First time this has happened to me!

[Bullrydr85]

Well Ill start by saying I know rugers are among the toughest guns made but I did something today that I have never done in the six years of owning fire arms, I dropped one. It was my Ruger SP101. I opened the cylinder to load it and it fell flat but open cylinder side down. I tried the goofy foot catch and ony slowed it down it hit the carpet and caused the cylinder to slam closed. It cycles fine, no dents or dings as it landed on carpet, and the gab between the cylinder/breech and cylinder/firing pin wall (forgot the correct term sorry) appear the same. The gun appears fine is there anything else I should check for damage? Oh and the cylinder opens and closes fine! Each Ruger I own is like a kid to me I love them and prided myself on the care I give them. Any other places to check would be great so please let me know. (I guess I need to hear its ok, LOL!) Thanks all.

 

[Hokie73]

Thank heaven for carpets.

 

[Skalkaho Slim]

I'm sure it's fine.

The only time I've ever dropped a firearm was in my first USPSA match years ago. It was raining horribly and after a fumbled draw during the the last stage of the day - PLOP! right in a mud puddle. The RO and I looked at each other for what felt like 15 minutes, after which I said "Well, I guess that's it then." To which he replied "Yep.".

That day I learned that there are two kinds of shooters - those that have dropped a gun and those that will drop a gun.

 

[TRanger]

I can't see any decent gun being damaged by a little fall like that, and certainly not a Ruger. I think you can relax.

 

[Bullrydr85]

LOL, thanks for the replies. Good to hear i am not the only one to fumble a gun! I figured its a ruger and I buy them because of the toughness. Thanks all.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Welcome to the forum Bullry, you just need to do functional checks to make sure there is no binding anywhere and that the lock-up is good. I wouldn't think that kind of drop would do anything to your gun. Kids are tough, they can take a few bumps and bruises without any problems.

...Jimbo

 

[sasu]

I once knocked a S&W 357 Magnum out of a misfitting holster. It dropped on soft(ish) sand and I spent an eternity taking sand out of all the little crevices in the gun. No damage, not even scratches.

 

[pisgah]

Your gun is ruined. Send it to me right away for safe disposal.

Just a note on dropping guns. We all hate when it happens but eventually it will happen. I always counsel against trying to grab it on the way down. I have seen accidental shootings resulting from such a wild grab, and it is far better from a safety standpoint to just allow the gun to fall and let its safety features do their job. Then pick it up and mourn over whatever superficial cosmetic damage that might have occurred.

 

[357Nut]

Most of my gun drops over the years have been pistols sliding out of holsters. Dropped my 41Mag Redhawk right on the top strap on a rock, talk about mad!!!
I've dropped my poor Security Six twice on concrete, years apart. Both times it slid out of a leather gun case I had not zipped all the way closed. Haven't dropped one with the cylinder opened yet and hope to avoid that. Sounds like you didn't hurt anything.
The Security Six is still one of my most accurate .357s and I shot a woodchuck standing at 90 yards with the 41Mag so they both still work fine.
They just look a little worse for the wear.

 

[nn]

Happens--- This one had a easy fall----it will be ok

 

[G. Freeman]

Carpet is a life saver. I used to drop guns once in a while, parts, grips, etc. and with no damage to the respective parts.

Now I have laminated floor. I've dropped my beatiful grips--dinged the corner. Parts that drop bounce around and become very difficult to find. Once I dropped my GP-100, it landed hammer down. It put a big dent on the laminate floor but the gun was fine.

Now if you dropped your gun on concrete...that would be a different story.

 

[Bullrydr85]

From what I can tell the gun seems to function properly. I am pretty good with gun care so it was a slow-mo nightmare watching it hit the ground and landing on the floor cylinder out. Hey its a Ruger and if something were wrong I bet theyd fix it. Thanks all.

 

[Redhawk4]

It's a Ruger, I'd suggest getting a structural engineer to check out the house.

Perhaps you could go on houseforum.com and see if anyone else has suffered serious damage to their home doing the same.

Lucky you had carpet down to cushion the fall or it might have gone through your floor and cracked the earth's crust. :lol:

 

[Knuckles]

Heck' I had my SP101 fly out of my holster while jumping up and down on an overstuffed dumpster... she landed smack-dab on the black top.

To my amazement it got two tiny dings that were fairly easy to rub out.

"Stupid is as stupid does"

 

[KWYJIBO]

Let's see, it landed on carpet, SP101 is built like a tank... should be fine. Just be more careful with your kids in the future and don't sweat it.

 

[oldyeller]

I'm with redhawk have your carpet pad and substructure checked out.mike

 

[batmann]

We have, well most of us, have done something along the same lines. I was cleaning one of my Blackhawks on my deck (wood) was not quite so lucky, I dropped the cyl on the the only spot that was concrete, the step from the house. I was lucky, I, like you, managed to get my foot partially under it and broke some of the fall, but it still but a little gouge on the front of the cyl.

 

[Axehandle]

Dropped just right on the edge of the sights an OM FT 357 will make a set of holes in an oak floor like you wouldn't believe... Dang hard to explain to the boss too! :roll: Tried to pull them out with a wet rag and a hot iron but no luck!

 

[Bullrydr85]

Redhawk4, good one! I get to crazy over these dang guns! I have entered the ooh & ah part of Ruger collecting so I have my one work horse which some how isnt the SP 101 and all the others mostly get drooled over or shown off.

 

[RonJon]

. Any other places to check would be great so please let me know. (I guess I need to hear its ok, LOL!) Thanks all.

Just to really put your mind at ease do step #5 (under Timing) in the following post by Jim March:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57816

You will probably find it to be just fine, but since it fell on the open cylinder, I think I'd do this test.

Ron