SP101 - splitting brass

I know the SP101 .327 had some extraction issues early on, but from what I have read it appears those issues were resolved by Ruger.

I picked up a NIB 101 in .327 last week, and was able to put 6 through it the next day without any issue. Actually thought the gun shot and handled well, not nearly the recoil I anticipated. Today I finally had a chance to spend some time at the range with American Eagle 100 grains factory loads.

The first six seemed fine, the spent brass was tight, but didn't seem to be anything unusual. I'm trying to get used to quick strips for reloading, and loaded another six rounds and fired them. Seemed liked I was catching a lot of debris in my face when these rounds were going off.

After the second load, it seemed to me the brass was harder to extract but they came out. I repeated the sequence another time, and the brass wouldn't come out at all. I had to tap the extractor rod on the bench in order for the brass to come out of the cylinder.

I cleaned and scrubbed the cylinder with Hoppes and a wire brush, then ran dry patches through. I scrubbed hard to try and see if the cylinder was gummed up. I loaded another time and fired six. These were just as hard to get out, if not harder again having to use the bench to get them up and out of the cylinder...

That's when I found this:



What should I do, return the gun to Ruger? I've never had a revolver that was so difficult to extract the empties, clearly these shells are bulging in the cylinder when the discharge, this one happened to split. I cleaned the gun and gave it a close inspection, couldn't see any issues in the cylinder.

I appreciate any suggestions and guidance you can provide.

John

Was this the only split round? I've seen this in my Pythons too and with factory and reloads. I have noticed when I used fast burning powders, empties were harder to extract especally in a Dan Wesson 15 I once owned. Just some personal experience. I wouldn't jump to believe it was a problem with the gun until I ruled out any of the simple stuff first. Did it or does it happen with other ammo? Are you getting alot of spitting from the cylinder gap? Others here may have some other things to consider before shipping it off.

Wow, that really sucks! Sounds like another oversized chamber issue from the past. After reading of the early issues, I inspected mine with an ID micrometer before purchasing. All chambers were within less then .001. I also read they now inspect them 100% at factory...but who knows. I haven't run the American Eagle 100gr, but I've shot Federal 85g, Speer 115g, and American Eagle 85g (all magnums) plus a bunch of 32's with no extraction issues at all.

Sorry to say it, but you likely best contact Ruger on this. Please let us know in the thread stickied on top what the outcome was to keep tabs on this issue.

"Seemed liked I was catching a lot of debris in my face when these rounds were going off."

This would concern me more than one split case.

Silent Sam said:

"Seemed liked I was catching a lot of debris in my face when these rounds were going off."

This would concern me more than one split case.

Click to expand...

It also tells you it's time to send it back to Ruger.

"it's time to send it back to Ruger"


This; they are very good.

Contact them first with an explanation of issues.

Thanks for the help. I got the gun all packaged up and heading back to my local store to begin the return process.

I know split brass isn't uncommon, but when you need to tap the ejector rod on the bench top every time to get your empties up and out of the cylinder, to me something just isn't right.

I will keep you posted. John

paboxcall I have a friend that has a327 Charter arms and he had issue with split brass and he thinks it's an American Eagle issue not the gun I will try to contact him and find out why he thinks this

I've been getting some split cases like this also. But mine are occuring on a 9th or 10th loading of the brass. I've been chalking it up to metal fatigue in the cases

willr

FWIW I have shot a lot of the American Eagle .327 ammo 100gr and never seen split cases. I even have one of the early SP101s with the chamber issue and never had any splits before I got it fixed, only bulges. I just shot my SP101 .327 with the AE last friday and had no ammo problems at all.

paboxcall talked to my friend and he said that when he bought his charter arm he bought 4 boxes of American Eagle because he had no brass to reload (100 grs) he got some fed brass to reload with and he said that the only split brass was the American Eagle. He loaded the same load with both types of brass. I have both and reload my cast boolits in 115gr and have had no issues with my 327 GP100

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback. I am going to try a different brand, perhaps GD ammo, just to see if these rounds stick in the cylinder like the AE 100 grain did, before shipping the gun back to Ruger.

Now I need to find that ammo....

paboxcall said:

...
Now I need to find that ammo....

Click to expand...

I've had good luck with ammunition to go. Also the American Eagle 85g I'm having no problems with either.

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/index.php/cName/pistol-ammo-327-federal-magnum

Try a different brand and weight of ammo, I really dout it's the gun sounds like a ammo issue to me.
Brass in your pic shows silver primers which usally means a reload in a brass case, brass cases have brass primers when I buy them.
Did you reload these or buy factory reloads? looks to me like high pressure, to hot of a load.
Also if you can try the loads in an other gun if it does the same thing you know for sure it's the loads.

44shootist said:

Try a different brand and weight of ammo, I really dout it's the gun sounds like a ammo issue to me.
Brass in your pic shows silver primers which usally means a reload in a brass case, brass cases have brass primers when I buy them.
Did you reload these or buy factory reloads? looks to me like high pressure, to hot of a load.
Also if you can try the loads in an other gun if it does the same thing you know for sure it's the loads.

Click to expand...

Excellent point but they are factory American Eagle 100 grain loads. I don't reload.

Will have a chance over the weekend to try this ammo lot in the Blackhawk to see what happens.

John

44shootist said:

..Brass in your pic shows silver primers which usally means a reload in a brass case..

Click to expand...

All of my factory loaded new American Eagle has silver primers. Both 9mm and .327 mag 85g have silver primer in brass case. Never had one fail in well over 1000 9mm I've shot either.

I shot a different lot of American Eagle 100 grain, and these ended up stuck in the cylinder. Had to tap the ejector rod to get the empties out. I paid much closer attention and noticed that I could pick 5 of the 6 empties out with my fingers, its only one hole where the brass gets stuck. I marked that hole. I also noticed a bit of debris hitting me in the face too, just like before.

Then I put 85 grain Federal low recoil in, and these fired fine and dropped right out, no problem. No debris in the face, by the way.

Then I put another 6 round of AE 100 grain, and these came out very easily. Shot another six, no problem. Fired another 6 of the AE 100 grain, and these too dropped out.

Then I reloaded again, and the empty in the marked hole got stuck.

That made me scratch my head...

Any suggestions? The Federal 85 grain cycle fine, annd the 100 grain AE hang up in the same hole.

John

paboxcall said:

Then I reloaded again, and the empty in the marked hole got stuck.

That made me scratch my head...

Any suggestions?...

John

Click to expand...

Call Ruger and describe the problem, that cylinder isn't right. They need to fix that for you. Ask for a shipping label to send the gun back to them. 8) 8)

...Jimbo

i think the fed 100 gr loads are by far the hottest of all i have tried in this gun. They clock 1-200 fps over everything else i tried.
They are hot loads. My practice reloads are 2 to 300 fps lower than
the fed AE 100 gr

Send it back to RUGER along with the damaged casings (32 duhs).