New Ruger part?

[gnappi]

I have and have had more than a few Blackhawk revolvers and looking in the the new flat top .44 special I was surprised to find a spring loaded plunger in the breech face.

The best guess I can make is it's some sort of cylinder clicker that hits the cylinder ratchet to quiet it down when spinning? Failing that, does anyone know what it does?

 

[gnappi]

I'm pretty certain it's a "ratchet quieter" because with the loading gate open and pulling the hammer back ~1/2" the plunger is no longer pushed forward and familiar "click" is heard when the cylinder is rotated.

 

[BoggusDeal]

It's an indexer to supposedly stop the cylinder chambers inline with the loading gate. I "believe" it came out with the change to the New Vaquero in 2004-5?

 

[gnappi]

I have not purchased a new Ruger in a pretty long time and it makes more sense than making it quiet but that thunk is very weird after hearing the authoritative click for so many years

 

[BoggusDeal]

If you look down in the hammer channel, you may be able to see a tiny set screw. It holds in the plunger and a spring.

 

[gnappi]

If you look down in the hammer channel, you may be able to see a tiny set screw. It holds in the plunger and a spring.

Hmmm... I don't know if I like the cylinder indexing idea, if fixing it may cause a new / added part to ultimately fail in some 20, 30, 40+ years from now?

I think a free spin pawl would have been a better idea.

 

[rkrcpa]

Hmmm... I don't know if I like the cylinder indexing idea, if fixing it may cause a new / added part to ultimately fail in some 20, 30, 40+ years from now?

I think a free spin pawl would have been a better idea.

It has a free spin pawl, the plunger is there to index the cylinder for loading. If you remove the plunger the cylinder is a free spin.

 

[Dr I. Yankum DDS]

I

It has a free spin pawl, the plunger is there to index the cylinder for loading. If you remove the plunger the cylinder is a free spin.

I have a New Vaquero in .45LC and was thinking of removing that plunger. Do you know if doing that would affect any other part of the gun like the timing? or any other safety related area ? thank you !

 

[BoggusDeal]

I

I have a New Vaquero in .45LC and was thinking of removing that plunger. Do you know if doing that would affect any other part of the gun like the timing? or any other safety related area ? thank you !

No, sir. It won't hurt anything. You should just have a cylinder that will turn freely in either direction when the loading gate is opened.

 

[Hondo44]

The cylinder would not click and stop with a chamber aligned with the loading gate trough. It free spins backwards as well as forward because of the free spin pawl. No ill affects and some prefer it that way. Ruger calls it the RIP System with that little plunger being a reverse indexing pawl system and includes a free spin cylinder pawl.

You can add it to any new model which all have the transfer bar safety system with chambers that do not align when the clicks of the cylinder pawl as each chamber advances a bit too far. That's because the hammer is down and therefore the cylinder pawl is in its down position when loading and unloading. Many have complained about this inconvenience for loading and unloading.

Only New Models designed after 2005 have the RIPS. That's the Flat Top Blackhawks and NEW VAQUEROS including the 44 Spl VAQUERO.

Wranglers have a simplified version that only includes the free spin cylinder pawl which makes the cylinder free spin with no clicks.