new blackhawk, how to remove internal lock?

Help Support Ruger Forum:

demo_slug

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
123
the internal lock gets in the way of installing my hogue grips. is there a part I can buy to replace the lock? I made it work, the grip fits perfect. but the mounting stirrup isn't perfect. anybody have a fix?
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Welcome to the Forum!
While none of us will say you should do this,, I believe it has been done. Some folks due to stocks not fitting have made different stocks,, or have swapped grip frames completely. Of course,, you assume ALL liability when you modify any factory firearm,, especially when it comes to safeties.
I have also seen somewhere that someone has totally removed the lock system & rebuilt it in the hammer strut area. I've never done that. I personally made my own stocks to fit my NM's to allow them to fit comfortably over the lock mechanism.
I know of no aftermarket "parts" to replace that mechanism. Too much liability in something like that.
 

REP1954

Blackhawk
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
959
I just replaced the XR3 grip frame on a 357 Anniversary with a XR3-RED grip frame. I think lock time is twice as fast. I like the feel of the XR3 better but I will deck the area where the grip panels lay to the same thickness as the XR3 is and reshape the grips some. I have a 44 Mag Anniversary with the same grip frame that I am going to modiy for the longer strut.
 

demo_slug

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
123
contender":2d0dlqts said:
I know of no aftermarket "parts" to replace that mechanism. Too much liability in something like that.
interesting. it just guides the hammer strut and supports the spring. its not like a failure of that part would cause it to fire. maybe I'm not understanding the mechanism.

or are you talking about liability in the sense that you can be sued for making your coffee too hot?
 

JWhitmore44

Blackhawk
Joined
Oct 23, 2008
Messages
987
Location
NW Kansas
I had a pair of old imitation ivories that I hollowed out the back side of the grips to fit over the lock. Just a few minutes with a dremel sanding drum.

Yes, liability as in you over-rode or by-passed a safety device.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Yep,, the liability issue would pop up if you ever had ANY legal issue with the gun. You tampered with a safety device,, so you would be liable. Gotta love our lawsuit happy enviroment now!
 

demo_slug

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
123
contender":qoix6og5 said:
Yep,, the liability issue would pop up if you ever had ANY legal issue with the gun. You tampered with a safety device,, so you would be liable. Gotta love our lawsuit happy enviroment now!

I live in California, so I'm exempt from such law suits. :wink: they'll just put my gun loving butt in prison and "Unperson" me.
 

surveyor47

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
312
Location
New Orleans, LA
The nice thing about the Ruger lock is that it WORKS. When this issue first came up, I spoke with the head of Ruger Customer Service and he explained that they used every mechanism they could dream up to get it to fail- washing machine- dryer- paint vibrator- and they could not get it to fail. I believe that Rugers lock is properly designed and engineered, so that have confidence that it actually works as designed. Remember, this whole lock issue was caused by reported failures of S&Ws lock- NOT RUGERS. The reason for the lock is so that people too cheap to buy a safe can lock their guns operating mechanism internally. Still, if a big Master Lock doesnt lock the thing, I dont know what good an internal lock will do. The lock puts the owner is a bigger legal bind if his gun is stolen.... You actually left an unsecured gun UNLOCKED! How much is you house worth?

IF YOU OWN A GUN, THEN ALSO OWN A SAFE!
 

Hokie73

Bearcat
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
39
Location
S.W. Louisiana
Well, I guess I am really going to hell for eliminating the cross bolt safety on my Marlin with one of Mr. Ludwig's wonderful cross bolt safety eliminators. I didn't like it, and it's my gun, and damn any lawyer that doesn't like it. I don't consider locks a safety device anyway, and since Ruger's are hidden and not likely to self activate like S&W's, they are a non issue to me. If you get the right spring you can do whatever you want with lock times regardless of spring length.
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,138
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Actually the infernal lock mechanisms came about due to legislation in a couple of states mandating guns HAVE a lock system on them to "prevent unauthorized use." And of course,, if you choose to not lock your gun,, and some thug steals it, & uses it,, they get to go after you,, not the thug! The manufacturers want to sell products,, so they had to design infernal locks.
I think that Springfield (in the 1911's) and Ruger have hit upon the best methods so far. Their locks do not interfer with normal operations.
 

