Brand new Wiley Clapp 357 SP101 cyl not reamed deep Enuff

[XJBluto]

Brand New Wiley Clapp SP101 357 2.25" cylinder not reamed deep enough right out of the box. 357 rounds won't seat fully and rim casings rub on recoil shield.
I took this brand new gun to the range. Tried two separate manufacturers' ammo. Both would not load properly. The headspace was too tight. The rim of the cartridge binds on the recoil shield. I can force the cylinder closed , but after firing, the rounds won't eject with the ejector. Thought about taking Emory cloth to the recoil shield, but dagnabbit , this is a new gun and I shouldn't have to do this. It's Friday night, so I'll have to call Ruger Customer service Monday morning to get an RMA and send it in. Wondering how long it will take to turn this around. Hope the gun comes back fixed, I dread getting it back and finding it still jacked. My first Ruger revolver. Should have stuck with S&W.
So disappointed.
Thoughts?

 

[Big Old Boy]

Should not be more than a week two tops to get it back. I just today picked up the same gun, gonna try it tomorrow hopefully it will be OK.

 

[PriseDeFer]

I dance the dance of empathetic sorrow. You checked under the ejector star for milling debris etc. ?

"...the rounds won't eject with the ejector..." Sounds like a separate problem, what do the cylinders look like under good light?

 

[XJBluto]

First thing I did was clean the gun, even before I shot it. Clean as a whistle. It's almost as if they put a .38 cylinder in this. The 38 rounds are fine, they don't bind. The 357 rounds (and I tried multiple brands types and weights) don't have headspace clearance. It's ever so tight, but enough to wedge the rounds in the cylinder.I think we all appreciate the wait and excitement of ordering a new gun. When you get it and have this happen, it's so discouraging. This is my second Ruger. My first was a stainless SR1911 full sized 45 1911. I have several Smith and Wesson revolvers. The quality with Smith is impeccable. Saw the SP101 Wilwy Clapp and was smitten. Boy am I ever sorry. The Quality Control checks must be non-existent.

 

[hittman]

You understand, right, that this is a privately owned forum not at all affiliated with Ruger? We can't fix your gun, can't see it in person, no pics are posted, we're not gunsmiths and aren't your outlet for factory service; if it's needed.

You're here with a bunch of folks who like to shoot and accumulate Rugers and other brands. Nothing more, nothing less.

Unfortunate you're not happy with your new purchase. Send it back ..... Ruger will likely fix it for free.

 

[bcgunworks]

Production guns keep shops like mine running. None of the big names are producing what they did in terms of quality just 10 years ago.

If the breach face looks super rough or grainy looking I would argue for a replacment. I have had issues with some of the Franken Ruger builds with these.

If you bought it from a bigger store you may be able to take it back and exchange it.

 

[XJBluto]

You understand, right, that this is a privately owned forum not at all affiliated with Ruger? We can't fix your gun, can't see it in person, no pics are posted, we're not gunsmiths and aren't your outlet for factory service; if it's needed.

You're here with a bunch of folks who like to shoot and accumulate Rugers and other brands. Nothing more, nothing less.

Unfortunate you're not happy with your new purchase. Send it back ..... Ruger will likely fix it for free.

Thought maybe there were folks who have insight. I am new to Ruger revolvers.
Thanks.

 

[WAYNO]

Thought maybe there were folks who have insight. I am new to Ruger revolvers.
Thanks.

Yes, you had every right to post your issue here and ask for insight.

I had an endshake issue with my Wiley Clapp SP101. My Barrel/cylinder gap was very tight to start with, and the cylinder was not cut square. So, mine would bind to a halt on two chambers. I was able to buff down the offensive high spot and my issue is resolved. Your issue might be a bit more complex, so unless you want to spend time and/or money to fix it locally, I would contact Ruger to send you a pre-paid shipping label and return it to them to make it right.

There are many folks on this forum who defend Rugers quality control, and insist we're asking for too much perfection on an out of the box mass produced firearm. I disagree. If Rugers QC would have been so spotty when Ruger was first in business, they likely would have never enjoyed the success they now have.

Good luck, and I do agree that Ruger will take care of this.

And as I am sympathetic with your frustration with your first Ruger, I know it's not much consolation, but the odds of getting a perfectly functioning S&W out of the box are no better or worse than Ruger, or any of the other manufactures. It's the acceptance, again, of the new QC in the firearms industry.

WAYNO.

 

[Carry_Up]

I have also received new revolvers with zero headspace, so your experience is not unique. It is amazing that this dimension could be overlooked. The result is either that you can't rotate the cylinder at all when loaded, or else that the cylinder will not rotate after firing a few rounds. In my opinion, no headspace is serious and requires a visit to the factory. There is nothing you can do to clean or polish your way out of it!

