Blackhawk cylinder gap?

[Jeff H]

What is the usual gap between the cylinder and the barrel on a Blackhawk? Mine is 357 if it matters.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I think it is from.003 to .008
Jim

 

[Jeff H]

I guess I should have done a better job explaining. Mine is .003 on a used Blackhawk I bought a little while ago. It shoots very nice and has a very crisp and easy trigger. I have always thought that it might have been worked on in the past because of the nice trigger, but was never sure.When I measured that gap earlier tonight, It seemed much closer than on any other revolver I have seen which I was hoping would confirm my suspicion that it had been worked on.

 

[Sonnytoo]

You gotta physically hold the revolver cylinder back, toward the grip, with your free hand when you measure the cylinder gap. If you don't do this, you will "measure" a smaller assumed gap than is real.
Sonnytoo

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

I guess I should have done a better job explaining. Mine is .003 on a used Blackhawk I bought a little while ago. It shoots very nice and has a very crisp and easy trigger. I have always thought that it might have been worked on in the past because of the nice trigger, but was never sure.When I measured that gap earlier tonight, It seemed much closer than on any other revolver I have seen which I was hoping would confirm my suspicion that it had been worked on.

Sounds like your trigger was worked on. I've never seen a NM SA Ruger that had (by my standards) a crisp easy trigger. They vary quite a bit though. But I've never seen a really good one from the factory. I do know people that pick up a gun with a 5 lb trigger and a load of creep and think the trigger is just fine though.
I believe my cylinder gaps are in the 0.003 to 0.005" range on my SA Rugers.

 

[Dale53]

Both of my new Flattops (Lipsey Special and a 50th Anniversary .44 Magnum) have very close barrel cylinder gaps (.003"-004").

I'm glad to see that.

Dale53

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

You gotta physically hold the revolver cylinder back, toward the grip, with your free hand when you measure the cylinder gap. If you don't do this, you will "measure" a smaller assumed gap than is real.
Sonnytoo

That is incorrect. Barrel/cylinder gap is measured with the cylinder pushed all the way forward. Holding the cylinder back will add endshake to the measurement. Ideally, a cylinder should have absolutely no endshake (back and forth movement along the cylinder base pin) but most have a little bit. Barrel/cylinder gap is defined as the distance between the barrel and cylinder without any endshake.

For what it's worth, a tight barrel/cylinder gap is not neccessarily an indicator of custom work. Some guns just come from the factory with a tight gap. I have a couple of New Vaqueros that have very tight gaps, around .002 or so. I measured my old Blackhawk that I bought back around 1975 the other day and was surprised to see it also still has a very tight gap, around .002 or so. According to Kuhnhausen, optimum barrel/cylinder gap for a single action revolver is .006 for jacketed bullets and .008 for lubed lead bullets.

 

[Sonnytoo]

You gotta physically hold the revolver cylinder back, toward the grip, with your free hand when you measure the cylinder gap. Sonnytoo

That is incorrect. Barrel/cylinder gap is measured with the cylinder pushed all the way forward. Holding the cylinder back will add endshake to the measurement. Barrel/cylinder gap is defined as the distance between the barrel and cylinder without any endshake.

Yes, you are correct. Darn, I know that... Now looking for excuses other than no coffee. Can't find any. Thanks.
Sonnytoo

 

[Sonnytoo]

You gotta physically hold the revolver cylinder back, toward the grip, with your free hand when you measure the cylinder gap. If you don't do this, you will "measure" a smaller assumed gap than is real.
Sonnytoo

That is incorrect. Barrel/cylinder gap is measured with the cylinder pushed all the way forward. Holding the cylinder back will add endshake to the measurement. Ideally, a cylinder should have absolutely no endshake (back and forth movement along the cylinder base pin) but most have a little bit. Barrel/cylinder gap is defined as the distance between the barrel and cylinder without any endshake.
quote]

Hi Driftwood, a friend of mine just sent me this info from IOWEGAN. As he is now a super-guru on the "other" Ruger site, I trust that he will not object to my referencing (below) his information concerning b/c gap.

"There are some "confusion issues" with the B/C gap caused by "endshake", which is the amount of forward/rearward cylinder movement. Always check the B/C gap by inserting the thickest blade of a gap gauge that will fit with friction between the rear of the barrel and the front of the cylinder face. Friction is the key because it pushes the cylinder all the way back where the B/C gap is at it's widest point."Quote from IOWEGAN

Then, with cylinder held forward, measure gap again. Subtract the two gaps and you have endshake. Figured this clarification helps everybody.
Sonnytoo