Crooked cylinder on SBH

ken 66 · Aug 22, 2011

My old stainless SBH has runnout in the front end of the cylinder. The barrel-to-cylinder clearance ranged from .005 inch to .0015 as I went from cylinder to cylinder. The end shake is about .002, so I had cylinder lock up a few times. I put the base pin vertical in the vise and confirmed the runnout. The front of the cylinder is flat, but is not perpendicular to the base pin. Then I turned the cylinder over and confirmed that the rim end of the cylinder is correct. By the way, the headspace is also a bit tight at a consistent .006, but I will probably leave it.

I am fairly good with a file, and can improve it, but is there a better way to fix it? I would think it would be difficult to true it up in a lathe with the interrupted cut and being stainless. I thought about using an engine valve grinder and grinding the end. Of course, I would like to avoid increasing the clearance above .005 inch.

Regards,
Ken

WOB · Aug 22, 2011

Grinding is the way to go. A surface grinder or in the lathe with a tool post grinder would work. You should be able to finish it up with a uniform .0055 or so clearance. This is plenty tight, especially if you are mostly shooting cast bullets.

Pinecone · Aug 22, 2011

ken 66, I recommend you send it back to Ruger to find out "how" it got this way. They don't come this way from the factory and my experience tells me there is something "else" going on here !................Dick :wink:

flatgate · Aug 22, 2011

Ouch, that gun is hurtin'!!!

As Pinecone suggested, contact Ruger and give them your observations.

A "variable" B/C gap ain't in the "prints" for the Super Blackhawk.

flatgate

Anonymous · Aug 23, 2011

Did you buy the gun this way?? No wear and tear would cause that. Someone, somewhere, did some very poor machining. I would talk to Ruger, or whoever may have machined that cylinder since the factory made it.

ken 66 · Aug 23, 2011

To answer some questions that were asked:

I bought the gun used, probably around 1990. I know what caused this simply by looking at the finish marks on the cylinder. The out-of-square-end was turned in a lathe, then when it was removed and chucked on the out-of-square-end, it was poorly aligned. This happens a lot in the machinery world. Operator probably had an argument with his wife that morning.

It isn't worth it to me to call and rub Ruger's face in it. I doubt the guy, or the old machine that was used, would even be still there. It is easier to just go to the machine shop and fix it. Now if the barrel-to-cylinder was .008, then I would call Ruger.

I have never bought a new Ruger, nor sent one in for work. I try to do it all myself or have a machinist friend help, so far have been successful and totally enjoy it. Ruger's simple design is a work of art, so I just consider some "semi-finished" and mess with them myself.

Thanks for the help over the years.

Regards,
Ken