid order from Lipsey's, and they do not guarantee their guns like Davidson's does.

Is this brand new virgin ammo and not reloaded? Had to ask as I did not see anyone else.
I saw some had issue but what you described was a first.
Jeff

What! Rugged Rugers don't have a lifetime warranty???

Maybe just 3 yrs.or 36,000 rounds!

If it was a NEW gun and was never sold,just sitting in the dealers display case, it should be considered a new gun sold to YOU and with a full warranty.

Ruger will send a box, outer box and a shipping label. You may have to pay shipping to Ruger. They have always treated me right

The old Ruger CS is still alive and kicking. Got a prepaid shipping label this morning.

Now, let me ask you this. The gun and ammo have been sitting in the house since I came home the other day, wanted to show my wife what was wrong with it. As I started boxing it up today, I decided to try it one more time. All rounds went in fine.

At the range yesterday, the gun sat inside my truck in a hard case for a couple hours. Ammo was in an open top cardboard box, in the shade, while shooting rifles. Free air temp was about 102/103 yesterday. Thats when I had trouble loading the gun.

This morning, everything was obviously at about 77 degrees, since sitting inside. Put the ammo out on the back patio today, with the gun as well. On the table, in the shade. Temp was showing 104. I measured the rim on one round as a control before putting it all outside.

4 hours later, rim had grown .0025". Various rounds chambered fine.

I am not a metallurgist and dont know the particulars about the expansion of brass/stainless steel in 100ish degree weather. Do you guys think the gun got heat soaked sitting in the truck and the ammo expanded just enough to cause this? I loaded/unloaded close to 15 times today, both outside and inside without a hitch.

I have done nothing to this gun since yesterday, havent taken it apart or cleaned anything. So, I have no other ideas about why it suddenly works, other than heat soaking, which I cant really believe myself. I hate to send it in if there is nothing wrong with it when I box it up.

What do you guys think?

I am going to call Ruger CS as well tomorrow, and see what they think. Whatever they say I will obviously do, but just curious as to what you guys think of all this.

I have all three barrel lengths of Single Seven bought the first couple months after they were released. The loading trough is very close to the opening of the chambers but not impossible to load at all. That said, I have never used any ammo other than my handloads loaded in Star-Line brass.

The coefficient of thermal expansion for brass (and many other copper alloys) is about twice what it is for stainless steel. Sounds like the gun you have is on the small side for headspace, and this difference in expansion is running up against the bottom of the headspace tolerance. You could measure how much headspace you have with a feeler gauge at various temperatures to establish whether this is your problem. You might also try different brands of brass since rim thickness can vary both brand to brand and lot to lot.

The real question is: will this be a factor if the gun/brass get hot while firing?

I think this (and the other possible S7 problems) can only be determined through shooting. I'd try it out before sending it to Ruger.

If it was thermal, FA would not exist.
I re read the OP's post and then again.
It is not a head space issue.
It is just what others had described from the get go on these. The loading "trough" are tight on some, ok on others.
Some folks did just a bit of clean up on these with a buffer wheel and issue solved.
My 5.5" works fine. My 7.5" has to be lined up perfectly to load and unload.

To the OP. Take the cylinder out, load the cylinder and then replace it. Check for clear free turning of the cylinder. If it will turn its not headspace.
Do a search on the subject. You have a source at your finger tips.
Jeff

Well, been loading it in the house at room temps the last couple days, worked fine. As it did when I brought it home, cleaned it and gave it a "function check" right after I bought it.

I took it out and shot it this morning, temps up to 97 degrees, loads fine and no issues on extraction.

Only thing we can come up with is the ammo got heat soaked enough to not clear the frame on loading. Two of us tried to load it that first outing, with no luck. As tight as it is to load, that is all we can come up with.

The dang thing is accurate, that's for sure. I am going to call Ruger Monday morning and cancel the RMA. And I will email the CEO and let him know that somehow, it is working as it should and thank him for CS ponying up to pay the return shipping.