CU

 

[Mus408]

Had a similar problem with my BFR .45-70 I bought a few years ago. The Hornady rounds would give the most trouble...some would clear some would not. Rather than send it back a nice sharp file took care of the problem. The tech told me that's how they would fix it so I let my tool maker skills go to work!

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

A return to Ruger is in order. I own 50 or so Ruger handguns and almost all of them produced in the last 7-8 years. I have returned only one for factory defect and that was an SP101 .22 that had a badly clocked barrel (canted front sight). Maybe I am the lucky one but I believe that for every bad one there are hundreds of good ones out there that you will never hear about.

 

[RugerHound]

I have (literally) hundreds of Rugers. I have had to send 1 back. It happens. Ruger customer service is pretty darned good... Call them and they'll tell you exactly how to ship the defective piece back to them. You'll also get a little goody when it comes back.

 

[TRanger]

Production guns keep shops like mine running. None of the big names are producing what they did in terms of quality just 10 years ago.

t.

Absolutely spot on. As to sticking with S&W, you could not give me a new Smith as a gift. Plenty of fine older revolvers out there for sale, often at attractive prices. No need to buy substandard products at inflated cost.

 

[5of7]

Since the gun functions fine with .38 Special ammo, it is probably not a headspace problem because headspace is the same for .38 Special as for .357 Mg. as they both headspace on the rim, and the rim thickness is the same for both.

What I would suspect is that the chamber is not reamed deep enough to accept the longer .357 Mg. cases.

Reamers need to be 'touched up' on occasion because of wear and it is just possible that the reamer that chambered this particular gun had been re-sharpened once too many times.

Whatever the issue, Ruger is the right place to have it done. It will cost you nothing but a couple of weeks wait.

As to S&W quality, Well, I just had to buy a chamber hone for an unfired model 57 because of rough chambers causing the brass to stick to the point of having to thump the extractor rod on the bench to get the brass out. I have also had 3 other S&W revolvers that required a little 'stoning' here and there to facilitate extraction. I wouldn't rate S&Ws QC any better than Ruger's

What with the trend toward the legalization of marijuana, the situation will probably get worse, not better. 8)

 

[22/45 Fan]

It's almost as if they put a .38 cylinder in this. The 38 rounds are fine, they don't bind. The 357 rounds (and I tried multiple brands types and weights) don't have headspace clearance. It's ever so tight, but enough to wedge the rounds in the cylinder.

I think you hit it right there. Either they installed a .38 Special-only cylinder or didn't cut the chambers deep enough for .357 cases. It's not a headspace issue, it's a chambering issue.

In any event, call Ruger and describe the problem. They will make it right.

 

[O2HeN2]

Since the gun functions fine with .38 Special ammo, it is probably not a headspace problem because headspace is the same for .38 Special as for .357 Mg. as they both headspace on the rim, and the rim thickness is the same for both.

What I would suspect is that the chamber is not reamed deep enough to accept the longer .357 Mg. cases

This, though there is another distant possibility. You mentioned that .38s chamber just fine -- did you by any chance shoot a lot of .38s BEFORE you tried chambering your .357s? If so you could have significant crud built up at the front of the chambers that are not allowing the .357s (whose cases are longer) to fully chamber.

O2

Ps. I'll be following this closely since I have the exact same gun on order, should be here this week or next...

 

[5of7]

This, though there is another distant possibility. You mentioned that .38s chamber just fine -- did you by any chance shoot a lot of .38s BEFORE you tried chambering your .357s? If so you could have significant crud built up at the front of the chambers that are not allowing the .357s (whose cases are longer) to fully chamber.

O2

BINGO....that is probably it all right. 8)

 

[XJBluto]

Since the gun functions fine with .38 Special ammo, it is probably not a headspace problem because headspace is the same for .38 Special as for .357 Mg. as they both headspace on the rim, and the rim thickness is the same for both.

What I would suspect is that the chamber is not reamed deep enough to accept the longer .357 Mg. cases.

Reamers need to be 'touched up' on occasion because of wear and it is just possible that the reamer that chambered this particular gun had been re-sharpened once too many times.

Whatever the issue, Ruger is the right place to have it done. It will cost you nothing but a couple of weeks wait.

