New Vaquero question

I just noticed some wear marks on the cylinder ratchet where the ejector alignment pawl, stops the cylinder. They look like little tiny dents from the ejector alignment pawl. I was wondering if this is normal wear or am I some how being to abusive when I rotate the cylinder to the stop position to load the fire arm? Does anyone Know If I can just remove ejector alignment pawl without messing anything up.

The reverse indexing pawl is powered by a tiny, little spring. I cannot see how it could be effecting that hardened ratchet at the rear of the cylinder.

Posting some clear images here would certainly help us to understand.

I'm simply an observer as I've tossed the "reverse indexing pawl" in the parts box and gone another route.............

flatgate

I remember on SingleActions.com that John Gallagher reported having problems and seeing accelerated wear from the reverse index plunger.

These dents or indents are to small for the camera to clearly pick up. They are crescent shaped at the edge of the ratchet tooth. The way it looks it appears that when I spin the cylinder to far and back spin it till the reverse indexing pawl stops the cylinder to load it, looks like I am banging the cylinder against the reverse indexing pawl. However I dont think I am.

Howdy

I have a New Vaquero cylinder in my hand and I can see the 'crescent shaped' marks you are talking about. This New Vaquero has had several thousand rounds through it. I wouldn't worry a bit about the marks, they are so tiny I never noticed them until you mentioned it.

I just checked the parts list of the New Vaquero, and you are correct, the part in question is called the Ejector Alignment Pawl. All it is is a little spring loaded button. Its purpose is to keep the individual chambers lined up to the loading gate. The 'original model' Vaquero lacked this feature, and had an annoying habit of allowing the cylinder to rotate just a tad too far, allowing the hand to pop into the next ratchet tooth, making it impossible to load or unload the chamber unless you went all the way around again. This could get really annoying, and I applaud Ruger for including this feature in the New Vaquero.

What probably happens is, since the edges of the ratchet teeth are basically a knife edge, any slight pressure of the teeth against the little spring plunger causes a slight dent. You probably don't have to slam the cylinder against the button. I wouldn't sweat this at all, the working surface of the ratchet teeth are much larger than the tiny little dents. They are not going to affect anything.

Thanks again Driftwood Ill be leaving that gun alone, I used to very good at modif. 1911's and have a hard time letting a gun just sit.