Rclark

Hunter
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
3,533
Location
Butte, MT
so that people too cheap to buy a safe can lock their guns operating mechanism internally.... You actually left an unsecured gun UNLOCKED!
Strange. A gun is useless if locked. A gun is useless if unloaded. A gun is useless if in a safe. This is so surreal. Doesn't everyone have a rifle over their door or shotgun behind a door anymore??? A revolver by their bed? For those occasional skunks, you need one handy.... Seems like we've become a nation of hand wringers..... Ok, a bit off topic, but safety locks are just unnecessary. Sometime, I may look at making a 'non-lock' for the few that I have that have them.... just on the principle of the thing.
 

bisleyfan41

Blackhawk
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
660
Location
People's Republic of Maryland
Rclark":f7obb5k1 said:
so that people too cheap to buy a safe can lock their guns operating mechanism internally.... You actually left an unsecured gun UNLOCKED!
Strange. A gun is useless if locked. A gun is useless if unloaded. A gun is useless if in a safe. This is so surreal. Doesn't everyone have a rifle over their door or shotgun behind a door anymore??? A revolver by their bed? For those occasional skunks, you need one handy.... Seems like we've become a nation of hand wringers..... Ok, a bit off topic, but safety locks are just unnecessary. Sometime, I may look at making a 'non-lock' for the few that I have that have them.... just on the principle of the thing.

AMEN!!
+1 to the above. And yes, my state is one that mandates such devices and is the state responsible for the fired shell casing. Feel free to cut MD off the rest of the country and send it out to sea, just give me time to bail.
 

JimMarch1

Blackhawk
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
525
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
My Ruger New Vaquero in 357 is carried daily as my CCW piece. It's by my bedside at night, it's physically on me any other time. I mean this absolutely literally.

I will be swapping out grip frames at some point and making the lock go away. I have no kids in the house, I don't need it. The REASON for making the lock go away is that I want a different grip frame on there - I intend to custom-chop a Ruger Bisley grip frame, more or less replicating the old #5 grip, and at the same time add a hammer overtravel stop that can't be added with the lock in there.

It's not out of hate for the lock itself - there's NO credible reports of it accidentally engaging.
 

Chance

Buckeye
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
1,378
Location
Sun City, AZ
My never go to the desert without it gun is a NMBH 45LC w/lock. The only time I ever noticed the lock was when I swaped grips. A lot of folks don't like them for a lot of different reasons that have nothing to do with the normal function of the gun itself.

Leave the panels on and don't drill the suggested idiotic access hole and forget the lock is there.
 

J Miller

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 30, 2000
Messages
977
Location
Not in IL anymore ... :)
I just love lock apologists. Nothing you can do about it ... get used to it ... deal with it ... learn to live with it .... bla bla bla bla bla ad nauseam.

Well, lock apologists, I don't have to. Locks ARE NOT a safety devise they are a function prevention device. Something to make the gun useless. That is the idea, keep us burdened with USELESS guns so we can be controlled.

Screw that. I will not buy one with such a device unless I can REMOVE it. I will not own a gun with an internal lock. Period.

YOU GET OVER IT!

I will exercise my consumer rights and tell the manufacturers I will not buy their products if they keep putting the locks in them. That is the way it is.

Just because you can't see them don't mean they are magically not there. I don't buy into the headimus rectimus, if I can't see it it's not there mind set.

YOU GET OVER IT!

demo_slug,
PM or email me your email address and I'll send you a couple pics of a very simple way to ditch those stinking locks.

Joe
 

wetidlerjr

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
299
Location
TIPTON IN/USA
J Miller":1nw8mzze said:
I just love lock apologists. Nothing you can do about it ... get used to it ... deal with it ... learn to live with it .... bla bla bla bla bla ad nauseam.
Well, lock apologists, I don't have to. Locks ARE NOT a safety devise they are a function prevention device. Something to make the gun useless. That is the idea, keep us burdened with USELESS guns so we can be controlled.
Screw that. I will not buy one with such a device unless I can REMOVE it. I will not own a gun with an internal lock. Period.
YOU GET OVER IT!
I will exercise my consumer rights and tell the manufacturers I will not buy their products if they keep putting the locks in them. That is the way it is.
Just because you can't see them don't mean they are magically not there. I don't buy into the headimus rectimus, if I can't see it it's not there mind set.
YOU GET OVER IT!
demo_slug,
PM or email me your email address and I'll send you a couple pics of a very simple way to ditch those stinking locks.
Joe

A fair rant but I can only give it a 5 out of 10.