As to S&W quality, Well, I just had to buy a chamber hone for an unfired model 57 because of rough chambers causing the brass to stick to the point of having to thump the extractor rod on the bench to get the brass out. I have also had 3 other S&W revolvers that required a little 'stoning' here and there to facilitate extraction. I wouldn't rate S&Ws QC any better than Ruger's

What with the trend toward the legalization of marijuana, the situation will probably get worse, not better. 8)

I think you are spot on correct.
Thanks,
Mr.J

 

[XJBluto]

This, though there is another distant possibility. You mentioned that .38s chamber just fine -- did you by any chance shoot a lot of .38s BEFORE you tried chambering your .357s? If so you could have significant crud built up at the front of the chambers that are not allowing the .357s (whose cases are longer) to fully chamber.

O2

BINGO....that is probably it all right. 8)

Never shot anything prior. Cleaned the gun when it came out of the box . 357 150 and 158 gr. Would neither one seat fully.

 

[Cordite]

What with the trend toward the legalization of marijuana, the situation will probably get worse, not better.

I don't think that Ruger or S&W has any production facilities in the ganga friendly states so bowls of hash at the factory lunch break won't happen any time soon.

Cordite

 

[Carry_Up]

This is not a problem with chambers. Ammunition dimensions vary from one maker to the next, so it is certain that one type will allow the cylinder to rotate and others will not allow it. Measurements mean something. You are looking for .006 - .008" headspace on a revolver of this caliber, measured between an empty case and the recoil shield (measure with feeler gauges). As I said, it is a serious problem and not a matter of cleaning or polishing. So, what is the headspace measurement?

 

[Laserbait]

I think 5of7 is correct. I have a GP100 (4" Blued) with short chambers too. I can shoot any non wad-cutter rounds through it, but if I put in any of my semi wad cutter 357 rounds into it, I can't close the cylinder. Doesn't matter the make of the brass, I have tried RP, Win, FC, Hornady, Starline, PMC, and probably 1/2 dozen others. They all fit fine, as empty cases, but once loaded with a semi wad cutter, the cylinder will bind on the case heads win closing. I know it's not a carbon ring issue, as I have never shot a 38 through it. And 38 Special dummy rounds I made up with SWC's will cycle just peachy.

One of these days I'll get Ruger to fix it.

 

[XJBluto]

This is not a problem with chambers. Ammunition dimensions vary from one maker to the next, so it is certain that one type will allow the cylinder to rotate and others will not allow it. Measurements mean something. You are looking for .006 - .008" headspace on a revolver of this caliber, measured between an empty case and the recoil shield (measure with feeler gauges). As I said, it is a serious problem and not a matter of cleaning or polishing. So, what is the headspace measurement?

Not a headspace issue , as the 38 and 357 case rims are identical. The 38s seat and shoot fine. The 357 rounds will not fully seat. Their noses are bumping the distal chamber. The cylinder chambers were not reamed sufficiently deep.

 

[O2HeN2]

Not a headspace issue , as the 38 and 357 case rims are identical. The 38s seat and shoot fine. The 357 rounds will not fully seat. Their noses are bumping the distal chamber. The cylinder chambers were not reamed sufficiently deep.

Since we've exhausted all other explanations, I agree. Not enough "freebore" (probably a misuse of the term, but it gets the point across). Send it back to Ruger and report back to us how it goes...

Meanwhile, a week after ordering it, my WC SP101 still hasn't shipped... :(

O2

 

[XJBluto]

Not a headspace issue , as the 38 and 357 case rims are identical. The 38s seat and shoot fine. The 357 rounds will not fully seat. Their noses are bumping the distal chamber. The cylinder chambers were not reamed sufficiently deep.

Since we've exhausted all other explanations, I agree. Not enough "freebore" (probably a misuse of the term, but it gets the point across). Send it back to Ruger and report back to us how it goes...

Meanwhile, a week after ordering it, my WC SP101 still hasn't shipped... :(

O2

Where did you order it from?
I ordered mine from impact guns it shipped in 48 hours.
Too bad it was jacked out of the box.

 

[O2HeN2]

budsgunshop.com. Ordered it last Monday, it entered shipping status today (8 days after ordering) but it hasn't shipped yet (no tracking number). Great, the idea was to get it here BEFORE the black Friday shipping debacle. Now it'll be right in the thick of it.

O2

 

[XJBluto]

Shipped it back to big Ruger. They emailed me a ship label for fed x.it was delivered to New Hampshire at noon Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We will see how fast they turn this around. Hoping to see a shipped back to me email next week.

 

[clayflingythingy]

I've returned 3 guns to Ruger and they all took 3 - 4 weeks.

 

[edlmann]

Wonder how they factory-fired it.

With .38 Specials.

One of the gun mag regulars wrote once of receiving a rifle, complete with test target.

It had never been chambered. :oops:

 

[O2HeN2]

I just picked mine up - beautiful gun!

XJ, it won't make you feel any better but my chambers were bored correctly. Dropped in five .357 rounds and the cylinder spun without any drag...

O2