I don't apologize for inanimate objects; locks or otherwise but I do find your idea of "lock apologists" quite humorous. :D
I do, however, just ignore the locks. I don't use them so I don't take up much of my time thinking (or worrying) about them. Since they don't interfere with how I use the revolver, I am not too concerned. Anyway, not as near as much as you seem to be. :roll: Besides, those on here that you consider to be "lock apologists" seem to be handling the locks much better than you so they have nothing to "get over". They just move on and enjoy their revolvers.
You should really consider some kind of "lock apologist syndrome" treatment so you don't have a stroke or something. You seem to be all stressed out. :mrgreen:
 

ebg3

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 9, 2009
Messages
76
Location
Eastern NC
I was disappointed when I got my 50th Annv. flat top and found it had the lock. I'll just try to forget it's there! It look look good with a Bisley grip though...
 

surveyor47

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
312
Location
New Orleans, LA
As far as the cross bolt safety on the Marlin lever actions are concerned, I believe in them because they are a SAFETY device. It is far easier to safey unload a Marlin with the cross bolt safety than without. I believe in this safety, because the closest I ever came to an accidntal discharge was unloading a Marlin.

The internal lock on handguns is a STORAGE device and I dont believe in them. The S&W locks do fail. I have a Airweight S&W 38 Special that just had its guts reworked after a possible internal lock failure. I couldnt rotate the cylinder and evidently bent the trigger mechanism trying to pull the trigger. It now has a new trigger, cylinder and recut forcing cone. I still dont trust it. Poor S&W engineering. I dont believe in S&Ws lock at all, defeats the purpose of the gun. This is why I am trading off my IL equipped S&Ws and buying used pre-lock S&Ws or Rugers. I believe that Rugers lock is well designed and have never heard of a failute.

The reason we have the lock issue is because DUMB people leave loaded guns around their house with kids left alone. The kids get into thjeguns and accidentally shoot themselves- DUH!. It happens every Christmas. This is the reason we have safes of various types. You can purchase a safe for as little as $75. There is even a nightstand type safe with a finger pad that works at night with no light- bolt it to the floor or underside of a desk. Access to adults is not an issue; access to kids is. The dumbest of the dumb get dumb rules imposed on the rest of us.....
 

J Miller

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 30, 2000
Messages
977
Location
Not in IL anymore ... :)
wetidlerjr,

That was a typical response of a lock apologist. No matter how I word my responses I'm always in the wrong to you guys.

When I express my desires and opinions suddenly "I" need therapy. B*****it!!!!

That is the mantra of leftists. If you don't agree with us you're sick and need treatment. Just like the communist government in the old Soviet Socialist Republics, if you disagree with us, we just send you to Siberia for reeducation.

Screw the locks! If you like them, fine, but don't put me down because I DO NOT! I HAVE AS MUCH RIGHTS TO MY FEELINGS AND BELIEFS AS YOU DO, AND AS MUCH RIGHT TO SAY IT.

Joe
 

wetidlerjr

Single-Sixer
Joined
Dec 17, 2002
Messages
299
Location
TIPTON IN/USA
J Miller":qac9wo9v said:
wetidlerjr,
That was a typical response of a lock apologist. No matter how I word my responses I'm always in the wrong to you guys.
When I express my desires and opinions suddenly "I" need therapy. Bullshit!!!!
That is the mantra of leftists. If you don't agree with us you're sick and need treatment. Just like the communist government in the old Soviet Socialist Republics, if you disagree with us, we just send you to Siberia for reeducation.
Screw the locks! If you like them, fine, but don't put me down because I DO NOT! I HAVE AS MUCH RIGHTS TO MY FEELINGS AND BELIEFS AS YOU DO, AND AS MUCH RIGHT TO SAY IT.
Joe

Need I say more ? :wink:
 

Latest posts

Top